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Tuesday 17 December 2024
Browning man admits trafficking meth on Blackfeet Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Browning man today admitted to trafficking methamphetamine on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation after an investigation in which law enforcement seized meth and five firearms from his residence, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, David William Sharp, 48, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute meth. Sharp faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine, and at least five years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for April 23, 2025. Sharp was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that in the spring of 2023, law enforcement in Browning received information that Sharp was distributing meth in and around the community. Witnesses told investigators Sharp received drugs from a supplier in the Kalispell area with the intent of selling them on the Blackfeet Reservation. Law enforcement conducted three controlled buys of meth from Sharp at his residence. Following the last purchase in November 2023, law enforcement executed a tribal search warrant at Sharp’s residence. Investigators seized 296 grams of pure meth, packaged in 11 baggies, drug paraphernalia, and five firearms. The purchased and seized drugs totaled approximately 315 grams of meth.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
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Brothers Re-Sentenced to 360 Months for Two Armed Bank Robberies and Conspiracy to Commit Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Two brothers were re-sentenced to 360 months for committing two armed bank robberies and conspiring to commit a third armed robbery of an armored car in 1997-1998, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Charles Rodriguez, 58, of New Jersey and Joseph Rodriguez, 57, of New Jersey were originally convicted by a jury after an approximately six week trial in 1999 for conspiracy to commit two bank robberies and attempted robbery of an armored car, the two bank robberies, using firearms during the bank robberies, carjacking, an attempted robbery of an armored car, using firearms in relation to the attempted robbery of an armored car, and being felons in possession of firearms. Charles and Joseph Rodriguez were originally sentenced on March 30, 2000 to life sentences.
Based on a challenge to the sentence under 18 U.S.C. § 2255, Judge Claire C. Cecchi dismissed one of the counts, Count Eight, for using firearms in relation to the attempted robbery of an armored car, due to intervening changes in the law. Therefore, Charles and Joseph Rodriguez were re-sentenced on the remaining counts.
On July 19, 1997, four armed men—including Charles and Joseph Rodriguez—wearing masks and body armor and heavily armed with rifles and a handgun robbed the Corestates Bank branch in Woodlynne, New Jersey, terrorizing numerous civilian victims. The robbers hit multiple victims with the stock of their rifles, pointed firearms at victims’ faces, and threatened the kill them. After completing the robbery, the robbers got into a stolen vehicle and drove to an empty parking lot. There, they abandoned the vehicle, set it on fire, and switched to a second stolen vehicle. The robbers stole $64,039 from the bank.
On May 23, 1998, three armed men—including Charles and Joseph Rodriguez— wearing masks and tactical gear robbed the Commerce Bank branch in Moorestown, New Jersey. Arriving shortly before the bank opened for business, the robbers shot out the plate glass entrance doors, pointed their firearms at victims, and threatened to shoot them. The robbers also fired three shots into the ceiling of the bank and six shots at a plexiglass door in front of a vault. After the robbery, the robbers first attempted to flee on a stolen vehicle. When the stolen vehicle stalled, they demanded the car keys of a bank employee at gun point. They stole the employee’s car and drove a short distance before switching to another vehicle. The robbers stole $15,373 from the bank.
On September 1, 1998, Charles and Joseph Rodriguez, along with a co-defendant, Jose Soto, attempted to rob an armored car at the Walt Whitman rest stop on the New Jersey Turnpike in Cherry Hill. When the defendants arrived at the rest stop, they were dressed in tactical gear, including bullet proof vests, and were carrying numerous firearms, including two machine guns. In total, they brought approximately 1,000 rounds of ammunition to the intended robbery. Due to law enforcement intervention, Charles and Joseph Rodriguez were prevented from committing the intended robbery.
On November 18, 2022, Judge Cecchi sentenced Jose Soto to time served—approximately 289 months— for charges connected to the attempted robbery of an armored car. He was acquitted of the two bank robberies.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado in Newark, with the assistance leading to the re- sentencing.The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Clara Kim of the Special Prosecutions Division in Newark and Norman Gross of the Camden Office.
rodriguezetal.sindictment.pdf
Bronx Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty to Filing Tens of Thousands of False Tax Returns Causing $145 Million in Fraudulent Tax LossRead the Press Release
Edward Y. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the guilty plea of RAFAEL ALVAREZ, a/k/a “the Magician,” to a two-count Superseding Information charging ALVAREZ with one count of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and steal government funds and one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false and fraudulent U.S. individual income tax return. The charges arise from ALVAREZ’s orchestration of a decade-long, $145 million tax fraud scheme to file tens of thousands of federal individual income tax returns that included false information designed to fraudulently reduce the individuals’ tax burden. As part of today’s guilty plea, Alvarez agreed to pay the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) $145 million in restitution and forfeit over $11.84 million in fraudulent proceeds he received from his criminal conduct. ALVAREZ pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken.
Acting U.S. Attorney Edward Y. Kim said: “Rafael Alvarez became known as ‘the Magician’ by his customers for his supposed ability to make their tax burden disappear. But, as today’s guilty plea shows, there was no magic to what Alvarez was doing – he was committing a serious federal crime by falsifying tens of thousands of tax returns and, in the process, depriving the IRS of $145 million in tax revenue. Today’s guilty plea, in one of the largest ever tax frauds by a return preparer, should serve as an important reminder to tax professionals that this Office will vigorously investigate and prosecute tax offenses.”
As alleged in the Indictment and Superseding Information and statements made in public filings and court proceedings:
From at least in or about 2010, up to and including in or about 2020, ALVAREZ was the CEO, owner, and manager of ATAX New York, LLC, also doing business as ATAX New York-Marble Hill, ATAX Marble Hill, ATAX Marble Hill NY, and ATAX Corporation (together, “ATAX”). ATAX was a high-volume tax preparation company located in the Bronx, New York, which prepared approximately 90,000 federal income tax returns for its customers during this period. ALVAREZ both prepared tax returns for ATAX customers and recruited, supervised, and directed other ATAX personnel who in turn prepared tax returns for customers. During this period, ALVAREZ oversaw a sweeping fraudulent scheme, whereby he and his employees submitted false information to the IRS in ATAX customers’ tax returns. This false information, which included, among other things, bogus itemized tax deductions, made-up capital losses, phony business expenses, and fraudulent tax credits, served to fraudulently reduce the customers’ tax liability and increase the customers’ tax refunds from the IRS.
In total, ALVAREZ oversaw ATAX’s fraudulent submission of tax returns on behalf of customers that deprived the IRS of $145 million in tax revenue. ALVAREZ was so consistent at falsifying ATAX customer tax returns that he became known to ATAX’s customers as “the Magician.” Additionally, ALVAREZ agreed as part of his plea agreement that he was a leader of the scheme and attempted to obstruct or impede the administration of justice with respect to the investigation of the tax fraud scheme when he and an ATAX employee made false statements to an IRS Revenue Agent. ALVAREZ’s operation of ATAX helped the company generate approximately $12 million in fraudulent proceeds over the duration of the fraud.
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ALVAREZ, 61, of Cortland Manor, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and steal government funds, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false and fraudulent U.S. individual income tax return, which carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison. ALVAREZ is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Oetken on April 11, 2025.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Kim praised the outstanding investigative work of the IRS, Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration in this case.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney David R. Felton is in charge of the prosecution.
Brazilian Man Sentenced for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brazilian man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Jose Antonio Moreira Martins Desouza, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to eight months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In September 2024, Desouza pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Desouza was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2024.
Desouza was previously deported from the United States on Nov. 14, 2012. Sometime after his November 2012 removal, Desouza illegally reentered the United States. He was arrested by local police on May 22, 2023 and detained by immigration authorities on June 26, 2024.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Todd Lyons, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Bitwise Founders Sentenced to 11 Years and 9 Years in Prison for $115 Million FraudRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. —Jake Soberal, 38, and Irma Olguin, Jr., 44, the founders and leaders of the failed Fresno-based start-up company, Bitwise Industries (“Bitwise”), were sentenced to 11 years and 9 years in prison, respectively, for defrauding people out of approximately $115,000,000, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced today.
“Defendants likened themselves to gods and joked about deceiving their well-intentioned investors while committing a massive fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Talbert. “They lied repeatedly to pull in over $100 million to a dying business venture that they knew never had any meaningful revenue. To make themselves rich and keep up the façade, they used fabricated bank statements, false financial information, forged documents, and fake loan collateral. These sentences serve as a reminder of the hazards of such financial crimes, and my office will continue to work with the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, and our law enforcement partners to vigorously investigate and prosecute those who commit them.”
“The willful and egregious fraud carried out by Irma Olguin Jr. and Jake Soberal will have long lasting impacts on not only those who invested in the well-orchestrated scam of Bitwise, but also the nearly 1,000 employees and contractors who abruptly lost their jobs when the Bitwise swindlers ran out of money,” said IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Oakland Field Office Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kulbir Mand. “White-collar crimes are damaging to victims, families, and communities alike. IRS-CI and its law enforcement partners are experts at investigating financial crimes and building cases that lead to justice. Today’s sentencing should serve notice that the consequence for committing white-collar crime is severe.”
“This case demonstrates how disastrous the impact can be when a company’s executives fail to conduct themselves ethically and lawfully. Bitwise Industries co-CEOs Jake Soberal and Irma Olguin, Jr. repeatedly lied to investors and lenders to keep their massive Ponzi scheme afloat, despite knowing that the business model would never generate positive revenue. The $115 million loss is significant, but the damage to the professional reputations of innocent parties and the loss of more than 900 jobs and associated benefits employees depended on will have a lasting, negative impact on the economy and individual lives,” said FBI Sacramento Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel. “The FBI remains steadfast, safeguarding our economy by working with all partner agencies to ensure that those who exploit positions of trust to commit large-scale corporate frauds are held accountable for their criminal activity.”
According to court records, Bitwise was, and still is, the biggest startup company to come from California’s Central Valley. The company’s objective was to use technology to create jobs for underserved groups of people, revitalize blighted urban areas, and show that such a project could be profitable.
Olguin, Jr. and Soberal received national media attention by appearing in publications like Forbes Magazine and giving Ted Talks where they portrayed Bitwise as being a success. They also made a substantial annual salary. By early 2022, however, the company was not generating any revenue and was running low on funds. Thereafter, Olguin, Jr. and Soberal fabricated financial information for its board and for investor materials and doctored audit reports to make it appear as though Bitwise was generating revenues and turning a profit. They also altered bank statements and forged bank representatives’ signatures on bank correspondence to inflate the company’s cash balances. They did so to convince people that Bitwise was excelling when the company was actually failing.
The following are illustrative examples of Olguin, Jr. and Soberal’s fraud:
- In a February 2022 presentation and July 2022 prospectus that were circulated to investors, Olguin, Jr. and Soberal represented that Bitwise’s cash balance was over $44,000,000 as of the end of 2021. They also represented that the company’s revenue was more than $58,000,000. In reality, the company’s cash balance was less than $12,000,000 at that time and its revenue was non-existent.
- In June and July 2022, Olguin, Jr. and Soberal falsely represented to a California-based investment firm that Bitwise had secured a $150,000,000 investment from another, London-based investment firm. This was done to convince the California-based investment firm to purchase several buildings that Bitwise owned. Several months later, Soberal falsely represented to another lender that Bitwise still owned those buildings to to provide collateral for another loan from another lender of millions of dollars.
- In a March 2023 presentation circulated to investors, Olguin, Jr. and Soberal represented that Bitwise’s cash balance was over $77,000,000 as of the end of 2022. They also represented that the company’s revenue was more than $143,000,000. In reality, the company’s cash balance was less than $5,000,000 at that time and its revenue nominal.
- Also in March 2023, Olguin, Jr. and Soberal provided an investor with an altered version of an audit of Bitwise that was previously conducted by an international audit firm. They altered the audit to make it appear as though Bitwise’s revenue was 300 percent higher than the true number.
- Also in March 2023, Soberal represented to a long-time Bitwise employee that the company had sufficient resources on-hand to induce the employee to make a significant loan to the company.
This pattern continued until the end of May 2023 when Bitwise ran out of money and the company collapsed.
Olguin, Jr. was a computer engineer who had previously run another technology company, and Soberal was an attorney who had previously practiced at a law firm doing intellectual property work. Moreover, the defendants hired unqualified family members and friends, which allowed them to compartmentalize information and work in secret to spin the false statements needed to conceal and continue with their fraud. For these reasons, Olguin, Jr. and Soberal received special sentencing enhancements.
