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22 January 2025
Lululemon Burglar Sentenced in Crime Spree at Northwest StoresRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Avante Greene, 23, of Washington, D.C. was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for three brazen burglaries he committed at Lululemon stores in July 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
In addition to the prison term, Superior Court Judge Andrea Hertzfeld, also ordered one year of supervised probation. Greene pleaded guilty on October 31, 2024, to three counts of attempted second degree burglary.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 10, 2024, Avante Greene walked into the Lululemon store located on F Street, NW, carrying a large empty bag that he proceeded to fill with merchandise and fled in a nearby getaway car. Two days later, Greene brought two unidentified co-conspirators with him to the Lululemon store in Georgetown, again carrying empty bags that he proceeded to fill with merchandise and flee the store. Greene continued his spree on July 16, 2024, when he returned to the Lululemon store on F Street NW, with one unidentified co-conspirator. He repeated his practice of filling empty bags with merchandise and fleeing the store in a getaway car. In total, Greene stole well over $10,000 in merchandise.
Greene was arrested on July 19, 2024, while driving the getaway vehicle. He has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn Benton who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Long Island Man Charged with Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
Jacob Israel Walden was arraigned this afternoon at the federal courthouse in Central Islip on a six-count indictment charging him with sexual exploitation of children, receipt of child pornography, possession of child pornography and access with intent to view child pornography. Walden was arrested on a complaint on July 31, 2024. Today’s proceeding was held before United States District Judge Gary R. Brown who ordered the defendant detained pending trial.
John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Spiros Karabinas, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New Jersey (HSI), announced the indictment.
“As alleged, the defendant enticed minors to produce sexually explicit photographs and videos of themselves and send them to him via the internet in exchange for payment,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “Protecting children from predators who sexually exploit them will always be a priority of my Office.”
“We are determined to dismantle the insidious network of online child sexual exploitation and abuse – no child’s innocence should be for sale,” stated HSI Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Karabinas. “Every day HSI Newark and our partners work tirelessly to protect children from exploitation by predators who produce, distribute and possess child sexual abuse material. The public can help us in that fight by notifying HSI immediately if they suspect someone is exploiting or abusing a child by calling our HSI tip line, 1-877-4-HSI-TIP.”
As set forth in court filings, law enforcement first identified Walden, a healthcare executive and Long Island resident, as a repeat purchaser of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) from a large-scale production and distribution ring that advertised, sold and distributed CSAM to adult male buyers. Subsequent investigation determined that Walden also used social media and encrypted messaging services to engage in sexually explicit conversations with minors. During these conversations, Walden enticed the minors to produce child pornography of themselves for payment. In his chat conversations with these victims, Walden insisted that he be addressed as “daddy,” provided directions for what content the minors were to produce (e.g., “take off your top”) and paid the minors via electronic payment after he received the requested content. Walden was also a prolific purchaser of CSAM from online producers and distributors of child pornography. Law enforcement agents recovered numerous images and videos of child pornography from the defendant’s iPhone.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Walden faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and up to 30 years in prison.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Criminal Section of the Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leonid Sandlar is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
JACOB ISRAEL WALDEN
Age: 38
Valley Stream, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No.: 24-CR-521 (GRB)
jacob_walden_indictment.pdfLondon Man Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering Conspiracy Involving COVID Relief LoansRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. – A London man, Joshua Pennington, 50, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Hanley Ingram, to conspiracy to commit money laundering of fraudulently obtained Economic Injury Disaster Loans and Payment Protection Loans. His co-defendant, Nicole Pennington, 48, was indicted in December 2024, on 16 counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and one count of money laundering.
