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Tuesday 10 December 2024
Washington Man Charged with Threatening Flight Attendants on an AirplaneRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Washington, DC, man was arrested for threatening flight attendants during an incident in which he had to be restrained by flight crew and passengers while aboard a flight to Newark Liberty International Airport, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Kedus Yacob Damtew, 38, of Washington, DC, was charged by complaint in Newark federal court with one count of interference with flight crew members and attendants by assault or intimidation. He appeared before Magistrate Judge Matthew J. Sharbaugh in Washington, DC federal court, and was released.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On June 12, 2024, shortly before landing on a flight from Houston, Texas, Damtew removed his shirt; pushed his bare chest into a flight attendant, pinning the flight attendant against the aircraft exit door; shouted epithets and threats of physical violence; and punched an aircraft oven. Damtew then followed the same flight attendant to the rear of the aircraft, where he continued to shout threats and epithets and threw a cup of water. Another flight attendant requested assistance over the airplane’s public address system, prompting several passengers to assist in securing Damtew in flex cuffs in the last row of the plane until the flight landed at Newark.
The charge of interfering with flight crew members and attendants carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
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 investigation leading to the charge. He also thanked the Port Authority Police Department, under the direction of Edward T. Cetnar, for its assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli Jacobs of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel: Elizabeth Mullin, Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Washington, DC
damtew.complaint_0.pdfWagoner County Resident Pleads Guilty to Distributing Child Sexual Exploitation MaterialRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Sovana Xiong, age 32, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Distribution of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor.
The Indictment alleged that beginning on October 15, 2023, and continuing until April 11, 2024, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, Xiong knowingly distributed visual depictions on the internet of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Tulsa Police Department — Special Investigations Division.
The Honorable Edward C. Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Xiong will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Dak Cohen represented the United States.
United States Postal Employee Pleads Guilty to Stealing MailRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jesse L. Anderson (43, St. Petersburg) has pleaded guilty to theft by a postal employee. Anderson faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, in May 2023, the United States Postal Service (USPS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) received a complaint regarding stolen mail, which included a credit card and Social Security card. In October 2023, USPS-OIG received another complaint from the same individual regarding a second credit card missing from the mail. Through investigation, it was determined that Anderson used the individual’s credit card after stealing it on his assigned postal route.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Erin Claire Favorit and Abigail K. King.
Two Men Sentenced for Trafficking Fentanyl in PocatelloRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Andrew George Haney, 41, of Torrance, California, and Anthony Michael Stratton, 35, of Pocatello, were sentenced to federal prison for conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today.
According to court records, in May 2023, Stratton provided Haney with the money to transport 2,000 fentanyl pills from California to Idaho. Haney obtained the multicolored pills and concealed them in candy boxes. The Pocatello Police Department, a member of the BADGES Task Force, initiated a traffic stop on a car Stratton and Haney were traveling in and located the pills, which were later determined to contain fentanyl.
Haney was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye on April 23, 2024, to 70 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Stratton was sentenced by Judge Nye to 44 months in federal prison on December 5, 2024. Stratton’s sentence will be served concurrent to a 5-year fixed sentence (plus 10 years indeterminate) from a Bannock County fentanyl distribution case. Once released from his state sentence, Stratton will serve a 3-year term of federal supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the investigation by the Pocatello Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with further assistance from the Idaho State Police and the Bannock County Sheriff’s Office, which led to the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Blythe H. McLane, a former Special Assistant United States Attorney, prosecuted the case as part of the Eastern Idaho Partnership.
The BADGES Task Force is a collaboration of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies that focuses primarily on drug trafficking crimes in Bannock County and throughout the region.
This case was handled by the U.S. Attorney Office’s specially deputized Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA), funded by the Eastern Idaho Partnership (EIP) and the State of Idaho. The EIP is a coalition of local city and county officials in Eastern Idaho as well as the Idaho Department of Correction.
The EIP SAUSA program allows law enforcement to use the federal criminal justice system – through the EIP SAUSA – to prosecute, convict, and sentence violent, armed criminals and drug traffickers. These criminals often receive stiffer penalties than they might in state courts.
This program was created in January 2016. Since that time, approximately 175 defendants have been indicted by the EIP SAUSA. Of these defendants, 152 have been indicted on drug trafficking charges. The defendants indicted under the program have been sentenced to 10,769 months (approximately 897.42 years) in federal prison, representing an average prison sentence of 74.79 months (6.23 years). Defendants indicted for drug trafficking offenses serve, on average, approximately 61.59 months (5.13 years) in federal prison.
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Two Biotech CEOs Convicted in Securities Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal jury in Maryland convicted two men yesterday for their roles in a scheme to lie to investors in CytoDyn Inc., a publicly traded biotechnology company based in Vancouver, Washington.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Nader Pourhassan, 61, of Lake Oswego, Oregon, and Kazem Kazempour, 71, of Potomac, Maryland, engaged in a scheme to deceive investors about CytoDyn’s development of an investigational drug to artificially inflate and maintain the price of CytoDyn’s stock and to attract new investors. Between 2018 and 2021, CytoDyn sought approval for the drug from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat HIV and COVID-19. Pourhassan was the chief executive officer of CytoDyn, and Kazempour was the chief executive officer of Amarex Clinical Research LLC, a Germantown, Maryland-based contract research organization that had been hired to conduct Cytodyn’s clinical trials and was serving as the company’s representative with the FDA. Pourhassan and Kazempour diverted proceeds of the scheme for their own benefit, including by selling personal shares of CytoDyn stock at artificially inflated prices.
“The defendants lied to investors and the public — including during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic — about a drug that purportedly treated HIV and COVID-19 in order to artificially inflate CytoDyn’s stock price,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Justice Department is committed to protecting the investing public from criminals who would exploit public health crises for personal profit. These convictions confirm the department’s commitment, together with our law enforcement partners, to hold corrupt C-suite executives who abuse their positions and engage in securities fraud accountable for their actions.”
“With false promises of FDA approval, the defendants enriched themselves by the millions while investors lost,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland. “White collar criminals cause irreparable harm to the public, and we will continue to bring them to justice without fear or favor.”
Pourhassan and Kazempour made false and misleading statements about the timeline and status of CytoDyn’s regulatory submissions to the FDA. In spring 2020, the pair falsely stated that the drug had been submitted for approval to treat HIV, when they knew that the submitted application was incomplete and that the FDA would therefore refuse to review it. Immediately after the announcement, Pourhassan sold more than 4.8 million shares of Cytodyn. Around the same time, Pourhassan engaged in a scheme to misrepresent the status of CytoDyn’s investigation and development of leronlimab as a potential treatment for COVID-19, including the results of clinical trials and the likelihood of approval from the FDA. Pourhassan knew that leronlimab’s clinical studies had failed and that the FDA had not approved the drug for use as a treatment for COVID-19 and had expressed concerns that the submitted data was misleading. During the scheme, CytoDyn raised approximately $300 million from investors, of which more than $22 million was paid to Kazempour’s company. In addition, Pourhassan received $4.4 million and Kazempour received more than $340,000 from their sales of CytoDyn stock.
“These convictions highlight the serious consequences of defrauding investors and manipulating stock prices,” said Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “This case reinforces the FBI’s commitment to proving that no scheme, no matter how elaborate, is beyond the reach of the law. We will continue to pursue those who put personal profit above public trust.”
“These convictions demonstrate that those who make misleading statements about clinical trial results to the public — including to healthcare providers and patients — will be held accountable for their actions,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Iwanicki of the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI) Los Angeles Field Office. “The agency will continue to work with other agencies to bring to justice those who place profits above public health.”
“These defendants took advantage of two public health crises when they devised a scheme to swindle investors out of millions of dollars to pad their pockets by lying about the results of clinical trials and approvals from the FDA on an HIV and COVID-19 drug,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group. “Together, with our law enforcement partners, Postal Inspectors will continue the work of keeping financial systems and the investing public safe from fraudsters.”
Pourhassan was convicted of four counts of securities fraud, two counts of wire fraud, and three counts of insider trading. Kazempour was convicted of one count of securities fraud and one count of wire fraud related to his submission of the application for approval from the FDA and attempt to trade Cytodyn shares the following day. They are scheduled to be sentenced at a later date, and they face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of securities fraud, wire fraud, and insider trading. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI, FDA-OCI, and USPIS investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Lauren Archer and Matthew Reilly and Senior Litigation Counsel Vasanth Sridharan of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Adeyemi Adenrele for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case. Law Clerk Kerstin Abolnik and Paralegal Specialists Selam Wehabe and John Lee of the Fraud Section provided assistance.
Two Biotech CEOs Convicted in Securities Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal jury in Maryland convicted two men yesterday for their roles in a scheme to lie to investors in CytoDyn Inc., a publicly traded biotechnology company based in Vancouver, Washington.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Nader Pourhassan, 61, of Lake Oswego, Oregon, and Kazem Kazempour, 71, of Potomac, Maryland, engaged in a scheme to deceive investors about CytoDyn’s development of an investigational drug to artificially inflate and maintain the price of CytoDyn’s stock and to attract new investors. Between 2018 and 2021, CytoDyn sought approval for the drug from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat HIV and COVID-19. Pourhassan was the chief executive officer of CytoDyn, and Kazempour was the chief executive officer of Amarex Clinical Research LLC, a Germantown, Maryland-based contract research organization that had been hired to conduct Cytodyn’s clinical trials and was serving as the company’s representative with the FDA. Pourhassan and Kazempour diverted proceeds of the scheme for their own benefit, including by selling personal shares of CytoDyn stock at artificially inflated prices.
“With false promises of FDA approval, the defendants enriched themselves by the millions while investors lost,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland. “White collar criminals cause irreparable harm to the public, and we will continue to bring them to justice without fear or favor.”
“The defendants lied to investors and the public — including during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic — about a drug that purportedly treated HIV and COVID-19 in order to artificially inflate CytoDyn’s stock price,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Justice Department is committed to protecting the investing public from criminals who would exploit public health crises for personal profit. These convictions confirm the department’s commitment, together with our law enforcement partners, to hold corrupt C-suite executives who abuse their positions and engage in securities fraud accountable for their actions.”
Pourhassan and Kazempour made false and misleading statements about the timeline and status of CytoDyn’s regulatory submissions to the FDA. In spring 2020, the pair falsely stated that the drug had been submitted for approval to treat HIV, when they knew that the submitted application was incomplete and that the FDA would therefore refuse to review it. Immediately after the announcement, Pourhassan sold more than 4.8 million shares of Cytodyn. Around the same time, Pourhassan engaged in a scheme to misrepresent the status of CytoDyn’s investigation and development of leronlimab as a potential treatment for COVID-19, including the results of clinical trials and the likelihood of approval from the FDA. Pourhassan knew that leronlimab’s clinical studies had failed and that the FDA had not approved the drug for use as a treatment for COVID-19 and had expressed concerns that the submitted data was misleading. During the scheme, CytoDyn raised approximately $300 million from investors, of which more than $22 million was paid to Kazempour’s company. In addition, Pourhassan received $4.4 million and Kazempour received more than $340,000 from their sales of CytoDyn stock.
