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Tuesday 3 December 2024
High Ranking Tren De Aragua Fugitive from Venezuela Arrested in Tennessee Thanks to Interpol CollaborationRead the Press Release
High Ranking Tren de Aragua Fugitive from Venezuela Arrested in Tennessee Thanks to INTERPOL Collaboration
In a powerful demonstration of international law enforcement coordination, INTERPOL Washington announced the successful apprehension of Luis Alejandro Ruiz Godoy, a high-ranking Tren de Aragua fugitive from Venezuela with a history of violent crimes, including human trafficking, robbery, terrorism, weapons offenses, and escape.
“Through the immediate exchange of critical information and unparalleled cooperation with our international and domestic partners, this dangerous gang leader has been apprehended and will be held accountable for his crimes,” said INTERPOL Washington Acting Director Jeffrey A. Grimming. “Tren de Aragua has emerged as a significant threat to the United States as it infiltrates migration flows from Venezuela. INTERPOL Washington will continue to provide critical intelligence to our police partners across the continent to strengthen border and national security, ensuring these violent gang members find no safe harbor in our country.”
On November 7, INTERPOL Washington received an urgent alert from the INTERPOL Command and Coordination Center (CCC) in Lyon, France, regarding a notice for an international fugitive, issued by the INTERPOL National Central Bureau in Caracas, Venezuela. Ruiz Godoy, identified as a prominent gang leader, had been traveling toward the United States via Mexico.
Despite his entry into the United States prior to the publication of notice, swift action by INTERPOL Washington’s Global Police Services Division (GPS) ensured his location was identified. GPS Investigative Analysts helped trace Ruiz Godoy to a location in Tennessee. On a November 19 joint operation involving INTERPOL Washington, Ruiz Godoy was arrested in Memphis. He is currently in ICE custody.
Great Falls woman admits to trafficking meth in communityRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Great Falls woman accused of distributing methamphetamine and traveling outside of Montana to pick up the drug admitted to a conspiracy charge on Monday, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
The defendant, Melissa Ann Barone, 55, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth. Barone faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for March 26, 2025. Barone was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that Barone was involved in distributing meth in the Great Falls area and elsewhere from January 2020 until about April 2024. Numerous individuals who purchased or received meth from Barone corroborated Barone’s involvement. The government alleged that Barone was a drug runner for her co-defendant, Daniel Allen Wakeford, who pleaded guilty to charges and is pending sentencing, and that she borrowed vehicles to travel outside of Montana to pick up meth.
As part of her guilty plea, Barone agreed to forfeit cash totaling $74,951 that was seized from a motorhome and two BMWs, an AK-47 pistol and magazine, a 2016 BMW and a 2002 40-foot motorhome.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS, Great Falls Police Department and Russell Country Drug Task Force conducted the investigation.
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.
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Grass Valley Woman Sentenced to Jail for Trespassing at Beale Air Force BaseRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Today, after a one-day bench trial, Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Carolyn K. Delaney found Shirley L. Osgood, 76, of Grass Valley, guilty of two-counts of unauthorized entry onto a military installation and sentenced her to five days in jail, 100 hours of community service, and a one-year term of probation, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to evidence presented at trial, Osgood was arrested on Oct. 19, 2023, and again on March 14, 2024, after entering onto Beale Air Force Base without lawful authority. On both dates, Osgood was specifically advised that she was trespassing on the base, but she ignored law enforcement commands to stay off base property. Osgood testified at trial and admitted that she knew that she was trespassing and that she was not authorized to enter onto the base. Osgood said that she was protesting and trespassed because she wanted to speak to the base commander.
Osgood has previously been arrested and convicted for trespassing on Beale Air Force Base. In 2013, Osgood was convicted in federal court for trespassing at the base, and she was barred from entering.
This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Air Force Security Forces. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Lee prosecuted the case.
Gang member sentenced for possessing grenades and firearmRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A self-admitted member of the Westside gang has been sentenced for possessing destructive devices and utilizing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking activity, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Jamez Aaron Sandoval, 26, of San Juan, pleaded guilty on Sept. 19.
U.S. Chief District Judge Randy Crane has now imposed a total sentence of 120 months in the Bureau of Prisons to be immediately followed by 3 years of supervised release. At the hearing, the Court learned Sandoval attempted to make a homemade grenade, carried a firearm during a grenade transaction and recorded himself firing fully automatic weapons. In handing down the prison terms, Judge Crane noted that Sandoval promoted violence with his social media post of an individual firing a firearm equipped with a machinegun conversion device towards law enforcement.
On Aug. 1, authorities arrested Sandoval after he purchased two grenade-style destructive devices from an ATF undercover agent. Law enforcement then conducted a search of his residence and found cocaine, marijuana, drug dealing paraphernalia as well as firearms. Sandoval previously sold law enforcement machinegun conversion devices before asking to purchase the grenades.
Further investigation revealed Sandoval used a firearm found in the residence for protection during the commission of drug trafficking activities.
Sandoval has been and will remain in custody pending his transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Texas Department of Public Safety, and Alamo Police Department conducted the joint investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cahal P. McColgan prosecuted the case as part of the joint federal, state and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program. In May 2021, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced a new effort to reduce violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. Integral to that effort was the reinvigoration of PSN, a two-decade old, evidence-based and community-oriented program focused on reducing violent crime. The updated PSN approach, outlined in the department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime is guided by four key principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.
Former police officer and felon admits to illegally possessing firearmRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 44-year-old resident of McAllen has pleaded guilty to unlawfully being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
On June 25, 2023, Michael Gallegos-Martinez was driving a Cadillac CTS when he failed to come to a complete stop. Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop, at which time they noticed Gallegos-Martinez appeared nervous. He claimed there were no firearms or narcotics within the vehicle. However, a K-9 alerted, and authorities conducted search of the vehicle which resulted in the discovery of a firearm Rossi, Model 461, .357 caliber magnum revolver in a grocery bag hanging from the gear shift. They also discovered 25 grams of cocaine, a bottle of Xanax pills and approximately $25,000 in cash.
The investigation revealed Gallegos-Martinez had previously served as a police officer before being convicted of a felony for possession of a controlled substance. As a felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition per federal law.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane accepted the plea and has set sentencing for Feb. 2, 2025. At that time, Gallegos-Martinez faces up to 15 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with assistance from the Alamo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose A. Garcia is prosecuting the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Former local police officer sentenced to more than 5 years in prison for conspiring to traffic drugsRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A former Columbus police officer was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 65 months in prison for conspiring with another police officer to traffic more than eight kilograms of fentanyl and for conspiring with a confidential informant to traffic 40 kilograms of cocaine.
John J. Kotchkoski, 36, of Marengo, Ohio, conspired to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
“Failing to uphold his oath to serve the residents of this great community, Kotchkoski forever stained his badge, not the badge of all the incredible men and women of the Columbus Division of Police. He should be held accountable for his misdeeds. This sentence of more than five years in prison for conspiring to distribute this poison in our community should send a message to every member of law enforcement that any such failure to uphold our oath to the community will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker.
According to court documents, from at least June 2021 through his September 2021 arrest, while assigned to investigate drug crimes, Kotchkoski conspired with a fellow Columbus police officer and with a confidential informant to illegally traffic drugs.
Kotchkoski provided the confidential informant approximately 40 kilograms of cocaine to be sold and then kept most of the proceeds.
The defendant conspired with the other officer to receive a portion of the drug proceeds made from selling kilogram quantities of fentanyl. For example, on at least three occasions, the coconspirator distributed fentanyl to another individual and accepted $32,500 for approximately one of the kilograms of fentanyl. Kotchkoski received a portion of these drug proceeds.
In late August 2021, Kotchkoski expected to receive an additional portion of drug proceeds for more than eight kilograms of fentanyl being provided by his coconspirator but was arrested before he was able to do so.
Kotchkoski pleaded guilty to a bill of information in April 2022.
As part of his conviction, Kotchkoski will forfeit a Cadillac Escalade, a Chevrolet Corvette, more than 20 firearms and a money judgment totaling half a million dollars.
Coconspirator Marco R. Merino was sentenced in February 2023 to nine years in prison.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant; Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and the FBI’s Public Corruption Task Force, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorney Peter K. Glenn-Applegate and Elizabeth A. Geraghty are representing the United States in this case.
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Florida Physician Assistant Pleads Guilty to a $7.3 Million Health Care Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Florida man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Concord for his role in a conspiracy to defraud Medicare of $7.3 million, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Shane Jordan, 38, of Orlando, Florida, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Laplante scheduled sentencing for March 13, 2025. Jordan was charged on September 20, 2024.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Jordan was a physician assistant licensed in multiple jurisdictions, including New Hampshire. From February 2021 until May 2024, Jordan worked for a Florida-based telemedicine company and agreed to electronically sign doctor’s orders for cancer genetic testing regardless of the medical necessity for the testing, in the absence of a pre-existing medical provider-patient relationship with the Medicare beneficiary, and frequently based solely on a short telephone conversation. Jordan was paid approximately $25 per patient telemedicine “consultation” – totaling more than $212,000. The doctor’s orders signed by Jordan were then used to submit more than $7.3 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for cancer genetic testing.
The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the pecuniary gain. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General led the investigation. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack and Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Ward are prosecuting the case.
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Federal Inmate Admits to Stabbing, SentencedRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Sean Robin Howard, 22, an inmate at Federal Correctional Institution Hazelton in Bruceton Mills, West Virginia, was sentenced to 36 months in prison for stabbing another inmate.
Howard pled guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon resulting in serious bodily injury. According to court documents, Howard was involved in a verbal dispute with another inmate in a housing unit. Howard stabbed the inmate in the neck area and caused a serious wound. The inmate was transported to a hospital and was treated for his injuries.
Howard’s sentence is to be served consecutively to his current sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Flower prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Environmental Manager Sentenced to Prison for Stealing from EmployerRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, Ga. - Michael Mayfield has been sentenced to prison for defrauding his employer of over $1.2 million.
“Mayfield devised a false invoicing scheme to betray and defraud his employer of more than $1 million,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “This sentencing sends a clear message to others that our office is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to hold criminals accountable for stealing from employers who trust them.”
“Mayfield betrayed the trust his company had in him then used the fraudulently gained money for personal use and to try and build his reputation in the community,” said FBI Atlanta’s Acting Special Agent in Charge Sean Burke. “Our agents work every day to hold criminals like Mayfield accountable for their actions.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Michael Mayfield was an environmental manager at the Mars Wrigley factory in Flowery Branch, Georgia. In that role, he oversaw the Health, Safety, and Environmental and Recycling Programs.
The recycling waste produced at the factory was valuable and companies often made direct payments or sent Mars Wrigley rebate checks after disposal of the material. But unbeknownst to Mars Wrigley, Mayfield diverted the checks to his own company, WWJ Recycling. The fraudulently obtained checks totaled over $500,000. Mayfield used the funds to pay for hunting trips worth more than $100,000, a donation to his church for more than $80,000, and more than $200,000 in personal checks.
Mayfield also directed his co-conspirator to create false invoices from ASA Safety Supply, a supplier to Mars Wrigley. The co-conspirator sent the invoiced items to Mayfield for his personal use and then submitted false invoices from ASA Safety Supply to Mars Wrigley for payment. The purchased items included football supplies for the Flowery Branch High School football team, such as cleats and clothing, improvements to the stadium, tickets to a University of Georgia football game, and gift cards. These false invoices totaled over $199,000.
Mayfield also sent invoices from WWJ Recycling to ASA Safety Supply. His co-conspirator directed ASA Safety Supply to pay those invoices and then submit the false invoices to Mars Wrigley for payment for work that was not done. The WWJ Recycle invoices totaled over $750,000.
Mayfield engaged in this scheme from as early as December 2016 until sometime in 2022. Ultimately, Mars paid over $1.2 million because of Mayfield’s fraudulent scheme.