This case is the product of an investigation by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph Barton and Henry Z. Carbajal III prosecuted the case.
Billings man admits possessing stolen firearm after breaking into police vehiclesRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Billings man accused of breaking into police vehicles and stealing a shotgun, body armor and medical supplies admitted to a firearm crime today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Jacob Charles Berger, 28, pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen firearm. Berger faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Berger was released pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that in March, the Billings Police Department began an investigation into the vandalism of five law enforcement vehicles that occurred March 5, 2024 to March 15, 2024 in which multiple items were stolen, including medical kits, body armor and, on one occasion, a 12-gauge shotgun and ammunition. Surveillance video from of one of the thefts showed a suspect wearing black shoes and riding a black and red bicycle with skinny tires. Investigators recovered the bicycle and identified three latent fingerprints on the bike as Berger’s. Law enforcement arrested Berger at his residence on an unrelated warrant. Berger admitted to breaking into police vehicles and taking body armor, medical supplies and a shotgun. Officers served a search warrant on Berger’s garage and, along with the shotgun, they located seven other firearms that had been reported stolen between July 2023 and March 2024. Officers also located the medical kits and body armor Berger had taken from the police vehicles.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The Billings Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
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Bartlesville Resident Sentenced for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Luther Lee Taylor, a/k/a Luther Lee High, a/k/a Luther Lee Taylor High, age 44, of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 151 months in prison for one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Atoka County Sheriff’s Department, and the Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police.
On August 27, 2024, Taylor pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on April 21, 2024, law enforcement intercepted Taylor approximately half a mile from the Howard-McLeod Correctional Center in Atoka County carrying two large duffel bags which were found to contain baggies of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Taylor will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Lorenz represented the United States.
Augusta Man Pleads Guilty to Livestreaming Child Sexual Abuse Material Following Tip from Omegle to NCMECRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: An Augusta man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material.
According to court records, in April 2023, law enforcement officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Augusta Police Department began investigating the possible livestreaming of child sexual abuse material. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) had notified the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit (MSP CCU) that it had received a report through its CyberTipline that an Omegle user—later identified as Nathaniel Gagne, 35—had uploaded a video file containing suspected child sexual abuse material. Omegle is an anonymous chat site where users are matched at random within topics and can communicate by text or video. The file reported by Omegle contained four images of a three- to four-year-old child being sexually abused.
During the execution of a search warrant at his Augusta home, Gagne admitted to viewing child sexual abuse material and sharing it on Omegle. Investigators seized two cell phones and an SD card during the investigation, recovering hundreds of images and videos.
Gagne faces 5–20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, to be followed by five years to life of supervised release on each count. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
HSI investigated the case with assistance from MSP CCU and the Augusta Police Department.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.
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Auburn Man Sentenced to 180 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Joshua J. Hardy, 35 years old, of Auburn, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to two counts of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and two counts of possessing a machinegun, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Hardy was sentenced to 180 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on multiple occasions between April 2023 and May 2024, law enforcement found Hardy in possession of machineguns and illegally possessed firearms. Due to a prior felony conviction, Hardy was prohibited from possessing the firearms in this case.
This investigation culminated in Hardy’s arrest on April 25, 2024. Law enforcement attempted to pull Hardy over for having an active warrant, and Hardy fled in a motor vehicle. Hardy ultimately crashed the vehicle into a building and was apprehended after a brief foot pursuit. Inside the vehicle Hardy was driving, officers located eight machinegun conversion devices. A machinegun conversion device converts a semi-automatic firearm into a fully automatic firearm and qualifies as a machinegun under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the help of the Auburn Police Department, the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department, the Fort Wayne Police Department, the Garrett Police Department, the Hamilton Police Department, the Indiana State Police, and the Steuben County Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Teresa L. Ashcraft.
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.
Arrestados dos colombianos traficantes de personas acusados en EE. UU.Read the Press Release
Nota: Vea una copia de la acusación aquí (en inglés).
El 13 de diciembre, las autoridades colombianas detuvieron a dos hombres acusados de conspiración para el tráfico de personas por trasladar migrantes a través de Colombia con destino a Estados Unidos. En el transcurso de dicha conspiración, se alega que los acusados habrían puesto vidas en peligro, entre otras cosas al colocar a algunos de los 40 migrantes y a dos capitanes de barco en una embarcación que desapareció de camino a Nicaragua tras zarpar de la isla de San Andrés el 21 de octubre de 2023.
Hernando Manuel de la Cruz Rivera Orjuela, de 52 años, y Luis Enrique Linero Pinto, de 40 años, ambos de nacionalidad colombiana, fueron detenidos en Colombia a petición de Estados Unidos por su presunta participación en la operación transnacional de tráfico de personas, según una acusación obtenida el 23 de octubre de un gran jurado federal del Distrito Oeste de Texas.
Según la acusación hecha pública ayer, los acusados participaron en una conspiración que traficaba ilegalmente con migrantes, transportándolos desde otros lugares a la isla de San Andrés, y desde allí a Nicaragua en embarcaciones, hacia el norte a través de América Central y México, antes de llegar a su destino final en Estados Unidos. Supuestamente, Rivera Orjuela y Linero Pinto aconsejaban a los migrantes cómo llegar a la isla de San Andrés, los recibían personalmente una vez llegaban a la isla, organizaban su alojamiento y los llevaban a las embarcaciones que los transportaban a Nicaragua para que pudieran entrar ilegalmente en Estados Unidos. Al parecer, Linero Pinto sobornó a miembros uniformados de la Armada colombiana para obtener información en tiempo real sobre la posición de las patrulleras de la Armada situadas entre la isla de San Andrés y Nicaragua, lo que permitió a las embarcaciones que transportaban a los migrantes evitar ser detectadas.
“Gracias a la coordinación con nuestras fuerzas del orden nacionales e internacionales, hemos logrado el arresto de dos ciudadanos colombianos que, según se afirma, participaron en una operación de contrabando de personas que dio lugar a la desaparición de una embarcación en la que viajaban 40 inmigrantes”, declaró el fiscal general Merrick B. Garland. “Como deja claro esta acusación, la Fuerza de Tarea Conjunta Alpha (Joint Task Force Alpha, JTFA) sigue siendo una de las herramientas más eficaces del Departamento de Justicia para contrarrestar las insidiosas operaciones de contrabando de seres humanos que alimentan el sufrimiento y la explotación”
“Durante más de tres años, la JTFA ha desplegado todas las herramientas a nuestro alcance para desarticular y desmantelar las redes de contrabando de seres humanos”, declaró la vicefiscal general Lisa Monaco. “Esta última acusación demuestra el compromiso continuado del Departamento [de Justicia de EE. UU.] para combatir el contrabando de personas en todo el Hemisferio Occidental y llevar a los responsables ante la justicia”.
“La acusación alega que, como parte de su participación en una conspiración para traficar migrantes a los Estados Unidos, estos acusados pusieron a varios migrantes en el bote que desapareció frente a la costa de Nicaragua en octubre de 2023”, dijo Nicole M. Argentieri, viceasistente principal del Fiscal General y jefa de la División Penal del Departamento de Justicia. “Esta acusación refleja la importancia de la expansión de la JTFA para abordar el contrabando de personas en Colombia y a través de ese país. El anuncio de hoy también subraya el compromiso de la División Penal de investigar y perseguir a las organizaciones delictivas transnacionales cuyo modelo de operar pone en peligro vidas humanas para obtener beneficios económicos”.
“Como se alega en la acusación, estos imputados son acusados por su papel en la desaparición de docenas de migrantes, y las acusaciones detallan muchos de los peligros que se observan con demasiada frecuencia en la lucha contra el tráfico de personas; desde el soborno a los riesgos mortales que los migrantes toman todos los días”, dijo el fiscal federal para el Distrito Oeste de Texas Jaime Esparza. “Agradezco los esfuerzos combinados de la JTFA, de nuestros socios internacionales y de los fiscales implicados. Estas asociaciones son esenciales para desmantelar las organizaciones delictivas que nos afectan a todos y otorgan prioridad a las ganancias económicas ilícitas sobre la vida humana”.
“Estos presuntos conspiradores orquestaron una compleja operación de contrabando de personas que arriesgaba imprudentemente vidas humanas a cambio de ganancias mal habidas”, declaró Katrina W. Berger, directora ejecutiva adjunta de la Oficina de Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional (Homeland Security Investigations, HSI). Los dedicados agentes especiales de HSI trabajan con diligencia para combatir las empresas delictivas que se aprovechan de la victimización de personas inocentes. HSI mantiene su compromiso de desmantelar las redes de tráfico de seres humanos que explotan y someten a sus víctimas a condiciones peligrosas y opresivas. Estas organizaciones transnacionales se aprovechan de personas vulnerables, y HSI continuará desmantelando este tipo de operaciones.
Cada uno de los imputados está acusado de un cargo de conspiración para inducir a extranjeros ilegales a venir, ingresar y residir en Estados Unidos y de poner en peligro una vida durante esa conspiración. De ser sentenciados, los acusados enfrentan una pena máxima de 20 años de prisión y una multa de hasta 250.000 dólares. Un juez del tribunal federal de distrito determinará cualquier sentencia tras considerar los reglamentos para las sentencias en Estados Unidos y otros factores estatutarios.
La HSI está dirigiendo la investigación con participación de las oficinas locales en McAllen, El Paso y Cartagena. La Unidad contra el Contrabando de Personas de HSI, el Centro Nacional de Identificación del Grupo de Trabajo de Interdicción Internacional de la Oficina de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza (CBP) de EE. UU., y la Oficina de Desarrollo, Asistencia y Capacitación Fiscal en el Extranjero (OPDAT) del Departamento de Justicia; la Oficina de Asuntos Internacionales (OIA); y la Sección de Narcóticos y Drogas Peligrosas (NDDS) de la Oficina del Agregado Judicial en Bogotá aportaron una valiosa asistencia. El Departamento de Justicia agradece a los oficiales de las fuerzas del orden colombianas que fueron instrumentales para profundizar esta investigación.
El codirector de la JTFA Jim Hepburn y la vicedirectora Daria Andryushchenko y la Sección de Derechos Humanos y Procesos Especiales (HRSP) de la División Penal del Departamento de Justicia de EE. UU. (DOJ) y el fiscal federal adjunto de Estados Unidos, José Luis Acosta, del Distrito Oeste de Texas se hallan procesando el caso.
La sindicación de estos procesados es resultado de los esfuerzos coordinados de la JTFA. El fiscal general Merrick B. Garland estableció la JTFA en junio de 2021 para combinar los recursos del Departamento de Justicia para la investigación y procesamiento, en asociación con el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS) para combatir el aumento de los prolíficos y peligrosos grupos de contrabando y tráfico que operan en México, Guatemala, El Salvador y Honduras. En junio de 2024 la iniciativa fue ampliada (en inglés) a Colombia y Panamá para combatir el contrabando humano en la zona del Darién. La JTFA está compuesta de miembros de las fiscalías federales de Estados Unidos a lo largo de la frontera del suroeste, incluyendo los Distritos Sur y Oeste de Texas, el Distrito de Nuevo México, el Distrito de Arizona y el Distrito Sur de California. El apoyo dedicado es aportado por numerosos componentes de la División Penal del Departamento de Justicia, dirigida por HRSP, con apoyo de OPDAT, NDDS, 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 la participación sustancial para la aplicación de la ley procedente del DHS, FBI, la Administración de Control de Drogas y otros asociados. Hasta el momento el trabajo de la JTFA ha resuelto 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 más de 240 importantes sentencias de cárcel y la incautación de importantes activos.
Una acusación es simplemente una alegación. Se presume la inocencia de todos los acusados hasta que se prueben culpables sin lugar a dudas razonables en un tribunal de justicia.
Esta traducción se proporciona como una cortesía y únicamente debe considerarse fidedigna la fuente original en inglés.
Ardmore Resident Pleads Guilty to Felony Assault ChargeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Richard Alan Chastain, age 52, of Ardmore, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea of one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to Do Bodily Harm in Indian Country.
The Indictment alleged that on July 17, 2024, Chastain assaulted the victim with a dangerous weapon, with intent to do bodily harm. The crime occurred in Carter County, within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Ardmore Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea, and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Chastain will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.