“These convictions highlight the serious consequences of defrauding investors and manipulating stock prices,” said FBI Criminal Investigative Division Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough. “This case reinforces the FBI’s commitment to proving that no scheme, no matter how elaborate, is beyond the reach of the law. We will continue to pursue those who put personal profit above public trust.”
“These convictions demonstrate that those who make misleading statements about clinical trial results to the public — including to healthcare providers and patients — will be held accountable for their actions,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Iwanicki of the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI) Los Angeles Field Office. “The agency will continue to work with other agencies to bring to justice those who place profits above public health.”
“These defendants took advantage of two public health crises when they devised a scheme to swindle investors out of millions of dollars to pad their pockets by lying about the results of clinical trials and approvals from the FDA on an HIV and COVID-19 drug,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group. “Together, with our law enforcement partners, Postal Inspectors will continue the work of keeping financial systems and the investing public safe from fraudsters.”
Pourhassan was convicted of four counts of securities fraud, two counts of wire fraud, and three counts of insider trading. Kazempour was convicted of one count of securities fraud and one count of wire fraud related to his submission of the application for approval from the FDA and attempt to trade Cytodyn shares the following day. They are scheduled to be sentenced at a later date, and they face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of securities fraud, wire fraud, and insider trading. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
FBI, FDA-OCI, and USPIS investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Lauren Archer and Matthew Reilly and Senior Litigation Counsel Vasanth Sridharan of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Adeyemi Adenrele for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case. Law Clerk Kerstin Abolnik and Paralegal Specialists Selam Wehabe and John Lee of the Fraud Section provided assistance.
Turtle Creek Resident Charged with Producing, Transporting, and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges related to the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
The three-count Indictment named Ja’re Glavney-Owens, 19, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, Glavney-Owens attempted to and did use, persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct in or around November of 2024. The Indictment further charges Glavney-Owens with transporting and attempting to transport child sexual abuse material and with possessing child sexual abuse material.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Kelly M. Locher is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
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.justice.gov/psc.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Topsham Man Serving State Sentence for Sexual Abuse of Children Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges After Discovery of Hidden Devices Containing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Topsham man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to four counts of sexually exploiting a child.
According to court records, in August 2022, a worker from a Brunswick landscaping company found two laptops and several hard drives hidden under a kayak on the company’s property. The employee opened the devices and discovered that they contained child sexual abuse material. They also recognized a former employee, Henry Eichman, 64, in some of the files. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) forensically examined the devices and recovered over 500 images and videos containing child sexual abuse material, including videos showing Eichman setting up a recording device and/or participating in the sexual abuse of four minor victims from 2014 to 2016. Eichman entered an Alford plea in state court in 2018 to the sexual abuse of children and is currently serving a 10-year sentence.
Eichman faces 15–30 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 the Topsham 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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Three Men Sentenced to Federal Prison in Connection with Violent Kidnapping in ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — Three men have been sentenced to federal prison terms for their roles in abducting a man in broad daylight and holding him for ransom in a Chicago auto body shop.
In 2015, ANTONIO SALGADO, OCTAVIO ALEJANDRE JR., and ARMANDO DELGADO planned to kidnap a man suspected of involvement in drug trafficking. The kidnapping plan went awry after the abductors realized they kidnapped the wrong man. The victim of the kidnapping was a relative of the intended target. After being taken at gunpoint outside of his suburban Chicago home, the victim was blindfolded, held at gunpoint, and beaten for nearly two days in the auto body shop in Chicago’s Avondale neighborhood. The kidnappers contacted another of the victim’s relatives and demanded drugs or cash.
Unbeknownst to the defendants, several of their phones had previously been intercepted by federal authorities who were conducting an unrelated investigation. In a recorded call between Salgado and Delgado on the day after the kidnapping, Delgado told Salgado, “There is a little situation. It’s the wrong guy because it’s his brother . . . that we’re trying to get.” Salgado replied, “Let the guy go, but beat the [expletive] out of him.” The victim was eventually released.
The three kidnappers pleaded guilty to a federal extortion charge. On Friday, U.S. District Judge Andrea R. Wood sentenced Salgado, 42, of Chicago, to ten and a half years in prison. On Dec. 3, 2024, Judge Wood sentenced Alejandre Jr., 41, of Chicago, to ten and a half years. On Nov. 26, 2024, Judge Wood sentenced Delgado, 44, of Chicago, to 14 years and seven months in prison.
During the prosecution of the kidnapping case, Salgado failed to appear for court proceedings and became a fugitive for nearly eight months, until he was located and arrested. Salgado was charged in a separate criminal case with contempt of court.
The sentences were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Sheila G. Lyons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Valuable assistance was provided by the Berwyn, Ill. Police Department and the Chicago Police Department.
“There is perhaps nothing more serious than grabbing a person off the street at gunpoint, using force and intimidation and beatings to detain them,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kartik K. Raman and Erika L. Csicsila argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “The kidnapping involved in this case was violent, involved guns and other implements, and resulted in the detention of a victim for over 24 hours.”
The Honorable William J. Baer to Receive Justice Department’s 2024 John Sherman AwardRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division will present the Honorable William J. Baer with the John Sherman Award for his lifetime contributions to the substantive development of antitrust law and the preservation of economic liberty. The John Sherman Award is the division’s highest honor.
Mr. Baer will deliver remarks and receive the award during a ceremony at 3:30 pm on Dec. 12 in the Great Hall of the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building. The ceremony will mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the John Sherman Award. The public is invited to watch the ceremony livestream at www.justice.gov/live.
“Few living Americans have contributed more meaningfully or substantially to the life and enforcement mission of our federal antitrust agencies than Bill Baer,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “His storied career was characterized by a deep sense of professionalism, sharp intellect and kindness that propelled Bill to reshape competition law enforcement to better serve the American people, and we are all the beneficiaries. Bill is a generational talent and visionary who could not be more deserving of the John Sherman Award.”
Mr. Baer is the only individual to have served as the top antitrust enforcer at both U.S. antitrust agencies — first as the Director of the Bureau of Competition at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) from 1995 to 1999 and later as the Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division from 2013 to 2016.
During his tenure as Assistant Attorney General, Mr. Baer promoted robust antitrust enforcement by successfully prosecuting civil and criminal violations of the antitrust laws, including by dusting off long-dormant theories of harm and investing in the division’s litigation prowess. Under his leadership, the division halted anticompetitive mergers in a variety of markets, including health insurance and beverages, and secured an unprecedented number of fines from companies engaging in illegal cartel activity. He also served as Acting Associate Attorney General, where he oversaw the work of the department’s civil litigating and grant-making components. In that role, he successfully led the effort to hold financial institutions accountable in the Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities crisis, securing record penalties and consumer redress.
Mr. Baer’s storied antitrust career began in 1975 as a Trial Attorney in the FTC’s Bureau of Competition. He later served as Attorney Advisor to the Chair and Assistant General Counsel for Legislation and Relations. After a successful stint in private practice, he returned to the FTC to serve as Director of the Bureau of Competition from 1995 and 1999. During this time, Mr. Baer led the Commission to an unprecedented string of litigation victories and set records for the number of mergers reviewed and challenged. The FTC honored Mr. Baer with the Miles W. Kirkpatrick Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015. When not in public service, he practiced at Arnold & Porter where for many years he headed the antitrust group. Mr. Baer is currently a visiting fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution.
Mr. Baer received his B.A. from Lawrence University, which would later award him its Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award, and his J.D. from Stanford Law School, where he served as senior article editor of the Stanford Law Review.
Created in 1994, the John Sherman Award is presented by the department's Antitrust Division to a person or persons for outstanding contributions to the field of antitrust law, the protection of American consumers and the preservation of economic liberty. It is named for Senator John Sherman of Ohio, the author of the Sherman Act of 1890, the nation’s first and foremost antitrust law. Sherman, a former congressman and senator, also served as Secretary of the Treasury from 1877 to 1881 and as Secretary of State from 1897 to 1898.
Previous recipients include Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg (2020), Judge Diane P. Wood (2015), James F. Rill (2012), Robert Pitofsky (2010), Herbert Hovenkamp (2008), Robert H. Bork (2005), Judge Richard A. Posner (2003), Milton Handler (1998), Thomas Kauper and William Baxter (1996), Phillip Areeda (1995) and Howard Metzenbaum (1994).
Straw purchaser sent to prison after purchasing 58 firearms for anotherRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 29-year-old Mexican resident has been sentenced for her role in straw purchasing firearms to export to Mexico, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Martha Padron pleaded guilty Sept. 11 to making false statements during a purchase of a firearm.
U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has now ordered Padron to serve 21 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Padron communicated with another to purchase firearms so that the firearms could be exported to Mexico. The court also learned Padron purchased 58 firearms from 2021 to 2023. On many occasions, she crossed from Mexico into the United States, purchased the firearm and returned to Mexico the same day.
On or about May 2, 2022, Padron falsely claimed on required forms to reside in the United States. However, the investigation revealed Padron lived in Mexico and often crossed into the United States to purchase firearms. Further investigation revealed the ongoing nature of Padron’s criminal activity
She will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Theodore Parran III and Cahal P. McColgan prosecuted the case.
Stockton Fentanyl Trafficker Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Travis Jordan Michael, 38, of Stockton, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller to 10 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, distribution of fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Michael distributed fentanyl for a Mexico-based drug trafficker who advertised drugs for sale on Snapchat. On April 16, 2021, Michael was stopped by an officer from the California Highway Patrol. After a narcotics-detection canine alerted to the presence of narcotics his Michael’s car, the CHP officer searched the car and found two pounds of methamphetamine and 4,000 fentanyl pills. During a later search of Michael’s residence in Stockton, officers found three pounds of methamphetamine and 9,000 more fentanyl pills.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Stanislaus Special Investigations Unit with assistance from the California Highway Patrol and the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Justin Lee prosecuted the case.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
St. Louis Carjacker Sentenced to 19 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Tuesday sentenced a man who carjacked and robbed two people in St. Louis to 19 years in prison.
Shortly after midnight on July 29, 2023, Bradley C. McKinney and an accomplice were both armed with handguns when they approached two people who had just gotten out of a 2015 Chevy Cruze near the intersection of 16th Street and Lucas Avenue. The robbers rummaged through the victims’ pockets and took the keys to the Cruze and other valuables. McKinney got into the Cruze with another accomplice and sped off, accompanied by some of McKinney’s associates in a white GMC Terrain.
After the victims called police, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department’s Real Time Crime Center (RTCC) determined both vehicles had crossed into Illinois. Investigators identified the GMC Terrain and put out a “wanted” for both vehicles. The Cruze was found abandoned later that morning in East St. Louis with the key still in the ignition.