Michael Mayfield, 55, of Flowery Branch, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard W. Story to three years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,269,457.56. Mayfield was convicted of these charges on August 19, 2024, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Huber prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
El Departamento de Justicia demanda a un propietario de propiedades de alquiler de Kentucky por acoso sexualRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha entablado una demanda contra Joseph E. Johnson, también conocido como Joe Johnson, propietario y operador de propiedades de alquiler en Lexington, Kentucky, por acoso sexual y represalias, en contra de la ley de Vivienda Justa.
“Durante décadas, este propietario utilizó su posición de poder para acosar sexualmente a mujeres vulnerables que simplemente querían un techo sobre su cabeza”, afirmó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. “Las mujeres no deben vivir con miedo cuando pagan su alquiler o buscan reparaciones. El Departamento de Justicia continuará haciendo cumplir con firmeza la prohibición de esta conducta en virtud de la ley de Vivienda Justa”.
“El acoso sexual en la vivienda priva a sus víctimas de la seguridad que se supone que una casa les debe proporcionar”, declaró Carlton S. Shier, IV, el Fiscal Federal para el Distrito Este de Kentucky. “Esto hace que la aplicación convincente de la ley de Vivienda Justa sea fundamental para garantizar que las víctimas puedan obtener compensación por esta conducta tan imperdonable y buscar un hogar seguro para sus familias”.
La demanda, presentada en el Tribunal Federal de Distrito para el Distrito Este de Kentucky, alega que durante décadas, Johnson ha acosado sexualmente a numerosas inquilinas. De acuerdo con la queja, Johnson ha ofrecido beneficios relacionados con la vivienda a cambio de contacto sexual, ha hecho comentarios y avances sexuales no deseados a inquilinas, ha sometido a inquilinas a contacto y manoseo no deseados y ha tomado medidas adversas relacionadas con la vivienda contra inquilinas que rechazaron sus insinuaciones sexuales y no tomó ninguna medida correctiva al enterarse de conductas acosadoras por parte de uno o más de sus empleados.
La demanda, que es el resultado de un esfuerzo de investigación conjunto del Departamento de Justicia con la Oficina del Inspector General del Departamento de Vivienda y Desarrollo Urbano (HUD, por sus siglas en inglés), busca daños monetarios para compensar a las personas perjudicadas por el supuesto acoso, una sanción civil contra el demandado para vindicar el interés público y una orden judicial que prohíbe la discriminación futura.
“Es inaceptable que los propietarios amenacen con o cometan actos de acoso sexual o abuso contra las inquilinas”, dijo la Inspectora General del HUD, Rae Oliver Davis. “El demandado supuestamente se aprovechó de inquilinas vulnerables y tomó represalias contra ellas cuando rechazaron sus insinuaciones sexuales. Mi oficina continuará trabajando con nuestros socios de aplicación de la ley para responsabilizar a los proveedores de vivienda por este tipo de conducta horrible”.
El Departamento de Justicia lanzó su Iniciativa contra el acoso sexual en la vivienda en octubre del 2017. La iniciativa, dirigida por la División de Derechos Civiles en coordinación con las Fiscalías Federales por todo el país, busca abordar y aumentar la concientización sobre el acoso sexual por parte de propietarios, administradores de propiedades, trabajadores de mantenimiento, oficiales de préstamos u otras personas que tienen control sobre la vivienda. Desde el lanzamiento de la iniciativa, el Departamento de Justicia ha presentado 47 demandas que alegan acoso sexual en la vivienda, así recuperando daños y sanciones civiles de aquellos que infringen la ley.
La ley de Vivienda Justa prohíbe la discriminación en las viviendas por motivos de raza, color de piel, religión, nacionalidad, sexo, discapacidad y situación familiar. Hay más información sobre la División de Derechos Civiles y las leyes que hace cumplir en su sitio web en www.justice.gov/crt.
Aquellas personas que crean que pueden haber sido víctimas de acoso sexual u otros tipos de discriminación en la vivienda en viviendas de alquiler de los que Joe Johnson es propietario o administrador, o que tienen otra información que puede ser relevante para este caso, deben comunicarse con la línea informativa para discriminación en la vivienda al 1-833-591-0291, seleccionar 1 para inglés y seleccionar la opción número 2 y luego la opción número 00 para dejar un mensaje. Para dejar un mensaje en español, hay que seleccionar 2 para español, seleccionar la opción número 1 y luego la opción número 009 para dejar un mensaje. También se puede enviar un correo electrónico al Departamento de Justicia a [email protected] o entregar un informe en línea. Los informes también se pueden realizar comunicándose con el HUD al 1-800-669-9777 o rellenando una queja en línea.
Eastern Panhandle Man Sentenced for Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Steven James Priore, 41, of Hedgesville, West Virginia, was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for the possession of child pornography.
According to court documents, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a cyber tip of uploaded child pornography from an email address traced back to Priore. A search of Priore’s home resulted in the seizure of devices that contained images and videos depicting child pornography.
Prior was also ordered to pay $65,000 in restitution. He will serve supervised release for life following his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley Crockett prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The West Virginia State Police investigated.
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 Justice.gov/PSC.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Deputy Attorney General Announces over 50 Actions to Reduce the Risk of Suicide for Adults in the Department’s CustodyRead the Press Release
Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco today announced over 50 new actions the Justice Department will take to reduce the risk of death by suicide of adults who are detained or incarcerated in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) or Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP). These actions follow from recommendations developed by a working group of experts, from across the Department, tasked by the Deputy Attorney General with creating a multifaceted approach to reducing the risk of suicide and self-directed violence among those in the Department’s care and custody.
The Justice Department’s mission to uphold the rule of law, keep our country safe, and protect civil rights includes safely and humanely caring for those in its custody. While the Department has long worked to reduce the risk of suicide in the populations it serves, too many individuals die by suicide in federal custody while they await trial or serve a sentence. Even though the suicide mortality rate in federal custody is generally lower than that in local jails and state prisons, the Department must strive to avert every preventable death of an individual in its custody.
As detailed in the “Report on Actions to Reduce the Risk of Suicide by Adults in Federal Custody and Advance a Culture of Safety” issued today, the Deputy Attorney General directed components to take corresponding action to implement the following five objectives to improve suicide prevention policy and protocols for individuals in the Department’s custody:
- Focusing prevention efforts through enhanced information sharing;
- Improving access and delivery of suicide prevention-related care;
- Promoting a healthy culture in facilities for employees and adults in custody;
- Reducing opportunity for and lethality of incidents of self-directed violence; and
- Using data and research to refine suicide prevention policies.
“The Department of Justice is committed to protecting the health and safety of every individual in our custody,” said Deputy Attorney General Monaco. “Today’s reforms — recommended by experts from across the Department’s litigation, law enforcement, and policy operations — will reduce the risk of suicide among adults in federal facilities. Simply put, these measures can help us save lives. I’m grateful not only to our Department experts, but also to the research, law enforcement, judicial, and suicide prevention organizations and advocates that contributed to this effort.”
The report was developed following a comprehensive review by experts from USMS, FBOP, the Civil Rights Division, Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, National Institute of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Justice Management Division, Office of Legal Policy, and Office of the Deputy Attorney General. The review also included consultation with the Office of Inspector General, which recently completed an evaluation of inmate deaths at FBOP institutions and has identified institutional safety and security as a critical Department challenge.
In addition to reviewing existing policy, independent research, and data, the Department convened listening sessions with external experts and partners — including:
- Researchers who specialize in suicide prevention in custodial settings;
- Representatives from federal, state, and local law enforcement from across government;
- Representatives from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts as well as federal defender and national defense counsel organizations; and
- Suicide prevention and prison reform organizations that advocate on behalf of individuals in the Department’s custody.
DOJ sends nearly $12 million to Washington State for drug treatment programsRead the Press Release
Seattle – Nearly $12 million is headed to Washington State from the Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs (OJP) to support drug treatment programs statewide, in specific counties, and tribal communities, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman.
“These DOJ grants recognize the need for treatment in our state, and also highlight the good work being done here to break the cycle of addiction,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “It is a competitive process to get this funding and I congratulate the counties, tribes and organizations who successfully applied for these grants.”
The largest award, $7 million, is to the Washington State Health Care Authority to bolster and support substance use treatment programs in the community as well as in state jails and correctional institutions. The grant also pays for opioid overdose training for law enforcement and a peer mentoring program for those leaving prison with substance use disorder.
Pierce County was awarded $1.6 million to improve substance abuse treatment options in rural areas. The program will focus on justice involved adults. The results will be studied for best practices.
Grays Harbor County was awarded $1 million to enhance the Substance Use Disorder (SUD) treatment available in the Grays Harbor County Jail. With these additional grant funds, the county will provide mental health as well as substance use disorder treatment and will work with the Coastal Community Action Program to make services available to those transitioning from jail and prison to the community.
The private non-profit Progress House Association was awarded $833,000 to enhance treatment and recovery services for 170 people across King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Thurston Counties who are currently incarcerated. The funding will enhance treatment for substance use disorder as well as co-occurring mental health disorders.
Finally, two tribal nations were awarded grants for their substance use and mental health treatment programs.
The Tulalip Tribes of Washington was awarded $718,151 to expand the Tulalip Tribes Family Wellness Court. The money will provide for a dedicated Social Worker and Recovery Support specialist to provide services directly to families impacted by substance abuse disorder. The goal is to reunify families and reduce the number of children in long-term out of home care.
The Lummi Nation received $550,000 to implement a Mental Health Court for tribal citizens impacted by both mental health challenges and substance use disorder. The program is designed to enhance treatment support with integrated treatment plans.
Cuba couple arrested, charged with operating marijuana grow operationRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Daniel S. Ackerman, 58, and Ana L. Maldonado-Delgado, 31, both of Cuba, NY, were arrested and charged by criminal complaint with manufacture and possession with intent to distribute 100 or more marijuana plants, which carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years, and a $5,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Donna Duncan, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, the Cuba Police Department became aware of an operation cultivating marijuana for large scale distribution and launched an investigation. On October 10, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Ackerman and Maldonado-Delgado’s Farnsworth Road residence. During the search, it was apparent that marijuana was being grown on a large scale, processed, and packaged. Investigators seized 475 growing marijuana plants, 124 dried marijuana plants, a large quantity of processed marijuana, 10 glass jars containing liquid concentrated cannabis, a 9mm pistol, suspected psilocybin mushrooms, two cell phones and drug paraphernalia.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division, the Cuba Police Department, under the direction of Chief Dustin Burch, the Allegany County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Scott Cicirello, the Olean Police Department, under the direction of Chief Ron Richardson, and the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Timothy Whitcomb.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Convicted Drug Dealer Pleads Guilty to Escaping Halfway HouseRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Dyshawn Fisher, age 29, of Troy, New York, pled guilty today to escaping from the Horizon House Residential Reentry Center on October 1, 2024. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and David L. McNulty, United States Marshal for the Northern District of New York, made the announcement.
Fisher admitted that on November 25, 2020, he was sentenced in federal court to 75 months in prison following his conviction by guilty plea to numerous felonies, including possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. On October 10, 2023, while serving that sentence, Fisher was transferred by the Bureau of Prisons to the Horizon House in Albany. On October 1, 2024, Fisher left the Horizon House without the approval that he knew he needed and remained at large in the community until October 17, 2024, when he was arrested in Cohoes, New York.
Fisher is scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci on April 2, 2025. He faces a maximum term of 5 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
The United States Marshals Service is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin S. Clark is prosecuting the case.
Columbia Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Trafficking, Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Columbia, Mo., man who distributed thousands of fentanyl pills pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing fentanyl and several firearms.
Keaveon Zaniyah T. Harris, 25, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr., to one count of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
By pleading guilty today, Harris admitted that he was in possession of hundreds of fentanyl pills and several firearms when he was stopped by Columbia police officers on May 10, 2023. Officers searched his vehicle during the traffic stop and found a bag near the middle console that contained 832 fake Percocet pills, which were actually fentanyl, as well as multiple broken pills. Officers also found 105 additional pills in a pill bottle near the shifter, and a cigarette package that contained about 15 crushed pills.