Alleged Leader of Fentanyl Pill Trafficking Operation Appears in Court on Federal Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The alleged leader of a fentanyl pill trafficking operation appeared in federal court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge David C. Keesler, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Rahkim T. Franklin, 31, of Charlotte, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, Roger “Chip” Hawley, Director of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), and Sheriff Aaron Ellenburg of the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to allegations in the indictment and court proceedings, from November 2022 to March 2024, Franklin was the leader of a drug operation that manufactured and distributed large quantities of fentanyl pills in and around Mecklenburg county. Court documents and court proceedings show that the drug conspiracy utilized a house in Charlotte as the pill press operation. Investigators executed a federal search warrant at the house on March 7, 2024, where they seized an electric pill press, more than 500 grams of vacuum sealed fentanyl, nearly 1,000 fentanyl tablets, over 30 pounds of fentanyl mixed with suspected pill binder, and other material and paraphernalia consistent with the production of fentanyl pills. The investigation revealed that Franklin and his co-conspirators were manufacturing the fentanyl pills to appear to be prescription Oxycodone pills based on their color and imprint.
Following today’s court hearing, Franklin was remanded into custody. The drug conspiracy charge and the charge of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl each carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of up to life in prison.
The charges against Franklin are allegations, and the defendant is innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The ATF, the SBI and the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lawrence Cameron and Tom Kent of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the case.
Activity in the U.S. Attorney's OfficeRead the Press Release
Public Lands Violations
Yellowstone National Park
Joshua P. Carney, 40, of Marble Falls, Texas, had his current probation revoked and reinstated for five years for violating his probation on multiple occasions, camping without a permit, and having an illegal fire. He was also sentenced to 90 days in jail for resisting arrest. According to court documents, Carney was cited on Sept. 22 for, food storage violation, and out-of-bounds camping. On Oct 8, he was sentenced to pay fines and placed on two years of unsupervised probation with standard terms, including a ban from Yellowstone National Park (YNP) during that time. On Nov. 25, the defendant was found in YNP, in violation of his probation terms. He was arrested and charged with camping without a permit, food storage violation, and illegal fire. He pleaded not guilty. On Dec. 8, the defendant was again located in YNP and arrested. He was additionally charged with camping without a permit, abandoning property, and resisting arrest. On Dec. 9, Carney pleaded guilty to violating his probation, camping without a permit, and having an illegal fire. He also pleaded guilty to resisting arrest for which he received 90 days in jail. He was also sentenced to five years of probation in his September 22 and November 25 cases, with concurrent sentences. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariel Calmes prosecuted the crime and U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephanie A. Hambrick imposed the sentence on Dec. 9, in Mammoth.
Sandra Pappas, age 31, of Arvada, Colorado, was convicted of driving under the influence and sentenced to pay a fine of $750 and placed on one year of unsupervised probation, the terms of which include a ban on her entering Yellowstone National Park during that time. She was also convicted of refusing an official breath test and sentenced to a 7-day term of incarceration. Mandatory court costs were also ordered in the case.
Grand Teton National Park
Michael Brockman, 55, of Wilson, Wyoming, was convicted of driving under the influence and sentenced to pay a fine of $750 and placed on two years of unsupervised probation, the terms of which include a ban on him entering Grand Teton National Park during that time. He was also convicted of interfering with a law enforcement officer and sentenced to 3 days in jail; refusing an official breath test and sentenced to 7 days in jail; convicted of contempt of court for refusing to comply with a search warrant for his blood that was issued by a United States Magistrate Judge and sentenced to 10 days in jail; convicted of leaving the scene of an accident and ordered to pay a fine of $650. Mandatory court costs were also ordered in the case.
In both park cases, because the operator of a motor vehicle refused a breath test, under 18 U.S.C. 3118 the defendants are prohibited from operating a motor vehicle on all federal lands for a period of one year from the date of refusal.
Drug Trafficking
Whitney Wesaw, 25, of Fort Washakie, Wyoming, was sentenced to 142 days incarceration with three years’ supervised release to follow, for distribution of fentanyl and aiding and abetting drug distribution. According to court documents, in January of 2024, agents with the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) were conducting controlled purchases of illegal substances from known and suspected drug dealers on the Wind River Reservation. On Jan. 17 agents successfully purchased fentanyl from Wesaw. Wesaw was indicted on July 18. She was arrested on Aug. 23 and subsequently detained. She pleaded guilty on Oct. 2 and U.S. District Court Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence on Dec. 12, in Cheyenne. DCI and the FBI investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy W. Gist prosecuted the case. Case No. 24-00120
Greyson Redman, 23, of Ethete, Wyoming, was sentenced to time served with three years’ supervised release to follow, for distribution of fentanyl. According to court documents, in December 2023, agents with the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) were conducting controlled purchases of illegal substances from known and suspected drug dealers on the Wind River Reservation. On Dec. 19, 2023, agents successfully purchased fentanyl from Redman. Redman was indicted on July 18, brought into federal custody on July 30, pleaded guilty on Sept. 19, and Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Dec. 13, in Casper. DCI and the FBI investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy W. Gist prosecuted the case. Case No. 24-00119
Firearm Offenses
Jarred Luther Pacheco, 39, with no permanent residency, was sentenced to 41 months, with three years’ supervised release to follow, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. He will serve his sentence consecutive to a Colorado sentence. According to court documents, on October 14, 2023, the Cheyenne Police Department (CPD) attempted to pull over the defendant because the car he was driving was reported stolen out of Colorado. The defendant fled at high rates of speed. CPD caught up with the vehicle and stopped Pacheco. During their contact with Pacheco. they found a 12-gauge shotgun between the driver’s door and the driver’s seat. Pacheco was previously convicted of a felony and is prohibited from possessing a firearm. Pacheco was indicted on July 18, pleaded guilty on Sept. 19 and U.S. District Court Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence on Dec. 13, in Cheyenne. The Bureau of Alcohol, , Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the CPD investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Hammer prosecuted the case. Case No. 24-CR-00111
Illegal Re-Entry of a Previously Deported Alien
Victor Hugo Lira Tepca, 37, of Tlaxcala, Mexico, was sentenced to time served and will be deported for illegal reentry into the United States. According to court documents, on June 14, Lira Tepca was arrested by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office for driving while under the influence. The defendant claimed to be a citizen of Mexico and agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were contacted. They determined that Lira Tepca had previously been removed from the U.S. in March of 2010 and had not applied for permission to reenter the U. S. ICE investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on Dec. 9, in Cheyenne. Case No. 24-CR-00105
A Michigan Man Pleaded Guilty Today to One Count of Committing A Hate Crime by Attempting to Carry Out a Mass KillingRead the Press Release
FLINT - According to court documents, Mack Davis, 22, of Owosso, admitted that he attempted to conduct a mass killing of individuals at a political party headquarters and a nearby bar in the Eastern District of Michigan because he associated both locations with gay people.
“This defendant amassed an arsenal of firearms, rounds of ammunition and bombmaking parts that he intended to use to carry out the mass killing of gay people. This kind of vile and heinous hate-fueled violence, intended to target innocent people based on their sexual orientation, runs contrary to our values as Americans,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Bias-motivated crimes targeting the LGBTQI+ community will not be tolerated. The Justice Department will continue using every tool at our disposal to protect communities from the scourge of hate-fueled violence by prosecuting those who carry out or attempt to carry out such crimes.”
“Davis’ plans were chilling. He intended to commit mass shootings at two locations — destroying countless lives and devastating our community — all because of his fanatical hatred for gay people,” said U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan. “I applaud the work of law enforcement in disrupting this awful plot and arresting Davis before he could carry out his planned attacks. Today’s guilty plea is a reflection of my office’s commitment to prosecuting bias crimes and is a critical step in holding this defendant accountable for his actions.”
“Mack Davis’ guilty plea to a federal hate crime highlights the unwavering dedication of law enforcement to uphold the safety and security of every community in Michigan,” said Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of FBI Detroit Field Office. “This case serves as a stark reminder that there is no tolerance for hate-fueled violence. Davis confessed to devising a plan motivated by his deep-seated hatred, targeting innocent individuals associated with the LGBTQIA+ community. The FBI’s Detroit Field Office, Flint Resident Agency, in collaboration with the Owosso Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), and the Michigan State Police, acted swiftly to prevent this malicious scheme from being carried out. Our collective action disrupted a serious threat and reaffirmed our commitment to protecting vulnerable communities from harm. Michigan law enforcement remains committed to ensuring all individuals live free from fear of violence or discrimination. We are dedicated to combating hate, protecting the safety and well-being of Michigan residents, and fostering a safe environment where everyone, regardless of identity, can thrive in peace.”
According to court documents, from at least July 2023 through June 2024, Davis accessed search engines and social media sites to research, post about, and pay tribute to mass killers, and wrote about dozens of mass killers in journals and on other items in his home. During that period, Davis also began to plot his own mass killing, by, among other things, drafting lists of weapons and tactical gear he owned and intended to acquire for use in his mass killing. By June, Davis had crossed off every item on the list of weapons and tactical gear he intended to acquire, and had amassed an arsenal that included two firearms, magazines, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, a crossbow and arrows, assorted bomb-making parts, smoke grenades, tactical gear and clothing and several knives. Davis inscribed one of the knives with the anti-gay slur, “FAGGOT Killer.”
From April through June, Davis solidified his plan to commit the mass killing. Among other acts, Davis posted on a social media site that he intended to commit a mass killing at a political party headquarters, which Davis referred to as “Location 1,” that Davis wrote was “filled with far-left liberal, faggot scum.” Davis wrote that he would continue the mass killing at “Location 2,” a nearby bar that Davis wrote was “a faggot bar.” Davis researched both locations online, conducted physical surveillance of both locations and posted about his research and surveillance on the social media site. During that period, Davis also vandalized two cars that belonged to his neighbors, whom he knew to be gay, by spray-painting the word “fag” on one of the cars. Days later, Davis also test-fired one of his firearms, an illegal short-barreled rifle, by firing approximately 60 bullets into several of his neighbors’ properties, including one of the cars that he had previously vandalized.
The Owosso Police Department arrested Davis for that shooting. Davis was later transferred to federal custody, where he has remained since.
A sentencing hearing will be scheduled for a later date. Because Davis’s hate crime involved an attempt to kill, he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Detroit Field Office investigated the case, with assistance the from the Owosso Police Department, ATF and Michigan State Police.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frances Lee Carlson and Christopher W. Rawsthorne for the Eastern District of Michigan and Trial Attorney Erin Monju of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
Monday 16 December 2024
“Incognito Market” Owner Pleads Guilty for Operating One of the Largest Illegal Narcotics Marketplaces on the InternetRead the Press Release
Edward Y. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that RUI-SIANG LIN, a/k/a “Ruisiang Lin,” a/k/a “林睿庠,” a/k/a “Pharoah,” a/k/a “faro,” pled guilty to narcotics conspiracy, money laundering, and conspiracy to sell adulterated and misbranded medication in connection with LIN’s operation and ownership of “Incognito Market,” an online dark web narcotics marketplace that enabled its users to buy and sell illegal narcotics anonymously around the world. LIN pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 27, 2025.
Acting U.S. Attorney Edward Y. Kim said: “Rui-Siang Lin led a prolific online narcotics bazaar that sold more than $100 million of narcotics around the world. While Lin profited millions of dollars from his sophisticated scheme, the community suffered. Lin and his “Incognito Market” exacerbated the opioid and fentanyl crisis and put the community in danger. Lin now faces a lengthy term in prison.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment, Complaint, and statements made in public filings and in public court proceedings:
Incognito Market was an online narcotics bazaar that existed on the dark web. Incognito Market formed in October 2020. Since that time, and through its closing in March 2024, Incognito Market sold more than $100 million of narcotics — including hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and methamphetamines. Incognito Market was available globally to anyone with internet access and could be accessed using the Tor web browser on the “dark web” or “darknet.” LIN operated the Incognito market under the online pseudonym “Pharoah” or “faro.” As “Pharoah” — the leader of Incognito market — LIN supervised all of its operations, including its employees, vendors, and customers, and had ultimate decision-making authority over every aspect of the multimillion-dollar operation.
Incognito Market was designed to foster seamless narcotics transactions across the internet and across the world and incorporated many features of legitimate e-commerce sites such as branding, advertising, and customer service. Upon visiting the site, users were met by a splash page and graphic interface, which is pictured below:
After logging in with a unique username and password, users were able to search thousands of listings for narcotics of their choice. Incognito Market sold illegal narcotics and misbranded prescription medication, including heroin, cocaine, LSD, MDMA, oxycodone, methamphetamines, ketamine, and alprazolam. An example of listings on Incognito market is below:
Listings included offerings of prescription medication that was advertised as being authentic but was not. For example, in November 2023, an undercover law enforcement agent received several tablets that purported to be oxycodone, which were purchased on Incognito Market. Testing on those tablets revealed that they were not authentic oxycodone at all and were, in fact, fentanyl pills.
