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Wednesday 18 December 2024
Upshur County Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine ChargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Matthew Logan Frame, 38, of Buckhannon, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 165 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute more than five grams of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, officers were called to a gas station in Belington, West Virginia, on a shots fired incident. Officers attempted to stop Frame’s vehicle and he fled. The chase ended in a crash, and Frame was arrested with two bags of methamphetamine in his pockets. More methamphetamine and cash were recovered during a search of his vehicle.
Frame will serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
The Mountain Region Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Barbour County Sheriff’s Office; and the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
United States Attorney Will Thompson and Law Enforcement to Hold Press Conference in Child Sex Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson and law enforcement officials will hold a press conference on Thursday, December 19, 2024, at 3 p.m. to discuss the sentencing of Larry Allen Clay Jr.
The press conference is contingent upon the completion of the sentencing hearing, scheduled for 11 a.m.
WHAT: Press conference for the sentencing of Larry Allen Clay Jr.
WHEN: Thursday, December 19, 2024, at 3 p.m.
WHERE: Robert C. Byrd U.S. Courthouse, Charleston, Fourth Floor, Suite 4000
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.
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United States Attorney Breon Peace Announces Upcoming Resignation from OfficeRead the Press Release
Breon Peace is resigning as United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York on January 10, 2025. Mr. Peace has served in the position since October 15, 2021.
First Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn Pokorny will become Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York upon Mr. Peace’s departure.
Statement from United States Attorney Peace:
“It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as United States Attorney, to be at the forefront in protecting the over eight million residents of this great district from harm, in upholding the rule of law and promoting civil rights and dignity for all people. As United States Attorney, I have had the singularly rewarding experience of being called to public service and leadership in a district that is filled with people of different backgrounds and life experiences – yet share a common bond of humanity. Throughout my tenure I have also had the good fortune to work with some of the most talented prosecutors and staff to be found anywhere in the country and this district and our nation are the better for their skill, sacrifice and service. As I leave the Office, I will always be grateful for the extraordinary work we have done together in furthering our mission, doing the right thing always and in achieving justice with honor and integrity. And, I look forward to the Office’s continued courageous commitment to pursuing justice, fairly and ethically, without bias, without fear or favor, and with compassion and empathy for our fellow human beings.”
Una extranjera previamente extraditada de México se declara culpable de liderar una prolífica conspiración de contrabando de personasRead the Press Release
Una ciudadana mexicana extraditada a Estados Unidos desde México en 2023 se declaró hoy culpable de liderar una conspiración de contrabando de personas que operaba en Mexicali, en la frontera entre Estados Unidos y México, durante varios años.
Según los documentos judiciales, Ofelia Hernández-Salas, de 63 años, dirigía una organización de contrabando de personas que facilitó el viaje de más de 100 migrantes a Estados Unidos desde Bangladés, Yemen, Pakistán, Eritrea, India, Emiratos Árabes Unidos, Uzbekistán, Rusia, Egipto, Brasil, Perú, Ecuador, Colombia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala y México y a través de esos países. La organización de Hernández-Salas cobraba a los migrantes hasta decenas de miles de dólares por realizar el viaje y les indicaba por dónde cruzar ilegalmente la frontera con Estados Unidos, incluso proporcionándoles una escalera para saltar la valla fronteriza. Hernández-Salas y sus cómplices iban armados con pistolas y cuchillos y también robaban dinero y efectos personales a los migrantes.
“Hernández-Salas se ha declarado culpable de dirigir una organización delictiva que introducía clandestinamente en Estados Unidos a migrantes procedentes de más de una docena de países”, declaró el fiscal general Merrick B. Garland. “Su declaración de culpabilidad es el ejemplo más reciente del largo alcance y el compromiso inquebrantable de la Fuerza de Tarea Conjunta Alpha (JTFA) para llevar ante la justicia a los líderes de las operaciones de contrabando de personas que victimizan a los migrantes con fines de lucro y ponen en peligro nuestra seguridad nacional”.
“Los contrabandistas de personas son despiadados: mienten, roban y ponen en grave peligro a sus víctimas, sembrando la muerte y la devastación en toda nuestra región”, declaró el secretario de Seguridad Nacional, Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “El Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS) seguirá trabajando con nuestros socios federales e internacionales para ayudar a desmantelar las operaciones de contrabando de personas y llevar a los autores ante la justicia”.
“Pusimos en marcha la JTFA hace tres años para desarticular las redes de tráfico de seres humanos que causan miseria en todo el Hemisferio Occidental”, declaró la vicefiscal general Lisa Monaco. “Hoy, una líder de una de esas redes se declaró culpable, dejando claro que a quien intente sacar provecho de la desesperación de otros, el sistema de justicia de Estados Unidos le hará responsable”.
“Hernández-Salas dirigía una prolífica organización de contrabando de personas que traía ilegalmente a migrantes de todo el mundo a los Estados Unidos, cobrando a los migrantes miles de dólares, y a menudo robándoles dinero y pertenencias adicionales”, dijo la viceasistente principal del Fiscal General Nicole M. Argentieri, jefa de la División Penal del Departamento de Justicia. Estas operaciones delictivas no sólo violan la legislación estadounidense, sino que también ponen a los inmigrantes en una situación de gran riesgo personal y financiero”. El Departamento de Justicia, a través de la JTFA, se compromete a colaborar con nuestros socios extranjeros encargados de la aplicación de la ley en México y en otros países para desarticular y desmantelar peligrosas organizaciones delictivas transnacionales”.
“La extradición es una herramienta poderosa para que los líderes de las organizaciones delictivas transnacionales rindan cuentas ante la justicia estadounidense”, declaró el fiscal federal del Distrito de Arizona, Gary Restaino. “Pero requiere cooperación y colaboración con nuestros vecinos. Gracias a todas las partes interesadas de la JTFA en todo el Gobierno Federal por derribar barreras y trabajar de manera proactiva y colegiada con las autoridades mexicanas”.
Hernández-Salas se declaró culpable de conspiración para traer a un extranjero a Estados Unidos y de tres cargos sustantivos de traer a un extranjero a Estados Unidos para beneficio comercial o ganancia financiera privada. Su sentencia está prevista para el 10 de marzo de 2025 y se enfrenta a una pena máxima de 15 años de prisión. Un juez del Tribunal Federal de Distrito determinará la sentencia tras considerar las directrices de Estados Unidos para la imposición de penas y otros factores legales.
En junio de 2023, la Oficina de Control de Activos Extranjeros (OFAC) del Departamento del Tesoro de Estados Unidos impuso las sanciones correspondientes (en inglés) a la organización delictiva transnacional Hernández-Salas.
Hernández-Salas y el coacusado Raúl Saucedo-Huipio, de 50 años, fueron detenidos por las autoridades mexicanas a petición de Estados Unidos en marzo de 2023. Saucedo-Huipio permanece detenido en México.
La Oficina de Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional (HSI) en Yuma está investigando el caso con la ayuda de la Patrulla Fronteriza de Estados Unidos, la Oficina de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza (CBP) de Estados Unidos, el Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE) de Estados Unidos, el FBI y el Servicio de Alguaciles de Estados Unidos, en colaboración con la oficina de HSI en Tijuana, la INTERPOL y la Unidad contra el Contrabando de Personas de HSI en Washington D. C. El Centro Nacional de Identificación/División de la CBP contra las redes organizadas y la OFAC también han prestado una valiosa ayuda.
El codirector de la JTFA, Jim Hepburn, y el abogado litigante Patrick Jasperse, de la Sección de Derechos Humanos y Procesos Especiales (HRSP) de la División Penal, así como la fiscal federal adjunta Lisa Jennis, del distrito de Arizona, están llevando el caso.
La Oficina de Asuntos Internacionales (OIA) del Departamento de Justicia brindó importante asistencia para conseguir el arresto y extradición de la acusada desde México. El Departamento de Justicia agradece a sus socios policiales, que fueron decisivos para el arresto y la extradición de Hernández-Salas.
La investigación y el procesamiento de Hernández-Salas y de Saucedo-Huipio están siendo coordinadas por medio de la JTFA. La fuerza JTFA fue creada en junio de 2021 por el fiscal general Garland, en asociación con el secretario Mayorkas, para fortalecer los esfuerzos del Departamento de Justicia para combatir el aumento del creciente y peligroso contrabando procedente de América Central que afecta a nuestras comunidades fronterizas. La meta de la JTFA es perturbar y desmantelar el contrabando de seres humanos y las redes de traficantes que operan en El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras y México, enfocándose en las redes que ponen en peligro, abusan o explotan a migrantes, que plantean riesgos a la seguridad nacional o que participan en otros tipos de delitos transnacionales organizados.
Desde su creación, la JTFA ha incrementado con éxito la coordinación y la colaboración entre el Departamento de Justicia, el DHS y con otras agencias de Estados Unidos encargadas de aplicar la ley, así como con asociados policiales extranjeros, incluyendo de El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras y México; ha apuntado a las organizaciones que tienen mayor efecto en Estados Unidos y ha coordinado varias importantes acusaciones de contrabando de personas y esfuerzos para la extradición en las fiscalías de Estados Unidos a lo ancho del país. La iniciativa fue ampliada (en inglés) a Colombia y Panamá para combatir el tráfico de seres humanos en la región del Darién. La fuerza JFTA está conformada por personal de las fiscalías federales de Estados Unidos, incluyendo a los distritos Sur y del Oeste de Texas, el distrito de Nuevo México, distrito de Arizona y el distrito Sur de California. El apoyo dedicado a este programa también es proporcionado por numerosos componentes de la División Penal del Departamento de Justicia que son parte de la JFTA, liderados por la HRSP y apoyados por la Oficina de Desarrollo, Asistencia y Capacitación Fiscal en el Extranjero (OPDAT); la Sección de Narcóticos y Drogas Peligrosas; la Sección de lavado de dinero y recuperación de activos; la Oficina de operaciones de aplicación de la Ley; la OIA y la Sección de crímenes violentos y extorsiones.
La JTFA también depende de inversiones sustanciales para aplicar la ley procedentes de DHS, el FBI, la Administración de control de Drogas (DEA) y de otros asociados. Hasta el momento el trabajo de la JTFA ha resultado en más de 345 arrestos en el país e internacionales de líderes, organizadores e importantes facilitadores del contrabando de seres humanos; más de 290 condenas en Estados Unidos; la imposición de 240 importantes sentencias de cárcel y la incautación de importantes activos.