The next day, the RTCC received a license plate recognition hit for the GMC Terrain, and officers used a spike strip to deflate several tires. McKinney was the driver and sole occupant. Officers spotted a black Glock handgun with an extended magazine and an auto-sear, or “switch,” installed, making it a machinegun. McKinney admitted owning the firearm, knowing that he was a convicted felon and prohibited from doing so.
McKinney, 36, of St. Louis County, pleaded guilty in August to carjacking, brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and possession of a machine gun.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the East St. Louis Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Zachary Bluestone prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Shelby County Man Sentenced for Theft of Government BenefitsRead the Press Release
FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Shelbyville man, Jeremy Wayne Harrell, 43, was sentenced on Monday to 6 months in prison, by U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove, for theft of government benefits.
According to evidence at his trial, Harrell intentionally stole money from the United States, namely U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Individual Unemployability (IU) disability payments that he was not entitled to receive.
Specifically, the evidence presented at trial indicated that Harrell was initially awarded IU benefits in 2011. In 2019, Harrell then founded Veterans Club, Inc., and he served as the Founder and CEO of the organization. The evidence showed that Harrell had a high level of work activity for Veterans Club, from 2019 through 2023. This included working 40-60 hours per week, actively running the organization, organizing events, managing over $400,000 in assets and approximately 6,000 volunteers, engaging in news media interviews, appearing on podcasts, appearing and speaking at community events, meeting with business and political leaders, teaching classes, accepting donations, among other work. This evidence confirmed that Harrell, as the active and successful Founder and CEO of Veterans Club, could maintain substantial gainful employment, rendering him ineligible to receive the IU benefits that he received from 2019 through 2023. Additionally, the evidence showed that Harrell made numerous false statements to the government about his daily life and work activities, depicting himself as withdrawn, without the ability to perform work, leading a highly restricted life, and rarely leaving his home; when in truth, he was an active and successful CEO of a vibrant organization. The evidence confirmed Harrell made these false representations to the government to depict himself as unemployable, conceal his active role as CEO of an organization, and attempt to continue to receive IU benefits. In total, Harrell wrongfully received more than $128,000 in IU benefits.
Upon his release from prison, Harrell will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for one year, six months of which will be spent on home detention.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and VA Inspector General Michael J. Missal, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney James T. Chapman is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
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Shaw man sentenced to prison for illegal firearm possession while selling drugsRead the Press Release
Aberdeen, MS – A Shaw man was sentenced today to more than seven years in prison for possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.
According to court documents, Javarrea Gilford, 31, had been observed selling drugs from a parked car outside of a convenience store in Shaw, Mississippi. When Gilford drove away, law enforcement initiated a traffic stop to investigate the suspected drug trafficking. Gilford fled from officers, wrecking his car in the process. When Gilford ran from the scene of the wreck, law enforcement observed him toss a 9mm pistol into the brush and the officers immediately recovered the gun. Investigating officers also found illegal narcotics in Gilford’s vehicle. Gilford is a previously convicted felon.
Gilford pled guilty in September 2024 to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. The latter charge carries a mandatory sentence of five years consecutive to any other sentence imposed. Gilford was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock to a total of 87 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Gilford was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals.
“The defendant is a previously convicted felon who has committed yet more crimes, and he has more than earned the sentence imposed by the Court,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to keep criminals off of our streets and firearms out of their hands.”
“This case demonstrates the commitment of law enforcement at every level to holding offenders accountable and ensuring the safety of our communities. The combined efforts of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, the Bolivar County Sheriff’s Office, and federal partners highlight the importance of collaboration in combating violent crime and drug trafficking in our state. We will continue to work tirelessly to protect the citizens of Mississippi and make our neighborhoods safer,” said Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell.
This case was investigated by the Bolivar County Sheriff’s Office and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics.
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.
Seattle Police Department awarded $1.5 million to enhance testing of rape kits to reduce backlog and pursue “cold cases”Read the Press Release
Seattle – The Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) has awarded the Seattle Police Department $1.5 million to support continued investigation and testing of evidence in sexual assault cases, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman.
“This critical support is designed to move cases forward and support crime survivors as they heal,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “These funds will support the use of strategies such as genetic genealogy to try to solve cold cases and hold offenders accountable.”
The grant supports the formation of multidisciplinary teams at SPD including prosecutors, victim advocates and service providers. SPD will institute a case management system for tracking and managing investigations and victim services. Advanced DNA testing methodologies and forensic genetic genealogy will be used to move cases forward, especially cold cases. The grant will also support victim-centered notifications and trauma-informed support services, ensuring survivors receive timely and sensitive updates.
St. Croix Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Coercing a Minor and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
St. Croix, VI - United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Juan Bermudez, 66, of St. Croix, pleaded guilty before Magistrate Judge Emile A. Henderson, III, to Coercion and Enticement and Possession of Child Pornography. On his conviction, Bermudez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life imprisonment. A federal judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
“This case is a painful reminder of the inherent dangers the children of our Territory face every day. We must all work together as a community to report individuals committing sexual abuse. The Department of Justice remains steadfast in its commitment to investigate and pursue justice for those who misuse their positions of trust to sexually abuse our children”, United States Attorney Smith said.
According to documents filed in court, on May 1, 2023, Bermudez engaged in sexual intercourse with a minor victim who was over the age of 13, but under the age of 18 years. Bermudez filmed the sexual act on his cell phone. A search warrant executed on Bermudez’s cell phone revealed multiple images of child sexual abuse material of the minor victim. Court documents further revealed text messages between Bermudez and the minor victim wherein the minor victim asked for help to complete a task and Bermudez responded by asking when he was going to get the “Cookie”. Bermudez further declared that if he assisted the minor victim with completing the task, he “want some Cookie” for two days. When the minor victim pleaded for help from Bermudez, he made the minor victim promise that she would give him her “Cookie.” Bermudez admitted that when he used the term “Cookie”, he was referring to the minor victim’s vagina.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Virgin Islands Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rhonda Williams-Henry and Everard Potter. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc. Homeland Security Investigations encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (800) 981-3030 or by calling (787) 729-6969.
Rockaway Beach Sex Offender Indicted for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Rockaway Beach, Mo., man who is a registered sex offender was indicted by a federal grand jury today for receiving child pornography.
Roy Dean Faux, 51, was charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo. Faux has two prior state felony convictions for attempting to entice a child under the age of 15. Due to his prior convictions, Faux is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole if convicted.
Today’s indictment alleges that Faux received child pornography from July 1, 2023, to May 7, 2024. The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require Faux to forfeit to the government two cell phones and a computer tablet, which were used to commit the offense.
The charge contained in this indictment is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, and the Taney County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office.
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."
Rioter Federally Charged with Damaging U.S. Government Property at Union StationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michael Snow Jr., 24, of Durham, North Carolina, was arrested this morning in connection with a federal criminal complaint charging him with destruction of federal property. The complaint alleges that, on July 24, 2024, Snow destroyed an American flag by setting it on fire as a crowd surrounded him chanting “Burn that sh--.”. Moments before, two other individuals took down the flag, which was flying on one of the flagpoles at Columbus Circle in front of Union Station in Washington, D.C.
The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani of the FBI Washington Field Office Counterterrorism Division, and Chief Jessica M. E. Taylor of the U.S. Park Police (USPP).
Snow will make his initial appearance this afternoon in U.S. District Court in the Middle District of North Carolina. He is charged federally with willfully injuring or depredating any property of the United States.
“Stealing a federal flag and burning it is not speech, it’s destruction of federal property,” said US Attorney Graves. “Hundreds of thousands of people engage in lawful First Amendment protest activity every year in the District of Columbia without incident. The relatively few who chose to cross the line from protest to violence and destruction will be held accountable for the crimes they commit.”
“The FBI does not conduct investigations based solely on First Amendment activities,” said SAC Virmani, “but the FBI will not tolerate those who commit destruction of federal property in the guise of First Amendment activity. That includes taking and burning a federal flag from a federal flagpole as Snow allegedly did.”
According to court documents, on July 24, 2024, an organization was granted a permit to demonstrate in the area of Columbus Circle, located at Massachusetts Ave. NE, and E St. NE, directly in front of Union Station. From about 3 p.m. until 5 p.m., demonstrators gathered in Columbus Circle pulled down flags affixed to the flagpoles; burned flags and objects; sprayed graffiti on multiple statutes and structures; and interfered with law enforcement’s ability to place individuals under arrest.
The flags pulled down from the flag poles, and the statutes and structures in Columbus Circle, are all property of the federal government. The National Park Service estimated the total cost to clean up and repair the site at $11,282.23.
Screen shot from a closed-circuit camera shows Snow (circled in yellow) as he grabbed the fallen American flag from the halyard.
A review of open-source and U.S. Capitol Police surveillance footage show that two individuals lowered an American flag affixed to the eastern flagpole in Columbus Circle. After it was lowered, the flag fell to the ground still attached to its halyard. An individual man later identified as Snow grabbed the flag and carried it into the crowd of protesters.
After throwing the flag onto the ground, the man produced a lighter and held it up to the flag in an apparent effort to light the flag on fire. The man was initially unsuccessful and yelled to the crowd: “I need a better lighter!” Individuals in the crowd surrounding the man chanted “Burn that sh--!” Another open-source video captured images of the man as he attempted to torch the flag.
After the failed attempt to light the flag, someone in the crowd handed Snow a bottle of charcoal lighter fluid. Snow doused the flag with the fluid, then, along with an unidentified individual from the crowd, used lighters to set the flag ablaze.
On July 25, 2024, a user on the social media platform “X” (formerly Twitter), posted pictures in an apparent effort to identify the man who torched the flag. As a result, law enforcement located a driver’s license photograph of Michael Snow, Jr., who resides in North Carolina. Snow’s identity was further confirmed when law enforcement interviewed individuals who personally know Snow, who identified him in a photo from July 24, 2024.
Screenshot from open-source video shows Snow (circled in yellow) and another individual (circled in blue) lighting the flag on fire.
Screenshot from open-source footage depicts Snow (circled in yellow) on the flag
pedestal while the other individual (circled in blue) parades around the
burning American flag.
The case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and the USPP’s Intelligence and Counterterrorism Unit, with assistance from the FBI Charlotte Field Office, Raleigh Resident Agency. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Martin.
A criminal indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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24mj287Richmond County woman sentenced to federal prison for defrauding pandemic relief programRead the Press Release
AUGUSA, GA: A Richmond County woman has been sentenced to federal prison and ordered to pay restitution for defrauding a COVID-19 small business relief program.
Kameka Bausley, 43, of Augusta, was sentenced to 32 months in prison after pleading guilty to Wire Fraud, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen also ordered Bausley to pay $71,933 in restitution and to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of her prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Congress provided more than $600 billion in funding to help small businesses struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Unfortunately, that level of funding also attracted scam artists. With our law enforcement partners, we will continue to hold accountable those who illegally profit from safety net programs.”