Each listing on Incognito Market was sold by a particular vendor. To become an Incognito Market vendor, each vendor was required to register with the site and pay an admission fee. In exchange for listing and selling narcotics as a vendor on Incognito Market, each vendor paid 5% of the purchase price of every narcotic sold to Incognito Market. That revenue funded Incognito Market’s operations, including paying “employee” salaries and for computer servers. LIN collected millions of dollars of profits from Incognito. To facilitate these financial transactions, Incognito Market had its own “bank,” which allowed its users to deposit cryptocurrency on the site into their own “bank accounts.” After a narcotics transaction was completed, cryptocurrency from the buyer’s “bank account” was transferred to the seller’s “bank account,” less the 5% fee that Incognito collected. The bank enabled buyers and sellers to stay anonymous from each other. The bank’s graphic interface is pictured below:
On March 12, 2020, before Incognito Market launched, LIN emailed himself a rough diagram of a darknet marketplace. That diagram, which is pictured below, contains features consistent with the operation of Incognito Market.
* * *
RUI-SIANG LIN, 23, of Taiwan, pled guilty to one count of narcotics conspiracy, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum potential sentence of life in prison; one count of money laundering, which carries a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of conspiracy to sell adulterated and misbranded medication, which carries a maximum potential sentence of five years in prison.
The statutory minimum and maximum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Kim praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, and the New York City Police Department.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (“OCDETF”) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the U.S. using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-drive, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan B. Finkel and Nicholas Chiuchiolo are in charge of the prosecution.
Virginia Man Convicted for Crypto Financing Scheme to ISISRead the Press Release
A jury convicted Mohammed Azharuddin Chhipa, 35, of Springfield, Virginia, on Dec. 13 for charges relating to his efforts to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a foreign terrorist organization.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, from at least October 2019 through October 2022, Chhipa collected and sent money to female ISIS members in Syria to benefit ISIS in various ways, including by financing the escape of female ISIS members from prison camps and supporting ISIS fighters. Chhipa would raise funds online on various social media accounts. He would receive electronic transfers of funds and travel hundreds of miles to collect funds by hand. He would then convert the money to cryptocurrency and send it to Turkey, where it was smuggled to ISIS members in Syria.
His primary co-conspirator was a British-born ISIS member residing in Syria who was involved in raising funds for prison escapes, terrorist attacks, and ISIS fighters. Over the course of the conspiracy, the defendant sent out over $185,000 in of cryptocurrency.
The jury found Chhipa guilty of one count of conspiracy to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization and four counts of providing and attempting to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization. Chhipa faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison per count. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for May 5, 2025. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch, and U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony T. Aminoff and Amanda St. Cyr for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorneys Andrew John Dixon and Andrea Broach of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
University of Delaware Failed to Disclose Professor’s Foreign Government TiesRead the Press Release
Wilmington, Del. – David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced today that the University of Delaware (UD), located in Newark, Delaware, has agreed to pay $715,580 to resolve civil allegations that it failed to disclose a UD professor’s affiliations with and support from the government of the People’s Republic of China in connection with federal research funding.
This settlement relates to a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) grant that was issued to UD in June 2020. Since 2011, federal law has prohibited NASA from using funds to collaborate with China or any Chinese-owned companies. The settlement resolves allegations that UD caused NASA to violate this law by failing to disclose that one of the principal investigators on the grant was affiliated with the Chinese government through: (1) employment at a Chinese university; (2) participation in a program established by the Chinese government to recruit individuals with knowledge or access to foreign technology intellectual property; and (3) a grant from the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
“Federal law requires universities, institutions, and researchers to make disclosures, including certain foreign affiliations, when applying for grants so that the granting agencies can assess whether to fund their research and development,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware David C. Weiss. “My office will hold accountable applicants who undermine the integrity of the federal grant process by knowingly failing to submit complete and truthful applications.”
“NASA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) is dedicated to identifying and aggressively pursuing individuals who conceal affiliations with foreign entities and undermine the integrity of our academic system to obtain research funding,” said Adelle K. Harris, Special Agent in Charge of the Eastern Field Office, NASA OIG. “We commend the exceptional investigative efforts of our agents, and the work of the USAO for the District of Delaware that resulted in this settlement. Along with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to safeguard taxpayer funds that are intended for federal research and development programs.”
The settlement was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware and NASA-OIG. This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shamoor Anis and Claudia L. Pare for the District of Delaware.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
usa-ud_settlement_agreement_1.pdfU.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, Along with Tribal and Local Law Enforcement Officials, Release Third “Don’t Click December” PSARead the Press Release
BOISE – During the holiday season, online criminals increasingly target Idahoans through online scams and fraud schemes. Today, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit, along with the FBI, the Fort Hall Police Department, the Bannock County Prosecuting Attorney’s and Sheriff’s Offices, the Bonneville County Prosecuting Attorney’s and Sheriff’s Offices, the Idaho Falls Police Department, and the Pocatello Police Department, released a third PSA as part of their joint “Don’t Click December” Consumer Protection Campaign. The AARP is also participating in the announcement and the awareness campaign.
The campaign advises members of the public to exercise skepticism and caution when receiving unsolicited online, email, pop-up, or text communications from unknown or unverified sources. If there is any doubt about a link, message, or attachment, law enforcement cautions: “Don’t Click It.”
In the third PSA, available here, Bonneville County Prosecutor Randy Neal, Bannock County Sheriff Tony Manu, and U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit warn the public about the “Pig Butchering” scam and explain some of the ways in which individuals can protect themselves.
In this cryptocurrency investment fraud scam, known as “pig butchering,” victims usually receive communications asking them to deposit money into financial investments using cryptocurrency. After an initial investment, victims receive further communications with a fake account report showing financial gains in order to get them to invest more, but the investments are fake, and all the money is under the control of criminals who ultimately steal the victims’ investments.
If you are contacted about an investment opportunity by someone you don’t know through social media, text, or dating sites, Don’t Click It! If the message appears to be from an investment company you actually invest with, check the email address to verify it is from the company you’re familiar with.
As part of the ongoing campaign, leading up to Christmas, one final PSA is planned to be released in an effort to alert the public to common online fraud schemes that Idaho law enforcement has seen affect Idahoans.
Unfortunately, these are not the only schemes affecting the public, and new schemes arise all the time. Law enforcement hopes that the “Don’t Click December” Consumer Protection Campaign will raise public awareness and encourage individuals to talk to their friends and relatives about not clicking suspicious links, texts, messages, pop-ups, or attachments.
“We have witnessed many Idahoans lose their hard-earned money or their entire retirement savings to online scams. And, sadly, this type of crime tends to spike during the holiday season,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “But, together, we can reduce the risks by talking with each other about how to avoid such scams, and I’m grateful to our law enforcement partners and the AARP for joining us in the Don’t Click December campaign. We also encourage Idahoans to report any scams as soon as possible so that law enforcement can investigate and we can bring these vicious online criminals to justice.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and its law enforcement partners recognize that we all must work to eliminate the stigma individuals may experience if they are victimized. There is no shame to falling victim to an online scheme, which are often designed by professional criminals, sophisticated, and tested repeatedly across the country.
For this reason, the “Don’t Click December” Consumer Protection Campaign also publicizes ways to report scams and incidents of fraud to the FBI and local law enforcement.
To learn more about these and other scams targeting Americans visit FBI.gov, and if you believe you have been victimized, take-action by reporting it to FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov or by contacting your local law enforcement agency.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office forfeits cryptocurrency and helps victims of business email compromise fraud schemeRead the Press Release
Seattle – Quick work by the U.S. Secret Service and the Asset Forfeiture Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office means victims of a business email compromise scheme may be made whole after losing millions of dollars through fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. In December 2023, a company involved in real estate transactions reported that their system had been compromised and fraudsters obtained more than $1 million by submitting false wire transfer instructions.
Investigation revealed that at least ten other businesses or individuals had also been victimized, in amounts ranging from $75,000 to $425,000. The fraud proceeds were laundered through multiple bank accounts, some of which were held by money mules, before being consolidated into a single cryptocurrency wallet, controlled by fraudsters in Nigeria.
Acting quickly, law enforcement seized approximately 32.68 Bitcoin, then worth about $900,000, from the fraudsters’ cryptocurrency wallet. The U.S. Attorney’s Office then filed a civil forfeiture case against the seized Bitcoin, the value of which has more than tripled since the time of seizure. Due to the rising price of Bitcoin, it is possible that each of the ten victims who have filed claims will be made whole.
“I commend the quick work by law enforcement and the Asset Forfeiture Unit who moved to seize this Bitcoin and are working diligently to make these victims whole,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “Civil forfeiture is an important tool that we can use to help victims, even before the bad actors themselves have been arrested.”
U.S. Attorney's Office and FBI Charge Nageezi Man with Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Nageezi man has been charged with sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact in Indian Country.
Patrick Wayne Platero, 46, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, appeared before a federal judge and will remain in the third-party custody of La Pasada halfway house pending trial, which has not been scheduled.
According to the indictment, between on or about January 1, 2024, and on or about April 30, 2024, Platero allegedly sexually abused and engaged in abusive sexual contact with Jane Doe.
If convicted, Platero faces up to life in prison followed by not less than five years and up to life on supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Department of Investigation and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Meg Tomlinson is prosecuting the case.
View the Indictment (Platero).pdfAn indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Two Juveniles Plead Guilty for November 2023 CarjackingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Robert Littles, 17, and Jessup Meeks, 18, both of Washington D.C., pleaded guilty today to carjacking and firearms offenses stemming from a November 2023 carjacking in Southeast Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Both defendants pleaded guilty in D.C. Superior Court to one count of carjacking and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. The Honorable Judge Errol Arthur scheduled a sentencing hearing for February 21, 2025. Carjacking carries a mandatory minimum term of seven years of incarceration.
At the time of the offense, Littles was 16 years old and Meeks was 17 years old. Both were charged as adults. According to the government’s evidence, with which the defendants agreed, on November 19, 2023, the victim was working as an Uber driver and travelled to the 3000 block of Massachusetts Avenue Southeast to pick up a passenger. Meeks got in the front passenger seat of the victim’s car, while Littles and an unidentified third person approached the driver’s side. Littles pointed a black AR-style rife with a drum magazine at the victim’s head before punching the victim in the face. The defendants then pulled the victim out of his car and down to the ground and told him to “leave everything and get out.” The defendants then fled the scene in the victim’s car. Meeks and Littles were arrested approximately thirty minutes later, after the victim’s car was found crashed in the 3000 block of Nelson Place Southeast. Officers observed Littles and Meeks walking up the street from the crashed vehicle and detained them after a short foot pursuit. During the stop, officers recovered the firearm from Littles’ person.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Randle Wilson and Lauren “Luca” Winer.
Two Denver Men Sentenced for String of Area Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Mitchell Leland Baca, 33, of Denver, and Jaki Ravion Joseph Martin-Birch, 28, of Denver, were sentenced to 224 months and 170 months in prison respectively for their roles in a series of bank robberies in the Denver area.
Baca pled guilty to two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, and four counts of bank robbery. Martin-Birch pled guilty to two counts of possession of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and four counts of bank robbery.
The plea agreements show that between June 14, 2023, and July 24, 2023, Baca and Martin-Birch robbed five banks in Denver and Aurora in which they used weapons to threaten employees for cash. Baca and Martin-Birch left each bank robbery with thousands of dollars.
“Bank robberies are violent, brazen crimes that we will not tolerate,” said Acting United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Matt Kirsch. “These sentences should send a message to other potential bank robbers that they will be caught and prosecuted.”
"Together, the defendants are responsible for at least five bank robberies involving handguns across the metro area,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “The FBI Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force is uniquely positioned to investigate these types of cross-jurisdictional crimes and leverage federal prosecution to ensure violent offenders are kept off our streets, preventing further harm to the public."