La investigación también tiene el apoyo del programa Grupo Especial contra los Viajes Delictivos Extraterritoriales (ECT), una asociación entre la División Penal del Departamento de Justicia y la Unidad contra el Contrabando de Personas de HSI. El programa ECT se enfoca en las redes dedicadas al contrabando de personas que puedan presentar riesgos particulares a la seguridad nacional o la seguridad pública, así como plantear graves preocupaciones humanitarias. El ECT ha dedicado recursos de investigación, de inteligencia y para el procesamiento. El ECT también coordina y recibe ayuda de otras agencias del Gobierno de Estados Unidos y así como de autoridades policiales en el extranjero.
Esta traducción se proporciona como una cortesía y únicamente debe considerarse fidedigna la fuente original en inglés.
Ukrainian National Sentenced to Federal Prison in “Raccoon Infostealer” Cybercrime CaseRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – Ukrainian national Mark Sokolovsky was sentenced today to 60 months in federal prison for one count of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion.
According to court documents, Sokolovsky, 28, conspired to operate the Raccoon Infostealer as a malware-as-a-service or “MaaS.” Individuals who deployed Raccoon Infostealer to steal data from victims leased access to the malware for approximately $200 per month, paid for by cryptocurrency. These individuals used various ruses, such as email phishing, to install the malware onto the computers of unsuspecting victims. Raccoon Infostealer then stole personal data from victim computers, including log-in credentials, financial information, and other personal records. Stolen information was used to commit financial crimes or was sold to others on cybercrime forums.
In March 2022, concurrent with Sokolovsky’s arrest by Dutch authorities, the FBI and law enforcement partners in Italy and the Netherlands dismantled the digital infrastructure supporting the Raccoon Infostealer, taking its then existing version offline. Sokolovsky was extradited from the Netherlands in February 2024 after being indicted for crimes related to fraud, money laundering and aggravated identity theft.
As part of his plea in October, Sokolovsky agreed to forfeit $23,975 and pay at least $910,844.61 in restitution.
"Mark Sokolovsky was a key player in an international criminal conspiracy that victimized countless individuals by administering malware which made it cheaper and easier for even amateurs to commit complex cybercrimes,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “Today’s outcome is the result of tireless investigative efforts by multiple law enforcement agencies in several countries and we reiterate our thanks to our international partners for their essential work. My office will not stop in its efforts to hold cybercriminals accountable for their misdeeds."
“Sokolovsky’s infostealer was responsible for compromising more than 52 million user credentials, which were then used in furtherance of fraud, identity theft, and ransomware attacks on millions of victims worldwide,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp for the FBI’s San Antonio field office. “We want to thank our Cyber Task Force and international partners for their assistance in bringing Sokolovsky to justice. Cases like this are a priority for the FBI and we encourage anyone who has been a victim of a financial scam to go to www.IC3.gov.”
The FBI’s Austin Cyber Task Force investigated the case with the assistance of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, the Austin Police Department, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Round Rock Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Assistant U.S. Attorney G. Karthik Srinivasan prosecuted the case.
Victims of the Raccoon Infostealer can find more information at www.justice.gov/usao-wdtx/victim-assistance-raccoon-infostealer.
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Two South Carolina Women Convicted of Human Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Monesha Tatayana Lapri Gary, 24, of Clinton, and Rebecca Melanie Perry, 30, of Columbia, have pleaded guilty to human trafficking conspiracy in federal court in Columbia.
According to evidence presented in court, from at least December 2022 through August 2023, Gary and Perry worked together with co-defendants Antonio Marquis Nicholson and Terrell Counts to exploit three minors in the commercial sex trade, despite several members of the conspiracy knowing they were minors.
Nicholson and Perry recruited one minor victim when they encountered her at a hotel as a runaway. They drove her across state lines, told her that she was going to work in commercial sex, bought her lingerie, took photos of her, advertised her for commercial sex on the internet, and arranged for customers to exploit her at hotels in the Columbia area and elsewhere in the state. Nicholson set prices, collected proceeds, decided which minor victims would receive some portion of the proceeds, and how much they would receive. Gary chatted with customers as if she was a minor victim, transported a minor to another city to be exploited, collected proceeds, and turned them over to Nicholson, and intervened with customers when problems arose, all while the minor was multiple states away from her family. Perry helped in a similar way.
Two additional minor victims were recruited near a high school, and they were exploited on days they were not in school. Members of the conspiracy used the internet to advertise the minors, communicate with customers, arrange encounters, and collect proceeds.
The conspiracy exercised high levels of control over the operation, one minor victim was subjected to physical assault, and several of the members of the conspiracy carried firearms and distributed drugs around the minor victims.
Gary and Perry face a penalty of up to life in prison. They also face a fine of up to $250,000 and lifetime supervision to follow a term of imprisonment and mandatory sex offender registry requirements. Pursuant to a plea agreement, Gary and Perry agreed to pay restitution to the victims.
United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Gary and Perry after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
The indictment remains pending against Nicholson and Counts. Charges in an indictment are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), and the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, with assistance from the Columbia Police Department, Richland County Sheriff’s Department, West Columbia Police Department, Darlington County Sheriff’s Office, Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, Horry County Sheriff’s Office, Myrtle Beach Police Department, and Jefferson County (Alabama) Sheriff's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliott B. Daniels and Ariyana N. Gore are prosecuting the case.
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Two Men Sentenced for Firearms Illegally PossessedRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Denzel Givens, 31 years old, and Christopher Rucker, 34 years old, both of South Bend, Indiana, were sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty this week after each previously pled guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Givens was sentenced to 92 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release. Rucker was sentenced to 84 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in January 2024, Givens drove to an apartment complex parking lot in South Bend and backed the car into a parking spot facing a lane. Rucker was in the car with Givens. When a specific car drove down the lane, Givens started shooting two firearms at the car, and that car’s occupant returned fire. Givens fired nearly 20 rounds, with some entering the occupied car and some entering the occupied apartment buildings behind the car. After the shooting was over, Rucker took both guns fired by Givens and hid them in a nearby apartment. Both Givens and Rucker had previously been convicted of felony offenses, and as such, both were prohibited from possessing the firearms in this case.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the South Bend Police Department, the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office, and Indiana State Police Laboratory Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Katelan McKenzie Doyle and Joseph P. Falvey.
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.
Two Members of Drug Trafficking Organization Admit Fentanyl Analogue Distribution and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Two Essex County men today admitted their respective roles as members of a drug trafficking organization responsible for the importation and distribution of hundreds of kilograms of fentanyl analogues, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Defendants Thomas Padovano, 50, and Bartholomew Padovano, 72, of Newark, New Jersey pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark federal court to drug trafficking conspiracy and international promotional money laundering conspiracy.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Thomas Padovano and Bartholomew Padovano admitted that from approximately January 2014 through September 2020, they and other members of the drug trafficking organization agreed to import and distribute various controlled substances and controlled substance analogues, including fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, methylone, and ketamine. Members of the conspiracy placed orders with a source in China and agreed to distribute, and did distribute, the controlled substances and analogues in New Jersey, both in bulk and in the form of counterfeit pharmaceutical pills that actually contained fentanyl analogues. The Padovano defendants additionally admitted to having engaged in financial transactions aimed at concealing the origin and true ownership of more than $500,000 in drug proceeds.
The charge of drug trafficking conspiracy to which Thomas Padovano pleaded guilty carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a fine of up to $10 million. The charge of drug trafficking conspiracy to which Bartholomew Padovano pleaded carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison, and a fine of up to $5 million. The charge of domestic concealment money laundering conspiracy to which both Padovano defendants pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000. Sentencing for both defendants is scheduled for May 6, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) – Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked HSI in Philadelphia, the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Newark Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Newark Police Department, and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sammi Malek and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Hasapidis-Sferra of the Criminal Division in Newark and Trial Attorney Stephen Sola, Chief of the Money Laundering and Forfeiture Unit of the Justice Department’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section. The case is being prosecuted jointly by the United States Attorney’s Office, District of New Jersey and the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) of the United States Department of Justice.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
padovano.sinformation.pdf padovanoetal.3rdsindictment.pdf
Two Colorado Men Charged with Operating Multi-Million-Dollar Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A grand jury in Denver returned an indictment, unsealed today, charging two Colorado men with wire fraud, conspiring to commit wire fraud and money laundering related to their operation of a multi-million-dollar investment fraud scheme called the “ROI Cash Flow Fund.”
According to the indictment, from about January 2023 to February 2024, Timothy McPhee, of Estes Park, Colorado, and Heath Posey, of Denver, caused more than 50 investors to send approximately $8 million to bank accounts they controlled based on the false representation that the investors’ money would be sent to a borrower and leveraged for foreign exchange or “forex” trading. McPhee and Posey also allegedly told ROI Cash Flow Fund investors that they would receive a 3% monthly return on their principal investment from the forex trading profits.
As the indictment further alleges, however, McPhee and Posey did not send the investors’ funds to a borrower to be leveraged for forex trading. Instead, they allegedly used investor funds to make monthly payouts to other investors and misappropriated millions of dollars in investor funds for their own financial gain. From about June 2023 to December 2023, McPhee and Posey allegedly transferred more than $2 million in investor funds to a bank account McPhee controlled. McPhee then spent those funds on personal expenses and investments. Likewise, in February, McPhee and Posey allegedly transferred nearly half a million dollars to a bank account they controlled and used for expenses related to their other mutual business endeavors, including to pay Posey’s salary.
If convicted, McPhee and Posey face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiring to commit wire fraud and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each count of money laundering. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Lauren K. Pope and Amanda R. Scott of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Indictment - U.S. v. McPhee et al._0.pdfTwo Aryan Brotherhood Prison Gang Members Sentenced to Two Consecutive Life Terms in Prison for RICO Conspiracy and Murder in Aid of RacketeeringRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Ronald Yandell, 62, of Pinole, and William Sylvester, 56, of Norco, were each sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller to two consecutive life terms in prison for murder in aid of racketeering and various other RICO-related crimes, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between 2011 and 2016, Aryan Brotherhood members and associates engaged in racketeering activity, committing multiple acts involving murder, conspiracies to murder, and drug trafficking crimes. The trial evidence showed that Aryan Brotherhood members oversaw a significant heroin and methamphetamine trafficking operation from their California prison cells using smuggled cellphones to direct drug trafficking activities, order murders, and oversee other criminal activities inside and outside of the prisons.