On the passenger side rear floorboard, officers found a loaded Taurus revolver and a loaded Springfield 9mm handgun with a drum magazine. On the driver’s side rear floorboard, officers found a Zastava Drako pistol.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Harris has a prior felony conviction for stealing.
When investigators searched Harris’s phone, they found evidence that he was selling thousands of fentanyl pills to multiple customers. Messages indicated his partner traveled to Arizona at least twice to purchase fake Percocet pills, then mailed them to Harris in Columbia. Three packages of fake Percocet pills mailed to Harris weighed a total of approximately 4.8 kilograms.
Under federal statutes, Harris is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 35 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa A. Pierce. It was investigated by the Columbia, Mo., Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
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.
Ciudadano peruano extraditado por facilitar una red de centros de atención telefónica que amenazaban y estafaban a consumidores estadounidenses de habla hispanaRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia y el Servicio de Inspección Postal de los Estados Unidos (USPIS, por sus siglas en inglés) anunciaron hoy que un residente de Lima, Perú, fue extraditado a los Estados Unidos y fue procesado ante un tribunal federal de Miami en el día de la fecha, tras ser acusado de facilitar redes de fraude en las que actuaron varios centros de atención telefónica peruanos y que estafaron a víctimas de todos los Estados Unidos.
David Cornejo Fernández, de 36 años y natural de Lima, Perú, enfrentará cargos federales de fraude electrónico, extorsión y conspiración. Las autoridades peruanas detuvieron a Cornejo el 17 de mayo en virtud de una solicitud de extradición estadounidense, momento desde el cual se encuentra detenido.
Según la acusación formal presentada, desde noviembre de 2012 hasta junio de 2019, el acusado suministró líneas telefónicas a través de internet, servicios de suplantación de identidad de llamadas y funciones de grabación a centros de llamadas fraudulentos. Cornejo facilitó a sus cómplices en Perú la tecnología necesaria para hacer llamadas fraudulentas y extorsivas a personas vulnerables de habla hispana en los Estados Unidos. Los cómplices mentían a las víctimas diciéndoles que habían sido elegidas para recibir un premio, por ejemplo, una tablet que incluía un curso de inglés. Muchas víctimas manifestaron su interés en recibir los premios. En llamadas posteriores, se exigía a las víctimas pagos cuantiosos para recibir los premios. Ante la negación de las víctimas, las personas que llamaban afirmaban falsamente que, si no pagaban, afrontarían graves consecuencias, como procesos judiciales, detenciones o perjuicios a su condición migratoria. Los autores de las llamadas fingían ser abogados, funcionarios judiciales, agentes federales y policías para amenazar e intimidar a las víctimas y obligarlas a realizar los pagos.
Cornejo facilitó a sus cómplices el software (y, en ocasiones, la capacitación) para fingir, de manera convincente, que eran funcionarios públicos y extorsionar a las víctimas. Con la tecnología aportada por Cornejo, los cómplices manipularon los números de teléfono de los identificadores de llamadas de las víctimas, lo que les permitió hacer llamadas intimidatorias que simulaban proceder de agencias federales estadounidenses, funcionarios judiciales o autoridades policiales. Cornejo también instaló grabaciones en las líneas telefónicas entrantes de sus cómplices que aparentaban ser grabaciones genuinas de tribunales, departamentos de policía y agencias federales estadounidenses, incluido el Servicio de Ciudadanía e Inmigración de los Estados Unidos (USCIS, por sus siglas en inglés). Estas grabaciones aumentaban la supuesta legitimidad de las llamadas intimidatorias y se utilizaban para extorsionar a consumidores vulnerables del Distrito Sur de Florida y de todos los Estados Unidos.
El fiscal general interino de los Estados Unidos, Brian M. Boynton, jefe de la División Civil del Departamento de Justicia, declaró: «La Subdivisión de Protección del Consumidor del Departamento de Justicia perseguirá y procesará a los delincuentes transnacionales que intenten aprovecharse de los consumidores vulnerables de los Estados Unidos. El Departamento de Justicia y las autoridades policiales estadounidenses seguirán colaborando estrechamente con sus socios policiales en todo el mundo para frustrar a los delincuentes que estafan y extorsionan a víctimas estadounidenses desde fuera de Estados Unidos. Agradezco a la República del Perú y a su policía nacional por ayudarnos en la extradición de esta persona a fin de que afronte los cargos aquí en los Estados Unidos».
El fiscal federal del Distrito Sur de Florida, Markenzy Lapointe, manifestó que «la jurisdicción extraterritorial de la justicia de nuestro país no conoce límites a la hora de encontrar a los estafadores que se aprovechan de los habitantes más vulnerables de nuestra nación, entre ellos, las personas mayores y los nuevos inmigrantes. No permitiremos que los delincuentes transnacionales utilicen tácticas de miedo e intimidación para robar el dinero de los ciudadanos a los que prestamos servicio. Aquellos que defrauden a los consumidores estadounidenses responderán ante la justicia, sin importar dónde se encuentren».
Según las declaraciones del inspector a cargo de la División Miami del USPIS, Juan A. Vargas, «la comparecencia inicial de David Cornejo Fernández en el día de la fecha es una prueba contundente del compromiso conjunto del Servicio de Inspección Postal de los Estados Unidos, la División de Protección al Consumidor del Departamento de Justicia y la Fiscalía del Distrito Sur de Florida, que no se detendrán ante nada para juzgar a quienes atentan contra nuestros ciudadanos. Quisiera agradecer a la República de Perú y a todos nuestros colaboradores en las fuerzas del orden que trabajan sin descanso para combatir estas redes transnacionales que buscan estafar a los consumidores estadounidenses. Juntos seguimos enviando un mensaje firme: la justicia no tiene fronteras y esta colaboración entre países demuestra los esfuerzos por preservar el Estado de derecho».
En febrero de 2023, se presentó una acusación formal federal de seis cargos contra el acusado en el Tribunal de Distrito de los EE. UU. para el distrito Sur de Florida, cuyo contenido fue revelado tras la extradición a los Estados Unidos. Los cargos contra el acusado son de conspiración, fraude electrónico y extorsión. Una acusación formal se limita a alegar que se han cometido delitos; de ser declarado culpable, Cornejo enfrenta una pena máxima de 20 años de prisión. Un juez de un tribunal federal de distrito dictará sentencia después de evaluar las directrices federales para la imposición de penas de los Estados Unidos y demás cuestiones legales.
Todos los acusados se presumen inocentes hasta que se demuestre su culpabilidad más allá de toda duda razonable.
El caso está a cargo de Phil Toomajian, abogado litigante sénior y coordinador de litigios penales transnacionales, junto con la abogada litigante Carolyn Rice, de la División de Protección al Consumidor del Departamento de Justicia.
El USPIS investigó el caso y contó con la ayuda fundamental de la Oficina de Asuntos Internacionales del Departamento de Justicia, la Fiscalía del Distrito Sur de Florida, el Servicio de Seguridad Diplomática del Departamento de Estado, el Servicio de Marshals de Estados Unidos, la Policía Nacional del Perú y el Ministerio Público del Perú.
El Departamento de Justicia continúa investigando y presentando cargos en otros casos similares relacionados con amenazas contra residentes hispanohablantes de los Estados Unidos. Si usted o alguien que conoce es mayor de 60 y ha sido víctima de fraude financiero, puede comunicarse con la línea directa nacional contra el fraude a personas mayores: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311), donde tendrá a su disposición profesionales experimentados en este tipo de delitos. La línea directa del Departamento de Justicia, gestionada por la Oficina para las Víctimas de Delitos, puede brindar ayuda personalizada a las víctimas mediane la evaluación de las necesidades de la víctima e identificación de los pasos que se deben seguir. Los coordinadores de casos identificarán los organismos de denuncia adecuados, brindarán información a las víctimas para ayudarlas a presentar la denuncia, las pondrán en contacto directamente con los organismos correspondientes y les brindarán recursos y referencias, según cada caso en particular. El primer paso es presentar una denuncia; esto puede ayudar a las autoridades a identificar a quienes cometen fraude. La denuncia inmediata de las pérdidas económicas por fraude puede aumentar la probabilidad de recuperar las pérdidas. La línea directa está abierta de lunes a viernes de 10.00 a. m. a 6:00 p. m., hora del este, y está disponible en inglés, español y otros idiomas.
Puede consultar la página web de la Iniciativa de Justicia para Personas Mayores para obtener más información sobre las medidas del Departamento a fin de ayudar a las personas mayores estadounidenses. Para obtener más información sobre la División de Protección al Consumidor y las medidas adoptadas para lograr el cumplimiento de la normativa, visite el sitio web www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Los consumidores pueden presentar las denuncias ante la Comisión Federal de Comercio (FTC, por sus siglas en inglés) en reportfraud.ftc.gov/ o llamando al 877-FTC-HELP. El Departamento de Justicia ofrece una variedad de recursos relacionados con la victimización por fraude de personas mayores a través de su Oficina para las Víctimas de Delitos, a la que se puede acceder en www.ovc.gov
Para más información sobre la División de Protección al Consumidor y sus medidas de lucha contra el fraude, visite su sitio web en www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.Celsius Founder and Former CEO Alexander Mashinsky Pleads Guilty to Multi-Billion Dollar Fraud and Market Manipulation SchemesRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that ALEXANDER MASHINSKY, the founder and former Chief Executive Officer of Celsius Network LLC and their affiliated entities (collectively, “Celsius”), pled guilty to one count of committing commodities fraud and one count of committing securities fraud in connection with two fraudulent schemes at Celsius, the purported “bank” of the crypto industry. In the first scheme, MASHINSKY misled Celsius’s customers about core aspects of the company he founded, including Celsius’s success and profitability and the nature of the investments Celsius made using customer funds. In the second scheme, MASHINSKY illicitly manipulated the price of CEL, Celsius’s proprietary crypto token, while he was secretly selling his own CEL token at artificially inflated prices. As part of his plea, MASHINSKY has agreed to forfeit over $48 million in proceeds from his illegal schemes. MASHINSKY pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge John G. Koeltl.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Alexander Mashinsky orchestrated one of the biggest frauds in the crypto industry. He lured ordinary, retail crypto investors into investing billions of dollars in Celsius with false promises that their investments were low-risk. Using catchy slogans like ‘Unbank Yourself,’ Mashinsky promised that Celsius would keep customers’ crypto as safe as money in a bank, but that, unlike a bank, Celsius returned most of the profits from its business back to users. In reality, Celsius was never profitable. To disguise the flaws in his business model, Mashinsky put investors’ money into riskier and riskier bets, and secretly used customer money to prop up the price of CEL token. Mashinsky made tens of millions of dollars selling his own CEL at artificially high prices, while his customers were left holding the bag when the company went bankrupt. Today’s convictions reflect this Office’s commitment to holding fraudsters like Mashinsky accountable for their crimes.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment and statements made in public filings and in public court proceedings:
Celsius was a crypto asset platform that, among other things, allowed its customers to earn returns on their crypto assets in the form of weekly “rewards” payments, to take loans secured by their crypto assets, and to custody their crypto assets. Celsius billed itself as the “safest place for your crypto” and urged potential customers to “unbank” themselves by moving their crypto assets to Celsius. Celsius’s primary public offering was its “Earn” program, through which Celsius offered to deploy customers’ crypto assets to generate investment returns. In addition to its Earn program, Celsius offered retail investors a “Custody” program and a “Borrow” program, which allowed customers to receive retail loans in exchange for posting their crypto assets as collateral with Celsius.
MASHINSKY directly marketed Celsius to retail customers located in the U.S. and abroad. Throughout his tenure as CEO of Celsius, MASHINSKY repeatedly made public misrepresentations regarding core aspects of Celsius’s business and financial condition in order to induce retail customers to provide their crypto assets to Celsius and continue to use Celsius’s services. MASHINSKY misrepresented, among other things, the safety of Celsius’s yield-generating activities, Celsius’s profitability, the long-term sustainability of Celsius’s high rewards rates, and the risks associated with depositing crypto assets with Celsius.