The defendants were sentenced by United States District Court Judge Nina Y. Wang. The FBI Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force and the Denver Police Department handled the investigation. Special United States Attorney Leah Perczak handled the prosecution.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Case Number: 23-cr-00370-NYW
Transplant Surgeon Sentenced for Operation of Unlicensed Money Transmitting BusinessRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A renowned Chinese kidney transplant surgeon at Wuhan Union Hospital was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for operating an unlicensed money transmitting business in connection with his family member’s drug trafficking operation.
Zhendi Wang, 44, of Wuhan, was sentenced by District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 20 months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release. Three co-defendants in a related money laundering conspiracy remain at large. In October 2024, Wang pleaded guilty to operating an unlicensed money transmitting business.
Wang, a citizen of the People’s Republic of China, opened bank accounts in Massachusetts. Between 2020 and 2023, Wang received $1.2 million in his bank accounts from a family member. That money was derived from sales from the family member’s online steroids business. Wang then repaid equivalent amounts to his family member in Chinese currency. Wang lacked the appropriate license to operate a money transmitting business.
United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Quincy Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Weinstein and Evan Panich of the Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Tonawanda woman going to prison for child pornographyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Maria D’Amato, 30, of Tonawanda, NY, who was convicted of receipt of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 108 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright, who handled the case, stated that in June 2022, D’Amato knowingly received images and videos of child pornography from a minor female on her cellular telephone. D’Amato met the 14-year-old Victim through another 14-year-old. She communicated with the Victim via text, and online applications, such as Snapchat. D’Amato and the Victim engaged in sexual acts, which D’Amato recorded using her cellular telephone or the Victim’s cellular telephone. Videos record on the Victim’s cell phone would be sent to D’Amato at her request.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Stauffiger.
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Tallahassee Area Realtor Found Guilty of Willfully Failing to File Income Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Sedita Charles Cayson, 59, of Panacea, Florida, was found guilty by a federal judge of five counts of willfully failing to file his income tax returns during a five-year period, spanning tax years 2017-2021. The guilty verdict returned at the conclusion of a day-and-a-half bench trial, was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Trial testimony and evidence demonstrated that Cayson—a Florida real estate agent known as the “Land Man”— had been a serial non-filer of his income taxes for multiple years. Evidence showed that Cayson had a history of tax delinquencies with the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) and that he was assessed liens for his federal income tax delinquencies for years 2004-2007 and 2011-2013. Despite earning real estate sales commissions averaging over $150,000 per year, Cayson willfully failed to file his income tax returns for tax years 2017-2021. Further evidence indicated that beginning in 2017, Cayson instructed his real estate broker to split his commission checks into amounts that were less than $10,000, the majority of which Cayson cashed at the bank immediately upon receiving them.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 24, 2025, at 2:00 p.m., at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Robert L. Hinkle. Cayson faces up to one year in federal prison and a $25,000 fine for each count, followed by a term of up to one year of supervised release.
This conviction was the result of an investigation by the United States Internal Revenue Service- Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Harley Ferguson and Justin M. Keen prosecuted the case.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Stillwater Felon Charged with Illegal Possession of Explosives, AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Stillwater man has been indicted and charged with possession of unregistered firearms and possession of explosives, firearms, and ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on November 2, 2024, Wayne Robert Lund, 46, illegally possessed eight destructive devices not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. He was also found in possession of explosives and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Because Lund has prior felony convictions in Ramsey and Anoka Counties, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms, explosives, or ammunition at any time.
The indictment charges Lund with one count of possession of unregistered firearms, one count of possessing explosives as a felon, one count of possessing firearms as a felon, and one count of possession of ammunition as a felon. He made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court on December 11, 2024, before Magistrate Judge Dulce J. Foster. He was ordered to remain in custody pending further proceedings at his detention hearing today by Magistrate Judge David T. Schultz.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Oak Park Heights Police Department, the Stillwater Police Department, the Saint Paul Police Department, the Saint Croix County (Wisconsin) Sheriff’s Department, and with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Springfield Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Trafficking, Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing more than a kilogram of fentanyl and 14 firearms.
Proevine Lennox Robins, 51, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
On March 21, 2023, Springfield police officers executed a search warrant at Robins’s residence. Officers found more than a kilogram of fentanyl, 14 firearms, ammunition, and $21,000 in cash.
The fentanyl was discovered in multiple locations throughout the house, including the garage, the attic space above the garage, and a bedroom. The fentanyl in the garage was hidden inside three stacked tires.
Among the 14 firearms seized by officers was a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm that had been reported stolen and another loaded 9mm handgun with no visible serial number.
Robins told investigators he paid about $9,000 to purchase the fentanyl, which he was selling for $1,000 to $2,000 per ounce. He estimated he had sold an average of two ounces per week for the past 10 to 12 months. Robins said he had made about 10 trips to St. Louis, Mo., over the past 10 months to purchase fentanyl.
Under federal statutes, Robins is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron A. Beaver. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Second-in-command of drug distribution organization tied to Aryan Prison Gang sentenced to 12 years in prisonRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A 61-year-old Auburn, Washington, man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to twelve years in prison for his leadership role in a multi-state drug distribution ring announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Thomas Carver has a lengthy criminal history that includes multiple prior convictions related to drug trafficking. He served as the second-in-command to drug ringleader Jesse Bailey, a high-ranking member of the Aryan Family prison gang. The two were documented in multiple wiretapped phone calls discussing their distribution of hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine and hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills. At the sentencing hearing Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo told Carver, “You are not a local dealer. You are someone who helped sell and distribute across the region… What is alarming are the references to these different flavored or colored pills now that are out there potentially in our streets. I do think their intent is to bring in new users…. as in younger individuals who can be easily swayed by these things.”
“The leaders of this drug ring spread so much misery throughout our area,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “Mr. Carver knows first-hand the nightmare of methamphetamine addiction, and yet he routinely brought 50 pounds of the drug to our community to distribute. He also delt in large amounts of fentanyl laced pills, a drug that has brought unprecedented numbers of overdose deaths to our community.”
According to records filed in the case, over a two-year investigation of the drug trafficking ring, agents seized an estimated 223 pounds of methamphetamine, an estimated 830,000 fentanyl pills, multiple-pound quantities of fentanyl powder, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana, $338,000 of suspected drug proceeds, and 48 firearms from members of the conspiracy. In addition, during the coordinated arrests of the DTO members in March 2023, law enforcement seized approximately 22 pounds of methamphetamine, 26 pounds of fentanyl in pill and powder form, six pounds of heroin, more than $330,000 of suspected drug proceeds, and 177 additional firearms. Four of those firearms were seized from the Auburn residence where Carver was arrested. Law enforcement found more than $43,000 in cash in the room where Carver slept.
On July 9,2024, Carver pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. He has been in custody at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac since his arrest in March 2023.
Carver is the seventh member of the drug ring to be sentenced. Some defendants have received prison sentences of as much at 13 years in prison. Less culpable defendants have been sentenced to 20-50 months in prison. Drug ringleader Jesse James Bailey pleaded guilty last month and is scheduled for sentencing on February 28, 2025.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This investigation was led by the FBI with critical investigative teamwork from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Washington State Department of Corrections and significant local assistance from the Tacoma Police Department, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, and the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force, led by the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office. Throughout this investigation the following agencies assisted the primary investigators: Washington State Patrol, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, Lakewood Police Department, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Max Shiner and Zach Dillon.
Santa Paula Doctor Sentenced to 2 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Hospice Fraud that Bilked Medicare Out of $3.2 MillionRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Ventura County physician who worked for two Pasadena hospices was sentenced today to 24 months in federal prison for defrauding Medicare out of more than $3 million through claims for medically unnecessary hospice services.
Dr. Victor Contreras, 69, of Santa Paula, was sentenced today by United States District Judge André Birotte Jr., who also ordered him to pay $3,289,889 in restitution.
Contreras pleaded guilty on July 24 to one count of health care fraud.
From July 2016 to February 2019, Contreras and co-defendant Juanita Antenor, 62, formerly of Pasadena, schemed to defraud Medicare by submitting nearly $4 million in false and fraudulent claims for hospice services submitted by two hospice companies: Arcadia Hospice Provider Inc., and Saint Mariam Hospice Inc. Antenor controlled both companies.
Medicare only covers hospice services for patients who are terminally ill, meaning that they have a life expectancy of six months or less if their illness ran its normal course.
Contreras falsely stated on claims forms that patients had terminal illnesses to make them eligible for hospice services covered by Medicare, typically adopting diagnoses provided to him by hospice employees whether or not they were true. Contreras did so even though he was not the patients’ primary care physician and had not spoken to those primary care physicians about the patients’ conditions. Medicare paid on the claims supported by Contreras’ false evaluations and certifications and recertifications of patients.
In total, approximately $3,917,946 in fraudulently claims were submitted to Medicare, of which a total of approximately $3,289,889 was paid.
According to Medical Board of California records, Contreras is a licensed physician in California, but has been on probation with the Board since 2015 and is subject to limitations on his practice.
Antenor remains at large. Co-defendant Callie Black, 66, of Lancaster, who allegedly recruited patients for the hospice companies in exchange for illegal kickbacks, has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to go to trial on March 4, 2025.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
The United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the FBI, and the California Department of Justice investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kristen A. Williams of the Major Frauds Section and Aylin Kuzucan of the General Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.
Saint Charles Parish Man Sentenced for Federal Firearm and Narcotics ViolationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on December 5, 2024, BRANDON D. HILL (“HILL”), age 32, of Boutte, Louisiana, was sentenced to ten years in prison by U.S. District Judge Barry W. Ashe, after previously pleading guilty to possession of a firearm as a felon, and possession, with the intent to distribute, fentanyl, cocaine hydrochloride, and cocaine base.
According to court records, on March 8, 2023, St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies approached HILL in Boutte concerning an outstanding arrest warrant for a probation violation. HILL attempted to flee on foot but was subsequently detained and searched. During his arrest, HILL attempted to discard two plastic bags from his pocket. While seizing the bags, the deputies also spotted, and seized, a handgun from HILL’s waistband. The handgun was a Canik semi-automatic pistol with a round in the chamber. Deputies also found HILL in possession of a digital scale with residue and four clear plastic bags, one of which contained approximately 3.78 grams of fentanyl. The second bag contained approximately 17.44 grams of marijuana. The third bag contained approximately 1.15 grams of packaged cocaine hydrochloride, and the fourth bag contained approximately 6.25 grams of cocaine base.
In addition to the ten-year concurrent sentence as to the firearm and narcotics charges, Judge Ashe sentenced HILL to three years of supervised release, also to be served concurrently. HILL was ordered to pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee as to each count.
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 Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) New Orleans Field Division and the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office. U.S. Attorney Evans also thanked the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office for the 29th Judicial District for its assistance in this prosecution. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew R. Payne of the Financial Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Revision Military to Pay $426,000 to Resolve False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Revision Military Ltd. (Revision) will pay $426,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by selling eyewear products that it falsely represented were wholly sourced in the United States.
Revision is a Delaware corporation with its principal place of business in Vermont. Revision manufactures protective eyewear systems, which the United States has purchased for use by military personnel through the Defense Logistics Agency’s Special Operational Equipment Tailored Logistics Support (SOE TLS) Program. The SOE TLS Program requires that textile components in products be sourced from the United States in accordance with the Berry Amendment.
The government’s investigation revealed that between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2020, Revision used a non-domestic source of carrying pouches, cases, and/or straps for certain eyewear systems sold through the SOE TLS Program. Revision has acknowledged these impermissible sales and that employees with oversight of product sourcing, operations and/or sales during this period were aware of the use of non-compliant components in products sold through the SOE TLS Program. The government alleges that Revision’s knowing sale of non-compliant eyewear systems violated the False Claims Act, a civil fraud statute.
“In selling products that it knew to be non-compliant, Revision violated the trust placed in government contractors in furtherance of its own bottom line,” said United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest. “Our office has now resolved three investigations in the past two years into procurement fraud in Department of Defense contracts, and we will continue to work to preserve the integrity of government programs.”
Investigative support in this matter was provided by the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division and the United States Department of Defense (DoD) Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service.
“Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division is committed to protecting the interests of our soldiers and to pursuing those involved in procurement fraud aggressively,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Keith K. Kelly, Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Fraud Field Office. “CID Special Agents work diligently to prevent and investigate criminal activity and civil violations that affect Army people, resources, capabilities, and communities worldwide.”
“Protecting the integrity of the DoD procurement process and supply chain is a top priority for the DoD Office of Inspector General Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS),” stated Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty, DCIS Northeast Field Office. “The DCIS will continue to work with its law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice to hold DoD contractors accountable to contract requirements and ensure that compliant products are provided to the U.S. military.”