As described in court documents and at sentencing, Bausley, was a U.S. Postal Service employee and collecting workers’ compensation benefits when she defrauded the Small Business Administration by using fabricated revenue and expense information about her catering business to apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan and Paycheck Protection Program funding, ultimately receiving deposits totaling $71,933 through the two Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act Programs.
“This sentencing underlines our dedication to holding people accountable who exploit federal relief programs for personal gain,” said Jonathan Ulrich, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG). “As proven in this case, our criminal investigators and the legal teams at the U.S. Attorney’s Office will diligently pursue anyone who attempts to commit COVID-19 fraud and exploit programs created to help legitimate people and businesses affected by the global pandemic.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney George J.C. Jacobs III.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Readout of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime Reduction Steering Committee MeetingRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Violent Crime Reduction Steering Committee met yesterday to discuss the significant efforts undertaken by the Department to combat violent crime and the result of those efforts. The Steering Committee is chaired by Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General (PADAG) Marshall Miller and composed of leadership and representatives from across the Department, including law enforcement, prosecutorial, and grantmaking components.
After PADAG Miller called the meeting to order, the committee was briefed on the latest violent-crime statistics. Preliminary data from 85 cities showed that violent crime has continued to decline considerably in 2024, including a 17.5% decline in murder, 7.1% decrease in rape, 3.6% decrease in aggravated assault, and 7.8% decline in robbery over the first three quarters of the year.
“Over the past two years, we have turned the tide against the violent crime that spiked during the pandemic,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Additional data from 85 cities released today indicates that between January and September of this year, violent crime again declined, and murders dropped 17.5%. This builds on last year’s historic drop in homicides nationwide and one of the lowest levels of violent crime in 50 years. I am extremely grateful to the Justice Department’s law enforcement agents, prosecutors, and grantmaking experts, as well as our state and local law enforcement and community partners, for their difficult and life-saving work to combat violent crime.”
The committee received an update from the Criminal Division on the continued success of its Violent Crime Initiative (VCI), which works with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and federal, state, and local law enforcement in Hartford, Connecticut; Houston; Jackson, Mississippi; St. Louis; and Memphis, Tennessee, and surged federal law enforcement resources to Washington, D.C. The briefing specifically highlighted VCI achievements in Houston and Memphis, where crime rates have fallen significantly since the launch of the VCI initiative in those cities.
The committee received updates from the co-chairs of the Department’s Action Network to Terminate Illegal Machinegun Conversion Devices (ANTI-MCD) Committee; U.S. Attorney Robert Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma; and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Deputy Assistant Director Timothy Jones, on the efforts of the ANTI-MCD Committee to address the proliferation of MCDs, including the development of district-specific initiatives targeting MCDs in every federal district across the nation, as well as additional trainings and resources for prosecutors, law enforcement agents, and officers.
The committee also heard from ATF representatives regarding ATF’s recent tracking efforts using e-Trace — an internet-based system that allows authorized law enforcement agencies to submit and receive firearm traces to the ATF National Tracing Center — and ATF’s ongoing intelligence and technology outreach efforts. Finally, the committee heard from FBI regarding the establishment and implementation of carjacking task forces in districts around the country.
At the conclusion of the meeting, PADAG Miller indicated that the Steering Committee will report to Department leadership on developments from the Department’s violent crime reduction initiatives and provide recommendations regarding additional policy and enforcement strategies.
Rapid City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Court Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. The sentencing took place on December 5, 2024.
Charles Martinez-Olson, 33, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $21,000 in restitution to his victims, a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, and forfeit his cellular phone. Martinez-Olson will be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
A federal grand jury indicted Martinez-Olson in October 2023. He pleaded guilty on September 23, 2024.
Between December 2020 and March 2023, Martinez-Olson used Snapchat to entice two female minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct so Martinez-Olson could record videos of their conduct. Both girls were unmistakably under the age of 12. Martinez-Olson routinely masturbated during these Snapchat video chats while the two female minors exposed their genitals. His Snapchat account contained several videos of the same two girls engaging in sexually explicit conduct at his direction and encouragement. Martinez-Olson also possessed 54 images and 22 videos of other children being sexually abused, including a video of a disabled boy being sexually assaulted.
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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case.
Martinez-Olson was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on December 6, 2024.
Derrick Patton, 42, was sentenced to serve four years in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $100 in special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
A federal grand jury indicted Patton in May 2024. He pleaded guilty on September 16, 2024.
On March 13, 2024, the Rapid City Police Department were called to do a welfare check on Patton, who was reportedly passed out in a running vehicle for several hours. When officers woke Patton and identified him, they learned he had a felony arrest warrant and had absconded from parole. Patton was in possession of a Ruger 9mm pistol and ammunition. The gun had been reported stolen out of Pine Ridge, South Dakota. Patton also possessed multiple baggies of methamphetamine. Patton is prohibited from possession firearms as a result of a prior felony conviction.
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.
This case was investigated by the Rapid City Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case.
Patton was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
Travis Orr, age 35, was sentenced to 19 ½ years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Orr was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2023 and pleaded guilty on September 6, 2024.
Between the Fall of 2021 and November of 2022, Orr was part of a drug conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in South Dakota. Orr obtained the methamphetamine from co-conspirators on multiple occasions and distributed it to others in South Dakota. The group moved approximately 30 pounds of methamphetamine during Orr’s involvement. Orr was also involved in trading firearms for methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET) and the South Dakota Highway Patrol. UNET is comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.
Orr was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following sentencing.
Raleigh Woman Sentenced to 15 Months for Social Security FraudRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Raleigh woman was sentenced to 15 months in prison for defrauding the Social Security Administration. On June 26, 2024, Mary Elizabeth Workman pled guilty to one count of theft of government funds.
“Stealing from the system is stealing from those who truly need it,” said U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. “By fraudulently collecting over $200,000 in disability benefits while running a successful business, this case highlights the lengths some go to exploit taxpayer funded programs. We remain committed to exposing fraud and protecting resources for the deserving.”
“This 15-month prison sentence holds Mary Elizabeth Workman accountable for theft of government funds. While working in her own business, she continually received disability benefits she was not entitled to receive. My office will continue to aggressively pursue those who defraud the Social Security Administration,” said Hannibal “Mike” Ware, Acting Inspector General for Social Security. “I appreciate the work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Labresh for prosecuting this case.”
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Workman, 51, received over $200,000 in Social Security benefits that she was not entitled to. From 2008 through 2023, Workman received monthly disability benefits based on her claim that she was unable to work due to several medical conditions. However, while Workman was collecting these benefits, she owned and operated a successful tax refund business. Workman never disclosed this business income to the Social Security Administration, and instead continued to collect monthly disability benefits knowing that she did not qualify financially.
Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, investigated the case.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa K. Labresh prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-00195-BO-BM.
Prison Term for Former MPD Officer Who Sexually Abused a 15-Year-Old GirlRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Lucius Kearney, 52, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 90 months in prison for sexually abusing a then 15-year-old girl from 2005 to 2006, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves.
Kearney was found guilty by a Superior Court jury on September 27, 2024, to one count of first degree sexual abuse of a child. In addition to the prison term, Judge Maribeth Raffinan sentenced Kearney to 10 years of supervised release. Kearney will also be required to register as a sex offender for 10 years.
According to the government’s evidence at trial, during the 2005-2006 school year, the victim, who was in the tenth grade, met the defendant, then a Fourth District Metropolitan Police Department officer, while doing a school project. The victim and defendant met at the Fourth District Police Station, and exchanged phone numbers and began communicating about the school project. Their conversations turned sexual, and ultimately the defendant engaged in sexual acts with the victim in his truck near a D.C. public library, where the victim was volunteering to complete her high school community service hours. The victim disclosed the abuse in 2020 after a random encounter with the defendant while he was on duty in the area where the victim lived.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of those who investigated the case from Metropolitan Police Department. He also commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office including Paralegal Specialists Garcia Clarke and Veronica Yale; Victim Advocate Veronica Vaughan; Supervisory IT Specialist Leif Hickling; Intern Emily Moran, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Bohlen, who did the initial investigation and indicted the case, and Assistant United States Attorneys Peter Taylor and Richard Kelley, who prosecuted the case.
Pittsburgh Man Charged with Escape After Failing to Return to Residential Reentry CenterRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of escape from custody, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Ryan Gainer, 44, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on October 17, 2024, following a 48-hour home pass, Gainer knowingly, and without authorization, failed to return to the residential reentry center where he was serving a federal sentence.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Marshals Service conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
PennEnergy Resources Agrees to Settlement to Reduce Climate- and Health-Harming Emissions in PennsylvaniaRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) announced a proposed settlement with PennEnergy Resources LLC (PennEnergy) resolving alleged Clean Air Act and Pennsylvania Air Pollution Control Act violations involving the company’s oil and gas production operations in Pennsylvania.
If accepted by the court, the consent decree specifies that PennEnergy will undertake various projects to assess, modify and improve monitoring and maintenance of vapor control systems. These projects will result in a reduction of over 8,200 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per year released as methane, similar to the number of reductions achieved by taking 1,740 cars off the road for one year. The settlement will also eliminate more than 150 tons of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions annually.
PennEnergy also agreed to pay a $2 million civil penalty. This amount will be shared equally by the United States and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a co-plaintiff in this case. PennEnergy will undertake compliance measures to achieve major reductions in harmful emissions at 17 of its oil and gas production facilities and partial measures at an additional 32 facilities, all located in Butler County and Lawrence County, Pennsylvania.
“Oil and gas producers must comply with the Clean Air Act, which is intended to control air emissions and improve air quality and our environment,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “By adhering to the requirements of today’s settlement, PennEnergy will significantly reduce air emissions from its operations.”
“Today’s settlement continues EPA’s efforts to hold oil and gas companies accountable for illegal emissions that hamper air quality and accelerate climate change,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Penn Energy will undertake projects to improve air quality and reduce emissions of methane at nearly 50 facilities, providing environmental and public health benefits for Pennsylvanians and demonstrating that reducing illegal pollution from oil and gas facilities is good for communities and the planet.”
“When PennEnergy failed to implement an appropriate vapor control system on storage tanks at its facilities in western Pennsylvania, the company not only violated federal law, it allowed a substantial volume of volatile organic compounds to escape into the atmosphere,” said U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan for the Western District of Pennsylvania. “Today’s settlement reflects this office’s commitment to holding corporate citizens accountable for their wrongdoing and protecting our residents and the air they breathe.”
“This settlement marks a significant step toward reducing emissions and ensuring cleaner air for all residents of the Commonwealth,” said Acting Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Jessica Shirley. “Every Pennsylvanian is entitled to breathe clean air, and the Shapiro Administration is dedicated to ensuring that polluters are held responsible for any harm to that right.”
This settlement resolves PennEnergy’s failure to comply with federal and state requirements to capture and control air emissions from five of its oil and gas production facilities in Butler County, in western Pennsylvania. EPA identified the alleged violations through field investigations conducted in 2018. As a result of these violations, PennEnergy released methane and VOCs directly into the air instead of capturing and controlling the gas using specially designed equipment. Methane, a climate super pollutant, is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change, and VOCs contribute to ground-level ozone, which adversely affects human health.