Yandell’s murder in aid of racketeering
According to evidence presented at trial, on August 15, 2015, two inmates carried out a brutal murder of another inmate at CSP-Sacramento on Yandell’s order. Before the murder, Yandell offered the two inmates membership in the Aryan Brotherhood if they were able to execute the killing. About a year after the murder, DEA intercepted calls made by Yandell over a contraband cellphone in which he bragged about directing the murder and sponsoring the killers for membership in the gang. Yandell also directed that money earned from Aryan Brotherhood criminal activities be directed to support the two murderers.
Sylvester’s murder in aid of racketeering
According to evidence presented at trial, on October 7, 2001, Sylvester murdered another inmate at CSP-Sacramento to earn his membership in the Aryan Brotherhood. In particular, Sylvester murdered the other inmate because the victim was a member of a gang that refused to recognize the Aryan Brotherhood’s authority and, as a result, members of the victim’s gang were marked for death.
To carry out the murder, Sylvester and another inmate used substantial planning and premeditation to carry out the attack within an extremely-restrictive prison environment. They used inmate-manufactured weapons and surprised the victim with multiple lethal stab wounds to the victim’s body. Sylvester earned membership in the gang for carrying out the killing.
In April 2024, following a nine-week trial before, a federal jury found Yandell, Sylvester, and co-defendant Danny Troxell, 71, guilty of RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to murder, murder in aid of racketeering, and multiple counts of drug trafficking. Troxell will be sentenced on February 18, 2025.
Charges remain pending against one defendant, Kevin MacNamara, 44, of La Palma.
The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Vallejo Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office, and the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Hitt, Ross Pearson, and David Spencer are prosecuting 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 about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
Tencent Removes Two Directors from Epic Games and Relinquishes Its Right to Unilaterally Appoint Directors or Observers in Response to Justice Department ScrutinyRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that two directors of Epic Games Inc. (Epic), who had been appointed by Tencent Holdings Ltd. (Tencent), resigned from the Epic board after the Antitrust Division expressed concerns that their positions on both the Epic and Tencent boards violated Section 8 of the Clayton Act. Tencent owns a minority interest in Epic. The interlock was created because Tencent also is the parent company of a gaming competitor to Epic, Riot Games Inc. Tencent also decided to amend its shareholder agreement with Epic to relinquish its unilateral right to appoint directors or observers to the Epic board in the future. This is the latest of the division’s ongoing Section 8 enforcement efforts, which to date have unwound or prevented interlocks involving at least two dozen companies.
“Scrutiny around interlocking directorates continues to be an enforcement priority for the Antitrust Division,” said Deputy Director of Civil Enforcement Miriam R. Vishio of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Due to the hard work of our tremendous staff, our increased enforcement around Section 8 over the last few years has achieved substantial results and become part of our fabric.”
Section 8, which Congress made a per se violation of the antitrust laws, prohibits directors and officers from serving simultaneously on the boards of competitors, subject to limited exceptions. No company or individual has admitted to liability in connection with this investigation. The division will continue to monitor the industry, and other industries, for violations of the antitrust laws, including Section 8.
Tencent is one of the largest multimedia and video game companies in the world. It is incorporated and domiciled in the Cayman Islands and has its headquarters in Shenzhen, China. Tencent owns Riot, is a minority shareholder in Epic and has equity investments in other video game and media companies.
Epic is a privately held video game and software developer and publisher based in Cary, North Carolina.
Riot is an American video game developer, publisher, and esports tournament organizer with headquarters in Los Angeles.
Anyone with information about potential interlocking directorates or any other potential violations of the antitrust laws is encouraged to contact the Antitrust Division’s Citizen Complaint Center at 1-888-647-3258 or [email protected].
Suburban Chicago Man Charged with Embezzling Millions from Nonprofit OrganizationRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — The former Executive Director of a Chicago-area nonprofit organization has been indicted on federal fraud charges for allegedly embezzling millions of dollars in cash and real estate interests belonging to the organization.
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER served as executive director of a nonprofit organization that developed and provided affordable housing to low-income residents and senior citizens in the Chicago area and Florida. From 2018 to 2022, Schneider fraudulently transferred cash and real estate interests from the nonprofit to himself, concealing the fraud by fabricating documents that falsely reflected the transfers had been authorized, according to an indictment returned Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The real estate interests included the rights to use the roof of a senior living facility owned by the nonprofit in Northlake, Ill., as a location for a cell phone tower, the indictment states. In early 2022, Schneider caused the nonprofit to assign its interest in a cell phone tower lease to a company owned and controlled by Schneider, in exchange for no money or other consideration, the indictment states. Shortly thereafter, Schneider sold the interest in the roof to a third-party real estate company for approximately $500,000, the indictment states.
The charges also allege that Schneider solicited and obtained kickbacks or bribes from brokerage and architectural firms retained by the nonprofit for development projects in Illinois and Florida. Schneider also schemed to take complete financial control of a senior living facility in Calumet Park, Ill. that had been owned and developed by the nonprofit, the charges allege.
The indictment charges Schneider, 54, of Antioch, Ill., with five counts of wire fraud and two counts of mail fraud. Arraignment in U.S. District Court in Chicago has not yet been scheduled.
The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey B. Rubenstein.
Each count in the indictment is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
schneider_indictment.pdfStafford Man Indicted After Alleged Attempt to Smuggle 294 Pounds of Meth into TexasRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A federal grand jury in Del Rio returned an indictment today charging a Stafford man with four charges related to trafficking methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Yobany Vega, 24, attempted to enter the United States from Mexico through Eagle Pass Camino Real Bridge 2 on Dec. 6. The indictment alleges that Customs and Border Protection Officers noticed a non-factory compartment during secondary inspection and discovered 41 bundles hidden in the vehicle. The bundles contained 294 pounds or 133.63 kgs of methamphetamine.
Vega is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, one count of conspiracy to import methamphetamine, and one count of importation of methamphetamine. If convicted, he faces 10 years to life in prison and a maximum $10,000,000 fine for each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Kass is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Sioux City Man Sentenced to 106 Months in Federal Prison for Meth and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Sioux City man was sentenced yesterday to 106 months in federal prison for possessing a distribution quantity of methamphetamine and a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking.
According to public court documents, Rodney Lamard Hall, II, 31, was found in possession of a distribution quantity of pills containing approximately 37 grams of methamphetamine, marijuana, and a loaded nine-millimeter pistol with an extended magazine. At the time he committed this offense, he was on probation for possessing a firearm and marijuana in April 2023, with the Iowa District Court for Woodbury County.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Hall will be required to serve a four-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Schenectady Woman Indicted on Social Security Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Destiny Brown, age 45, of Schenectady, New York, was indicted this month on Social Security fraud charges.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Amy Connelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, New York Field Office, made the announcement.
The charges relate to Brown’s alleged misuse of her deceased wife’s children’s Social Security benefits that she applied for and received after Schenectady County Department of Social Services removed the children from her custody.The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Brown was arraigned on the indictment in Albany and ordered released pending further proceedings.
If convicted, Brown faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 5 years, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised of up to 3 years. Brown would also have to pay restitution to the victims of her criminal conduct. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
The Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General investigating this case and Special Assistant United States Attorney Paul Tuck is prosecuting this case.
Sarasota Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Engage in Sexual Activity with A MinorRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Javier Chavez (34, Sarasota) today pleaded guilty to attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and attempted transfer of obscene matter to a minor. Chavez faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.
According to court documents, on May 15 and 16, 2024, Chavez communicated with an undercover law enforcement officer who was posing as both the mother of a 14-year-old girl and her 14-year-old daughter. After learning of the girl’s age, Chavez engaged in a sexually explicit conversation with the girl and sent her explicit videos of himself. Chavez was apprehended by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office when he arrived at a home in Lee County with the intention of engaging in sexual activity with the girl. Chavez later admitted to deputies that his intentions with the girl were sexual.
This case was investigated by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.
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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Sacramento Man Sentenced to 39 Months Prison for Using Stolen Credit Card Numbers to Buy Gift CardsRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Steven Raymon Waller, 46, of Sacramento, was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd to 39 months in prison for access device fraud.
According to court documents, between November 2017 and March 2019, Waller used stolen credit card numbers to buy at least $927,000 worth of gift cards from a national retailer.
In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Drozd ordered Waller to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $927,000 in restitution to the retailer.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas M. Fogg prosecuted the case.
Rupert Man Sentenced to 13.5 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Jose Luis Arteaga, 39, of Rupert, was sentenced to 13 and a half years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today.
According to court records, on August 22, 2023, detectives with the Mini-Cassia Drug Task Force served a search warrant at Arteaga’s home in Rupert and located 368 grams of methamphetamine and a firearm in Arteaga’s bedroom. Detectives also located smaller amounts of cocaine, marijuana, and fentanyl in Arteaga’s bedroom. Arteaga was previously convicted of federal drug trafficking and firearms offenses in the District of Idaho. In 2011, Arteaga was sentenced to five years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of an unregistered firearm, and in 2016, he was sentenced to 32 months forpossession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
A federal grand jury sitting in Pocatello indicted Arteaga on March 26, 2024. He pleaded guilty on September 19, 2024. On December 17, 2024, as part of his sentence, U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Arteaga to serve five years of supervised release following his prison term.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the work of the Mini-Cassia Drug Task Force, which is made up of detectives from the Minidoka and Cassia County Sheriff’s Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorney Blythe H. McLane prosecuted the case.
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Rochester business owner pleads guilty to food stamp fraudRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Zina Amba Mbile Mbile, 45, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty to food stamp fraud before Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) uses federal tax dollars to help low-income individuals purchase food. Eligible individuals are provided with a debit card from which they can make food purchases at authorized food stores. Businesses authorized to accepts SNAP benefits, can only do so for the sale of eligible food products. It is unlawful to accept SNAP benefits for non-food items such as cigarettes, beer, or for cash. Between March 1, 2020, and July 23, 2024, Mbile, who operated the Beni Food convenience store on Dewey Avenue in Rochester, accepted SNAP benefits from customers in exchange for non-food items, such as cosmetic products. Mbile also exchanged cash for food stamp benefits, resulting in a profit for Mbile. In total, Mbile fraudulently caused $246,890.00 to be deposited into Beni Food’s bank accounts for food that was never purchased.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Charmeka Parker, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, and the Monroe County Department of Human Services, under the direction of Commissioner Thalia Wright.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 21, 2025, before Judge Wolford.