To resolve the claims against it, Revision has agreed to pay to the United States a total of $426,000. This amount reflects Revision’s acceptance of responsibility, cooperation with the government investigation, and compliance measures implemented by Revision’s new owners after 2019.
Civil Chief Lauren Almquist Lively handled this matter for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont.
The settlement agreement between the United States and Revision is available at this link:
Revision Military Ltd. Settlement Agreement.pdfResident of China Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Send Trade Secrets Belonging to Leading U.S.-Based Electric Vehicle CompanyRead the Press Release
Today, in federal court in Central Islip, Klaus Pflugbeil was sentenced by Judge Joan M. Azrack to 24 months’ imprisonment for conspiring to send trade secrets that belong to a leading U.S.-based electric vehicle company (Victim Company-1). Pflugbeil, a resident of the People’s Republic of China (the “PRC” or “China”) and a Canadian and German national, and his co-defendant, Yilong Shao, who remains at large, are owners of a PRC-based business (Business-1) that sold technology used to make batteries, including batteries used in electric vehicles. Pflugbeil and Shao, former employees of a company that was purchased by Victim Company-1, took trade secrets from their employer, and later used the trade secrets to build a business that they marketed as a replacement for Victim Company-1’s products. Pflugbeil pleaded guilty in June 2024.
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 charges.
“The defendant built a business in China to sell sensitive technology that belongs to a U.S. company. His actions were bold—he even advertised that he was selling the victim’s products—because he thought, incorrectly, that he was outside the reach of U.S. prosecutors,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Today’s sentencing sends a clear message to would-be offenders: my Office will do everything it can to protect American innovation and national security no matter where you try to hide.”
Mr. Peace expressed his appreciation to the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and the Japanese authorities for their assistance on this case.
“In stealing trade secrets from an American electric vehicle manufacturer to use in his own China-based company, Pflugbeil’s actions stood to benefit the PRC in a critical industry with national security implications,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen. “The Justice Department will mobilize every available resource to prevent our adversaries from advancing their global ambitions at the expense of U.S. national security.”
“Klaus Pflugbeil attempted to benefit a foreign economy through an unauthorized monopoly fueled by technology stolen from the United States. His actions blatantly violated the trust of his employer and the integrity of our country’s innovative technology. May today’s sentencing reiterate the FBI’s commitment to disrupting any conspiracy which threatens our national security and the balance of the global economic market,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Dennehy.
Victim Company-1 is a U.S.-based leading manufacturer of battery-powered electric vehicles and battery energy systems. In 2019, Victim Company-1 acquired a Canada-based manufacturer of automated, precision dispensing pumps and battery assembly lines (the “Canadian Manufacturer”). Prior to its purchase by Victim Company-1, the Canadian Manufacturer sold battery assembly lines to customers who manufactured alkaline and lithium‑ion batteries for consumer use. The battery assembly lines contained or utilized a proprietary technology now owned by Victim Company-1: continuous motion battery assembly (the “Battery Assembly Trade Secret”). The proprietary technology provided a substantial competitive advantage to Victim Company-1 in the lithium-ion battery manufacturing process.
Both Pflugbeil and his co-defendant Shao are former employees of the Canadian Manufacturer, and Shao also worked for Victim Company-1. As detailed in court documents, by no later than 2019, Pflugbeil and Shao planned to use Victim Company-1’s trade secrets for their own business activities. Pflugbeil told Shao that he had “a lot of original documents” related to the technology and sought out more “original drawings” of the trade secrets. Shao confirmed, among other things, that, “we have all of original assembly drawings by PDF.”
The conspirators took measures to obfuscate that they had stolen trade secrets. For example, Pflugbeil wrote to Shao about a document he created based on one that Shao had stolen from Victim Company-1, “[its] in a different format, so it looks very original and not like a copy.”
In or about July 2020, Pflugbeil joined Business-1, a company previously established by Shao, which has since expanded to locations in China, Canada, Germany and Brazil. Business‑1 makes the same precision dispensing pumps and battery assembly lines that the Canadian Manufacturer developed. The battery assembly technology is related to the development of electric vehicles that can compete with U.S.-made vehicles. The potential for Chinese automakers to swamp the U.S. and global market with vehicles like those that can be built using this stolen technology presents a potential national security risk.
Business-1 was marketed by Pflugbeil as an alternative source for the sale of products that relied upon Victim Company-1’s trade secrets, publishing online advertisements on Google, YouTube and LinkedIn. Pflugbeil repeatedly sent LinkedIn messages that named Victim Company-1 and said Business-1 was not infringing on any intellectual property:
Hello [name], I hope to get some of your busy time. As I like to introduce our company to you. We already have supplied companies such [a]s [list of U.S. Fortune 500 Companies by name] . . . We engineer and manufacture all of our products in-house, and we warrant that none of our products infringe any patents, copyrights, or other intellectual property rights of any third party.
(Emphasis added.) The above reflects a blatant lie, told over and over—that Business-1’s products did not infringe on intellectual property rights of a third party. Pflugbeil also advertised products based on stolen trade secrets on Google. These ads were shown tens of thousands of times per week.
On or about September 11, 2023, undercover agents attended a trade show for the packaging and processing industries (the “Trade Show”) in Las Vegas, Nevada. The undercover agents posed as businesspeople who were interested in purchasing a battery assembly line from Business-1 to manufacture batteries at a facility in Long Island, New York. The undercover agents were introduced to Shao at the trade show and later to Pflugbeil via email.
Subsequently, on or about November 17, 2023, Pflugbeil sent, via email, a detailed 66-page technical documentation proposal (the “Proposal”) to an undercover agent (UC-1). The Proposal noted, “this technical documentation package contains [Business-1] proprietary information which must be kept confidential.” In reality, the Proposal contained Battery Assembly Trade Secret information belonging to Victim Company-1: at least half a dozen drawings Pflugbeil used in the Proposal and sent to UC-1 were, in fact, Victim Company-1’s information related to the Battery Assembly Trade Secret. The business proposal quoted the battery assembly line at costing over $15 million to purchase.
The investigation and prosecution were coordinated through the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section and the Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Ellen H. Sise and Samantha Alessi are in charge of the prosecution, along with Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Rebecca Roth.
The Defendant
KLAUS PFLUGBEIL
AGE: 59
NINGBO, CHINAE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-238
Resident of China Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Send Leading Electric Vehicle Company’s Trade SecretsRead the Press Release
Klaus Pflugbeil, 59, of Ningbo, China, was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for conspiring to send trade secrets that belong to a leading U.S.-based electric vehicle company (Victim Company-1). Pflugbeil, a resident of the People’s Republic of China (the PRC or China) and a Canadian and German national, and his co-defendant, Yilong Shao, who remains at large, are owners of a PRC-based business (Business-1) that sold technology used to make batteries, including batteries used in electric vehicles. Pflugbeil and Shao, former employees of a company that was purchased by Victim Company-1, took trade secrets from their employer, and later used the trade secrets to build a business that they marketed as a replacement for Victim Company-1’s products.
“In stealing trade secrets from an American electric vehicle manufacturer to use in his own China-based company, Pflugbeil’s actions stood to benefit the PRC in a critical industry with national security implications,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen. “The Justice Department will mobilize every available resource to prevent our adversaries from advancing their global ambitions at the expense of U.S. national security.”
“The defendant built a business in China to sell sensitive technology that belongs to a U.S. company. His actions were bold — he even advertised that he was selling the victim’s products — because he thought, incorrectly, that he was outside the reach of U.S. prosecutors,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “Today’s sentencing sends a clear message to would-be offenders: my Office will do everything it can to protect American innovation and national security no matter where you try to hide.”
Victim Company-1 is a U.S.-based leading manufacturer of battery-powered electric vehicles and battery energy systems. In 2019, Victim Company-1 acquired a Canada-based manufacturer of automated, precision dispensing pumps and battery assembly. Prior to its purchase by Victim Company-1, the Canadian manufacturer sold battery assembly lines to customers who manufactured alkaline and lithium‑ion batteries for consumer use. The battery assembly lines contained or utilized a proprietary technology now owned by Victim Company-1: continuous motion battery assembly. The proprietary technology provided a substantial competitive advantage to Victim Company-1 in the lithium-ion battery manufacturing process.
Both Pflugbeil and his co-defendant Shao are former employees of the Canadian manufacturer, and Shao also worked for Victim Company-1. As detailed in court documents, by no later than 2019, Pflugbeil and Shao planned to use Victim Company-1’s trade secrets for their own business activities. Pflugbeil told Shao that he had “a lot of original documents” related to the technology and sought out more “original drawings” of the trade secrets. Shao confirmed, among other things, that, “we have all of original assembly drawings by PDF.”
The conspirators took measures to obfuscate that they had stolen trade secrets. For example, Pflugbeil wrote to Shao about a document he created based on one that Shao had stolen from Victim Company-1, “[its] in a different format, so it looks very original and not like a copy.”
In or about July 2020, Pflugbeil joined Business-1, a company previously established by Shao, which has since expanded to locations in China, Canada, Germany, and Brazil. Business‑1 makes the same precision dispensing pumps and battery assembly lines that the Canadian manufacturer developed. The battery assembly technology is related to the development of electric vehicles that can compete with U.S.-made vehicles. The potential for Chinese automakers to swamp the U.S. and global market with vehicles like those that can be built using this stolen technology presents a potential national security risk.
Business-1 was marketed by Pflugbeil as an alternative source for the sale of products that relied upon Victim Company-1’s trade secrets, publishing online advertisements on Google, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Pflugbeil repeatedly sent LinkedIn messages that named Victim Company-1 and said Business-1 was not infringing on any intellectual property:
Hello [name], I hope to get some of your busy time. As I like to introduce our company to you. We already have supplied companies such [a]s [list of U.S. Fortune 500 Companies by name] . . . We engineer and manufacture all of our products in-house, and we warrant that none of our products infringe any patents, copyrights, or other intellectual property rights of any third party.
The above reflects a blatant lie, told over and over—that Business-1’s products did not infringe on intellectual property rights of a third party. Pflugbeil also advertised products based on stolen trade secrets on Google. These ads were shown tens of thousands of times per week.
On or about September 11, 2023, undercover agents attended a trade show for the packaging and processing industries in Las Vegas, Nevada. The undercover agents posed as businesspeople who were interested in purchasing a battery assembly line from Business-1 to manufacture batteries at a facility in Long Island, New York. The undercover agents were introduced to Shao at the trade show and later to Pflugbeil via email.
Subsequently, on or about November 17, 2023, Pflugbeil sent, via email, a detailed 66-page technical documentation proposal to an undercover agent (UC-1). The proposal notes, “this technical documentation package contains [Business-1] proprietary information which must be kept confidential.” In reality, the proposal contained battery assembly trade secret information belonging to Victim Company-1: at least half a dozen drawings Pflugbeil used in the proposal and sent to UC-1 were, in fact, Victim Company-1’s information related to the battery assembly trade secret. The business proposal quoted the battery assembly line at over $15 million.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ellen H. Sise and Samantha Alessi for the Eastern District of New York and Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case.
The investigation and prosecution were coordinated through the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states.
Rensselaer Man Arrested and Charged with Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Mark Tremblay, age 34, of Rensselaer, New York, was arrested today and charged with the sexual exploitation of a child. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo Field Office, made the announcement.
According to a criminal complaint, on or about November 13, 2024, Tremblay used a child, born in 2023, to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of creating child pornography. Tremblay then distributed the produced images to another person with whom he was corresponding over the Internet. The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Tremblay made an initial appearance today before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel and was ordered detained. He faces at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a supervised release term of at least 5 years and up to life. Tremblay may also be ordered to pay restitution to the victim of his offense and forfeit the device used in the offense. 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. Tremblay would also have to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
HSI is investigating this case with assistance from the New York State Police (NYSP) and the NYSP Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Allen J. Vickey is prosecuting this case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Raytown Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Raytown, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to using a minor victim to produce child pornography.
Cecil L. Pulluaim, 54, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to two counts of producing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography.
By pleading guilty today, Pulluaim admitted that he used a minor victim to produce videos of child pornography on two occasions in April 2023. Pulluaim also admitted that he was in possession of additional child pornography on June 16, 2023. Pulluaim admitted that he used his cell phone to produce the child pornography.