According to Joshua Pennington’s plea agreement, his co-defendant made materially false statements on applications for Small Business Administration (SBA) loans. Six of the loan applications were approved for a total of $1,090,398.35 in fraudulently obtained SBA loan proceeds. Between May 2020 and June 10, 2021, Joshua Pennington and his co-defendant knowingly laundered over $1,000,000 in criminally derived funds, via transactions over $10,000. They used the money to renovate their kitchen, pay for plastic surgery, purchase a Viking River Cruise trip, withdraw cash, purchase vehicles, and pay off loans and mortgages.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Kelly K. Moening, Special Agent in Charge, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Great Lakes Field Division; and Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigations, Cincinnati Field Division, jointly announced the sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the IRS-CI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany Dunn-Pirio is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
Joshua Pennington is scheduled to be sentenced on May 20, 2025. He faces up to ten years in prison, plus any restitution or fines ordered by the Court. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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Leader of Caribbean Arms Trafficking Ring Charged with Conspiracy to Smuggle Firearms from the United StatesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Shem Wayne Alexander (35, Port of Spain, Trinidad) with conspiracy to commit unlawful export smuggling and conspiracy to traffic firearms. If convicted, Alexander faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Alexander was arrested in Jamaica on November 15, 2024, pursuant to a U.S. provisional arrest request with a view towards extradition to the United States. On December 20, 2024, Alexander was extradited to the United States. Alexander is detained pending trial.
According to the indictment, Alexander was the leader of a group that unlawfully exported firearms, firearms components (including upper/lower receivers and gun parts kits), and related items from Florida to Trinidad and Tobago between 2019 and 2022. Alexander is a national of Trinidad and Tobago. The firearms, which included pistols and rifles, and related equipment were concealed within boxing/fight equipment, speakers, and other household items to avoid detection by law enforcement and customs authorities. Conspirators also acquired firearms in the Tampa area from different sellers through straw purchases, falsely representing the identities of the actual purchasers and recipients of the firearms, as well as their ultimate destination.
On April 7, 2021, Alexander directed conspirators to ship a package concealing and containing various firearms and related equipment, including a Taurus G2C 9mm pistol, a SAR Arms SAR-9 9mm pistol, a Taurus G3 9mm pistol, and a Ruger Security-9 9mm pistol, from Miami to Trinidad and Tobago. On April 22, 2021, authorities at the Piarco International Airport in Trinidad seized those firearms and other related items that had been concealed in the shipment.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, including HSI’s Attaché Caribbean, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (Transnational Organized Crime Unit and Special Investigations Unit), United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, United States Customs and Border Protection, and the Bureau of Industry and Security - Office of Export Enforcement as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious transnational criminal organizations. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided critical support in the extradition of Alexander. This case will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David W.A. Chee.
Jury Convicts District Man of First Degree Murder While Armed and Related Charges for Killing Ex-Girlfriend in Northwest, D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Idrissa Fall, 37, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of first-degree murder while armed and related charges stemming from an early morning shooting on July 18, 2021, in the 6100 block of 4th Street, NW, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Pamela A. Smith, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The jury rendered a verdict on January 22, 2025, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The jury unanimously convicted Fall of first-degree premeditated murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm. The Honorable Rainey Brandt scheduled sentencing for March 19, 2025.
According to the government’s evidence, just before 1:30 a.m. on July 18, 2021, the victim, Dara Northern, walked out of her home and headed towards her best friend’s car for a night on the town. When Northern left her home, the defendant followed her out of her house and tried to stop her. Northern had recently broken up with the defendant and kicked him out of her home. As Northern got into the front seat of her friend’s waiting vehicle, the defendant started reaching for his waistband. As Northern close the door, the defendant shot her in the head as she sat next to her best friend and fled the scene. Northern suffered one gunshot wound to her right eye. The victim was declared brain dead that same day and died as a result of her injuries.
Fall was arrested for Northern’s murder on August 2, 2021. He has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Allen and Latrice Washington-Williams; Paralegal Specialists Alyssa Schroeder and Sharon Newman; and Litigation Technology Specialist Sigourney Jackson.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristian L. Hinson and Yasmin Emrani, who prosecuted the case.
Jacksonville Repeat-Offender Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Possessing Machine GunRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Markee Washington (34, Jacksonville) to seven years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Washington entered a guilty plea on August 19, 2024.
According to court documents, on February 11, 2023, at approximately 10:45 p.m., a trooper from the Florida Highway Patrol conducted a traffic stop of a car that Washington was driving. The trooper was quickly joined at the scene by two officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Based on Washington’s statements that he had been smoking marijuana, as well as the smell of the drug emanating from him and the car, officers searched the car. Inside the gap between the car’s ceiling and roof (which was accessible by removing the overhead sunglasses compartment), an officer located a bundle of cash and a 9mm Glock pistol.