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Robber Pleads Guilty to Stealing 87-Year-Old’s Wallet at a McDonald’s in NW DCRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Aaron Herndon, 39, of Suitland, MD pleaded guilty yesterday to robbery of an 87-year-old in Northwest D.C., on May 5, 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The Honorable Judge Jason Park scheduled sentencing for February 18, 2025.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 1:00 p.m., on May 5, 2024, the 87-year-old victim was purchasing gift cards from the McDonald’s restaurant located at 4100 Wisconsin Avenue NW. Video footage from the restaurant shows the defendant approach the victim from behind, as he was exiting the restroom, and reach into the victim’s jacket pocket, and take his wallet. Multiple witnesses observed Herndon flee on foot. Herndon was subsequently arrested later on the same day by law enforcement wearing the same clothing he wore at the time of the robbery.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Negar Kordestani and Trisha Jhunjhnuwala of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hannah Skopicki.
Revere Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Robberies of Two Local Convenience StoresRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Revere man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to the armed robberies of two Boston-area convenience stores in less than one week.
Jaquan Barrows, 27, pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery interfering with interstate commerce, commonly referred to as Hobbs Act robbery, and one count of using and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to, and in furtherance of a crime of violence. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for March 26, 2025. In April 2024, Barrows was charged by criminal complaint.
On the morning of March 29, 2024, a male wearing a mask, dark clothing and an orange safety vest entered a Revere convenience store brandishing a handgun. The suspect walked behind the counter, demanded cash from the cash register drawer, additional cash and a cell phone from the store clerk. The suspect struck the clerk in the head with the firearm, took an ice cream bar from a store freezer and fled the scene.
Less than one week later, on the morning of April 4, 2024, a male wearing a black mask and dark clothing entered an Everett convenience store and appeared to be shopping. After being asked to pay for his items, the suspect brandished a handgun, pointed it at the store clerk and demanded cash from the cash register drawer and fled the scene.
A subsequent investigation identified a Honda Pilot captured in the vicinity of the Revere convenience store. The vehicle was registered to an individual who resided with Barrows. Surveillance footage obtained from the Revere convenience store and from Barrows’ residence showed Barrows wearing clothing similar to the robber. During a search of Barrows’ residence on April 4, 2024, clothing items matching the robber from the Revere robbery, as well as a handgun were found. Barrows was immediately taken into custody.
The charge of Hobbs Act robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $ 250,000. The charge of using and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to, and in furtherance of a crime of violence provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison to be served consecutively to the penalty for the underlying crime, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Revere and Everett Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Maynard of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Registered sex offender sentenced to 35 years in prison for exchanging videos & images of child torture for child sexual abuse materialRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A registered sex offender was sentenced in U.S. District Court here today to 420 months in prison for possessing and distributing images and videos depicting the torture, mutilation and murder of children.
Jeremiah Morrison, 38, of Columbus, obtained the material on the dark web and traded it for images and videos of sexual abuse of young children.
“The horrors in the files that Morrison collected, viewed, possessed, distributed and discussed on the dark web are so devoid of humanity, it is truly hard to put into words. The abhorrent content he sought included child mutilation and death, sadistic and masochistic torture of babies and toddlers, infants subjected to anguish and agony, all for the sexual gratification of sexually deviant individuals like Morrison,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “We cannot allow individuals like Morrison to remain in society. He’s a danger to society and should be imprisoned. May today’s sentencing provide justice for the victims and their families.”
The Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received information in April 2023 related to Morrison uploading child pornography.
While executing a search warrant in June 2023, investigators discovered Morrison’s cell phone contained 3,000 images and 900 videos of child sexual abuse material that generally depicted prepubescent children, toddlers or infants engaged in sex acts with adults. The images and videos depicted the sexual assault of infants and children under 6 years old.
In addition to the child sexual abuse material recovered on the device, investigators also discovered numerous images and videos depicting the torture, mutilation and killing of children. Morrison would obtain these videos to trade with others in order to collect child sexual abuse material for himself.
Morrison has been convicted of crimes against children two other times, including a 2012 conviction for filming an 11-year-old boy under a bathroom stall divider at the Columbus Metropolitan Library.
Morrison was indicted and arrested on the most recent charges in September 2023, and has been in custody since. He pleaded guilty in April 2024. He was sentenced to remain under court supervision for life after completion of his prison sentence. He was also sentenced to pay restitution to victims of at least $3,000 per victim. The number of victims and actual restitution will be determined by the Court.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Angie M. Salazar, Homeland Security Investigations Detroit (HSI); Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin and other members of the Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is representing the United States in this case.
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Raytown Man Indicted for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Raytown, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today after federal agents found large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin in his residence along with several firearms.
Jauan D. Pratt, 30, was charged in a three-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Pratt on Dec. 6, 2024.
The federal indictment charges Pratt with one count of possessing fentanyl and methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing heroin with the intent to distribute, and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, approximately eight kilograms of fentanyl pills and 15 kilograms of fentanyl powder were seized by DEA investigators in Garden City, Kansas, on June 8, 2024. The narcotics were discovered in a water cooler box in the back seat of a car bound for Kansas City, Mo. Along with the narcotics, an Apple air tag that belonged to Pratt was located in the water cooler box.
On Dec. 5, 2024, federal agents executed a search warrant at Pratt’s residence. In the bedroom where Pratt and his child were sleeping, agents found 1,680 grams of methamphetamine, 3,478 grams of fentanyl, a Good Times Outdoor .223-caliber/5.56mm AR-style semi-automatic rifle loaded with a double drum-style magazine, a Noreen Firearms multi-cal 5.56mm AR-style semi-automatic rifle that had been reported stolen, a loaded FN 57x223-caliber bull-pup style semi-automatic rifle, and a large amount of cash in different dresser drawers.
Agents also found, in other parts of the residence, an additional 1,754 grams of fentanyl, 877 grams of heroin, 35 grams of ecstasy, nine pounds of marijuana, a loaded Palmetto State Armory 9mm semi-automatic pistol that had been reported stolen, and a kilogram hydraulic brick press.
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 Megan A. Baker. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Putnam County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Edward Leon Sowards, 35, of Hurricane, pleaded guilty today to possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Sowards admitted that he purchased a Taurus model Public Defender Judge Poly .45-caliber/.410-gauge revolver from an individual in June 2023. Sowards further admitted that he knew the individual had stolen the firearm. Sowards was later confronted about the stolen firearm being in his possession. On June 21, 2023, Sowards met with the individual in a Hurricane parking lot and returned the firearm. Sowards admitted that he knew the serial number had been removed from the firearm at the time he returned it to the individual.
Federal law prohibits a person convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Sowards knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior conviction for domestic battery in Putnam County Magistrate Court on April 20, 2012.
Sowards is scheduled to be sentenced on March 31, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the West Virginia State Police.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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. 3:24-cr-147.
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Production of Child Pornography Lands Yukon Man in Federal Prison for 25 YearsRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, LYNN EDWARD STOKES, 46, of Yukon, was sentenced to serve 300 months in federal prison for production of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On April 16, 2024, a federal Grand Jury returned a three-count Indictment against Stokes, charging him with production, receipt, and possession of child pornography. According to public record, on March 6, 2024, agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a federal search warrant for Stokes’s home and electronic devices, after they identified Stokes as a suspected collector of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) due to his membership in a group chat where CSAM was being exchanged. HSI agents later discovered that Stokes sexually abused and exploited a minor to produce CSAM for him.
On August 9, 2024, Stokes pleaded guilty to Count 1 of the Indictment, and admitted he persuaded a minor to produce CSAM and send the files to his phone.
Today, U.S. District Judge David L. Russell sentenced Stokes to serve 300 months in federal prison, followed by supervised release for life. In announcing his sentence, Judge Russell noted the egregious nature of Stokes’s conduct, and the need for a long sentence to remove the threat Stokes poses to society.
“The repulsive actions of this predator to sexually exploit children cannot and will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. “The lengthy sentence imposed in this case sends a clear message to deter others from victimizing children. I commend the efforts by both investigators and prosecutors and their deep commitment to protecting children.”
“HSI is committed to leveraging our forensic and investigative expertise to apprehend criminals who exploit the most vulnerable members of society,” said Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard, who oversees HSI operations in North Texas and Oklahoma. “Due to the collaborative efforts of the special agents and law enforcement partners of the Tornado Alley Child Exploitation Task Force, this defendant will spend the next 25 years behind bars right where he belongs.”
This case is the result of an investigation by HSI and the Yukon Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Ganz prosecuted the case.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Tornado Alley Child Exploitation Task Force, which is led by HSI. The Tornado Alley Child Exploitation Task Force is an implementation of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. PSC 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 PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Private Asset Manager, Majority Owner Settle False Claims Act Allegations Relating to Improper Paycheck Protection Program LoanRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – Lafayette RE Management LLC, a private asset manager based in New York City, and Thibault Adrien, Lafayette’s founder and majority owner, have agreed to pay $680,000 to settle allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly making false certifications to the government in applying for, and receiving forgiveness of, a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan.
Congress created the PPP in March 2020, as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, to provide emergency financial support to millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the PPP, eligible businesses could obtain short-term, low-interest, forgivable loans, guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA), to spend on payroll costs, rent or mortgage, and other specified business expenses. Applicants were required to make certain affirmative certifications in order to be eligible to obtain the PPP loan, including that (1) “current economic uncertainty” made the loan necessary to support the applicant’s ongoing operations, and (2) the funds will be used to retain workers, maintain payroll, or for other authorized purposes prescribed by Congress and the SBA.
The United States alleged that Lafayette and Adrien applied for and received a $335,000 PPP loan by falsely certifying that the loan was economically necessary due to the uncertainty caused by the pandemic. The United States further contended that Lafayette and Adrien’s application to SBA seeking forgiveness of the entire loan amount contained false statements.
The allegations in this case were initially brought by Jesus Nunez-Unda in a lawsuit filed under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act. Under those provisions, a private party known as a relator can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a share of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Nunez-Unda v. Lafayette RE Management LLC, Brandywine Homes USA LLC, and Thibault Adrian, No. 5:22-cv-000659 (W.D. Tex.).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel M. Shapiro represented the United States in the settlement.