As MASHINSKY falsely portrayed Celsius as a safe and secure institution, Celsius’s customer base grew exponentially. Many of those customers were retail investors rather than large institutions. By in or about the fall of 2021, Celsius had grown to become one of the largest crypto platforms in the world, purportedly holding approximately $25 billion in assets at its peak.
MASHINSKY and others working at Celsius also orchestrated a yearslong scheme to mislead customers and market participants regarding the market value and interest in Celsius’s proprietary crypto token CEL. They did so by manipulating the price of CEL through causing Celsius to spend hundreds of millions of dollars purchasing CEL in the open market with the objective of artificially supporting and inflating the price of CEL. At various times during MASHINSKY’s tenure, MASHINSKY and his co-conspirators also caused Celsius to use its own customer deposits to fund these market purchases of CEL in order to prop up CEL’s price, without disclosing this fact to Celsius’s customers.
Without Celsius’s aggressive and illegal price manipulation, the price of CEL would have been drastically lower. As Roni Cohen-Pavon, Celsius’s Chief Revenue Officer who previously pled guilty to illegally manipulating the price of CEL, wrote to MASHINSKY in a private message exchanged during the scheme: “[T]he issue is that people are selling [CEL] and no one is buying except for us,” adding, “[t]he main problem was that the value was fake and was based on us spending millions (~8M a week and even more until February 2020) just to keep it where it is.”
To further the scheme to manipulate CEL, MASHINSKY also repeatedly made false and misleading public statements concerning the nature of Celsius’s market activity and the extent to which Celsius itself was responsible for artificially supporting and inflating the price of CEL. In certain instances, MASHINSKY and other Celsius executives also personally purchased CEL for the purpose of artificially supporting CEL’s price.
Artificially inflating the price of CEL allowed MASHINSKY to sell his own CEL holdings for a substantial profit. MASHINSKY personally reaped approximately $48 million in proceeds from his sales of CEL. At various times, MASHINSKY made false and misleading public statements about his own sales of CEL, claiming that he was not selling CEL, when, in reality, he was taking advantage of the upward price manipulation he had orchestrated by contemporaneously selling huge quantities of his CEL on the market, including, on occasion, to Celsius itself.
In the lead up to the June 12, 2022 “Pause” of Celsius customer withdrawals, MASHINSKY continued to assure Celsius customers that Celsius was in a strong financial position and had sufficient liquidity to meet all customer withdrawal demands. Even as he made these statements, however, MASHINSKY had removed approximately $8 million worth of his own non-CEL crypto assets from the Celsius platform.
On June 12, 2022 Celsius announced it was halting all customer withdrawals from the Celsius platform, at which time hundreds of thousands of Celsius customers—many of whom were retail investors—still had approximately $4.7 billion worth of crypto assets on the Celsius platform, none of which they could access. On or about July 13, 2022, Celsius filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
If you believe you have been a victim of the schemes described above, and you wish to provide information to law enforcement with connection to sentencing or to receive additional information, please contact Wendy Olsen-Clancy, the Victim Witness Coordinator at the United States Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of New York, at 866-874-8900 or [email protected].
* * *
MASHINSKY, 58, of New York, New York, pled guilty to one count of commodities fraud and one count of securities fraud, which combined carry a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. MASHINSKY is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Koeltl on April 8, 2024.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mr. Williams also thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, each of which has filed a parallel civil action.
The case is being overseen by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter J. Davis, Adam S. Hobson, Allison Nichols, and Noah Solowiejczyk are in charge of the prosecution.
Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and CocaineRead the Press Release
A man who committed a drug trafficking offense was sentenced today to 14 years in federal prison.
Darryl Fonte Jackson, age 51, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 1, 2024 guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that, on July 25, 2022, law enforcement officers utilized a confidential informant to purchase methamphetamine and synthetic cannabinoids from Jackson. About a week later, officers searched Jackson’s home and place of work. At his home, officers located methamphetamine, marijuana, cocaine, and synthetic cannabinoids. At his place of work, officers located methamphetamine, cocaine, and a loaded firearm. Jackson was previously convicted in 2006 for federal drug and gun crimes.
Jackson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Jackson was sentenced to 168 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a ten-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Jackson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was investigated by the High Risk Unit of the Sixth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff's Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-69.
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Cary Businessman Sentenced to Prison for over $1 Million in Tax Evasion SchemeRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Arturo Barcenas Gonzalez, a Cary businessman, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for evading over $1 million in federal taxes. In addition to his prison sentence, Barcenas was ordered to pay restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in an amount to be determined at a later date.
“We are turbocharging white collar enforcement in North Carolina with groundbreaking state and federal partnerships,” said U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. “This businessman’s convoluted scheme involved titling cars for cash and using that cash to creatively conceal his income and fuel a lifestyle complete with high-end vehicles and a million-dollar home. This partnership with NC Division of Motor Vehicles, Homeland Security Investigations, and the NC Department of Insurance worked together seamlessly with IRS to build the case.”
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Barcenas operated multiple businesses in Cary, including Barcenas Insurance Agency, LLC (BIA) and Barcenas Financial Services, LLC (BFS). BIA, a retail insurance provider, offered both traditional and automotive insurance policies. Investigations revealed that BIA operated a high-volume, cash-intensive business that included registering and titling vehicles for undocumented individuals using fraudulent business names and certificates. BFS, on the other hand, specialized in tax return preparation for federal and state filings.
The investigation disclosed that in July 2018, Barcenas filed a falsified 2017 federal income tax return that concealed over $300,000 in business revenue. Subsequent evidence showed Barcenas stopped filing tax returns entirely after that year, despite generating receipts exceeding $1 million annually between 2018 and 2022. To evade IRS scrutiny, Barcenas used various methods, such as titling assets under nominees, depositing business proceeds into personal accounts, and handling large amounts of cash to conceal income. Barcenas used his untaxed gains to fund his personal lifestyle, including the purchase of high-end vehicles and a $1 million residence.
In May 2023, federal agents executed a search warrant at Barcenas’s Cary offices. The operation led to the recovery of multiple income-related documents indicating that Barcenas had misled federal investigators in prior interactions. The total estimated tax loss attributable to his actions amounted to over $1 million for the tax years 2018 through 2021.
Michael F. Easley, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after the sentencing by United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. IRS-Criminal Investigation, based in Raleigh, investigated the case. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the North Carolina Department of Insurance, and the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles also provided valuable assistance.
Assistant United States Attorney Adam F. Hulbig prosecuted the case for the government.
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-376-FL.
Canadian Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison for Telemarketing FraudRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Nemr Hallak was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for his role in a large-scale “Yellow Pages” telemarketing fraud scheme that he and others orchestrated from Canada. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Edward M. Chen, Senior U.S. District Judge.
Hallak, 43, of Quebec, Canada, was indicted by a federal grand jury in 2016 on charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, mail fraud, and wire fraud. He was initially arrested in Greece in 2016, and was re-arrested and extradited to the United States in late 2023. Hallak pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud on Sept. 12, 2024.
In his plea agreement, Hallak admitted that he conspired with co-defendants and others to carry out a “business directory” telemarketing scheme. Using a variety of means, including false and misleading cold calls and false invoices, Hallak and his co-conspirators caused victims to pay for business directory services they neither ordered nor received. Co-defendants Tolga Suatac and Michelina Perna pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and were sentenced in March 2023. Co-defendant Roberto Mancini’s case is pending.
“The defendant and his co-conspirators devised a scheme that targeted small businesses, misleading those businesses into believing they owed money for fake directory listings,” said United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey. “Regardless of where they are operating, fraudsters who cheat and deceive U.S. businesses will be investigated and brought to justice.”
“To protect the public, Postal Inspectors worked closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners at the IRS’s Criminal Investigation Division to arrest and prosecute those individuals responsible for fraud schemes committed against small businesses and the public,” said San Francisco Division Inspector in Charge Stephen M. Sherwood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
“Nemr Hallak’s sentencing demonstrates IRS-CI’s commitment to bringing to justice those who prey upon American businesses. The intricacy of the telemarketing scheme that victimized thousands of individuals out of more than $5 million was complicated by it largely being run abroad,” said IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Oakland Field Office Special Agent in Charge Linda Nguyen. “What Hallak and his co-conspirators did not account for is the global reach of IRS-CI international operations and our partnerships with international law enforcement. We are committed to following the money no matter where it takes us.”
Court documents described that Hallak and others caused shell companies to be formed in Florida and Delaware in the names of nominees, who were paid in cash to be listed as officers and directors of the shell companies but did no meaningful work and did not really control the companies. Many of the shell companies used the term “Yellow Pages” to suggest their operations were legitimate.
According to Hallak’s plea agreement, thousands of victims were cold called and told that they had a pre-existing business relationship with a “Yellow Pages” or other entity formed by members of the conspiracy, that they had previously purchased business directory services from the defendants, and that they owed money for those services. Victims were told that they owed anywhere between $400 and $1,800 for a previously purchased business directory listing, and were sent fake invoices. When such initial misrepresentations were not sufficient to induce payment, some victims were harassed and threatened with legal action and sent additional false invoices with additional charges.
In addition to the terms of imprisonment, Judge Chen sentenced Hallak to three years of supervised release. Hallak was also ordered to pay $5,381,702.86 in restitution. Hallak is currently in federal custody and will begin serving his sentence immediately.
Assistant United States Attorney Lloyd Farnham is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Kathy Tat and Helen Yee. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by USPIS and IRS-CI. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided critical assistance in securing the extradition of Hallak. The Justice Department thanks the Ministry of Justice of the Hellenic Republic and the Hellenic Police which provided excellent cooperation in the arrest and re-arrest of Hallak and his subsequent extradition.
California Man Arrested for Allegedly Exporting Shipments of Firearms, Ammunition and Other Military Items to North KoreaRead the Press Release
Shenghua Wen, 41, of Ontario, California, was arrested today on a criminal complaint alleging that he exported shipments of firearms, ammunition and other military items to North Korea that were concealed inside shipping containers bound from Long Beach.
Wen, a Chinese national illegally residing in the United States, was arrested this morning and is expected to make his initial appearance this afternoon in the Central District of California.
According to an affidavit filed on Nov. 26 with the complaint, Wen obtained firearms, ammunition, and export-controlled technology with the intention of shipping them to North Korea — a violation of federal law and United States sanctions against that nation. Wen and his co-conspirators allegedly exported shipments of firearms and ammunition to North Korea by concealing the items inside shipping containers that were shipped from Long Beach through Hong Kong to North Korea.
On Aug. 14, law enforcement seized at Wen’s home two devices that he intended to send to North Korea for military use: a chemical threat identification device and a hand-held broadband receiver that detects eavesdropping devices. On Sept. 6, law enforcement seized approximately 50,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition that Wen allegedly obtained to send to North Korea.
A review of Wen’s iPhone revealed to law enforcement that in December 2023, Wen smuggled items from Long Beach to Hong Kong with their destination being North Korea. Messages retrieved from Wen’s cellphones revealed discussions he had earlier this year with co-conspirators about shipping military-grade equipment to North Korea. Some of these messages include photographs that Wen sent of items controlled for export under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. From January to April, Wen sent emails and text messages to a U.S.-based broker about obtaining a civilian plane engine. There also were several text messages on Wen’s iPhone concerning price negotiation for the plane and its engine.
Wen is a Chinese national who is illegally in the United States after overstaying his student visa and is therefore prohibited from possessing any firearms or ammunition. Wen lacks the required licenses from the U.S. government to export ammunition, firearms, and the other devices that law enforcement seized at his home to North Korea.
Wen is charged with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which carries a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Defense Criminal Investigative Service; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Gerdes for the Central District of California and Trial Attorney Ahmed Almudallal of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Boswell Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Joe Clay Harris, age 39, of Boswell, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
The Indictment alleged that on April 6, 2024, Harris knowingly possessed methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, intending to distribute it, and that Harris knowingly possessed a .22 caliber semi-automatic rifle and five rounds of .22 caliber ammunition after having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Hugo Police Department, the Choctaw County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Harris will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard J. Lorenz represented the United States.