On June 16, 2023, Raytown police officers searched Pulluaim’s residence and seized his iPhone. A forensic analysis of the phone found five sexually explicit videos of the child victim, taken on two different days. In addition to these five videos of child pornography, which Pulluaim specifically pleaded guilty to producing, investigators found a dozen additional videos and photos of child pornography that Pulluaim admitted he also produced of the child victim.
Under federal statutes, Pulluaim is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 70 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Luna. It was investigated by the Raytown, Mo., Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Rantoul Man Convicted of Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
Urbana, Ill. – A federal jury returned a guilty verdict on December 11, 2024, against Troy Burke, 40, of Rantoul, Illinois, for bank robbery. Sentencing for Burke has been scheduled for May 2, 2025, at 2:30 p.m. at the U.S. Courthouse in Urbana, Illinois
During the two-day trial, the government presented evidence that on June 20, 2024, Burke walked into the Community Plus Federal Credit Union in Rantoul, Illinois indicating to the teller that he had a gun. He proceeded to remove the plastic partition separating the teller from the customer and threatened to hit her with it. Burke left the bank with more than $9,000 in cash and a GPS device the teller had secured in the stack of currency. Burke was stopped by Rantoul police a few blocks from the Credit Union and was found to be in possession of more than $9,000 cash and the GPS device from the bank.
Burke was arrested on June 20, 2024, and remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Statutory penalties for bank robbery are up to twenty years imprisonment, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.The case investigation was conducted by the Rantoul Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office. Timothy Sullivan and Bryan Freres represented the government at trial.
Rancho Cucamonga Man Sentenced to More Than 3 Years in Prison for Operating ‘Birth Tourism’ Scheme for Affluent Chinese ClientsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Bernardino County man was sentenced today to 41 months in federal prison for operating a “birth tourism” scheme that charged Chinese clients tens of thousands of dollars to help them give birth in the United States to obtain birthright U.S. citizenship for their children.
Michael Wei Yueh Liu (刘维岳), 59, of Rancho Cucamonga, was sentenced by United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner.
At the conclusion of a four-day trial, a jury on September 13 found Liu and Jing Dong, (董晶), 47, of Rancho Cucamonga, guilty of one count of conspiracy and 10 counts of international money laundering. Dong is expected to be sentenced in the coming weeks.
From at least January 2012 to March 2015, Liu and Dong ran a maternity house in Rancho Cucamonga. Liu and Dong rented apartments in Southern California to provide short-term housing and provided other services to pregnant women from China who traveled to the United States to give birth so their children would acquire U.S. citizenship. Typically, within one or two months after giving birth, the women returned to China.
Among the services Liu and Dong provided were assistance on how to obtain visas to enter the United States, customs entry guidance, housing, and transportation in the United States, as well as assistance applying for U.S. legal documents for the children of their customers.
Liu and Dong advised their customers on how to hide their pregnancies from the immigration authorities. Liu and Dong also knew – or deliberately avoided learning – that their customers lied on their visa applications submitted to immigration authorities to enter the U.S.
Generally, their customers’ visa applications falsely stated that the purpose of the trip to the United States was for tourism, when it was to give birth, and the length of the stay was days or weeks, when it was in fact months. The visas also misstated the location where the customers intended to stay, which was defendants’ maternity hotel.
Liu and Dong or their agents also advised their customers to fly to ports of entry with perceived less customs scrutiny, such as Hawaii, before flying to Los Angeles, to wear loose fitting clothing, to favor certain lines at customs that they perceived to be less strict, and on how to answer the customs officials’ questions.
Liu and Dong received money from overseas and used that money to promote their scheme.
Homeland Security Investigations, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the FBI investigated this matter. The Irvine Police Department and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department provided substantial assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Gregory W. Staples and Kevin Y. Fu of the Orange County Office prosecuted this case.
Prominent Leader of Black Axe Extradited to United States for Conspiring to Engage in Internet Scams and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A leader of the Cape Town Zone of the Neo Black Movement of Africa, also known as “Black Axe,” who was extradited from South Africa to the United States on wire fraud and money laundering charges, had his initial appearance today in Trenton federal court, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Enorense Izevbigie, aka “Richy Izevbigie,” aka “Lord Samuel S Nujoma,” 49, originally from Nigeria, is charged in a superseding indictment with two counts of wire fraud, wire fraud conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy, spanning from 2011 to 2021. He had his initial appearance today, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni in Trenton federal court and was detained pending trial.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Izevbigie was a leader of the Neo Black Movement of Africa, also known as “Black Axe,” an organization headquartered in Benin City, Nigeria that operates in various countries. Black Axe is organized into regional chapters known as “zones,” and Izevbigie was a leader within the Cape Town, South Africa, Zone.
From at least 2011 through 2021, Izevbigie and other conspirators worked together from Cape Town to engage in widespread internet fraud involving romance scams and advance fee schemes. Many of these fraudulent narratives involved claims that an individual was traveling to South Africa for work and needed money or other items of value following a series of unfortunate and unforeseen events, often involving a construction site or problems with a crane. The conspirators used social media websites, online dating websites, and voice over internet protocol phone numbers to find and talk with victims in the United States, while using a number of aliases.
The conspirators’ romance scam victims believed they were in romantic relationships with the person using the alias and, when requested, the victims sent money and items of value overseas, including to South Africa. Sometimes, when victims expressed hesitation in sending money, the conspirators used manipulative tactics to coerce the payments, including by threatening to distribute personally sensitive photographs of the victim.
The conspirators used the bank accounts of victims and individuals with United States-based financial accounts to transfer the money to South Africa. On certain occasions, the conspirators convinced victims to open financial accounts in the United States that the conspirators would then be permitted to use themselves. In addition to laundering money derived from romance scams and advance fee schemes, the conspirators also worked to launder money from business email compromises. In addition to their aliases, the conspirators used business entities to conceal and disguise the illegal nature of the funds.
The wire fraud conspiracy and wire fraud charges each carry a maximum term of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. The money laundering conspiracy charge carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction, whichever is greatest.
Izevbigie, along with six named co-defendants, were arrested in South Africa in 2021. The six named co-defendants are awaiting extradition to the United States.
Anyone who believes they may be a victim may visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/blackaxe for information about the case, including a questionnaire for victims to fill out and submit.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado in Newark; and the FBI Legal Attaché Office at the United States Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, under the direction of Legal Attaché John Connell; special agents of the U.S. Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron Hatley in Newark, Resident Agent in Charge Todd Bratz in the Pretoria Resident Office, and Special Agent in Charge William Mancino of the Criminal Investigative Division, with the investigation leading to the charges.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger also thanked officials in South Africa for their assistance including the South African Directorate of Priority Crime Investigations (HAWKS), the South African Police Service, the South African National Prosecuting Authority & Asset Forfeiture Unit, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development for the Republic of South Africa, and INTERPOL for their assistance in this case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Izevbigie to the United States.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Priority Transnational Organized Crime (PTOC) investigation. 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.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard G. Shephard of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
The charges and allegations contained in the superseding indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
osagiede.indictment.pdfPreviously Convicted Man Pleads Guilty to 2022 Murder of Woman in Broad DaylightRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Johnwann Elliott, 31, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to charges of second-degree murder while armed and attempted assault with a dangerous weapon for the 2022 murder of Nikia Young, 37, in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The guilty plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed upon 21-year prison sentence, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The Honorable Maribeth Raffinan of the D.C. Superior Court scheduled sentencing for March 14, 2025.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 11:59 a.m., on March 15, 2022, the defendant exited a Metro bus at Minnesota Avenue and White Place Southeast and walked southwest toward the intersection of Minnesota Avenue and 23rd Street Southeast. At the same time, Nikia Young and another individual were walking northeast on Minnesota Avenue toward the same intersection. As Ms. Young and the other person crossed 23rd Street, the defendant walked up to them in the crosswalk and, in broad daylight, used a 380-caliber handgun to shoot Ms. Young from a close distance. The defendant fired seven times and struck Ms. Young five times—once in her face, three times in the chest, and once in the right hip. The defendant then fled the scene on foot, running and catching the same Metro bus that he had exited approximately two minutes earlier.
The defendant was arrested on May 19, 2022, inside of a hotel in Northeast Washington, D.C. and has been in custody ever since. At the time the defendant committed these offenses, he was on release pending trial in D.C. Superior Court for the unauthorized use of a vehicle and was on supervised release after serving a prison sentence for a robbery conviction in the same court.
This case was investigated by the Homicide Branch of the Metropolitan Police Department. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Lindhorst investigated and indicted the case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles R. Jones.
Pasadena Doctor Agrees to Plead Guilty to Conspiring with Attorney to Bilk More Than $3 Million from California’s Workers’ Compensation FundRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A physician who worked for an Inland Empire medical company has agreed to plead guilty to conspiring to defraud California’s workers’ compensation fund of millions of dollars by continuing to work on workers’ compensation matters after being suspended due to a prior health care fraud conviction, the Justice Department announced today.
Dr. Kevin Tien Do, 59, of Pasadena, agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and one count of subscribing to a false tax return. He is expected to make his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in Santa Ana.
In his plea agreement, Do admitted that, from October 2018 to February 2023, he conspired to defraud the state of California of millions of dollars of health care funds by defrauding California’s Subsequent Injuries Benefits Trust Fund (SIBTF). The California SIBTF is a special fund administered by California’s workers’ compensation program to provide additional compensation to injured workers who already had a disability or impairment at the time of a subsequent injury.
Beginning in 2016, Do began to work for Liberty Medical Group Inc., a Rancho Cucamonga-based medical company, for which he would draft SIBTF-related medical reports that Liberty would then bill to the California SIBTF program. In October 2018, California suspended Do from participating in California’s workers’ compensation program, which included the SIBTF, because he had previously been convicted of federal health care fraud in 2003. Despite his suspension, Do continued to work for Liberty on SIBTF-related workers’ compensation matters.
Do continued to perform similar actions for Liberty that he had been doing before his October 2018 suspension, including compiling and editing reports related to the SIBTF program. To conceal that Do was unlawfully continuing to participate in the workers’ compensation SIBTF program after his suspension, Liberty’s owner came up with a plan. That plan was that Do would continue to author the SIBTF-related reports, which Liberty would then continue to mail to the California SIBTF for payment. Rather than listing Do’s name on the billing forms and the attached medical reports mailed to the California SIBTF, like they had had done before Do’s suspension, Liberty instead fraudulently listed other doctors’ names on the billing forms and attached medical reports, even though Do had drafted and compiled the reports. Do admitted that Liberty was paid more than $3 million by California SIBTF for such reports that Liberty mailed to the California SIBTF for payment after Do’s October 2018 suspension.
Do’s plea agreement also details that Liberty’s owner edited Do’s medical reports, even though that co-conspirator was not a doctor or other licensed medical professional.
Under California law, shareholders/owners of a medical corporation must be licensed in the practice of medicine or other related medical fields, such as a psychologist, registered nurse, or licensed physician assistant.
In his plea agreement, Do admitted that real owner of Liberty and Do’s co-conspirator was another person who was not a doctor or other medical professional, but rather, was a California attorney then employed as a prosecutor for the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, and who later became an Orange County Superior Court judge during the conspiracy. That true owner who was Do’s co-conspirator not only was a signatory on Liberty’s bank account, but also issued and signed Liberty’s checks to Do and others. The plea agreement specifies that much of the more than $3 million that the SIBTF paid Liberty during the years following Do’s suspension then flowed to another company controlled by Liberty’s owner and his wife, which totaled to more than $1.5 million.
Do also admitted that he failed to accurately report to the IRS all the money he had been paid by Liberty. Do admitted that on his 2021 tax return, he failed to report approximately $66,227 of the income that Liberty paid him.
Once Do enters his guilty plea, he will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the mail fraud count and up to three years in federal prison for the tax fraud count.
The FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the California Department of Insurance are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Charles E. Pell of the Orange County Office and Ryan J. Waters of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section are prosecuting the case.
Osage Beach Nurse Pleads Guilty to Illegally Obtaining Fentanyl from HospitalRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Osage Beach, Mo., nurse pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally obtaining fentanyl from a hospital for his own use.
Charles Welch Jr., 65, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to a federal information that charges him with one count of obtaining a controlled substance by misrepresentation.
Welch, a certified registered nurse anesthetist at Lake Ozark Anesthesia, primarily provided anesthesia services at Lake Regional Hospital in Osage Beach. Welch was responsible for preparing various medications for use in daily medical procedures.