The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
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Prior felon sentenced to more than 24 years in prison on new child pornography chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Christopher Gostick, 30, of Lancaster, NY, who was convicted of receipt of child pornography by a person having a prior conviction relating to possession of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 292 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas A. C. Penrose, who handled the case, stated that on June 9 and 10, 2023, Gostick attended a sleepover birthday party, during which he kissed a minor victim (Minor Victim 1), who was nine years old, on the lips. Minor Victim 1 told her parents, which resulted in police officers responding to the residence and taking possession of cellular telephones and a tablet that belonged to Gostick. A review of one of the cellphones uncovered a surreptitiously recorded video of Minor Victim 1 using the bathroom. In addition to the video of Minor Victim 1, law enforcement also found on Gostick’s other cellphone a screen recording of a Snapchat conversation between Gostick and a second minor victim (Minor Victim 2), who was 10 years old at the time. During that conversation, Gostick, who was posing as an 11-year-old female, instructed Minor Victim 2 to send him a sexually explicit video, which Minor Victim 2 did. A review of Gostick’s devices also recovered approximately 613 images and two videos containing child pornography. Previously, in August 2019, Gostick was convicted on a state charge of Attempted Possessing a Sexual Performance by a Child Less than 16.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia.
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Prior felon going back to prison on fentanyl chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.- U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Alexis Javier Centeno-Baez, 30, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Lynch, who handled the case, stated that in March 2017, Centeno-Baez was sentenced to 63 months in prison after being convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 500 grams or more of cocaine, and attempted possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, following a jury trial. Centeno-Baez was also sentenced to four years of supervised release. On October 17, 2022, a United States Probation Department officer was conducting a random home contact at Centeno-Baez’s residence. During the contact, Centeno-Baez was questioned about a brown paper bag in the kitchen. Centeno-Baez said the bag contained heroin and he also admitted to engaging in drug trafficking. A subsequent search of the residence resulted in the seizure of a quantity of fentanyl, tramadol tablets, a quantity of methamphetamine, a quantity of marijuana, digital scales, $46,550 in cash and ammunition.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarentino, New York Field Division, and the United States Probation Office, under the direction of Chief Probation Officer Timothy C. Englerth.
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Prince George’s County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for a Series of Armed Commercial RobberiesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Today, U.S. District Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Andrew Trayvon Hale, 27, of Prince George’s County, to 15 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, in connection with 11 armed commercial robberies and the discharge of a firearm during one of the robberies.
Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief Malik Aziz, Prince George’s County Police Department; Chief Richard Bowers, Greenbelt Police Department; and Chief Pamela Smith, Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia.
According to Hale’s plea agreement, between June 19, 2022, and July 23, 2022, he, and co-conspirator Antoine Javon Hare, committed at least 11 separate robberies of at least 10 retail establishments in the District of Columbia and Maryland. At least one of the robbers used a firearm in each robbery.
Specifically, Hale admitted that on June 19, 2022, and through the course of the next month, he and Hare committed armed robberies of various convenience stores located in Maryland and the District of Columbia. After their final robbery, Prince George’s County Police Department officers and a Guardian helicopter tracked Hale and Hare’s vehicle as they fled. The robbers led officers on a high-speed chase into the District of Columbia. Eventually, they lost control of their vehicle and crashed, leading to their arrest. Officers recovered Hale and Hare’s firearms along with proceeds from at least one of their robberies.
Additionally, Hare pled guilty to his involvement in the abovementioned crimes on December 11, 2024. Sentencing for Hare is scheduled for March 27, 2025.
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.
U.S. Attorney Barron praised the FBI, Prince George’s County Police Department, Greenbelt Police Department, and the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick D. Kibbe and Megan S. McKoy who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Priest Sentenced for Sending His Sister $100,000 in Stolen Church FundsRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A retired priest in Jefferson City, Mo., who admitted to writing himself a $200,000 check from the bank account of the Wardsville, Mo., church he pastored, was sentenced in federal court today for sending his sister a check for $100,000 stolen from the church’s account.
The Rev. Ignazio C. Medina, also known as “Ignatius,” 73, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to three months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Medina to pay a fine of $7,500.
On July 9, 2024, Medina pleaded guilty to transporting stolen property across state lines.
Medina, a Catholic priest, was pastor at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Wardsville from 2013 to 2021. Some financial irregularities arose at St. Stanislaus in 2018, and in the course of investigating the diocese discovered the parish had a bank account that was not previously reported on the budget or annual report. Medina was asked to include this bank account in the parish’s annual report, and in 2020 he reported an account balance of about $358,000.
After Medina was transferred to a different parish in 2021, it was discovered that he had emptied that bank account. While some expenditures from the account appeared to be church-related, on June 10, 2021, Medina had written a $100,000 check to his sibling in Tucson, Arizona. The next day, he had also written a $200,000 check payable to himself.
Medina, when confronted, claimed the bank account was funded by donations that were not intended for the parish itself, but rather were intended for his own discretionary use. Donors who had contributed checks deposited into the bank account contradicted Medina’s statement. Several individuals told investigators the checks they wrote to St. Stanislaus were intended for parish purposes, and that they never had any conversations with Medina authorizing a different use of the funds. One donor told investigators he intended his donation to be used in the school in memory of a deceased friend.
Medina also claimed he was refunding donations and that his sibling in Tucson was one of the donors. In fact, his sibling was not a source of donations to the account, and told investigators that Medina had said that the money was intended to care for their ailing mother.
This case was prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren E. Kummerer. It was investigated by the FBI.
Oshkosh Man Indicted for Illegal Possession and Theft of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on December 17, 2024, a federal grand jury issued a two count indictment alleging that Donta E. Bradshaw (age: 42) of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, violated Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1), 922(u), 924(i)(1), and 924(a)(8).
According to the indictment, on or about November 19, 2024, Bradshaw knowingly stole a Ruger semi-automatic 9mm pistol from a federally licensed firearms dealer located in Oshkosh. As a convicted felon, Bradshaw is prohibited from ever possessing a firearm under state and federal law. If found guilty, Bradshaw faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment on the possession charge and up to 10 years’ imprisonment for the theft of the firearm.
This case was investigated by the Oshkosh Police Department, the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office, and the Milwaukee office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove his guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Omaha Man Sentenced for Possession of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Justin Burney, age 43, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced December 18, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Burney to 104 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Burney’s release from prison, he will begin a 4-year term of supervised release.
On August 15, 2022, Omaha police stopped a car driven by Burney. As officers approached the vehicle, they could see a baggie of meth in the driver’s area. Later search of the car uncovered a total of two baggies of meth, empty individual baggies, and a digital scale. Burney also had $870 cash.
Laboratory testing of the meth confirmed the baggies contained 26 grams of actual meth. At the time of the offense, Burney was on parole for a felony meth conviction from Douglas County District Court.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Distributing Fentanyl and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Seth Coufal, age 34, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced December 18, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Coufal to 180 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Coufal is released from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
In December 2022, Coufal distributed fentanyl and methamphetamine to another individual in Elkhorn, Nebraska. That individual used the drugs and subsequently overdosed but survived.
This case was investigated by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
Ohio Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Adrian Horton, also known as “Big Guy” and “Fat Boy,” 23, of Toledo, Ohio, was sentenced today to five years and three months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 40 or more grams of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine base, also known as “crack.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 28, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Monroe Avenue residence in Huntington where Horton was staying. Officers seized over 40 grams of fentanyl, a quantity of cocaine, a Century CAHG2797-N 7.62x39mm semi-automatic firearm, also known as a “Micro Draco,” with a high-capacity magazine, and a loaded Glock 17 9mm pistol. Horton admitted that he possessed the seized controlled substances, intended to distribute them, and used the Huntington residence to distributed various kinds of controlled substances.
Horton further admitted that he possessed the seized firearms to protect his drugs and drug proceeds and for protection during drug transactions, and that he distributed various drugs with a co-conspirator for several months prior to the March 28, 2022 search.
Horton also admitted that he aided and abetted the straw purchase of firearms on multiple occasions. Horton and the co-conspirator gave cash to their regular drug buyers and directed them to buy firearms on their behalf. The straw purchasers falsely certified on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Federal Firearms Transaction Records Form 4473 that they were the buyers of the firearms when they knew they were purchasing them for Horton and the co-conspirator. Horton and the co-conspirator compensated the straw purchasers with drugs.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Owen Reynolds and Stephanie Taylor prosecuted the case.
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. 3:24-cr-5..
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Norman Man Pleads Guilty to Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Yesterday, JACOB EDWARD KAMOLZ, 39, of Norman, pleaded guilty to production of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On September 17, 2024, a federal Grand Jury returned a four-count Indictment against Kamolz, charging him with production, attempted production, possession, and distribution of child pornography. According to public record, in August 2024, Kamolz connected with an FBI Online Covert Employee (OCE) who was purporting to be a juvenile on a social media messaging app. Over the course of several days, Kamolz sent child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to the OCE and requested that they send CSAM in return. Public record further reflects that, after his arrest, the FBI determined Kamolz produced CSAM with a child using his cell phone.
On December 17, 2024, Kamolz pleaded guilty and admitted he used a minor to produce CSAM. At sentencing, Kamolz faces no less than 15 years and up to 30 years in federal prison, and a fine of up to $250,000.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office, Norman Resident Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Ganz is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the DOJ Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC 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 PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
New York Resident Pleads Guilty to Operating Secret Police Station of the Chinese Government in Lower ManhattanRead the Press Release
Chen Jinping, 60, of New York, New York, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to act as an illegal agent of the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), in connection with opening and operating an undeclared overseas police station, located in lower Manhattan, for the PRC’s Ministry of Public Security (MPS).
“Today’s guilty plea holds the defendant accountable for his brazen efforts to operate an undeclared overseas police station on behalf of the PRC’s national police force — a clear affront to American sovereignty and danger to our community that will not be tolerated,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to pursue anyone who attempts to aid the PRC’s efforts to extend their repressive reach into the United States.”
“Today's acknowledgment of guilt is a stark reminder of the insidious efforts taken by the PRC government to threaten, harass, and intimidate those who speak against their Communist Party,” said Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch. “These blatant violations will not be tolerated on U.S. soil. The FBI remains committed to preserving the rights and freedoms of all people in our country and will defend against transnational repression at every front.”
“A priority of my office has been to counteract the malign activities of foreign governments that violate our nation’s sovereignty by targeting local diaspora communities in the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “Today, a participant in a transnational repression scheme who worked to establish a secret police station in the middle of New York City on behalf of the national police force of the People’s Republic of China has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to act as an illegal agent. We will continue our efforts to protect the rights of vulnerable persons who come to this country to escape the repressive activities of authoritarian regimes.”