The agreement requires PennEnergy to take the necessary steps to ensure that its systems to control pollutants from atmospheric storage tanks are adequately designed and properly operated and maintained at an estimated cost of $2.4 million. These actions will significantly reduce harmful emissions from the company’s oil and gas operations.
In addition, PennEnergy must undertake a project to mitigate the environmental and public health harm attributable to their violations. Specifically, by Jan. 1, 2025, PennEnergy will be required to replace no fewer than 217 pollutant-emitting pneumatic devices with non-emitting devices in Butler and Lawrence counties, in western Pennsylvania. These measures are estimated to cost $1.2 million.
PennEnergy is a privately-owned oil and gas company headquartered in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania. Its business is focused on the acquisition and development of unconventional shale resources in the Appalachian Basin, and its natural gas extraction and production operations consist of approximately 370 wells at 107 oil and gas facilities located in western Pennsylvania.
The settlement is part of EPA’s National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative, Mitigating Climate Change. This initiative focuses, in part, on reducing methane emissions from oil and gas and landfill sources.
More information on the settlement agreement is available on EPA’s PennEnergy Resources LLC Settlement web page.
The proposed consent decree was filed with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania and is subject to a 30-day comment period. The complaint and the proposed consent decree are available at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
EPA and PADEP investigated the case.
Attorneys with the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Enforcement Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania are handling the case.
PennEnergy Resources Agrees to Settlement to Reduce Climate- and Health-Harming Emissions in PennsylvaniaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — Today, the Justice Department, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) announced a proposed settlement with PennEnergy Resources LLC (PennEnergy) resolving alleged Clean Air Act and Pennsylvania Air Pollution Control Act violations involving the company’s oil and gas production operations in Pennsylvania.
If accepted by the court, the consent decree specifies that PennEnergy will undertake various projects to assess, modify and improve monitoring and maintenance of vapor control systems. These projects will result in a reduction of over 8,200 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per year released as methane, similar to the number of reductions achieved by taking 1,740 cars off the road for one year. The settlement will also eliminate more than 150 tons of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions annually.
PennEnergy also agreed to pay a $2 million civil penalty. This amount will be shared equally by the United States and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a co-plaintiff in this case. PennEnergy will undertake compliance measures to achieve major reductions in harmful emissions at 17 of its oil and gas production facilities and partial measures at an additional 32 facilities, all located in Butler County and Lawrence County, Pennsylvania.
“When PennEnergy failed to implement an appropriate vapor control system on storage tanks at its facilities in western Pennsylvania, the company not only violated federal law, it allowed a substantial volume of volatile organic compounds to escape into the atmosphere,” said U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan for the Western District of Pennsylvania. “Today’s settlement reflects this office’s commitment to holding corporate citizens accountable for their wrongdoing and protecting our residents and the air they breathe.”
“Oil and gas producers must comply with the Clean Air Act, which is intended to control air emissions and improve air quality and our environment,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “By adhering to the requirements of today’s settlement, PennEnergy will significantly reduce air emissions from its operations.”
“Today’s settlement continues EPA’s efforts to hold oil and gas companies accountable for illegal emissions that hamper air quality and accelerate climate change,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Penn Energy will undertake projects to improve air quality and reduce emissions of methane at nearly 50 facilities, providing environmental and public health benefits for Pennsylvanians and demonstrating that reducing illegal pollution from oil and gas facilities is good for communities and the planet.”
“This settlement marks a significant step toward reducing emissions and ensuring cleaner air for all residents of the Commonwealth,” said Acting Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Jessica Shirley. “Every Pennsylvanian is entitled to breathe clean air, and the Shapiro Administration is dedicated to ensuring that polluters are held responsible for any harm to that right.”
This settlement resolves PennEnergy’s failure to comply with federal and state requirements to capture and control air emissions from five of its oil and gas production facilities in Butler County, in western Pennsylvania. EPA identified the alleged violations through field investigations conducted in 2018. As a result of these violations, PennEnergy released methane and VOCs directly into the air instead of capturing and controlling the gas using specially designed equipment. Methane, a climate super pollutant, is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change, and VOCs contribute to ground-level ozone, which adversely affects human health.
The agreement requires PennEnergy to take the necessary steps to ensure that its systems to control pollutants from atmospheric storage tanks are adequately designed and properly operated and maintained at an estimated cost of $2.4 million. These actions will significantly reduce harmful emissions from the company’s oil and gas operations.
In addition, PennEnergy must undertake a project to mitigate the environmental and public health harm attributable to their violations. Specifically, by Jan. 1, 2025, PennEnergy will be required to replace no fewer than 217 pollutant-emitting pneumatic devices with non-emitting devices in Butler and Lawrence counties, in western Pennsylvania. These measures are estimated to cost $1.2 million.
PennEnergy is a privately-owned oil and gas company headquartered in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania. Its business is focused on the acquisition and development of unconventional shale resources in the Appalachian Basin, and its natural gas extraction and production operations consist of approximately 370 wells at 107 oil and gas facilities located in western Pennsylvania.
The settlement is part of EPA’s National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative, Mitigating Climate Change. This initiative focuses, in part, on reducing methane emissions from oil and gas and landfill sources.
More information on the settlement agreement is available on EPA’s PennEnergy Resources LLC Settlement web page.
The proposed consent decree was filed with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania and is subject to a 30-day comment period. The complaint and the proposed consent decree are available at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
EPA and PADEP investigated the case.
Attorneys with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania and the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Enforcement Section are handling the case.
Palmer man sentenced to 25 years for attempted production of child pornographyRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A Palmer man was sentenced today to 25 years in prison followed by a life term of supervised release for attempting to create child sexual abuse materials by hiding a cell phone in a bathroom at a local supermarket.
According to court documents, Jesse Damon, 35, hid a cell phone and an attached external battery pack behind a vent in the family bathroom at a supermarket in Palmer in an attempt to create child pornography. An employee discovered the phone after noticing that the vent cover was loose.
Supermarket employees opened the video recording application on the hidden cell phone and saw an individual, later identified as Damon, as he inadvertently recorded himself in the process of hiding the phone. Employees ensured the store surveillance cameras were recording the entrance of the family bathroom and notified law enforcement after the camera captured Damon attempting to recover the phone he had hidden.
Law enforcement responded and contacted Damon after his return to the supermarket. A search warrant was issued for Damon’s electronic devices and law enforcement determined that he had secretly recorded a number of individuals, mostly adults, between May 21-24, 2022. Of the individuals captured in Damon’s attempts to create child sexual exploitation material, two were children under the age of 12. The investigation also revealed that Damon had also received and distributed “commercial” images depicting child sexual abuse through the use of digital applications such as Kik, Dropbox and Mega Link.
At the time of his arrest in this case, Damon was on supervision following his prior conviction for possession of child pornography in 3:08-cr-00039-RRB-MMS.
During the sentencing, the court recognized the bravery and strength of the victims in this case, and highlighted the defendant’s serious danger to the public through his recidivist actions.
“Mr. Damon is a repeat offender who presented an escalating danger to our community,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “I commend the vigilant supermarket employees whose swift actions played a crucial role in the successful investigation and prosecution led by the FBI and Palmer Police Department. My office remains unwavering in its commitment to protecting children in our community by working collaboratively to identify, investigate and prosecute those who seek to exploit vulnerable Alaskans.”
The FBI Anchorage Field Office and Palmer Police Department, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service and Federal Probation Office, investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Alexander prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
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Owner of Medford Construction Company Sentenced for Tax Crimes and Making False StatementsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Quincy man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for a tax fraud scheme that resulted in a tax loss of approximately $2,824,577 and making false statements about a fatal workplace accident.
Mauricio Baiense, 57, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 18 months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release and ordered to pay $2,824,577.45 in restitution to the United States. In April 2024, Baiense pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, seven counts of failure to collect and pay over taxes, one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return and one count of making false statements. In August 2022, Baiense was indicted by a federal grand jury.
Baiense owned and operated Contract Framing Builders, Inc. (CFB), a Medford-based construction business. Baiense was responsible for filing CFB’s quarterly employment tax returns and collecting and paying IRS payroll taxes withheld from the wages of the company’s employees. From approximately 2013 through 2017, Baiense facilitated having approximately $11 million worth of checks drawn on CFB’s corporate bank account to purported subcontractors, which were in fact nominee entities controlled by him. Baiense then directed others to cash the checks at a check cashing business and used the money to operate an “off-the-books” cash payroll for CFB’s employees. Baiense did not report the cash wages to the IRS and did not pay employment taxes on wages paid to employees in cash. Baiense also assisted in the preparation of at least one fraudulent employment tax return that understated the actual wages paid to CFB’s employees.
When questioned under oath at a U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration interview regarding a fatal workplace accident pertaining to an employee of Baiense’s company, Baiense made false statements to a federal investigator - falsely claiming that the deceased employee did not work for him.
United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Stuart M. Goldberg, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Tax Division; Jeff Erskine, Acting Regional Administrator of the Department of Labor OSHA Region 1; Jonathan Wlodyka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General in Boston made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Department of Homeland Security, OSHA Criminal Investigations Team, Region 1 and the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit and Trial Attorney Thomas F. Koelbl of the Justice Department’s Tax Division prosecuted the case.
Owner of Telemarketing Call Center Sentenced to 121 Months in Prison for Multi-Year Scheme to Defraud PAC DonorsRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that RICHARD ZEITLIN, the owner of a telemarketing call center business, was sentenced to 121 months in prison for his leadership role in a scheme to defraud donors of certain political action committees (“PACs”) through false and misleading fundraising calls. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan following the defendant’s guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud on September 10, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Richard Zeitlin’s actions represent a profound breach of trust, as represented by today’s sentencing. The integrity of donor contributions is essential, and this Office will continue to pursue justice against those who undermine it.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment, court filings, and statements made in Court:
PACs are entities registered with the Federal Election Commission that may be tax-exempt and collect money to advocate on behalf of or against certain causes and political candidates. By contrast, charities, unlike PACs, typically provide direct services to communities or causes.
From at least in or about 2017 up to and including in or about 2020, ZEITLIN used his telemarketing call center business and various associated entities to defraud numerous donors of millions of dollars by providing misleading and false information about how the donors’ money would be spent and the nature of the organizations to which they were giving. Specifically, ZEITLIN directed his employees to alter the call scripts used when calling potential donors on behalf of certain PACs in order to mislead potential donors into believing that they would be giving to a direct-services organization (i.e., a charity), rather than to a political advocacy organization (i.e., a PAC). ZEITLIN directed that these lies, misleading statements, and misrepresentations be made so that donors would be more likely to give money, thereby increasing the funds raised and profits for his businesses – which typically received approximately 90% of the funds donated. In some instances, ZEITLIN’s businesses retained 100% of the funds donated with none of the money going to the causes described in telemarketing calls to donors. When one PAC treasurer confronted ZEITLIN with complaints from donors that solicitation calls falsely represented a PAC as a charity, ZEITLIN falsely denied that the calls were being made, acknowledged that such calls would be inappropriate, and refused to give the treasurer any call recordings that would have revealed his fraud.