Berkeley County Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Beau Thomas Shores, 42, of Bunker Hill, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 240 months in federal prison for the receipt of child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Shores was using his cell phone to access child pornography on the internet. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reported the activity to law enforcement. A search of Shores' home, phones, and computers uncovered thousands of images and videos depicting child pornography, some with children as young as 3 years old.
Shores was ordered to pay a $64,500 fine. He will serve 30 years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley Crockett prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
This case was investigated by personnel from the FBI and the Ranson Police Department assigned to the West Virginia Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
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 Justice.gov/PSC.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Baltimore Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Fentanyl Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Sean Jarred Davis, 33, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison for operating a fentanyl trafficking organization in Hampshire and Mineral Counties.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Davis, also known as “Mike” and “Mike White,” was supplying large quantities of fentanyl and heroin, delivering the drugs to others in Hampshire and Mineral Counties to sell on his behalf.
Davis will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, led the investigation. The Task Force consists of members from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the West Virginia State Police, the Mineral County Sheriff’s Office, the Hampshire County Sheriff’s Office, the Hardy County Sheriff’s Office, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, and the Keyser Police Department.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Armed New Jersey Man Sentenced to Five Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – James Hathcock, 45, of New Jersey City, NJ, was sentenced to 68 months in prison for distributing drugs around a neighborhood in Pollocksville. Hathcock pled to possession of a firearm in connection to a drug crime and possessing with the intent to distribute cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine.
According to court records and evidence presented in court, in February of 2023, law enforcement received complaints of possible drug activity on Nguyen Lane, a local neighborhood street in Pollocksville. From March 3 to April 20, 2023, law enforcement was able to conduct seven controlled purchases using a confidential source (CS), where Hathcock provided the CS with cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl. During many of these purchases, Hathcock traveled to meet his supplier, co-defendant Robert Milton Green, before completing the transaction.
After completing the controlled purchase on April 20, 2023, law enforcement simultaneously executed search warrants at Hathcock’s and Green’s residences. From Hathcock’s residence, law enforcement seized 10 grams of crack cocaine, 84 grams of cocaine, 28 grams of crystal methamphetamine, nine grams of fentanyl, 112 grams of marijuana, a .380 caliber handgun, two .45 caliber handguns, assorted ammunition, digital scales, and three Narcan nasal spray bottles. From Green’s residence, law enforcement seized 137.7 grams of crack cocaine, 52.4 grams of crystal methamphetamine, 159.4 grams of fentanyl, 568.8 grams of cocaine, 253 grams of marijuana, 34.6 grams of heroin, and $10,800 in U.S. currency.
Green was sentenced to 11 years on October 25, 2024, for possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and a quantity of cocaine.
Michael F. Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Department of Homeland Security, the Jones County Sheriff’s Office, and the Craven County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Leonard Champaign 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. 4:23-CR-00035-M.
Armed Felon Sentenced to 15 Years Following Rampage in Harnett CountyRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Fayetteville man was sentenced to 180 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon after attempting to carjack man with a loaded gun in Harnett County. On May 9, 2024, Terry A. Frederick pleaded guilty to the charge.
According to court documents and other evidence presented in court, on the evening of January 31, 2023, Frederick, 40, was seen walking near Hodges Chapel Road and I-95 in Harnett County. Witnesses reported that Frederick shouted threats at people in the area and fired a handgun. He then approached a man in a pickup truck, trying to pull him from the vehicle. However, the truck driver managed to close the door and drive away. Frederick subsequently fired at least one shot at the truck.
When police attempted to arrest Frederick, he resisted. Officers eventually arrested him and discovered a partially loaded, stolen .40 caliber pistol in his jacket pocket. Frederick has a history of multiple felony convictions, including drug and property crimes.
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.
Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Dunn Police Department and the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Nokes 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-108-D-RJ.
Alleged Child Molester Identified by His Distinctive TattoosRead the Press Release
An alleged child molester has been identified and charged, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Christopher Lynn Driskill, 48, formerly identified by the FBI as “John Doe 49,” thought to have critical information about ongoing child sexual exploitation, was identified on November 18. He was charged via criminal complaint with production of child pornography, arrested on Nov. 26, and made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge John R. Parker on Tuesday.
According to court documents, in July 2024, a foreign partner referred child sexual abuse material posted on the dark web to the FBI’s Victim Identification Program. In the videos, an unknown male subject with several distinctive tattoos – including the word “DABBY” on his chest,” the number “197x” on his left bicep, the words “CAST NO STONES” on his left forearm, and a Texas flag in the shape of a head on his right forearm – can be seen sexually assaulting a prepubescent male.
Separately, in September 2024, Mr. Driskill’s former dating partner reported to the Coleman Police Department that Mr. Driskill had confessed, while intoxicated, to molesting a child and recording it. Officers met with the child, who did not make an outcry, and interviewed Mr. Driskill, who denied sexually abusing the child and claimed his former partner was mad at him over a bad breakup. With no additional evidence at the time, the police department closed their investigation. However, the recorded interview with Mr. Driskill showed a “CAST NO STONES” tattoo on his left forearm, a 1975 tattoo on his left bicep, and part of a Texas flag in the shape of a head on his right forearm.
Meanwhile, FBI agents searching for John Doe 49 located a public Instagram account whose profile picture appeared similar to the images of the subject in the child sexual abuse material. They traced the account to Mr. Driskill in Coleman, Texas. On Nov. 22, agents coordinating with Coleman Police Department learned of the investigation into a possible molestation involving Mr. Driskill, and compared the footage of his interview to the child sexual abuse material. The face and tattoos allegedly matched.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Mr. Driskill is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, he faces up to 30 years in federal prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation with the help of the Bureau’s Endangered Child Alert Program (ECAP). Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Tusing is prosecuting the case.
Active-duty Army soldiers charged and convicted for obtaining fraudulent COVID-19 related loansRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – Two active-duty U.S. Army soldiers pled guilty to, and a third soldier was charged with, obtaining fraudulent loans through a COVID-19 relief program while stationed at Fort Gregg-Adams.
Major Eduwell Jenkins, 42, pled guilty today to defrauding the Small Business Administration (SBA) by obtaining a fraudulent loan through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Also today, a federal grand jury returned an eight-count indictment charging Sergeant First Class Crispin Antonio Abad, 42, with obtaining two fraudulent PPP loans while on active duty. On Nov. 5, Sergeant Malaysia Stubbs, 30, pled guilty to obtaining a fraudulent PPP loan.
According to their plea documents, Jenkins and Stubbs filed for fraudulent PPP loans in 2021. Though they were active-duty soldiers, Jenkins and Stubbs falsely represented to the SBA that they each had jobs separate from their military employment that generated over $100,000 in annual income. To substantiate this false income, Jenkins and Stubbs generated fabricated Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax return forms, submitting them to the SBA as supporting documentation for the PPP applications. Jenkins and Stubbs never submitted these falsified tax return forms to the IRS as part of legitimate tax filings. Based on their false submittals, Jenkins and Stubbs each received over $20,000 in government-backed PPP loans to which they were not entitled.
Separately, an indictment alleges that, while stationed at Fort Gregg-Adams in 2021, Abad was responsible for, among other things, enforcing the Army’s Honor Code and Standards of Conduct. In April 2021, Abad allegedly applied for two fraudulent PPP loans, claiming exactly $100,000 in income in 2020 from a business named “Granny’s Delight.” Abad allegedly represented that his business was to sell his grandmother’s pies. To substantiate this false income, Abad allegedly generated a fabricated IRS tax return form, submitting this form to the SBA as supporting documentation for the PPP applications. According to the indictment, Abad never submitted this falsified IRS tax return form to the IRS as part of legitimate tax filings. As a result of his false submittals, Abad allegedly received over $41,000 in PPP loans to which he was not entitled. Abad then allegedly used fraudulently obtained funds for various luxury and recreational spending, including purchases at the Fort Gregg-Adams Golf Course, Ace Adventure Resort in West Virginia, Victoria’s Secret, Sunglass Hut, and the Virginia ABC Store. Additionally, Abad allegedly purchased jewelry at Reeds Jeweler and withdrew hundreds of dollars in fraud proceeds at the MGM Casino in National Harbor, Maryland.
Jenkins is scheduled to be sentenced on March 25, 2025. Stubbs is scheduled to be sentenced on March 20, 2025. Jenkins and Stubbs face a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison. If convicted, Abad faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Keith K. Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Fraud Field Office; and Christopher Dillard, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s (DCIS) Mid-Atlantic Field Office, made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Avi Panth is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-139 (Jenkins), Case No. 3:24-cr-159 (Stubbs), and Case No. 3:24-cr-178 (Abad).
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
8-Hour Armed Standoff Leads to 5+ Year Federal Sentence for Westbrook Man Who Illegally Possessed GunRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Westbrook man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for possession of a firearm by a felon.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Corey Faulkner, 39, to 64 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
According to court records, in October 2023, officers from the Westbrook Police Department responded to Faulkner’s residence following a 911 call reporting domestic violence. The victim reported that Faulkner had assaulted her, including by strangling her. After fleeing the apartment, the victim called 911 and reported to officers that Faulkner possessed firearms and had made suicidal statements. After Faulkner ceased communications with law enforcement, officers cleared a perimeter around the residence and ordered a shelter-in-place for the nearby buildings. Officers obtained a state arrest warrant for Faulkner and breached the building’s basement, using unmanned drones and a robot to locate him in a bathroom. Faulkner surrendered when the bathroom window was breached. The incident lasted more than eight hours.
Officers recovered a 12-gauge shotgun, 12-gauge ammunition, a 9mm pistol case, and 9mm ammunition during an initial search of the residence. A 9mm pistol was recovered from a kitchen cabinet during a second search. Faulkner was precluded from possessing any firearms due to his conviction history. In 2013, Faulkner was convicted on state charges of operating under the influence, endangering the welfare of a child, and domestic violence assault. In 2018, Faulkner was convicted of aggravated assault after punching a woman, dousing her with rubbing alcohol and threatening to set her on fire, and strangling her.
The Westbrook Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case.
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$2 Million Resolves Kickback Allegations Relating to Denver Neuromonitoring CompanyRead the Press Release
DENVER — The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announced today that Denver-based Assure Holdings Corp. and its subsidiary Assure Neuromonitoring LLC (together “Assure”), Assure’s founder Preston Parsons, Denver-based neurosurgeon Dr. Brent Kimball, and California businessman James Mathew McAlpin have entered into settlements totaling more than $2 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by arranging kickbacks for neuromonitoring services.
The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits knowingly offering, paying, soliciting, or receiving remuneration to induce referrals or orders for items or services covered by Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE and other federally funded healthcare programs. The Anti-Kickback Statute is intended to ensure that medical providers’ judgments are not compromised by improper financial incentives and are instead based on the best interests of their patients. Claims to federally funded healthcare programs that include items or services resulting from a violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute also violate the False Claims Act, which prohibits submitting false or fraudulent claims for payment to the federal government.
The civil settlements announced today resolve allegations relating to intraoperative neuromonitoring services. Intraoperative neuromonitoring uses electrodes to monitor a patient’s nervous system during surgery. Typically, a technician present in the surgical suite places the electrodes before surgery, and then an oversight physician located elsewhere remotely monitors the data output while the surgeon is operating on the patient.
The United States alleges that Assure paid illegal remuneration to surgeons through joint venture companies to induce those surgeons to order intraoperative neuromonitoring services from Assure. In Dr. Kimball’s case, the alleged kickbacks were routed to Dr. Kimball through a complex web of transfers. At Dr. Kimball’s request, Mr. McAlpin, a friend of Dr. Kimball, formed a company that entered into a joint venture with Assure’s founder, Mr. Parsons. That joint venture was known as Englewood Professional Reading LLC. Through a series of transactions, a portion of the payments received by Englewood Professional Reading for oversight physician claims were routed to Dr. Kimball.