As alleged, Chen Jinping and co-defendant “Harry” Lu Jianwang conspired to act as illegal agents of the PRC government and also obstructed justice by destroying evidence of their communications with an MPS official. While acting under the direction and control of the MPS official, the defendants worked together to establish the first known overseas police station in the United States on behalf of the Fuzhou branch of the MPS. The police station — which closed in the fall of 2022 — occupied an entire floor in an office building in Manhattan’s Chinatown. Lu and Chen helped open and operate the clandestine police station. None of the participants in the scheme informed the U.S. government that they were helping the PRC government surreptitiously open and operate an undeclared MPS police station on U.S. soil.
In October 2022, the FBI conducted a judicially authorized search of the illegal police station. In connection with the search, FBI agents interviewed both defendants and seized their phones. In reviewing the contents of these phones, FBI agents observed that communications between the defendants and an MPS official appeared to have been deleted. In subsequent consensual interviews, the defendants admitted to the FBI that they had deleted their communications with the MPS official after learning about the ongoing FBI investigation, thus preventing the FBI from learning the full extent of the MPS’s directions for the overseas police station.
Chen faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Per Chen’s plea agreement, the government has agreed to dismiss the obstruction of justice charge against him. Lu has pleaded not guilty to both of the charges against him and is awaiting trial.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander A. Solomon and Antoinette N. Rangel for the Eastern District of New York and Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
The FBI has created a website for victims to report efforts by foreign governments to stalk, intimidate, or assault people in the United States. If you believe that you are or have been a victim of transnational repression, please visit www.fbi.gov/investigate/counterintelligence/transnational-repression.
New York City Resident Pleads Guilty to Operating Secret Police Station of the Chinese Government in Lower ManhattanRead the Press Release
BROOKLYN, NY – Today in federal court in Brooklyn, Manhattan resident Chen Jinping pleaded guilty to conspiring to act as an agent of the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), in connection with opening and operating an undeclared overseas police station in lower Manhattan for the PRC’s Ministry of Public Security (MPS). Today’s proceeding was held before United States District Judge Nina R. Morrison. When sentenced, the defendant faces up to five years in prison.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; and James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the guilty plea.
“A priority of my Office has been to counteract the malign activities of foreign governments that violate our nation’s sovereignty by targeting local diaspora communities in the United States,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Today, a participant in a transnational repression scheme who worked to establish a secret police station in the middle of New York City on behalf of the national police force of the People’s Republic of China has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to act as an illegal agent. We will continue our efforts to protect the rights of vulnerable persons who come to this country to escape the repressive activities of authoritarian regimes.”
“Today’s guilty plea holds the defendant accountable for his brazen efforts to operate an undeclared overseas police station on behalf of the PRC’s national police force — a clear affront to American sovereignty and danger to our community that will not be tolerated,” stated Assistant Attorney General Olsen. “The Department of Justice will continue to pursue anyone who attempts to aid the PRC’s efforts to extend their repressive reach into the United States.”
“Today, Chen Jinping admitted to his role in audaciously establishing an undeclared police station in the heart of New York City and attempting to conceal the effort when approached by FBI New York,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Dennehy. “This illegal police station was not opened in the interest of public safety, but to further the nefarious and repressive aims of the PRC in direct violation of American sovereignty. The FBI is unwavering in our duty to protect both the freedoms enshrined in the Constitution and the security of our nation from oppressive hostile governments.”
As alleged in court filings and facts presented at the plea proceeding, Chen Jinping and co-defendant Lu Jianwang conspired to act as illegal agents of the PRC government and also obstructed justice by destroying evidence of their communications with an MPS official (the MPS Official). While acting under the direction and control of the MPS Official, the defendants worked together to establish the first known overseas police station in the United States on behalf of the Fuzhou branch of the MPS. The police station—which closed in the fall of 2022—occupied an entire floor in an office building in Manhattan’s Chinatown. Chen and Lu helped open and operate the clandestine police station. None of the participants in the scheme informed the U.S. government that they were helping the PRC government open and operate an undeclared MPS police station on U.S. soil.In October 2022, the FBI conducted a judicially authorized search of the illegal police station. In connection with the search, FBI agents interviewed both defendants and seized their phones. In reviewing the contents of these phones, FBI agents observed that communications between the defendants, on the one hand, and the MPS Official, on the other, appeared to have been deleted.
Lu Jianwang has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is awaiting trial.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander A. Solomon and Antoinette N. Rangel are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
The FBI has created a website for victims to report efforts by foreign governments to stalk, intimidate, or assault people in the United States. If you believe that you are or have been a victim of transnational repression, please visit https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/counterintelligence/transnational-repression.
The Defendant:
CHEN JINPING
Age: 60
Manhattan, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-316 (NRM)
New Hartford, Iowa, Man Receives Prison Sentence for Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
A New Hartford, Iowa, man who received child pornography from 2004 through December of 2021 was sentenced December 17, 2024 to more than 11 years in federal prison.
Robert Jene Smith, age 57, from New Hartford, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 20, 2024, guilty plea to one count of receipt of child pornography.
In a plea agreement, Smith admitted that from 2004 through the search of his house in December of 2021, he obtained and shared hundreds of images and videos by using a file sharing program. During the search of his residence, agents found over 7,500 images and over 100 videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct on multiple devices in the residence.
Smith was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Smith was sentenced to 136 months’ imprisonment and fined $1,000. He was ordered to make $32,000 in restitution to ten identified victims who were used to produce child pornography and requested restitution for damages they suffered. He must also pay $15,100 in special assessments and serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Smith is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick J. Reinert and investigated by Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Urbandale, Iowa, Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-03023.
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New Hampshire Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing 70 Kilos of CocaineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Manchester, N.H. man pleaded guilty on Dec. 11, 2024, in federal court in Boston to possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
Miguel Angel Martinez Lugo, a/k/a “Jesus Manuel Encarnacion,” a/k/a “Jose Rosado Rabell,” 38, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick scheduled sentencing for March 6, 2025.
On April 4, 2024, police working in plain clothes and operating an unmarked vehicle observed a black Acura MDX with a New Hampshire license plate registered to Martinez Lugo under his alias, “Jesus Encarnacion,” and a Chevrolet pickup truck with an Ohio license plate in close proximity to one another that appeared to be travelling together. Law enforcement followed the two vehicles as they drove down a number of streets and then ultimately parked on Porter Street Court in Salem, Mass. The two vehicles were parked in such a way that their trunks were visible and law enforcement observed two males, one of which was identified as Martinez Lugo, transporting a heavy-duty black plastic storage bin with a yellow lid from the pickup truck to the black Acura MDX. Two additional heavy duty black plastic storage bins were observed inside of the black Acura MDX.
When the Black Acura MDX passed the law enforcement vehicle, the driver, Martinez Lugo, made eye contact with the officer and then quickly parked and abandoned the vehicle. A search warrant was subsequently sought for the vehicle and 70 kilograms of cocaine were found inside of the three plastic storage bins inside of the vehicle. Three cellular phones were also recovered from the vehicle, among other things.
The charge provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to life of supervised release and fine of up to $10 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Chief Lucas J. Miller of the Salem (Mass.) Police Department; and Chief Peter Marr of the Manchester N.H. Police Department made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Marshals and the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Mackenzie Duane of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
Nationwide Lawsuit Filed in Rhode Island Alleging CVS Knowingly Dispensed Controlled Substances in Violation of the Controlled Substances Act and the False Claims ActRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – In a civil complaint unsealed today in federal court in Providence, Rhode Island, the Justice Department alleges that CVS Pharmacy, Inc., and various subsidiaries (collectively, CVS) filled unlawful prescriptions in violation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and sought reimbursement from federal healthcare programs for some of the unlawful prescriptions in violation of the False Claims Act (FCA). CVS is the country’s largest pharmacy chain, with more than 9,000 pharmacies across the United States.
The government’s complaint alleges that, from October 17, 2013, to the present, CVS knowingly filled prescriptions for controlled substances that lacked a legitimate medical purpose, were not valid, and/or were not issued in the usual course of professional practice. Among the large quantities of unlawful prescriptions that CVS allegedly filled were prescriptions for dangerous and excessive quantities of opioids, early fills of opioids, and “trinity” prescriptions, an especially dangerous and abused combination of drugs made up of an opioid, a benzodiazepine, and a muscle relaxant. CVS also allegedly filled large quantities of prescriptions for controlled substances written by prescribers it knew to be engaged in “pill mill practices” – that is, prescribers who issue large numbers of controlled substance prescriptions without any medical purpose. According to the complaint, CVS ignored substantial evidence from multiple sources, including its own pharmacists and internal data, indicating that its stores were dispensing unlawful prescriptions.
The complaint alleges that CVS’s violations resulted from corporate-mandated performance metrics, incentive compensation, and staffing policies that prioritized corporate profits over patient safety. CVS set staffing levels far too low for pharmacists to both meet their performance metrics and comply with their legal obligations. CVS also allegedly deprived its pharmacists of crucial information (including by, for example, preventing pharmacists from warning one another about certain prescribers) that could have reduced the number of unlawful prescriptions filled. The complaint alleges that CVS’s actions helped to fuel the prescription opioid crisis and that, in some particularly tragic instances, patients died after overdosing on opioids shortly after filling unlawful prescriptions at CVS.
“Opioid deaths remain a scourge on communities across Rhode Island and the nation, robbing families of loved ones and leaving a path of devastation in their wake,” said Zachary A. Cunha, U.S. Attorney for the District of Rhode Island. “This lawsuit alleges that CVS failed to exercise its critical role as gatekeeper of dangerous prescription opioids and, instead, facilitated the illegal distribution of these highly addictive drugs, including by pill mill prescribers. When corporations such as CVS prize profits over patient safety and overburden their pharmacy staff so that they cannot carry out the basic responsibility of ensuring that prescriptions are legitimate, we will use every tool at our disposal to see that they answer for it.”
“Our complaint alleges that CVS repeatedly filled controlled substance prescriptions that were unlawful and pressured its pharmacists to fill such prescriptions without taking the time needed to confirm their validity,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The practices alleged contributed to the opioid crisis and opioid-related deaths, and today’s complaint seeks to hold CVS accountable for its misconduct.”
The government alleges that by knowingly filling unlawful prescriptions for controlled substances, CVS violated the CSA and, where CVS sought reimbursement from federal healthcare programs, also violated the FCA. The complaint alleges that CVS’s actions helped to fuel the prescription opioid crisis. If CVS is found liable, it could face civil penalties for each unlawful prescription filled in violation of the CSA and treble damages and applicable penalties for each prescription reimbursed by federal healthcare programs in violation of the FCA. The court also may award injunctive relief to prevent CVS from committing further CSA violations, including ordering appropriate changes to corporate compliance programs and policies.