The pistol was loaded with 31 rounds of ammunition in an extended magazine. It also was outfitted with a Glock-switch, a device installed on the pistol that converted it into a fully automatic machinegun. Washington surrendered to the officers a small bag of marijuana that he had hidden down his pants. He also had a stack of cash in his pants’ pocket. In total, $2,447 was seized.
An investigator later obtained a search warrant authorizing law enforcement to obtain a DNA sample from Washington. Laboratory testing determined that his DNA was both on the exterior of the Glock pistol and on ammunition loaded inside the pistol’s magazine.
On the day of the traffic stop, Washington had various prior felony convictions, including multiple drug-trafficking offenses. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited by law from possessing firearms and ammunition.
This case was investigated by the Florida Highway Patrol, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly S. Milliron and Michael J. Coolican.
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.
J.H. Baxter Wood Treatment Companies and President Plead Guilty to Hazardous Waste and Air Pollution ChargesRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.-- The companies responsible for the J.H. Baxter wood treatment facility in Eugene, Oregon, and their president pleaded guilty today in federal court to hazardous waste and Clean Air Act violations and agreed to pay a total of $1.5 million in criminal fines.
The corporations -- J.H. Baxter & Co. Inc. and J.H. Baxter & Co., A California Limited Partnership (collectively J.H. Baxter) -- both pleaded guilty to charges of illegally treating hazardous waste and knowingly violating the Clean Air Act's pollution control regulations. The companies' president, Georgia Baxter-Krause, 61, of Deschutes County, Oregon, pleaded guilty to two counts of making false statements in violation of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the federal statute governing hazardous waste management.
According to court documents, J.H. Baxter used hazardous chemicals to treat and preserve wood at its Eugene facility. The wastewater from the wood preserving processes was hazardous waste.
To properly treat wastewater from its wood treatment process, J.H. Baxter operated a legal wastewater treatment unit to treat and evaporate the waste. For years, however, when J.H. Baxter had too much water on site, including process wastewater and precipitation, J.H. Baxter's employees at the facility would transfer hazardous process wastewater to an available wood treatment retort to "boil it off," greatly reducing its volume. J.H. Baxter would then remove the remaining waste from the retort, label it as hazardous waste and ship it offsite for disposal.
State and local regulators were not made aware of this process and J.H. Baxter did not have a permit to treat its hazardous waste in this manner, as required by RCRA. Additionally, J.H. Baxter's facility was subject to certain Clean Air Act emissions standards for hazardous air pollutants, which required it to minimize air pollution emissions. However, employees were directed to open all vents on the retorts, allowing discharge to the surrounding air.
Oregon inspectors requested information about J.H. Baxter's practice of boiling off hazardous wastewater. On two separate occasions, Baxter-Krause gave false information in response, which included information about the dates the practice took place and which retorts were used. The investigation determined that Baxter-Krause knew J.H. Baxter maintained detailed daily production logs for each retort. From approximately January to October 2019, J.H. Baxter boiled off hazardous process wastewater in its wood treatment retorts on 136 known days. Baxter-Krause was also aware that during this time J.H. Baxter used four of its five retorts to boil off wastewater.
On November 22, 2024, J.H. Baxter was charged by criminal information with illegal treatment of hazardous waste and knowingly violating the Clean Air Act's pollution control regulations, and Baxter-Krause was charged with two counts of making false statements in violation of the RCRA.
As part of their plea agreements, the companies and Baxter-Krause have agreed to pay a total of $1.5 million in criminal fines. Baxter-Krause also faces up to two years in federal prison and three years of supervised release. They are scheduled to be sentenced on April 22, 2025, before U.S. District Court Judge Michael J. McShane.
This case was investigated by the EPA Criminal Investigation Division with assistance from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Lane Regional Air Protection Agency, EPA Region 10, and the Oregon State Police. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. McLaren for the District of Oregon, Trial Attorneys Rachel Roberts and Stephen J. Foster of the Environment and Natural Resources Division's Environmental Crimes Section, and EPA Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel Karla G. Perrin.