ZEITLIN lied under oath to conceal his fraud. In December 2020, while testifying under oath during a deposition in connection with a federal civil matter, ZEITLIN falsely stated, in substance and in part, that neither he nor his employees provided input as to the call scripts used by ZEITLIN’s telemarketing call centers when making fundraising calls on behalf of PACs. In truth and in fact, ZEITLIN and his employees frequently provided input on and changed call scripts, including by adding false and misleading statements into the call scripts. In March 2022, in a declaration filed under penalty of perjury to a federal judge, ZEITLIN falsely stated that, among other things, he was not associated with and did not direct, supervise, or control certain business entities relating to ZEITLIN’s telemarketing business when, in truth and in fact, ZEITLIN controlled all of the entities by exercising ultimate authority over managerial, operational, and financial decisions, including at the time he signed this declaration.
In or about May 2022, after ZEITLIN learned that he and his businesses were under federal investigation, ZEITLIN directed his employees to delete electronic messages relating to his businesses.
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In addition to the prison sentence, ZEITLIN, 54, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was sentenced to five years of supervised release and was ordered to pay forfeiture in the amount of $8,906,760.00, which represents ZEITLIN’s proceeds from the crime, and restitution in the amount of $8,906,760.00.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jane Kim, Emily Deininger, and Rebecca T. Dell are in charge of the prosecution.
Orange County Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Drug and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Joshua Grant Cobb (34, Orlando) to 25 years in federal prison for possessing controlled substances with intent to distribute them and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Cobb pled guilty on July 31, 2024.
According to court documents, law enforcement identified Cobb as a distributor of methamphetamine and heroin/fentanyl who used his residence to facilitate his drug deals. A confidential source was then used to arrange a controlled purchase of fentanyl at Cobb’s residence. Cobb was detained leaving his residence for the deal. He had a loaded firearm and 55 grams of a fentanyl mixture on his person. Law enforcement executed a search warrant on Cobb’s residence. Inside, agents located over 700 grams of methamphetamine, nearly 350 grams of fentanyl mixtures, $4,000 in cash, drug processing materials and equipment, and six additional loaded firearms.
Cobb was ordered to forfeit the firearms and ammunition he possessed.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Brevard County Sherriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman.
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.
North Providence Man Sentenced to Federal Prison on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A North Providence man has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for possessing and distributing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Mark Peterson, 46, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith to 60 months of incarceration to be followed by 15 years of federal supervised release. Peterson pleaded guilty on September 6, 2024, to an indictment charging him with distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography.
In February 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children forwarded information to the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force regarding the online distribution of child pornography. A State Police Detective determined that someone using the IP address at Peterson’s residence had sent 114 files depicting child sexual abuse over an online messaging application.
Members of the ICAC Task Force executed a court-authorized search of Peterson’s residence on April 5, 2022. A review of several cell phones seized during the search revealed more than 1,300 files consisting of videos and images of child sexual abuse, including depictions of the abuse of pre-pubescent children, infants, sadomasochism, and bestiality. Investigators also located screen recordings in which Peterson falsely portrayed himself as 15 years old.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julianne Klein and John P. McAdams.
The matter was investigated by the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations and the Massachusetts State Police.
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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc
The Rhode Island ICAC Task Force is comprised of members of the Rhode Island State Police Computer Crimes Unit along with detectives from the Warwick Police Department, Cranston Police Department, East Providence Police Department, Pawtucket Police Department, Portsmouth Police Department, Bristol Police Department, Middletown Police Department, and Special Agents from Homeland Security Investigations.
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North Berwick Man Sentenced for Bank Fraud after Applying for PPP Loans for Travel Agency He No Longer OwnedRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A North Berwick man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for filing fraudulent applications for loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Frederick Avery, 50, to five months in prison followed by five years of supervised release including five months of home detention. He was also ordered to pay $227,667 in restitution. Avery pleaded guilty on July 15, 2024.
According to court records, between April 2020 and September 2021, Avery submitted two applications for PPP loans that claimed he was the 100% owner of Superior Cruise and Travel LLC. Avery had sold the agency to a limited liability company in Pennsylvania in November 2019. He claimed on the applications that the loans, which totaled more than $215,000, were for payroll, lease/mortgage interest, utilities, and other items. Avery submitted falsified bank statements from a non-existent account to support one of the applications.
The FBI investigated the case.
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP): The PPP was a COVID-19 pandemic relief program administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA) that provided forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses. The PPP permitted participating third-party lenders to approve and disburse SBA-backed PPP loans to cover payroll, fixed debts, utilities, rent/mortgage, accounts payable and other bills incurred by qualifying businesses during, and resulting from, the COVID-19 pandemic. PPP loans were fully guaranteed by the SBA.
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Nevada Man Sentenced for Dumping Waste into Cities’ Wastewater System and Lying to InvestigatorsRead the Press Release
A Nevada man was sentenced today for illegally discharging waste, collected by a business he managed, into a local wastewater treatment system, in violation of the Clean Water Act.
Matthew Thurman, general manager of Environmental Resources Inc., doing business as Easy Rooter Plumbing (ERP), was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay a $680,000 fine and serve one year of supervised release for knowingly violating pretreatment standards under the Clean Water Act. ERP was separately sentenced to three years of probation and a $680,000 fine.
For years, ERP and Thurman orchestrated illegal discharges of grease waste and wastewater collected from food-service businesses into the wastewater treatment system of the cities of Reno and Sparks, Nevada. Local regulators warned ERP and Thurman regarding the illegal discharges, but when the scheme continued, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) opened an investigation. During the investigation, Thurman lied to federal agents and falsely blamed competitors for the illegal discharges. The actions by Thurman and ERP jeopardized the integrity of the wastewater treatment system, creating significant environmental risks and increased maintenance costs which were passed on to consumers.
“This case underscores the importance of holding individuals and corporations accountable when they knowingly harm our environment and attempt to obstruct justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Violations of the Clean Water Act are serious crimes, and today’s sentencing sends a clear message that such conduct will not be tolerated.”
“The defendant defrauded clients, exposed Nevada communities to contaminated sewage, and engaged in conduct that required taxpayer dollars to be spent on costly repairs," said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann for the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Today's significant sentencing demonstrates that EPA will continue to bring to justice environmental criminals."
“Nevadans depend on our clean water system for everyday life. By knowingly illegally dumping waste into the treatment system, the defendants jeopardized the quality of life of our citizens in violation of the Clean Water Act,” said U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada. “We will continue to prosecute these crimes and hold the violators responsible.”
This case represents a collaborative effort among local, state and federal agencies to protect America’s water systems.
EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division led the investigation with assistance from the City of Reno’s Utility Services Department-Environmental Control and the City of Sparks’ Environmental Control Section.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew D. Evans for the District of Minnesota, formerly of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Keenan for the District of Nevada prosecuted the case.
Nevada Man Sentenced for Dumping Waste into Cities’ Wastewater System and Lying to InvestigatorsRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Nevada man was sentenced today for illegally discharging waste, collected by a business he managed, into a local wastewater treatment system, in violation of the Clean Water Act.
Matthew Thurman, general manager of Environmental Resources Inc., doing business as Easy Rooter Plumbing (ERP), was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay a $680,000 fine and serve one year of supervised release for knowingly violating pretreatment standards under the Clean Water Act. ERP was separately sentenced to three years of probation and a $680,000 fine.
For years, ERP and Thurman orchestrated illegal discharges of grease waste and wastewater collected from food-service businesses into the wastewater treatment system of the cities of Reno and Sparks, Nevada. Local regulators warned ERP and Thurman regarding the illegal discharges, but when the scheme continued, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) opened an investigation. During the investigation, Thurman lied to federal agents and falsely blamed competitors for the illegal discharges. The actions by Thurman and ERP jeopardized the integrity of the wastewater treatment system, creating significant environmental risks and increased maintenance costs which were passed on to consumers.
“This case underscores the importance of holding individuals and corporations accountable when they knowingly harm our environment and attempt to obstruct justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Violations of the Clean Water Act are serious crimes, and today’s sentencing sends a clear message that such conduct will not be tolerated.”
“The defendant defrauded clients, exposed Nevada communities to contaminated sewage, and engaged in conduct that required taxpayer dollars to be spent on costly repairs," said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann for the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Today's significant sentencing demonstrates that EPA will continue to bring to justice environmental criminals."
“Nevadans depend on our clean water system for everyday life. By knowingly illegally dumping waste into the treatment system, the defendants jeopardized the quality of life of our citizens in violation of the Clean Water Act,” said U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada. “We will continue to prosecute these crimes and hold the violators responsible.”
This case represents a collaborative effort among local, state and federal agencies to protect America’s water systems.
EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division led the investigation with assistance from the City of Reno’s Utility Services Department-Environmental Control and the City of Sparks’ Environmental Control Section.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew D. Evans for the District of Minnesota, formerly of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Keenan for the District of Nevada prosecuted the case.
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Nashville Auto Parts Seller Agrees to Settlement for Selling Emissions Defeat DevicesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced that a Nashville automotive aftermarket parts distributor has agreed to pay $320,000 in civil penalties for selling illegal “defeat devices” designed to render automobile emission controls inoperative, in violation of the Clean Air Act (CAA).
Under the terms of the consent decree, Diesel Performance Parts Inc. (DPPI) has also agreed to send notices to dealers and customers notifying them about the settlement. Additionally, DPPI will remove all marketing material related to defeat devices.
“Defeat devices violate the Clean Air Act and cause a vehicle to contribute significantly higher amounts of pollutants into the air,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “Excess emissions tangibly worsen the air we breathe. We are committed to upholding the rule of law.”
“Defeat devices significantly increase air pollution from motor vehicles and EPA will use all of its enforcement tools to hold sellers of defeat devices like DPPI accountable until these illegal practices stop” said EPA Acting Regional Administrator Jeaneanne Gettle for Region 4. “These illegal practices contribute to harmful air pollution and impede federal, state, and local efforts to implement air quality standards that protect public health. Emissions from mobile sources play an important role in EPA’s Southeastern region, and the use of these defeat devices hampers our ability to maintain compliance with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.”
Since September 2018, DPPI sold at least 6,858 aftermarket defeat devices that bypassed, defeated or rendered inoperative emissions control systems that were installed in motor vehicles or in motor vehicle engines in compliance with the CAA for motor vehicles equipped with diesel engines.