The United States alleges that these kickbacks resulted in claims paid for by federally funded healthcare programs. When Dr. Kimball ordered interoperative neuromonitoring services through Assure, Assure caused claims to be submitted by a third-party billing company on Englewood Professional Reading’s behalf to the patient’s insurer for payment of the oversight physician’s monitoring services. Sometimes, these claims for payment were submitted to Medicare Advantage Organizations responsible for providing coverage for Medicare beneficiaries. Other times, oversight physicians arranged by Assure submitted their own claims directly to Medicare or Colorado Medicaid for services provided to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.
As part of the civil settlements, Assure has agreed to pay $1.008 million; Dr. Kimball has agreed to pay $650,000; Mr. Parsons has agreed to pay $225,000; and Mr. McAlpin has paid $125,000. Mr. Parsons’ settlement amount is based on his financial condition and limited ability to pay.
“Doctors’ decisions about which services to use when providing care to patients should never be tainted by how much money the doctor can make from kickbacks,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Matt Kirsch for the District of Colorado. “We will continue to use the False Claims Act and other enforcement tools to maintain integrity in healthcare.”
“Ensuring that health care professionals and entities are held accountable for kickback violations is essential for preserving public trust and safeguarding the integrity of federal health care programs,” said Special Agent in Charge Linda T. Hanley of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our federal and state law enforcement partners to identify and investigate alleged kickback schemes.”
The settlements also resolve claims brought under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of the recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Mathis v. Kimball, et al., No. 21-cv-01352-STV (D. Colo.). Mr. Mathis will receive 18% of the proceeds from the settlements.
The resolutions obtained in this matter were a result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, with assistance from HHS-OIG. Assistant United States Attorney Jasand Mock investigated the matter.
The claims resolved by the settlements are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
Monday 2 December 2024
Wolcott, Vermont Woman Sentenced for Stealing Social Security BenefitsRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on December 2, 2024, Maryann Manning, 63, of Wolcott, Vermont, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to two years of probation. Chief Judge Reiss also ordered Manning to pay restitution to the Social Security Administration in the amount of $119,978. Manning previously pleaded guilty to a one-count information charging Manning with receiving stolen government money.
According to court records, Manning’s brother received disability insurance benefit payments from the Social Security Administration (SSA). Manning’s brother died in October 2015 at which time his SSA benefits should have terminated. Following his death, however, Manning collected her brother’s benefits from SSA by withdrawing the money from his accounts. Manning admitted to investigators that she knew that she stole the money that did not belong to her. The total loss to the Social Security Administration was more than $119,000.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Stendig. Manning was represented by Robert Behrens, Esq.
Utah Businessman Ordered to Pay $40,000 Restitution for Negligent EndangermentRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Daniel J. Brett, 68, of Murray, Utah, was sentenced to pay a water truck operator $40,000 in restitution today after the worker helped with the destruction of the Broadway Hotel in Tooele, Utah, which contained asbestos.
The sentence, imposed by Senior U.S. District Court Judge David Sam, comes after Brett pleaded guilty in September 2024 to negligent endangerment, a misdemeanor offense. The United States argued for 12 months’ imprisonment with one year of supervised release to follow and $40,000 in restitution.
According to court documents and statements made at Brett’s change of plea and sentencing hearing, from December 9, 2020 to December 14, 2020, Brett negligently caused asbestos, a hazardous air pollutant, to be released into the ambient air by facilitating the demolition of the historic Broadway Hotel, unabated. By not disclosing the presence of asbestos to a contracted third party demolition company, nor following the required process for an emergency demolition, as required by the Clean Air Act, the demolition took place without personal protective equipment. Additionally, the demolition company hired a worker to help with the demolition. The owner worked inside the excavator while his worker, the victim in this case, operated the water truck. In doing so, the worker stood outside of the water truck wetting debris with a hose as building material collapsed to the ground, with nothing to protect him but a dust mask.
According to court documents, the presence of asbestos in the Broadway Hotel was known since 2011. After demolition, the asbestos containing debris pile remained at the site uncovered for fifteen months. Ultimately, an emergency removal action was initiated and cost the Environmental Protection Agency approximately $1.1 million. See former release here.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency investigated the case.
Assistant United States Attorney Ruth Hackford-Peer of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
Umar Koon Sentenced to Prison on Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office stated that Umar Koon, 46, of The Bronx, New York, was sentenced today in United States District Court in Burlington, to six months of imprisonment following his guilty plea to a charge that he possessed fentanyl, cocaine base and cocaine with intent to distribute. United States District Judge William K. Sessions III ordered that Koon serve three years of supervised release following completion of his prison term. The court ordered Koon to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on January 21, 2025 to begin serving his sentence.
According to court records, the Northwestern Vermont Drug Task Force and the Federal Bureau of Investigation began an investigation of Koon in the summer of 2023 after obtaining information that Koon was selling fentanyl in the Chittenden County area. Between September and November 2023, investigators, utilizing a confidential informant, made seven controlled purchases of fentanyl and cocaine base from Koon. Investigators arrested Koon on November 14 after he returned to Burlington from New York City on a bus. Agents seized a suitcase Koon was carrying, obtained a state warrant to search the bag, and recovered distribution quantities of cocaine, cocaine base and fentanyl. They also seized $1500 in cash from Koon’s person.
Koon was held without bail on state drug charges until December 6, 2023 when he was released to live in New York City. On December 7, 2023, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Koon with seven counts of distributing narcotics and one count of possessing other narcotics with intent to distribute. Federal agents arrested Koon at his home in The Bronx on December 12. The State of Vermont has dismissed its case in favor of this federal prosecution.
Koon is represented by Mark Kaplan, Esq. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.
U.S. Trustee Program Obtains Denial of Discharge Based on Chapter 7 Debtor’s Failure to Preserve RecordsRead the Press Release
The United States Trustee Program (USTP) recently obtained denial of bankruptcy discharge for a chapter 7 debtor who had not filed tax returns for many years and did not maintain records for his business.
On October 31, the Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky granted the U.S. Trustee’s motion for summary judgment and denied a discharge to chapter 7 debtor Charbel Joseph, the sole proprietor of an unincorporated construction business. The debtor claimed assets of just over $21,000 and debts of more than $10 million. An investigation by the U.S. Trustee’s Lexington office revealed that the debtor had not filed tax returns in 16 years, did not maintain any bank accounts and operated a construction business on a cash basis. The debtor produced copies of dozens of checks totaling more than $1.4 million payable to him and dated within two years of the bankruptcy filing, but he was unable to account for the disposition of about $1.3 million of those funds.
The U.S. Trustee filed a complaint seeking to bar the debtor’s discharge and, after discovery closed, filed a motion for summary judgment. After oral argument, the court granted the motion over the debtor’s objection and entered judgment in the U.S. Trustee’s favor.
One of the USTP’s core functions is to combat bankruptcy fraud and abuse through civil enforcement actions against debtors who engage in fraud or otherwise abuse the bankruptcy system. When circumstances warrant, the USTP takes action to deny those debtors a discharge. Under section 727(a)(3) of the Bankruptcy Code, debtors are not entitled to a discharge if they unjustifiably conceal, destroy, mutilate, falsify or fail to maintain or preserve records about their financial condition or business transactions.
“The bankruptcy discharge is the key to a fresh start and comes with obligations, including transparency about the debtor’s financial condition” said Director Tara Twomey of the Executive Office for U.S. Trustees. “Although the vast majority of debtors are honest people who simply want to overcome their financial challenges, cases such as this one require action to prevent unfair manipulation of the bankruptcy system.”
The USTP’s mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders – debtors, creditors and the public. The USTP consists of 21 regions with 89 field offices nationwide and an Executive Office in Washington, D.C. Learn more about the USTP at www.justice.gov/ust.
U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, Along with Tribal and Local Law Enforcement Officials, Announce Second “Don’t Click December” Consumer Protection CampaignRead the Press Release
BOISE – During the holiday season, online criminals increasingly target Idahoans through online scams and fraud schemes. Today, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit, along with the FBI, the Fort Hall Police Department, the Bannock County Prosecuting Attorney’s and Sheriff’s Offices, the Bonneville County Prosecuting Attorney’s and Sheriff’s Offices, the Idaho Falls Police Department, and the Pocatello Police Department, announced their joint “Don’t Click December” Consumer Protection Campaign. The AARP is also participating in the announcement and the awareness campaign.
The campaign advises members of the public to exercise skepticism and caution when receiving unsolicited online, email, pop-up, or text communications from unknown or unverified sources. If there is any doubt about a link, message, or attachment, law enforcement cautions: “Don’t Click It.”
As part of the campaign, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and their partners will release a public service announcement each week in December leading up to Christmas. In the first PSA, available here, FBI Special Agent in Charge Shohini Sinha, Fort Hall Police Chief Pat Teton, and U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit introduce “Don’t Click December” and explain some of the ways in which individuals can be targeted.
Three additional PSAs will alert the public to common online fraud schemes that Idaho law enforcement has seen affect Idahoans. These schemes are:
- “QR”scam: This scam targets individuals through corrupt or fictitious QR codes. Often the scammer will email or text a scam QR code in an attempt to trick you. They may even cover up legitimate QR code with their own corrupted code with the goal getting you to visit a bogus website that can steal your information if you log in. Always verify with the restaurant or business if you suspect a QR code is suspicious.
- “Pig Butchering” scam: In this cryptocurrency investment fraud scam, known as “pig butchering,” victims usually receive communications asking them to deposit money into financial investments using cryptocurrency. After an initial investment, victims receive further communications with a fake account report showing financial gains in order to get them to invest more, but the investments are fake, and all the money is under the control of criminals who ultimately steal the victims’ investments. If you are contacted about an investment opportunity by someone you don’t know through social media, text, or dating sites, Don’t Click It! If the message appears to be from an investment company you actually invest with, check the email address to verify it is from the company you’ve invested with.
- “Tech support” scam: In this scam, criminals impersonate technology, banking, or government officials to convince victims to share personal information. You could get a pop-up on your computer indicating your accounts have been hacked and to call a number. But that number goes to the scammer who tries to manipulate you to gain access to your computer or accounts and takes your money to fix a non-existent problem. If you get such a request, Don’t Click It. Government entities and legitimate businesses will never call you or send unsolicited pop-up messages to ask for access to your computer.
Unfortunately, these are not the only schemes affecting the public, and new schemes arise all the time. Law enforcement hopes that the “Don’t Click December” Consumer Protection Campaign will raise public awareness and encourage individuals to talk to their friends and relatives about not clicking suspicious links, texts, messages, pop-ups, or attachments.
“We have witnessed many Idahoans lose their hard-earned money or their entire retirement savings to online scams. And, sadly, this type of crime tends to spike during the holiday season,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “But, together, we can reduce the risks by talking with each other about how to avoid such scams, and I’m grateful to our law enforcement partners and the AARP for joining us in the Don’t Click December campaign. We also encourage Idahoans to report any scams as soon as possible so that law enforcement can investigate and we can bring these vicious online criminals to justice.”
“According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, Idahoans lost more than $33 million to various scams last year,” said Special Agent in Charge Shohini Sinha of the Salt Lake City FBI. “As we shop, bank, and stay connected online, it’s important to be alert and aware of internet‑enabled crime. The FBI is proud to partner with our law enforcement partners to share these important safety messages to keep you and your money safe, especially during the busy holiday season.”
“We are pleased to join with our partners to raise awareness about online fraud targeting our citizens. If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. If you’re not familiar with it, don’t click on it,” said Pocatello Police Chief Roger Schei.
“Increases in technology, especially the use of AI, and the complexity of criminal organizations is making it more challenging for Idahoans to avoid the criminals who want to defraud them,” said AARP Idaho State Director Lupe Wissel. “This initiative is a great way for Idahoans to share information with their friends, family and neighbors to help keep everyone safe from scammers.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and its law enforcement partners recognize that we all must work to eliminate the stigma individuals may experience if they are victimized. There is no shame to falling victim to an online scheme, which are often designed by professional criminals, sophisticated, and tested repeatedly across the country.