By pleading guilty today, Welch admitted that he stole fentanyl from the automated dispensing cabinets located in the hospital’s operating rooms from approximately July 1 through Aug. 21, 2023. Welch specifically pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining a vial of fentanyl which was for use in a medical procedure, by scanning the fentanyl to generate a label that Welch affixed to a syringe he had previously filled with saline, thus concealing the true contents of the syringe and enabling Welch to divert the fentanyl for his personal use.
On Aug. 16, 2023, during a routine restock of an automated dispensing cabinet, a pharmacy technician discovered a vial of midazolam and a syringe filled with a liquid and a “hydromorphone” label affixed to the syringe in a drawer used to temporarily store medications for procedures. The pharmacy technician alerted the hospital’s director of pharmacy that the drugs had been left in the drawer.
The director of pharmacy reviewed footage from surveillance cameras and witnessed Welch remove a vial of fentanyl and place the vial in his pocket. Welch then placed a fentanyl label on a syringe that he had previously filled with saline. During the same transaction, surveillance footage also captured Welch remove a carpuject of hydromorphone, place it in his shirt pocket, and affix a “hydromorphone” label onto a syringe which Welch had previously filled with saline.
The director of pharmacy then reviewed all the hospital’s available security footage, which went back 14 days, and identified other transactions where Welch exhibited similar conduct.
Welch admitted he diverted either fentanyl or hydromorphone on an almost daily basis until he was confronted in August 2023. Welch admitted that after diverting the controlled substances, he would put the drugs in his backpack and self-administer the drugs when he got home.
In addition to fraudulently labeling syringes, Welch also admitted to pulling more of a controlled substance than what was needed for a procedure. In some instances where only one vial of fentanyl was needed for a procedure, Welch would pull two fentanyl vials. Welch would use one vial for the procedure and divert the second vial for his personal use.
Welch also admitted to fraudulently documenting that patients received a particular dosage of medication on patient charts when he was aware the patient did not receive that dose. Welch made false statements on patient charts so that the medication he pulled for a procedure would reconcile with what the patient received.
Under federal statutes, Welch is subject to a sentence of up to four years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley Cooper It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations.
Orleans Parish Woman Sentenced for Embezzling Money from Her EmployerRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that SHAVONDA CHAMBERS, age 44, of New Orleans, was sentenced on December 10, 2024 by U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan, for embezzling money from her employer.
According to court documents, SHAVONDA CHAMBERS was employed as a bookkeeper for a local business and was apprehended submitting false electronic payroll authorizations to an out-of-state payroll processing company. As a result of her false submissions, SHAVONDA CHAMBERS was able to steal and fraudulently divert more than $2.5 million dollars from her employer to financial accounts she controlled.
SHAVONDA CHAMBERS was sentenced to thirty-six (36) months of imprisonment, followed by three (3) years of supervised release. The defendant was also ordered to pay over 2.5 million dollars in restitution, and a mandatory special assessment fee of one hundred dollars.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Secret Service in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Richard R. Pickens, II of the Financial Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Norfolk man sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for trafficking guns and drugsRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Norfolk man was sentenced on Dec. 13 to 10 years and 11 months in prison for distribution of Para-fluorofentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, on Dec. 28, 2023, Tramaine Waldell Riddick, 42, sold 4.4 grams of heroin and an AK47 rifle with a 30-round magazine and ammunition at his residence in a controlled purchase conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Chesapeake Police Department (CPD).
In multiple subsequent controlled purchases in January and February, Riddick sold 57.35 grams of suspected heroin, six firearms, and ammunition. One of the firearms Riddick sold was stolen, and during one of the controlled purchases Riddick sold a machinegun conversion device. The substances Riddick sold tested positive for heroin, para-fluorofentanyl, fentanyl, and xylazine. Riddick is attributed with possessing with intent to distribute or distributing 79 grams of fentanyl and 179 grams of cocaine.
On April 9, 2024, law enforcement conducted a search of Riddick’s residence and recovered four additional firearms and ammunition.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Mark G. Solesky, Chief of Chesapeake Police; and Ramin Fatehi, Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham M. Stolle, an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney with the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Office prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-74.
New Mexico man sentenced to prison for stealing Montana Historical Society documents; letters by wife of Western artist Charlie “C.M.” RussellRead the Press Release
HELENA — A New Mexico man who admitted stealing 100-year-old items, including letters by the wife of Western artist Charlie “C.M.” Russell, from the Montana Historical Society and selling them on eBay for profit was sentenced today to six months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release, and fined $4,000, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Brian Anthony D’Ambrosio, 50, of Sante Fe, New Mexico, pleaded guilty in July to theft of major artwork.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court also ordered $22,508 restitution. The court allowed D’Ambrosio to self-report to prison.
“D’Ambrosio’s actions were intentional and calculated—designed to steal Montana’s cultural treasures so he could profit. The Montana Historical Society, and all Montanans, were victims of D’Ambrosio’s greed because these documents were deeply rooted in Montana history. Today, D’Ambrosio faced the consequences, and we hope this case serves as a deterrent to anyone considering similar criminal conduct,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.
The government in court documents said that D’Ambrosio’s actions targeted artifacts that would reap large profits, including a document tied to world-famous Western artist Charles M. Russell, and included a statement from the Montana Historical Society Staff about the scope of the damage D’Ambrosio caused:
“The items stolen by you (D’Ambrosio) from the collections belong to the people of Montana, not to you for your selfish, greedy purposes. Your actions forced us to implement stricter rules regarding access and use of historical documents, which impacts all future researchers…. The emotional and financial impacts will be felt for generations.”
The government alleged in court documents that D’Ambrosio, while claiming to conduct research at the Montana Historical Society, a museum located in Helena, stole items from the archives from about April 2022 to September 2023. The stolen items included letters written by Nancy Russell, the wife of renowned Western artist Charlie “C.M.” Russell. The stolen items were more than 100 years old, were of cultural heritage and exceeded $5,000 in value. D’Ambrosio then sold and attempted to sell the stolen items for profit on eBay. An undercover FBI agent posed as a would-be purchaser to confirm D’Ambrosio was the individual stealing the items from the Montana Historical Society and selling or attempting to sell the items on eBay for a profit, none of which was authorized.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI Art Crime Team and Helena Police Department conducted the investigation.
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New Jersey Man Admits to Wire Fraud Involving West Virginia PropertyRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Chukwuemeka Okorocha, age 34, of Jersey City, New Jersey, has admitted to wire fraud.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Okorocha, also known as “Mecca,” was involved in a scheme concerning a real estate transaction in Hampshire County. As part of the scheme, Okorocha coordinated with a third party to impersonate a realtor to send an email to the closing agent with a payoff statement directing payment to an account controlled by Okorocha. Based on this fraudulent email, the closing agent transferred $332,904.37 to the account. Before the fraud was detected, Okorocha and another person spent $29,440.58 of the funds.
As a part of the plea agreement, Okorocha agreed to pay $29,440.58 in restitution.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod Douglas is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Nebraska and Iowa Men Sentenced for Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – Two Nebraska men and two Iowa men were sentenced for conspiracy to provide false statements during the purchase of firearms.
According to public court documents, in late October 2022 through May 2023, Alfredo Rios, Jr., 28, a Nebraska resident, Christian Javier Rios Magana, 23, a Nebraska resident, Martin Velazquez Trujillo, 49, an Iowa resident, and Victor Alfonso Magana-Ahumada, 38, an Iowa resident, conspired to make false statements to federally licensed firearm dealers to fraudulently obtain firearms. As part of the conspiracy, the firearms purchasers falsely stated they were the actual transferee or buyer of the firearm. The fraudulently acquired firearms were illegally shipped to Mexico.
On Thursday, December 12, 2024, Magana-Ahumada was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison. After completing his term of imprisonment, Magana-Ahumada will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release.
On June 5, 2024, co-conspirators Alfredo Rios, Jr., Rios Magana, and Velazquez Trujillo each received five months’ terms of probation.
“The purchase of a firearm intended for someone else, is straw purchasing and it is illegal,” said Bernard G. Hansen, ATF Special Agent in Charge, Kansas City Field Division. “Doing so circumvents background checks and record keeping requirements that are intended to keep the public safe and impede access to firearms by prohibited and often violent criminals. Firearms trafficking is not a victimless crime; it is illegal and puts firearms in the hands of said prohibited and violent criminals. These investigations are a priority for ATF in our mission of reducing violent gun crime.”
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
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.
National Guard soldier appears in court on murder chargeRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: An Army National Guard soldier has been charged with murder after a weekend shooting in a Fort Eisenhower residence.
Natravien Landry, 25, of Abbeville, Louisiana, is charged via complaint with one count of murder, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Landry was in court Monday for an initial appearance hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brian K. Epps. A detention hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.
As described in court documents and testimony, Landry is an Army National Guard soldier assigned to the 1148th Transportation Company at Fort Eisenhower. He is alleged to have visited the residence in post housing at Fort Eisenhower early Saturday morning, Dec. 14, of a woman with whom Landry shares a child. Landry is accused of assaulting and shooting a man who was with the woman in her residence, and then leaving Fort Eisenhower. Landry was arrested about three hours later south of Atlanta on Interstate 85 during a traffic stop by the Meriwether County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office, and deputies recovered a 9 mm pistol during the stop.
The U.S. Marshals Service took Landry into custody and transported him to the Lincoln County Jail, where he awaits further court proceedings.
Criminal complaints contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being investigated by the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Henry W. Syms Jr., Patricia G. Rhodes and Kelsey L. Scanlon, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Capt. Jacqueline M. Stryker.
Nahant Woman and Winthrop Man Sentenced for Fraud and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Nahant woman and Winthrop man were sentenced in federal court in Boston for conspiring to commit wire fraud and tax evasion.
Gary P. DeCicco, 65, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 15 months in prison, which he has already served, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Pamela M. Avedisian, 61, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to one year of supervised release, with the first four months to be served in home confinement. DeCicco and Avedisian were ordered to pay $425,754 in restitution and to forfeit $650,000. In June 2024, DeCicco and Avedisian pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. DeCicco and Avedisian were indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2018.
Between April 2012 and February 2013, DeCicco repeatedly told the IRS that he did not have the ability to pay his over $340,000 tax liability and that he had very little cash, no vehicles or real property and no ownership interest in any asset with a positive value. However, DeCicco had ownership interests in several businesses, vehicles and real properties titled in his name and the names of Avedisian and others, in order to conceal those assets from the IRS during that time period. In addition, beginning in March 2013, after the IRS accepted DeCicco’s proposed monthly payment plan (based on the false information DeCicco provided about his assets and income) and instead of making the agreed-upon monthly payments, DeCicco bought and sold numerous real properties, boats and high-end cars and concealed those assets and his income from the IRS, often with Avedisian’s assistance.
In addition, Avedisian owned a property in Nahant that was subject to a mortgage in excess of $1 million. In October 2015, DeCicco and Avedisian conspired to defraud the mortgage holder by proposing the sale of the property for significantly less than the outstanding mortgage, in what is commonly referred to as a “short sale.” By their very nature, short sales are intended to be arms-length transactions in which the buyers and sellers are unrelated and act independently, allowing sellers to cede their ownership of the property in exchange for the short-selling bank’s agreement to release them from their unpaid mortgage debt. In order to get approval for the sale, DeCicco and Avedisian concealed their long-term romantic and business relationship from the loan servicing company and falsely represented that Avedisian could no longer make payments towards the mortgage on the property. In fact, just two months before the “short sale” closed, Avedisian purportedly received $3.5 million from the sale of another asset to DeCicco.
United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Jonathan Wlodyka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristina E. Barclay and Neil J. Gallagher, Jr. of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case.
Muskogee Resident Sentenced for Attempted RobberyRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jacob Matthew Staton, age 29, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 105 months in prison for one count of Attempted Robbery in Indian Country.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Muskogee Police Department.
On July 11, 2024, Staton pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on January 4, 2020, Staton attempted to rob a shopper at gunpoint in a Muskogee parking lot. When Staton’s target refused, Staton pistol whipped the shopper, then fired off two rounds in the shopper’s direction as the shopper fled. 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, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Staton will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Howanitz represented the United States.
Michigan Man Admits to Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Michael Robinson-Brown, 26, of Detroit, Michigan, admitted today to the distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Robinson-Brown was one of the leaders of a drug trafficking organization operating in Monongalia County. Robinson-Brown would supply the methamphetamine to others to sell.
Robinson-Brown faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda Wesley is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.