A vehicle’s emission controls reduce the amount of air pollutants emitted and their harmful effects, but aftermarket defeat devices negate those controls. One EPA study found that known sales of defeat devices for certain diesel trucks between 2009 and 2020 resulted in excess emissions of more than 570,000 tons of nitrogen oxides and 5,000 tons of particulate matter over the lifetime of the trucks. The resulting health conditions include premature mortality, aggravation of respiratory and cardiovascular disease, aggravation of existing asthma, acute respiratory symptoms, chronic bronchitis and decreased lung function. Numerous studies also link diesel exhaust to increased incidence of lung cancer.
Stopping aftermarket defeat devices for vehicles and engines is a top priority for EPA. Visit EPA’s website to learn more about its efforts to stop the sale of illegal defeat devices.
The consent decree was entered in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. There is a 30-day public comment period. Additional information about the agreement can be found at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
EPA investigated the case.
Attorneys with ENRD’s Environmental Enforcement Section are handling the case.
Multiple defendants indicted on federal firearms chargesRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Newly returned indictments in the Southern District of Georgia include charges alleging felons illegally possessed firearms, while additional defendants have been sentenced to federal prison or await further proceedings after pleading guilty to federal gun charges.
“Illegally possessed firearms increase the likelihood of violent crime in our communities,” said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “We will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners in holding accountable individuals who violate firearms laws.”
The cases are prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally possess guns.
Those indicted in December include:
- Antonio Perez Allen, 35, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
- Jamaughnee Duncan, 25, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and,
- Jakeem Bryant, 29, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
All indicted defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defendants recently adjudicated on federal firearms charges include:
- Desirae Heinsler, 38, of Eastman, Ga., was sentenced to 30 months in prison after pleading guilty to False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm. After officers from the Rochester (NY) Police Department recovered multiple illegally possessed firearms, the investigation determined the guns originally were purchased in Georgia by Heinsler, who provided false information to a licensed dealer in Jeff Davis County to buy the guns.
- Jordan Richardson, 24, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Interference with Commerce by Robbery, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Possession and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence. Richardson fired multiple shots into the vehicle of a Savannah grocery store employee who was taking the day’s receipts to a bank, hitting the driver and a bystander before fleeing with the deposit bag. Richardson, who faces a sentence of up to life in prison, previously was convicted of felonies including illegal gun possession.
- Jordan Beverly Howard, 37, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, while a co-defendant, Joshua Robert Ward, 45, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. Ward was on parole on state drug trafficking charges when Richmond County sheriff’s investigators searched the residence Howard and Ward shared and found drugs and two pistols.
- O’kere Shields, 22, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers found a pistol in Shields’ residence while investigating a report of gunfire.
The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to purchase – firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense.
For more information from the ATF on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atfw-form-4473
Mississippi man sentenced to 15 years for ammunition offense involving shooting of MHP TrooperRead the Press Release
Aberdeen, MS – A federal judge sentenced Stanley Self, Jr. to fifteen years in federal prison for his illegal possession of ammunition in an incident in which a Trooper with the Mississippi Highway Patrol was shot. Self, 25 years old, had been previously convicted of multiple felony offenses, including robbery and aggravated assault, and was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
On May 2, 2023, a Trooper with the Mississippi Highway Patrol conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Self in Bolivar County, Mississippi. Self fled from the Trooper, leading him on a high speed chase through Bolivar County in which speeds topped in excess of 120 miles per hour. Self’s flight from the officers occurred during the morning commute and resulted in him passing multiple school busses, endangering the students and drivers on their way to school. Self eventually lost control of his vehicle and shot the Trooper while attempting to flee on foot. The firearm was never recovered in this case after the shooting, but the shell casing of the bullets fired by Self were recovered and formed the basis of the federal charge in this matter.
U.S. District Court Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Self in Aberdeen on Tuesday following a sentencing hearing. During the sentencing hearing, the Trooper testified about the speed of the chase, the dangerousness to the public at large during the chase, and the impact that being shot by Self has had on him. More than a year and a half has elapsed without the Trooper being able to return to active duty since being shot by Self due to the serious nature of the injuries that he suffered. Self will serve this sentence concurrently with any sentence that he receives for state offenses relating to this incident.
“This defendant received the maximum possible sentence for possessing the ammunition used in the shooting of a law enforcement officer who was engaged in the performance of his duties and protecting and serving the public,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “Self’s actions on May 2nd endangered the public and took the career of a law enforcement officer. Actions such as these will not be tolerated.”
“The actions of this defendant were reckless, violent, and endangered countless lives, including the life of a Mississippi State Trooper who has dedicated himself to protecting the citizens of Mississippi. This case is a stark reminder of the dangers law enforcement officers face every day while upholding their commitment to public safety,” said Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell. “I commend the outstanding work of the Mississippi Highway Patrol, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations, and our federal partners in bringing this individual to justice. We remain steadfast in our mission to hold offenders accountable and to ensure the safety of our communities.”
“Today’s sentencing means that Stanley Self, Jr. will be held accountable for engaging in violent crime in the community,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “Protecting the lives of our law enforcement partners, like our MHP Trooper in this case, and protecting the public are cornerstones of what our agency seeks to accomplish every day. No matter how long it takes, we will investigate, arrest, prosecute and ensure accountability.”
The case was investigated by the ATF Oxford, Mississippi Field Office. Valuable contributions were made by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Hampton and John Herzog, Jr. prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
McAlester 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 Larry Keith Mickle, age 49, of McAlester, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to an Indictment charging him with one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm.
The Indictment alleged that on June 18, 2024, Mickle assaulted the victim with a dangerous weapon, intending to do bodily harm. The crime occurred in Pittsburg County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, 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. Mickle will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Robinson represented the United States.
Maui Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Trafficking Fentanyl Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – United States Attorney Clare E. Connors announced that Jose Elias Camacho, 34, of Maui, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Susan Oki Mollway to 144 months in prison for trafficking in fake oxycodone pills containing fentanyl that resulted in an overdose death. Camacho previously pleaded guilty to possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute in June 2024.
Camacho admitted that in August 2020, he sold five fake oxycodone pills containing fentanyl to a 24-year-old man, who ingested the pills and overdosed. First responders revived the victim and transported him to the hospital for further treatment. The victim discharged himself later that day and contacted Camacho to buy more pills. Camacho admitted knowing the victim had just been hospitalized. Despite this knowledge, Camacho sold the victim five more pills. The following morning, the victim was found dead at his home. An autopsy report indicated that he died of a polydrug overdose. A medical toxicologist who later reviewed the case determined the victim would not have overdosed and died but for the fentanyl Camacho distributed to him.
Camacho admitted that he continued to distribute the pills after learning of the victim’s overdose death. On October 2, 2020, members of the Maui Police Department working in an undercover capacity set up a deal to purchase approximately 50 pills from Camacho, who was arrested as he left his house to conduct the transaction. Police searched him and his home and found approximately 400 light blue pills bearing the marking “M 30” and designed to resemble prescription oxycodone. The pills were tested by a lab and were found to contain fentanyl.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s 2024 National Drug Threat Assessment, fentanyl manufactured by Mexican drug cartels is the main driver behind the ongoing epidemic of drug poisoning deaths in the United States. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that in 2022, national overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids other than methadone (primarily illicitly manufactured fentanyl) comprised 73,838 of the 107,941 lives lost to drug overdose deaths. The DEA’s 2024 National Drug Threat Assessment further notes that fake oxycodone pills present a particular risk—both because 7 in 10 fake pills contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl and because users are often unaware that the pills contain fentanyl at all.
“Camacho knew the deadly risk of selling illegal narcotics, and in particular, he knew the heightened risk associated with the tragic death in this case. Even after learning of the victim’s death, Camacho continued to sell a large quantity of the lethal pills, endangering a great number of lives,” said United States Attorney Connors. “This sentence sends a powerful message that dealers whose products contain lethal doses of illegal narcotics, including fentanyl, will face severe consequences for contributing to the scourge of overdose deaths on our community.”
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maui Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mohammad Khatib and Michael Albanese prosecuted the case.
Massachusetts Construction Company Owner Sentenced for Tax Crimes and Making a False StatementRead the Press Release
A Massachusetts man was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for an employment tax scheme and making a false statement at an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) hearing.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Mauricio Baiense, formerly of Quincy, owned and operated Contract Framing Builders Inc. (CFB), a Medford, Massachusetts, construction business. Baiense was responsible for paying to the IRS the payroll taxes withheld from CFB employees’ wages and for filing the quarterly employment tax returns. From approximately 2013 through 2017, Baiense facilitated having approximately $11 million worth of checks drawn on CFB’s corporate bank account to purported subcontractors, which were in fact nominee entities controlled by him. Baiense then directed others to cash the checks at a check cashing business and used the money to operate an “off-the-books” cash payroll for CFB’s employees. Baiense did not report the cash wages to the IRS and did not pay employment taxes on wages paid to employees in cash. Baiense also assisted in the preparation of at least one fraudulent employment tax return that understated the actual wages paid to CFB’s employees.
When questioned under oath at an OSHA interview regarding a fatal workplace accident pertaining to an employee of Baiense’s company, Baiense made false statements to a federal investigator - falsely claiming that the deceased employee did not work for him.
In total, Baiense caused a tax loss to the IRS of approximately $2,824,577.45.
In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge William G. Young for the District of Massachusetts ordered Baiense to serve three years of supervised release and to pay approximately $2,824,577.45 in restitution to the United States.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy for the District of Massachusetts, Acting Regional Administrator Jeff Erskine of OSHA Region 1, Acting Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Wlodyka of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI)’s Boston Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone of the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General in Boston made the announcement.
IRS-CI, OSHA and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case with assistance from the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
Assistant Chief Thomas F. Koelbl of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Tobin for the District of Massachusetts prosecuted the case.
Manager of U.S. Freight Forwarding Company Indicted for Circumventing Export ControlsRead the Press Release
BROOKLYN, NY – A 12-count indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging Natalya Ivanovna Mazulina, also known as “Natasha Mazulina,” for her alleged involvement in a scheme to circumvent U.S. export laws and sanctions on Russia. Mazulina, the Western regional manager of a freight forwarding company based in Jamaica, New York, which operated out of John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK airport) in Queens, New York, and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Washington State, was arrested earlier today in Seattle and will be arraigned in the Eastern District of New York at a later date.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s National Security Division; James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and James Guanci, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), Office of Export Enforcement, Boston, announced the arrest and charges.
“As alleged, Mazulina used her position as a manager of a freight forwarding company to facilitate unlawful exports to Russia through JFK airport,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Evading U.S export regulations presents a danger to our national security, and we will continue to use all of our law enforcement and national security tools make sure these enablers, both individuals and corporations, cannot operate in our district.”
Mr. Peace extended his appreciation to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, the FBI’s Seattle Field Office, and the DOC’s Boston Field Office for their assistance in this case.
“The defendant exploited her knowledge of the export business to falsify documents and circumvent U.S. sanctions by illegally shipping oil and gas products to Russian customers,” stated Assistant Attorney General Olsen. “American companies like the freight forwarder where Mazulina worked play a critical role in the global supply chain and movement of goods. The National Security Division will not tolerate individuals who seek to abuse their positions in these companies for financial gain at the expense of national security.”