For this reason, the “Don’t Click December” Consumer Protection Campaign also publicizes ways to report scams and incidents of fraud to the FBI and local law enforcement.
To learn more about these and other scams targeting Americans visit FBI.gov, and if you believe you have been victimized, take-action by reporting it to FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov or by contacting your local law enforcement agency.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office forms a Project Safe Neighborhoods Leadership CommitteeRead the Press Release
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and community leaders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them by implementing the four PSN design elements: 1) Community Engagement, 2) Prevention and Intervention, 3) Focused and Strategic Enforcement, and 4) Accountability.
In October 2023, the U.S. Attorney’s Office formed a Wyoming PSN Leadership Committee to determine where and how PSN resources would be used in Wyoming, develop and implement enforcement strategies to prevent and reduce crime and provide oversight and evaluation of the program’s progress.
The PSN Leadership Committee reviewed and analyzed Wyoming crime statistics as reported to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) and decided to concentrate PSN resources in Laramie County. Its focus is on the following areas of concern:
- Violent offenders who victimize children;
- Armed offenders, including individuals federally prohibited from possessing firearms;
- Violent crime recidivists;
- Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) offenders who commit a violent offense stemming from IPV and/or who use firearms during an IPV crime;
- Violent offenders who possess firearms while distributing controlled substances; and
- Violent offenders involved in human trafficking.
“The goal of bringing this committee together is to make Wyoming safer by supporting local and state law enforcement and prosecutors, and by prosecuting appropriate violent offenders in federal court where they will receive long prison sentences,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Eric Heimann.
In early 2024, the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office and the Cheyenne Police Department were approved to apply for and receive PSN grant funding to help prevent and reduce violent crime. Officials from both agencies, as well as officials from the Laramie County District Attorney’s Office, have since joined the PSN Leadership Committee to provide important insight regarding the needs and concerns of Laramie County and participate in the development of programs and strategies that emphasize the core elements of PSN.
"Project Safe Neighborhoods is a vital partnership between all levels of law enforcement,” said Cheyenne Police Chief Mark Francisco. “By combining our resources and expertise, we can effectively identify offenders, enhance prevention efforts, and strengthen our communities.”
The program was tailored to combat the local violent crime problems. It enhances coordination and cooperation amongst public safety partners to ensure tactics, resources, and intelligence are integrated to identify and target violent offenders and criminal organizations operating within Laramie County.
Sheriff Brian Kozak said he will use the PSN resources to provide exceptional service to other criminal justice agencies in Laramie County and to help domestic violence victims. The Sheriff will host an advanced homicide investigation course for local detectives, and he plans to purchase state-of-the-art cameras to capture a victim’s bruising following a domestic assault. Sheriff Kozak said, “The collaboration of the PSN Leadership Committee will help us to bring about justice following a violent crime.”
The following agencies are currently participating in the PSN program and are represented on the Leadership Committee:
- Cheyenne Police Department
- Laramie County District Attorney’s Office
- Laramie County Sheriff’s Office
- Wyoming Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police
- Wyoming Department of Corrections
- Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives
- Drug Enforcement Administration
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Homeland Security Investigations
- United States Attorney’s Office
- United States Marshals Service
"The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation is honored to be partnered with our state, local, and federal partners on the PSN initiative,” said Ronnie Jones, Director of the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation. “I am thankful for the cooperation, commitment and work the United States Attorney's office has provided to this program to help make our state a safer place to live and work. We look forward to seeing how all the stakeholders work together to implement new ideas and strategies to address local violent crime."
To learn more about programs within the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming, visit www.justice.gov/usao-wy. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, visit www.justice.gov/psn.
U.S. Attorney’s Office and ATF Highlight Emerging Threat Posed by Machinegun Conversion DevicesRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin and the ATF Madison Field Office are joining together to highlight the dangers of machinegun conversion devices (MCDs). The devices are an emerging threat, and law enforcement agents are increasingly finding them in Wisconsin.
About an inch-long, an MCD is an illegal after-market device that converts a semi-automatic firearm into a fully functioning machinegun. A firearm equipped with a machinegun conversion device is extremely dangerous, even for experienced firearms users, because it is difficult to control and is capable of firing 50 rounds in four seconds with a single pull of the trigger. For more information about the devices, please see the attached ATF materials and video link below.
“Machinegun conversion devices are extraordinarily dangerous,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea. “These devices are often used in weapons that are not designed to function as machine guns, thus making the weapons incredibly difficult to aim. Discharging a weapon equipped with such a device in a public area endangers every child and adult within range. Keeping these illegal devices off the streets in Wisconsin and keeping our citizens free of fear from these weapons is one of my highest priorities,” said O’Shea.
“The proliferation of machinegun conversion devices adds another, even more deadly, layer to firearms violence” said Special Agent William Fulton, Resident Agent in Charge of the ATF Madison Field Office. “These devices, in the wrong hands, can have catastrophic consequences. ATF will continue to aggressively work with our partners to take these devices off the streets.”
“Machinegun conversion devices pose a significant threat to public safety,” said Eric Rice, resident agent in charge for Homeland Security Investigations in Wisconsin. “Through enforcement, investigation, and education, we are committed to raising awareness about the dangers of these devices. Law enforcement agencies will continue to collaborate to dismantle networks involved in their distribution and use. By enhancing our investigative capabilities and educating the public about the risks, we can better protect our communities and ensure public safety.”
To combat the rise in MCDs, U.S. Attorney O’Shea also announced that his office is partnering with law enforcement agencies, including ATF, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the U.S. Postal Service to implement a district-wide strategy. On November 21, 2024, U.S. Attorney O’Shea and ATF SA Fulton explained the district’s strategy on a call with Wisconsin law enforcement and district attorneys. The strategy has three parts: enforcement, investigation, and education.
Regarding enforcement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will vigorously prosecute cases involving MCDs. Although MCDs may be advertised as legal online to avoid law enforcement detection or to defeat internet advertising protocols, that is not true. The possession, manufacture, and/or sale of MCDs is a federal crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison and fines up to $250,000. An MCD on its own is considered an illegal machine gun under federal law and cannot be possessed, even without a firearm.]
Regarding investigation, U.S. Attorney O’Shea explained that ATF has provided MCD guides for local law enforcement agencies and will provide training on MCDs and ATF resources throughout the state. Also, because many MCDs are shipped through the U.S. Mail and other carriers, the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Postal Service are working with ATF to identify for further investigation packages potentially containing MCDs that were shipped to individuals involved in gun violence or affiliated with criminal gangs.
Finally, regarding the education part of the strategy, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and ATF are reaching out to local media, Crime Stoppers groups, and local public health departments to get the word out about the danger of MCDs.
During 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has prosecuted the following cases involving MCDs. Several more MCD cases are under investigation. Federal sentences are served without the possibility of parole.
NameSentence Investigating AgenciesByron Ellison3.5 yearsDane County Narcotics Task Force
ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force
Byron D. Broomfield
6.5 yearsBeloit Police Department
DCI
Drug Enforcement Administration
Wisconsin State Patrol
ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force
Damarion Jackson21 monthsMonona Police Department
Madison Police Department
Fitchburg Police Department
ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force
Ramogi Carr54 monthsMadison Police Department
Fitchburg Police Department
ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force
Jontrae M. LarsenCase pendingATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force
DCI
Waunakee Police Department
Deforest Police Department
Monona Police Department
Donald R. Spivey, Jr.Case pendingMadison Police Department
ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force
Damon L. ClarkCase pendingEau Claire Police Department
FBI
ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force
Attachment:
ATF Factsheet.pdf
atf_fact_sheet_machinegun_conversion_devices_switches_osiicid-22-118.pdfATF Video can be found here:
https://youtu.be/7VKocW4Qk4k
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Troy Man Charged with Marijuana Trafficking and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Omjasisa Kentu Felder, age 53, of Troy, New York, has been charged with marijuana trafficking and gun crimes.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division; Troy Police Chief Daniel DeWolf; and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.
The indictment alleges that Felder possessed a 9mm handgun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possessed the handgun as a convicted felon, and possessed marijuana with intent to distribute in November 2022, and conspired to distribute marijuana between 2021 and November 2022. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Felder was arraigned today in Albany, before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart, and ordered detained pending trial.
Felder faces at least 5 years and up to life imprisonment for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; up to 15 years in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; and up to 5 years in prison on each of the marijuana trafficking counts. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000 on each count and a term of post release supervision of at least 2 years and up to life.
The ATF, DEA, Troy Police Department and HSI are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cyrus P.W. Rieck and Dustin C. Segovia are prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Three Plead Guilty to Conspiracy Involving 15 Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Honduran man living in Puerto Rico, and two co-conspirators living in Massachusetts, have pleaded guilty to their roles in a conspiracy to distribute 15 kilograms of cocaine. One of the two Massachusetts co-conspirators also pleaded guilty to distributing thousands of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl.
Linette Davila, 42, of Methuen, Mass. pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, involving 500 grams or more of cocaine, and one count of distribution of 500 grams or more of cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled Davila’s sentencing for Feb. 26, 2025.
Rony Valencia Lopez, 31, of Puerto Rico, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Judge Gorton scheduled Valencia Lopez’s sentencing for Dec. 10, 2024.
Luis Pena Arias, 28, of Lawrence, Mass. pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, involving 5 kilograms or more of cocaine and one count of distribution of 500 grams or more of cocaine. Pena Arias also pleaded guilty to four counts of distribution of fentanyl, involving variously 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Judge Gorton scheduled Pena Arias’s sentencing for Jan. 10, 2025.
The defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2024.
On four occasions in the summer of 2023, Pena Arias sold more than 10,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl to an undercover officer. The same summer, law enforcement contacted Rony Valencia Lopez, an associate of Pena Arias, who lived in Puerto Rico and reportedly had access to large kilogram quantities of cocaine. In telephone conversations and during a meeting in Puerto Rico, Valencia Lopez agreed to provide 15 kilograms of cocaine, which he said were located in Massachusetts. In September 2023, Valencia Lopez flew to Boston to facilitate the sale and later joined Pena Arias to meet with undercover law enforcement at a hotel in Andover, Mass. where they agreed to provide the 15 kilograms – five kilograms at a time. That evening, Davila arrived at the hotel with four kilograms of cocaine. All three defendants were subsequently taken into custody.
The charges of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances (involving five kilograms or more of cocaine) and distribution of 400 grams or more of fentanyl each provide for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charges of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances (involving 500 grams or more of cocaine), distribution of 500 grams or more of cocaine and distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl each provide for a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Special assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police, the Caribbean Division of the DEA, U.S. Customs & Border Protection and the Andover Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel R. Feldman and Annapurna Balakrishna of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Division are prosecuting the case.
Sierra Leone Man and International Fugitive Sentenced to 40 Months in Federal Prison for Fraudulent Car Loan SchemeRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Sierra Leone man and former Manchester businessman was sentenced today in federal court for fraudulently obtaining more than $400,000 in car loans, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Solomon Yarteh, 50, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Paul J. Barbadoro to 40 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release. On July 1, 2024, Yarteh pleaded guilty to three counts of bank fraud. Co-defendants Donna Silva, Niurka Lebron, and Robesteur St. Felix pled guilty and were sentenced in 2022.
“The defendant enlisted his friends and family members to submit multiple fraudulent loan applications to lenders over $400,000,” said U.S. Attorney Young. “He left the United States after learning of an investigation and was apprehended in Dubai several years later. I thank our law enforcement partners here and across the world for diligently working to bring fraudsters like the defendant to justice.”
“The sentencing of Mr. Yarteh is a direct result of the hard work of the prosecution team and law enforcement partners here in New Hampshire to secure his conviction and the international partnerships which allowed him to be brought to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward of the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Yarteh was the owner and President of Allied Imports, a car wholesaler located in Manchester. As a wholesaler, Allied Imports was not licensed to conduct retail sales of vehicles and could only sell to dealers. Allied Imports was located next to Cap’s Auto Sales, a business licensed to sell cars. Cap’s Auto was controlled by St. Felix.