“When lives are destroyed or lost to opioid abuse, it doesn’t matter if the supplier is a street-level dealer, a pill mill, or a nationwide corporation,” said Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Our laws regarding the distribution of opioids and other controlled substances are clear and apply to everyone. We will pursue whatever legal action is necessary to stop any enterprise, regardless of size, that places profit over the safety of our citizens.”
“CVS is alleged to have dispensed large amounts of highly addictive opioid medications to persons they knew had no medical need for them. Simply put, they put profits over their obligation to keep their customers safe,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “A pharmacy is the final step in the pharmaceutical distribution process that is in place to keep customers safe. In the fight against the opioid epidemic, DEA will continue to be relentless in holding those accountable who violate our drug laws and place our communities in danger whether they are a criminal cartel or large pharmacy chain.”
“Pharmacies and pharmacists are critical partners to ensure controlled substances are dispensed lawfully and safely to the public,” said Deputy Inspector General Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG is committed to holding individuals and entities that dispense these controlled substances improperly and without legitimate medical purpose accountable.”
“Protecting TRICARE, the healthcare system for military members and their dependents, is a top priority for the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS),” stated Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty, DCIS Northeast Field Office. “Today’s filing demonstrates DCIS’ ongoing commitment to partner with the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners to investigate health care providers that submit false claims to TRICARE and put its beneficiaries at risk.”
Whistleblower Hillary Estright, who previously worked for CVS, filed an action on October 17, 2019, under the qui tam provisions of the FCA. Those provisions authorize private parties to sue on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in any recovery. The Act permits the United States to intervene and take over such lawsuits, as it has done here.
The case is captioned United States ex rel. Estright v. Health Corporation, et al., No. 1:22-cv-222 (D.R.I.).
The United States’ intervention in this matter underscores the government’s commitment to combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to HHS, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The United States’ enforcement action is being litigated by attorneys from the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Rhode Island (First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara M. Bloom and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Love Hubbard and Rachna Vyas), the Justice Department Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch (Assistant Directors Amy L. DeLine and C.B. Buente, Senior Litigation Counsel Donald Lorenzen, and Trial Attorneys Benjamin Cornfeld and Amanda K. Kelly) and Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section (Trial Attorneys Claire L. Norsetter, Joshua Barron, and Megan F. Engel), as well as the Eastern District of Virginia (Assistant U.S. Attorneys Clare Wuerker and John Beerbower), the District of Hawaii (Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sydney Spector and Tracy Weinstein), and the Eastern District of Texas (Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Gillingham and Adrian Garcia).
The DEA’s Office of Diversion Control, Washington, D.C. Field Division, HHS-OIG, and DCIS conducted the investigation. Several other offices provided substantial assistance in the investigation, including the United States Attorneys’ Offices for the Southern District of California, the Northern District of Ohio, DEA’s Office of Chief Counsel, DEA’s Office of Diversion Control, Los Angeles Field Division, the Office of Personnel Management, the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, and the FBI.
The claims asserted against the defendants are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
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52_-_complaint_in_intervention.pdfMuskogee Residents Sentenced for Child NeglectRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Andrew Allen Maher, age 33, and Azalee Louellen Maher, age 28, both of Muskogee, Oklahoma, were sentenced to five years supervised release for child neglect in Indian country.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Muskogee Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On April 15, 2024, Andrew Maher and Azalee Maher each pleaded guilty to one count of Child Neglect in Indian Country. According to investigators, on August 18, 2023, Muskogee officers responding to reports of an accidental firearm discharge at a Muskogee residence discovered a two-year old child with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the lower abdomen. EMS workers successfully resuscitated and stabilized the child, who was transported for life-saving surgery. As part of the plea, both defendants admitted failing to provide adequate supervision to the child in their care, resulting in the child accessing a firearm.
The crime occurred in Muskogee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. Chief District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearings.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessie Pippin represented the United States.
Missouri Man Accused of $284,000 Pandemic Rental Assistance FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Moberly, Missouri was indicted Wednesday and accused of fraudulently obtaining $284,000 that was supposed to provide rental assistance to families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Steven W. Hendren, 32, of Moberly, was indicted by a grand jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis with three counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. The indictment accuses Hendren of submitting a series of fraudulent applications for rental assistance to the Missouri Housing Development Commission (MHDC) beginning in March 2021. The MHDC administered and distributed federal Emergency Rental Assistance.
The indictment says Hendren submitted a series of fraudulent applications falsely listing himself as a landlord, included fictitious lease agreements and financial statements and inflated rent amounts. The MHDC wired a total of $284,840.44 to Hendren’s account, the indictment says, much of which Hendren used for personal expenses, including the purchase of a 2020 GMC Yukon.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting the case.
Anyone with information about pandemic fraud is asked to call the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or report via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Mississippi Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison on Firearm and Counterfeiting ChargeRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Bryan Lyndell Chapman (27, Mississippi) to 3 years and 10 months in federal prison for manufacturing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Chapman to forfeit a Bushmaster pistol, ammunition, a printer, and make restitution to the victims that he defrauded. Chapman was arrested on February 26, 2024, and ordered detained.
According to court documents, in late 2023 into January 2024, Chapman traveled from Tennessee to Florida. During his trip, he manufactured counterfeit Federal Reserve notes and passed them at various businesses. On January 17, 2024, a deputy from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) investigated a vehicle in which Chapman was a passenger. During the investigation, the CCSO located inside the vehicle a loaded firearm, ammunition, equipment for manufacturing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes, 78 counterfeit $20 bills, and 35 incomplete counterfeit pages with only the front of a $20 bill printed on it. The CCSO subsequently determined that Chapman was out on bond on a felony firearm charge pending in Mississippi and had previously been convicted in Tennessee of felony aggravated assault. As a convicted felon, Chapman is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – Jacksonville Office, and the United States Secret Service – Jacksonville Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Milwaukee Man Sentenced to 45 Years’ Imprisonment for Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on December 17, 2024, Samuel L. Spencer, a.k.a. “Bin Laden” (age: 53), of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 45 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, after being convicted at trial of four counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, as well as conspiracy to commit sex trafficking.
The evidence at trial proved that Spencer, a drug dealer, used his access to cocaine and heroin to coerce women struggling with addiction into engaging in commercial sex acts to make money for him. In addition to strategically giving or withholding drugs, Spencer controlled his victims by depriving them of sleep and food, threatening them with firearms, and using extreme physical violence, which included strangling his victims, whipping them with belts, burning their skin, and kidnapping one woman in the trunk of his car after she tried to flee from him. During a two-week trial, the government introduced numerous exhibits that included Spencer’s own words boasting about his crimes and threatening to kill and disfigure his victims.
At the sentencing hearing, Chief United States District Judge Pamela Pepper emphasized that the 15-year duration of Spencer’s conduct was “almost impossible to get your brain around.” Judge Pepper said that the episodes of violence perpetrated by Spencer were some of the worst the court had ever seen. Judge Pepper also underscored the impact of Spencer’s crimes on his victims, emphasizing that Spencer “used force, threats, violence—and sometimes all three” to deprive his victims “of their human agency.”
“For more than 15 years, Samuel Spencer used a combination of violence, threats, forms of torture, manipulation, and financial control to coerce his victims to engage in commercial sex acts for one purpose – to make as much money for him as possible,” stated U.S. Attorney Haanstad. “This cruelty occurred day after day. I commend the relentless work of the investigative and prosecution teams to bring Mr. Spencer to justice, and I commend the courage and resolve of the victims who shared their testimony publicly to ensure that Mr. Spencer could not terrorize additional women in the same manner.”
“Mr. Spencer both physically and mentally harmed and exploited vulnerable women for more than 15 years,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael Hensle of the FBI Milwaukee Field Office. “The lengthy sentence issued by the court reflects the heinous nature of these crimes and that behavior of this type will be investigated and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. The women and men of the FBI along with our local partners are committed to investigating and obtaining justice for all victims of human trafficking in our Wisconsin communities.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case with the assistance of the Milwaukee Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Erica J. Lounsberry and Julie F. Stewart prosecuted the case.
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Man Who Robbed Martha's Vineyard Bank at Gunpoint Sentenced to Decade in PrisonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Edgartown, Mass. man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for arranging the November 2022 armed bank robbery of a Martha’s Vineyard bank.
Miquel Anthonio Jones, 33, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. In March 2023, Jones was indicted by a federal grand jury, and additional charges were brought in a superseding indictment in April 2023.
Jones conspired with co-defendants Omar Odion Johnson, of Canterbury, N.H., Romane Andre Clayton, of Jamaica, and Tevin Porter, of Bridgeport, Conn., to commit the Nov. 17, 2022 armed robbery of the Rockland Trust bank branch in Vineyard Haven.
As the only member of the crew from Martha’s Vineyard, Jones led the robbery conspiracy. Specifically, Jones identified the bank they would be robbing, obtained and provided all the necessary items for the robbery to his co-conspirators – including dark-colored clothing, plastic masks that resembled an elderly man with exaggerated facial features, zip ties and duct tape – and chose which bank to rob and when. Jones also paid Johnson to bring a gun.
On Nov. 16, 2022, Jones met Johnson and Clayton in Martha’s Vineyard and provided them with details of his plan before driving himself and his co-conspirators to the Rockland Trust bank in Vineyard Haven, where he assured them he had obtained information about the bank and its security. The defendants then slept at Jones’ residence in Edgartown the night before they committed the robbery.
On the morning of Nov. 17, 2022, Jones drove the group to the bank. After arriving, Jones, Johnson and Porter hid in bushes near the rear of the bank while Clayton drove to a nearby state forest to park the car, before bicycling back to the bank.
As the bank’s three employees arrived that morning, Jones, Johnson and Porter – wearing the plastic masks and displaying two handguns – approached them and forced their way through the rear door. Once inside the bank, one of the individuals held a gun to the head of one of the bank employees, forced the employee to open the bank’s vault and took approximately $39,100. The bank employees were bound with duct tape and plastic zip ties while their belongings were searched and the robbers demanded access to one of their vehicles.
Jones, Porter, and Johnson then left the bank in an employee’s car, picked up Clayton outside the bank, and drove to the Manuel Correllus State Forest, where they abandoned the vehicle in a parking lot. They then fled in another vehicle that Clayton had left there for purposes of their escape.