“Collaborating with foreign actors to evade U.S. export controls is a serious national security violation,” said DOC Special Agent in Charge Guanci. “The Office of Export Enforcement, alongside its law enforcement partners, will continue to aggressively investigate efforts to illicitly fuel Russia’s wartime economy.”
As alleged in the indictment, from at least December 2022 through December 2024, Mazulina conspired with Russian freight forwarding companies and others to unlawfully ship controlled items, including industrial oil and gas equipment from the United States to Russia, through intermediary countries. At one point, in June 2023, Mazulina told colleagues that her clients were paying through bank accounts in third party countries because “[m]ost of [her] clients [were] currently sanctioned with USA.” Mazulina attempted to conceal the unlawful scheme by submitting and causing the submission of false export documents to the U.S. government, documents which should have revealed that the exported goods were destined for Russia.
Mazulina is charged with conspiracy to export controlled goods to Russia without a license, conspiracy to defraud the U.S., conspiracy to commit money laundering, exporting controlled goods to Russia without a license, filing false export documents with the U.S. government, and smuggling goods contrary to U.S. law. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of conspiring to export or exporting controlled goods to Russia without a license; up to 20 years in prison for conspiring to commit money laundering; up to 10 years in prison for each count of smuggling; and up to five years in prison for each count of conspiracy and filing false export documents with the U.S. government.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Artie McConnell and Matthew Skurnik are in charge of the prosecution, along with Trial Attorneys Christopher M. Rigali and Adam Barry of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, and with the assistance of Litigation Analyst Emma Tavangari. The Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section assisted with this investigation.
The investigation was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls and economic countermeasures that, beginning in 2014, the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2, 2022, and under the leadership of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.
The Defendant:
NATALYA IVANOVNA MAZULINA (also known as “Natasha Mazulina”)
Age: 41
Federal Way, WashingtonE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-493 (EK)
Licking Man Indicted for Child Sexual ExploitationRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Licking, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for the sexual exploitation of a minor as well as illegally possessing methamphetamine and firearms.
John P. Weaver, 42, was charged in a five-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo.
Today’s indictment charges Weaver with one count of using a minor victim to produce child pornography from Jan. 22 to Feb. 5, 2024, and one count of receiving and distributing child pornography.
Weaver is also charged with one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Weaver allegedly was in possession of methamphetamine and two Hi-Point pistols on Feb. 29, 2024.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Weaver has two prior convictions for possessing a controlled substance as well as prior felony convictions for stealing a motor vehicle, burglary, stealing, and resisting arrest by creating a substantial risk of serious injury or death to any person.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, the Pulaski County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, and the Texas County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office.
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."
Leticia Russi-Shareno Pleads Guilty to Labor Union EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont announced that Leticia Russi-Shareno, 60, of Kenmore, New York, pleaded guilty today in United States District Court in Burlington to a charge of wire fraud. Chief U.S. District Judge Christina Reiss released Russi-Shareno on conditions pending sentencing, which is scheduled for May 22.
On November 20, 2024, the United States Attorney filed a one-count information charging Russi-Shareno with wire fraud. Russi-Shareno pleaded guilty to the information in court today. According to the information, between approximately August 2019 and December 2020, Russi-Shareno served as president of Local 2076 of the American Federation of Government Employees. Local 2076 is a labor union whose members are employees of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security working in Vermont and upstate New York. As president, Russi-Shareno had check signing authority on Local 2076’s Vermont bank account and also received a debit card to make official purchases on behalf of the union.
According to the information, during her presidency, Russi-Shareno embezzled approximately $36,000 from Local 2076’s coffers by using the union’s debit card to make ATM withdrawals of funds for personal expenses; using the debit card to make purchases for her personal benefit; and by falsifying paperwork to obtain duplicate reimbursements for expenses incurred on behalf of Local 2076. The defendant also cashed or deposited into her own account several checks that the national AFGE union had issued to Local 2076.
Russi-Shareno faces up to 20 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. Her actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
This case was investigated by the Boston and Buffalo Regional Office of the Department of Labor’s Office of Labor-Management Standards and the Department of Homeland Security.
Russi-Shareno is represented by Mark Kaplan, Esq. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.
Leader of Child Sexual Abuse Ring Sentenced to 50 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Samuel Rappylee Bateman, 48, of Colorado City, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Susan M. Brnovich to 50 years in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release. On April 1, 2024, Bateman pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Transportation of a Minor for Criminal Sexual Activity and Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping.
“Protecting the most vulnerable is our highest calling as prosecutors,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “Many thanks to our dedicated prosecutors and law enforcement colleagues for an expeditious investigation, and to our victim advocates for their focus on services and healing.”
“Every child should feel and be safe in their homes,” said FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Jose A. Perez. “Today’s sentencing brings some closure to the victims with hopes they can confidently continue the long road to living normal lives with trusted and loving adults surrounding them. Protecting our most vulnerable populations, with children at the top of the list, is and will continue to be a high priority for the FBI and our partners.”
Bateman, who represented himself as a religious prophet, was the leader of a years-long child sexual abuse conspiracy that spanned several states and victimized at least 10 children. Beginning in 2019, Bateman amassed followers in Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and Nebraska. In 2020 and 2021, Bateman’s followers gave their minor daughters and wards to him as child “brides” to sexually abuse. The victims were as young as nine years old. Through coercion and manipulation, Bateman regularly forced his victims to participate with him in individual and group sexual activities with adults and other children. He gave one of the victims to an adult male follower to be sexually abused, and on another occasion transmitted a live video stream of child sexual abuse to his followers. Bateman and others transported the victims between states to facilitate the sexual abuse, which continued until Bateman’s arrest on federal charges in September 2022.
Following Bateman’s arrest, his child victims were placed in the legal and physical custody of the Arizona Department of Child Safety. In November 2022, Bateman conspired with some of his followers to kidnap the victims from their custody placements. The conspirators succeeded in taking eight of the girls to California and then to Washington, where they were found by law enforcement and returned to Arizona.
Bateman was charged along with 11 of his adult followers, all of whom have also been convicted of charges related to the child sexual abuse conspiracy. Two of Bateman’s co-defendants were convicted at trial by a jury, and the others were convicted by guilty plea. Several other defendants have already been sentenced, and the remaining defendants will be sentenced in the coming months.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation-Phoenix conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution. The United States Attorney’s Office continues to extend special gratitude to the Arizona Department of Child Safety for its work rescuing and protecting Arizona children impacted by this matter, the Colorado City Police Department, the Iron County (Utah) Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the St. George Resident Agency of the FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office for their assistance in this matter.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-8092-PHX-SMB
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-173_Bateman# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Lawrence Man Sentenced to Decade in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Traffic MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Lawrence man was sentenced in federal court for his role in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Ronny Ramos, age 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliott to 120 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release. In August 2024, Ramos pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, specifically methamphetamine. A trial date for a co-defendant has been set for March 18, 2025.
“The defendant trafficked staggering amounts of methamphetamine into New Hampshire,” said U.S. Attorney Jane Young. “Methamphetamine’s effects on individuals pose significant danger to the community and law enforcement officers who are combatting the drug epidemic in New Hampshire. Local, state, and federal law enforcement throughout the Granite State will continue to target every level of the distribution chain in an ongoing effort to address the impact of this dangerous drug on our communities.”
“As methamphetamine seizures are on the rise DEA stands committed to keeping this highly addictive drug out of New Hampshire,” said Acting DEA Special Agent in Charge Stephen Belleau, New England Field Division. “Yesterday’s sentence not only holds Mr. Ramos accountable for his crimes but serves as a warning to those who attempt to distribute this poison in the Granite State.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, Ramos conspired to distribute approximately 50 pounds of methamphetamine from Massachusetts to New Hampshire on several occasions. From March through October 2023, Ramos received five separate orders of methamphetamine from his co-defendant, via an intermediary. The payments from his co-defendant for the methamphetamine were made via the same intermediary. The amounts per order ranged from 10-12 pounds at a price of approximately $20,000 for each order. The methamphetamine was delivered to the co-defendant in New Hampshire. On October 31, 2023, law enforcement agents arrested Ramos in Methuen, Massachusetts, and seized 10 pounds of methamphetamine destined for New Hampshire.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cesar A. Vega prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Laredo professor charged with distribution and production of child pornographyRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 36-year-old Laredo resident has been charged with producing videos involving the sexual exploitation of minors, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Carlos Jobany Castaneda Lechuga is expected to appear for a detention hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher dos Santos at 10 a.m.
The complaint, filed Dec. 2, alleges authorities learned of videos that appeared to be produced in the United States and distributed on the dark web. The videos allegedly include an adult male seen with what appears to be different minor children in at least three different videos.
The charges allege law enforcement identified the male as Lechuga. He had been a private teacher in Phoenix, Arizona, and a professor in Laredo. The investigation also revealed Lechuga offers private music lessons targeted toward minors, according to the charges.
On Dec. 1, the FBI executed a search warrant on Lechuga’s residence in Laredo. The charges allege a person familiar with the house had identified Lechuga’s residence as the location where at least one of the videos was produced.
If convicted, Lechuga faces up to 30 years in federal prison for production of child pornography as well as a maximum of 20 years for each count of distributing it. All charges also carry as possible penalty a $250,000 maximum fine.
The FBI conducted the investigation. If you have any information about possible victims or believe you have been victimized, please contact the FBI at 210-225-6741.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tory Sailer and Michael Makens are prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Labelle Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Coercion and Enticement of A Minor to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Daniel Carson Miller (30, Labelle) to 30 years in federal prison for enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, receipt of child sexual abuse material, possessing and accessing with intent to view images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, and transferring obscene matter to a minor. Miller was also sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release and ordered to register as a sex offender. Miller entered a guilty plea on August 20, 2024.
According to court documents, from June through December 19, 2023, Miller sought out and chatted with minors over the internet through the use of a social media application. In June 2023, a parent notified law enforcement that Miller, claiming to be 16 years old, had been chatting with a 13-year-old child using a social media application and soliciting sexually explicit images of the minor. At Miller’s urging and direction, the teen sent sexually explicit photos and videos to Miller.
In November 2023, the FBI executed a search warrant for Miller’s social media account. The account records revealed numerous conversations that Miller had with minors in which Miller asked the minors for explicit images of themselves. Miller also sent photos of his genitals to minors.
In December 2023, the FBI executed a search warrant at Miller’s residence. Miller agreed to speak with agents and admitted to using a social media application to request child sexual abuse material from minors. He estimated that he had requested the material from approximately 100 minors and admitted to sending a photo of his genitals to approximately 200 minors. Miller admitted that at times he would threaten self-harm in order to receive sexually explicit images from minors. A forensic examination of Miller’s cellphones and laptop revealed images and videos of child sexual abuse material.
This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fort Myers Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.
This is another case 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.justice.gov/psc.