Between February 2019 and July 2019, Yarteh led a scheme to fraudulently obtain multiple car loans from multiple financial institutions. The loans were supposed to be secured by vehicles being sold by Allied Imports or Cap’s Auto. Yarteh and his co-conspirators used fraudulent documents to trick lenders into believing that Allied Imports or Cap’s Auto owned and held title to the vehicles when the cars actually belonged to other companies. The loan proceeds were deposited into accounts Yarteh controlled. Yarteh was able to fraudulently obtain over $411,000 through this scheme and attempted to get another $217,000.
Yarteh was originally indicted in 2021 but had already left the United States. INTERPOL then issued a Red Notice for his arrest. In spring 2023, authorities in the United Arab Emirates arrested Yarteh in Dubai. With the cooperation of the Emirati government, Yarteh was removed to the United States in late November 2023. He has continuously been in custody since.
The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and United States Postal Inspection Service. The New Hampshire Banking Department, INTERPOL, Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and Government of the United Arab Emirates provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander S. Chen and Charles L. Rombeau prosecuted the case.
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Shaktoolik man charged with cyberstalking, sexual exploitation of a childRead the Press Release
FAIRBANKS, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment charging a Shaktoolik man with cyberstalking adults and children and sexually exploiting children to produce and possess child pornography.
According to court documents, between December 2021 to July 2023, Matthew Jackson, 22, allegedly cyberstalked one adult and two minor victims with the intent to injure, harass and cause substantial emotional distress to the victims. The indictment also alleges an enhanced statutory penalty for conduct that would constitute sexual abuse. At the same time, Jackson also allegedly sexually exploited three minors, two of which were the minor victims he was cyberstalking, in order to produce child sexual abuse material.
The indictment also alleges that on Aug. 1, 2023, Jackson knowingly possessed material that contained child sexual abuse.
Jackson was arrested on Nov. 26 and is charged with three counts of cyber stalking with an enhanced penalty allegation, three counts of sexual exploitation of a child: production of child pornography and one count of sexual exploitation of a child: possession of child pornography. The defendant is scheduled for his initial court appearance tomorrow before U.S. Magistrate Judge Scott A. Oravec of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, he faces between 15 years to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska and Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Anchorage Field Office, with assistance from the Alaska State Troopers, is investigating the case. If anyone has information concerning Jackson’s alleged actions or may have encountered someone in person or online using the name Matthew Jackson or Matt Jackson, please contact the FBI Anchorage Field Office at (907) 276-4441 or anonymously at tips.fbi.gov.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Vosacek is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Rutland Man Sentenced in Gun CaseRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on December 2, 2024, John Ryea, 41, of Rutland, Vermont, was sentenced by United States District Judge William K. Sessions III to a term of approximately two and one-half months’ imprisonment to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. Ryea previously pleaded guilty to possessing a stolen firearm after having been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
According to court records, Ryea has a November 30, 2022 misdemeanor domestic violence conviction from Rutland Superior Court where he admitted to punching his then live-in girlfriend in the jaw. He remained on probation in that state court case when he committed the crime to which he pleaded guilty.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Vermont State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Vermont Drug Task Force.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Owyang. Ryea was represented by Federal Public Defender Michael Desautels.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Russian National Arrested for Attempting to Illegally Export Aircraft to Russia by Transshipping Through ArmeniaRead the Press Release
Sergey Nechaev, a dual U.S.-Russian citizen, was arrested today in the Southern District of Georgia on charges related to the unlawful attempted export of two small aircraft to Russia. In conjunction with the arrest, the U.S. government also seized the aircraft.
According to the indictment, between March 3, 2023, and March 24, 2023, Nechaev engaged in a scheme to violate and evade U.S. export control laws and regulations by attempting to smuggle two Cessna aircraft from the United States to Russia by transshipping them through Armenia. Specifically, after the U.S. government imposed stricter controls on Russia in February 2022, Nechaev attempted to export a 1968 Cessna 172K and a 1973 Cessna, valued together at approximately $170,000, to a purported Russian flight school, without the required license or authorization from the Department of Commerce. To conceal the true end user and destination of the aircraft, Nechaev falsely represented that the end user and destination were in Armenia.
Nechaev is charged with attempting to export controlled goods without a license in violation of the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA), smuggling goods contrary to U.S. law, and causing the submission of false and misleading information in Electronic Export Information paperwork submitted through the Automated Export System. If convicted, Nechaev faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the unlawful attempted export of controlled goods; up to 10 years in prison for smuggling; and up to five years in prison for falsifying export information. The aircraft will also be subject to forfeiture as property involved in the commission of the crime. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Darron Hubbard and L. Alexander Hamner for the Southern District of Georgia and Trial Attorneys Leslie Esbrook and Fatema Merchant of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
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.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Rotterdam Felon Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jesse Taber, age 46, of Rotterdam, New York, pled guilty today to unlawfully possessing a firearm.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement.
Taber admitted that on December 26, 2023, inside of his Rotterdam residence, he unlawfully possessed a 12-gauge Stoeger Coach Gun shotgun. A prior felony conviction prevented Taber from lawfully possessing the shotgun.
When he is sentenced on April 2, 2025, Taber faces a maximum term of 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
ATF investigated the case with the assistance of the Rotterdam Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Belliss is prosecuting the case.
Rio Rico Man Indicted After Attempting to Flee Nogales Port of EntryRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – On November 13, 2024, a federal grand jury indicted Miguel Soto-Morando, of Rio Rico, on one count of Smuggling Ammunition from the United States, Assault on a Federal Officer with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon, and Possession of Ammunition by a Prohibited Person.
According to the complaint filed in this case, on October 16, 2024, Soto-Morando attempted to leave the United States through the DeConcini Port of Entry in Nogales. After Soto-Morando was referred to secondary inspection, he tried to flee into Mexico. The victim, a United States Customs and Border Protection officer, reached into Soto-Morando’s truck and attempted to prevent Soto-Morando’s escape. With the officer’s arm inside the vehicle, Soto-Morando accelerated toward the gate leading into Mexico but crashed into a pillar located in the United States. The collision caused the officer to be ejected from Soto-Morando’s vehicle.
When Soto-Morando got out of his vehicle, two officers, including the victim officer, discharged their firearms, striking Soto-Morando twice. A subsequent search of a spare tire from the vehicle uncovered 3,140 rounds of ammunition destined for Mexico. Soto-Morando is also alleged to be a convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
A conviction for Smuggling Goods from the United States carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A conviction for Assault on a Federal Officer – Deadly or Dangerous Weapon carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A conviction for Possession of Ammunition by a Prohibited Person carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. Each offense also carries a fine of up to $250,000 and three years of supervised release.
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is conducting the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Nathaniel J. Walters, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-24-07997-RCC
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-167_Soto-Morando# # #
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.Parkersburg Man Pleads Guilty to Straw Purchase CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Laikin Williams, 25, of Parkersburg, pleaded guilty today to making a false statement in acquisition of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 5, 2022, Williams purchased a Taurus model PT111 G2A 9mm pistol at a Parkersburg business. Williams admitted that he bought the firearm for another individual, and falsely certified on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Federal Firearms Transaction Records Form 4473 that he was the purchaser of the firearm when he knew he was buying it for the other individual.
Williams is scheduled to be sentenced on March 17, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the assistance provided by the Parkersburg Violent Crime and Narcotics Task Force.
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney D. Keith Randolph and former Assistant United States Attorney Troy D. Adams have prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted under the criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), which Congress enacted and the President signed in June 2022. BSCA is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-133.
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New York Doctor Charged for Receiving KickbacksRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New York doctor was charged today in federal court in Boston for allegedly receiving kickbacks in exchange for ordering medically unnecessary brain scans.
Dr. Vishnudat Seodat, 75, of Mattituck, N.Y. was charged and has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court.
According to the charging documents, Seodat, an internist in Long Island, N.Y., was a licensed medical doctor in the State of New York for approximately 36 years. It is alleged that from approximately June 2013 through December 2019, Seodat conspired with others, including a principal for a mobile medical diagnostics company that performed transcranial doppler (TCD) scans, to order hundreds of medically unnecessary TCD scans in exchange for kickbacks. TCD scans are brain scans that measure blood flow in parts of the brain. It is further alleged that Seodat and his co-conspirators used false diagnoses to order the unnecessary brain scans, for which a co-conspirator would submit claims to Medicare and other insurance companies, including private insurance companies, on behalf of the medical diagnostic company for payment. In exchange, Seodat was paid cash kickbacks of approximately $100 per test. According to the charging documents, the scheme resulted in fraudulent bills of approximately $1 million to Medicare and private insurance companies.
The charge of conspiracy to commit health care fraud provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Jonathan Wlodyka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division, Boston Field Office; Carol S. Hamilton, Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Boston Regional Office; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Howard Locker and Mackenzie Queenin of the Health Care Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Multiple Conspirators Sentenced in $54.3 Million Medicare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Luis Lacerda (37, West Palm Beach) to three years and five months in federal prison, Omar Solari (36, Fort Lauderdale) to 2 years and six months in federal prison, Michael Murphy (38, Fort Lauderdale) to 15 months in federal prison, and Joelson Viveros (45, Boca Raton) to 5 years’ probation for their respective roles in a $54.3 million health care fraud scheme in which the defendants paid kickbacks and bribes to telemarketers and telemedicine providers to secure orders for medically unnecessary prescriptions that were billed to Medicare. The court also ordered Lacerda to forfeit $15,600,333.30 and pay $54,303,526 in restitution; Solari to forfeit $6,341,240.58 and pay $36,246,251 in restitution; Murphy to forfeit $3,650,943.36 and pay $8,374,175 in restitution; and Viveros to forfeit $894,116.45 and pay $3,017,135 in restitution. Each previously pleaded guilty to their role in a conspiracy in which the co-conspirators owned and operated pharmacies that participated in the Medicare program, including one located in Jacksonville.
According to court documents, from approximately 2018 through 2021, the co-conspirators paid kickbacks and bribes to telemarketing companies in exchange for recruiting Medicare beneficiaries to accept prescriptions for various medications – mainly topical creams – which the beneficiaries did not want or need. Some of the co-conspirators also operated companies that engaged in telemarketing activities to develop beneficiary leads.
The co-conspirators then paid kickbacks and bribes to telemedicine companies that employed or contracted with physicians who signed the prescriptions. The physicians had no physician-patient relationship with the beneficiaries and typically signed the prescriptions after a cursory telephone conversation with the beneficiary or with no contact at all. After obtaining Medicare beneficiary information and the signed prescriptions, the co-conspirators submitted claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary medications, sometimes through multiple pharmacies they owned and controlled in a practice known as “recycling.” Over the course of the conspiracy, the defendants’ pharmacies were reimbursed more than $54.3 million for medically unnecessary prescriptions by Medicare Part D.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David B. Mesrobian and Trial Attorney Gary Winters of the Department of Justice – Criminal Division, Fraud Section. The forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer M. Harrington and Mai Tran.
Mexican National Guilty of Misprision of a FelonyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that on November 26, 2024, FELIPE GARCIA, (“GARCIA”), age 46, a Mexican national residing in California, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan to misprision of a felony, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 4. Judge Morgan scheduled sentencing for February 27, 2025. At sentencing, GARCIA faces up to 3 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, at least 1 year of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
According to court records, an ongoing investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Louisiana State Police, uncovered a methamphetamine distribution ring operating in New Orleans that was receiving methamphetamine from California via U.S. mail. Law enforcement in California, specifically the Ontario Police Department, intercepted packages, containing large amounts of methamphetamine, destined for New Orleans. Further investigation uncovered that GARCIA mailed these packages from California.
United States Attorney Evans praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Louisiana State Police, the Ontario (California) Police Department, and the New Orleans Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.