Later that morning, Porter and Clayton left Martha’s Vineyard together on a ferry. Meanwhile, Jones and Johnson drove to a local farm associated with Jones’s landscaping job to dispose of the equipment that had been used during the bank robbery. At the farm, they buried the two firearms used in the robbery in a hole in the ground and burned the remainder of the robbery equipment, including the plastic masks.
After the evidence was disposed of, Jones returned home to his residence where he hid the approximately $39,100 that had been stolen from the bank, in his bedroom under a bureau. Johnson left Martha’s Vineyard, reconvened with Porter and Clayton in Woods Hole, and then drove them to the area of Johnson’s home in New Hampshire.
“Protecting the people of Massachusetts from criminal conduct comes in many forms, and this case highlights some of the most old-fashioned, blatant and terrifying criminal behavior we face: armed bank robbery. Miquel Antonio Jones orchestrated and led a calculated and violent robbery that terrorized bank employees and the surrounding community. His conduct left lasting emotional scars, and today, he is paying a significant price for his actions,” said United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy “This decade-long sentence sends a clear message: such violent and calculated crimes have no place in our communities. We will not tolerate those who threaten the safety of others, and we will continue to pursue justice to ensure Massachusetts remains a safe place for all who live and work here.”
“This was a bold and brazen armed robbery carried out on a picturesque island at the start of the day. The ringleader of this robbery crew, Miquel Antonio Jones, showed up armed with loaded firearms, zip ties, duct tape, and plastic masks and forced employees into the bank at gunpoint, making them fear for their lives,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “It’s incredibly fortunate no one was hurt before the armed robbers opted to flee. Today’s sentence makes it clear that bank robbery is not an easy payday, it’s a federal crime, and the FBI and our partners will ensure perpetrators like Jones are held fully accountable.”
Clayton, Johnson and Porter have each pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy and are scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 8, 2025, Jan. 9, 2025 and Jan. 28, 2025, respectively.
U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Cape & Islands District Attorney’s Office; the Massachusetts State Police; the Tisbury, West Tisbury, Edgartown, Chilmark, Oak Bluffs, Aquinnah, Canterbury (N.H.) and New Haven (Conn.) Police Departments; the United States Postal Inspection Service; the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms; Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and United States Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan C. Cleary of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
Man Sentenced to Prison and Ordered to Pay $45,205.60 in Restitution for Vandalizing Federal BuildingRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Brian Scott Murray, 51, was sentenced today to one year and four months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $45,205.60 in restitution for injuring property of the United States in excess of $1,000.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 16, 2024, Murray threw multiple rocks at the Sidney L. Christie U. S. Courthouse and Federal Building in Huntington. Murray admitted that he threw the rocks at windows on the west side of the building and broke the outer layers of three windows. Murray further admitted that he walked to the Huntington Police Department afterward and told multiple officers there what he had done. Murray also admitted that the Sidney L. Christie U. S. Courthouse and Federal Building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Murray has multiple prior convictions including for depredation of government property in United States District Court for the District of Oregon on April 8, 2019, after breaking a window as the Gus J. Solomon United States Courthouse in Portland, Oregon.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Police Department and the United States Marshals Service (USMS).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams prosecuted the case.
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. 3:24-cr-48.
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Man Sentenced to over Thirteen Years in Federal Prison for Armed Robbery of Indianapolis Gas Station and Shooting of an EmployeeRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS— George Tracy, 21, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to 159 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
According to court documents, on November 22, 2022, George Tracy robbed the Mobile gas station located on Central Ave in Indianapolis, Indiana. During the robbery, Tracy shot his firearm on three occasions in the direction of the employee behind the counter and stole approximately two-hundred dollars from the register. The final shot fired hit the employee in the left upper leg, resulting in hospitalization. After shooting the victim, Tracy told him to “have a good day bro.”
The robbery and shooting were recorded on video surveillance. Officers conducted a search of Tracy’s home and located the firearm that was used during the robbery and the clothes Tracy was seen wearing in the surveillance footage.
“Our hearts go out to the victim of this senseless shooting, who will carry the scars and trauma from this vicious crime for the rest of their life,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Armed, violent criminals like this man rob the entire community of our sense of safety and security in our workplaces. The serious federal prison sentence imposed here demonstrates that these crimes will not be tolerated by federal law enforcement. Working closely with our partners at the FBI, IMPD, and all of our law enforcement partners, our federal prosecutors will continue to bring cases targeting these serious offenders as we seek to reduce gun violence.”
FBI and IMPD investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James R. Sweeney.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy C. Fugate, who prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Louisiana Company and Its Owner Sentenced for Manufacturing and Selling Software that Allowed the Disabling of Emissions Controls on Motor VehiclesRead the Press Release
Louisiana-based company Power Performance Enterprises Inc. (PPEI) and its president and owner, Kory B. Willis, were sentenced yesterday in federal court in Sacramento, California, for violating and conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act by tampering with the monitoring devices of emissions control systems of diesel trucks.
U.S. District Court Judge John A. Mendez for the Eastern District of California sentenced Willis to serve 10 months of home confinement as part of a three-year term of probation and ordered Willis and PPEI to jointly pay $1.55 million in criminal fines. PPEI was ordered to complete a five-year term of probation. Willis and PPEI pleaded guilty in March 2022. In total, Willis and PPEI have been ordered to pay $3.1 million in criminal fines and civil penalties related to Clean Air Act enforcement.
“The software that Mr. Willis and PPEI manufactured and sold reversed the effects of emissions control requirements for vehicles driven on our country’s roads, posing unacceptable risk to the health of our citizens,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “This sentencing shows that we will take strong action to enforce the Clean Air Act and ensure that mandated emissions controls remain operating on vehicles to protect public health and the environment.”
“Environmental laws that control diesel pollution safeguard the environment and the health of the public, and are especially important to protect sensitive populations such as the young, the elderly, and people who suffer from respiratory conditions,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert for the Eastern District of California. “Those who would sell illegal defeat devices should stand warned: the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to vigorously prosecute those who place profit above the public’s health and the environment.”
“For decades, EPA has prioritized efforts to halt the illegal sale of aftermarket defeat devices, which cause dangerous air pollution from trucks and cars,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Today's criminal sentencing punishes the defendants for their deliberate attempts to evade the requirements of the Clean Air Act and follows an earlier 2022 civil enforcement action addressing their misconduct. EPA will continue to leverage all of its enforcement tools and authorities to stop illegal behavior that puts our communities at risk.”
According to court documents, from PPEI’s incorporation in 2009 until 2019, PPEI and Willis were among the nation’s most prominent developers of custom software known as “tunes,” and in particular, “delete tunes.” Generally, tunes can alter a diesel truck’s fuel delivery, power parameters and emissions. Delete tunes allow vehicles to remove or disable emissions controls, while appearing to run normally, resulting in vastly increased emissions of air pollution. PPEI and Willis were well known for their custom delete tunes.
Willis and PPEI reached the top of the illegal delete tuning market, tuning over 175,000 vehicles according to Willis. Willis also stated that PPEI was the biggest custom tuning company in the world, servicing over 100,000 customers and tuning more than 500 vehicles a week. According to internal PPEI records, PPEI typically sold well over $1 million dollars of product per month. According to calculations by the EPA, the estimated emissions impact of PPEI’s sales of delete tunes between 2013 and 2018 alone are expected to cause over 100 million excess pounds of nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions over the life of the diesel trucks equipped with those products.
Deleting a diesel truck causes its emissions to increase dramatically. For example, for a fully deleted truck, which has had all emissions equipment removed or disabled, EPA testing quantified the increased emissions as follows: NOx increased 310 times, non-methane hydrocarbons increased 1,400 times, carbon monoxide increased 120 times and particulate matter increased 40 times. EPA’s Air Enforcement Division released a report in November 2020 finding that more than half a million diesel pickup trucks in the United States — approximately 15% of U.S. diesel trucks that were originally certified with emissions controls — have been illegally deleted.
Diesel emissions include multiple hazardous compounds and harm human health and the environment. Diesel emissions have been found to cause and worsen respiratory ailments such as asthma and lung cancer. One study indicated that 21,000 American deaths annually are attributable to diesel particulate matter. Exposure to polluted air in utero has also been associated with a host of problems with lifelong ramifications including low birth weight, preterm birth, autism, brain/memory disorders and asthma.
Stopping aftermarket defeat devices for vehicles and engines is a top priority for EPA. Visit EPA’s website to learn more about its efforts to stop the sale of illegal defeat devices.
EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case.
Senior Counsel Krishna S. Dighe and Trial Attorney Stephen J. Foster of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine T. Lydon for the Eastern District of California and are prosecuting the criminal case.
Local Tennis Coach Charged with Enticement and Production of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Today, Daniel James Riggs, 31, had his initial appearance in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on a complaint charging him with enticement of a minor and production of child pornography.
According to the complaint, Daniel Riggs, of Fort Lauderdale, while a tennis coach for the minor victim, engaged in sexual conversations with the minor victim through a social media application. In addition, Riggs is alleged to have sexually abused the minor victim while they traveled internationally, and domestically for tennis training and tournaments. The abuse continued locally within the Southern District of Florida. In addition to physical abuse, Riggs requested child sexual abuse material (CSAM) from the minor victim through a social media application. To mask his identity, Riggs created multiple anonymous profiles and at times advised the minor victim to delete their communications.
Social media records revealed a possible additional victim. Anyone with information relating to additional victims of child sexual exploitation or abuse by Riggs is encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
A pretrial detention hearing is scheduled for Dec. 23 at 11:00 a.m.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of FBI, Miami Field Office, and Sheriff Gregory Tony of the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) announced the charges.
FBI Miami and BSO investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Camille Smith is prosecuting it.
A complaint is a merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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 Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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-mj-6603.
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Lincoln Woman Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Dacia Leytham, age 32, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on December 18, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln for one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with a serious prior drug felony conviction. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Harris to 180 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Harris’ release from prison, she will begin a 10-year term of supervised release.
On August 10, 2022, Leytham was a passenger in an SUV stopped by Lincoln Police Department officers after she agreed to sell meth to an undercover narcotics investigator. Leytham’s backpack was searched, and investigators found baggies containing a total of at least 430 grams of pure meth. Leytham later agreed to talk to investigators and admitted she had sold a total of approximately 10 ounces of meth over the prior month.
At the time of her arrest, Leytham had a prior felony conviction related to the distribution of meth for which she was sentenced to four to six years by the Douglas County District Court in June of 2019.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force.