This case was an Environmental Crimes Task Force (ECTF) investigation. ECTF is an initiative in the District of Oregon that identifies, investigates, and prosecutes significant environmental, public lands, and wildlife crimes. ECTF leverages the resources and effort of federal, state, and local regulatory agencies and law enforcement to protect human health, safeguard natural resources and wildlife, and hold violators accountable. If you witness an event that may lead to an immediate threat to human health or the environment, please call 9-1-1. After alerting local emergency authorities, please also report incidents to the EPA's Report a Violation website (https://echo.epa.gov/report-environmental-violations) or by calling the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802.
Ivory Coast Man Charged with Participating in a Sextortion Scheme that Caused the Death of a North Dakota TeenagerRead the Press Release
BISMARCK – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that a federal grand jury has returned an Indictment charging Aly Cherif, a/k/a Australien Choco, a/k/a Australien Ch’co, a/k/a Michael Jhonson, a/k/a Ali Aly, age 23, from the Ivory Coast, with 1) Cyberstalking Resulting in Death; 2) Wire Fraud; 3) Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud; 4) Extortion; and 5) Distribution of Child Pornography, which resulted in the death of a North Dakota teenager.
The Indictment unsealed today alleges that Cherif, and other individuals located in the Ivory Coast, participated in a well-organized sextortion group that targeted victims throughout the world. “Sextortion” is a term used to describe a scheme to defraud where individuals use the threat of releasing photographs or videos which depict people’s private, intimate, or sexual acts to fraudulently coerce those people to send money based upon falsehoods, blackmail, and threats, in exchange for the sextortioners’ promise to not release these photographs or videos. Specifically, sextortioners perpetrating sextortion schemes utilize false claims to induce victims to send photographs or videos of themselves—or to engage in video chats where the sextortioners record victims—nude or engaged in private, intimate, or sexual acts, and then the sextortioners threaten to release these photographs or videos to friends, family, work colleagues, or threaten to post these photographs or videos on the internet, unless the victim pays money to the sextortioners.
Additionally, as alleged in the Indictment, Cherif and others in the sextortion group targeted a North Dakota teenager by obtaining publicly available photographs of an attractive woman from the internet and then fraudulently used these photographs to create or modify a Facebook account to falsely pose as a woman named “Emily Thompson.” Thereafter, the sextortion group contacted the minor victim through Facebook chat and falsely stated that they were “Emily Thompson,” and that “Emily Thompson” was twenty (20) years old and lived in Montana, when in fact, Cherif and the sextortion group were operating this Facebook account, not a woman named “Emily Thompson.” Next, the sextortion group obtained a video recording and photographs of the minor victim engaging in a private, intimate, or sexual act, and used extortion tactics to attempt to force the minor victim to pay money so that “Emily Thompson” would not release videos and photographs of the minor victim engaging in these acts. When the minor victim informed “Emily Thompson,” that the minor victim did not have any money, the sextortion group distributed images of the minor victim’s genitalia on Facebook. Shortly thereafter, the minor victim committed suicide.
“The United States Attorney’s Office and our partners in law enforcement are committed to obtaining a measure of justice for this family,” Schneider said. “The indictment alleges greed, deception, and child exploitation that led to a heartrending tragedy. As we pursue justice in this case, we want to deter similar conduct and remind kids and families that help is available if they become victims of sextortion.”
"This case is a stark reminder of the dangers children face online, where predators use deception and technology to exploit the most vulnerable among us," said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr." The FBI and our partners will continue working tirelessly to protect children and bring those who seek to harm them to justice."
An indictment is an accusation and notice of charges. The defendant is presumed innocent under the law unless and until proven guilty.
To report a sextortion scam, contact your local FBI field office at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
To learn more about identifying and preventing sextortion scams, please visit the FBI’s website: https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/scams-and-safety/common-frauds-and-scams/sextortion
Further, please visit the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Resource for Sextortion Victims: https://www.ojp.gov/library/publications/resources-sextortion-victims
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan J. O’Konek.
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Investment Professional Sentenced for Multimillion-Dollar Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Craig Allen, executive officer of C.M. Allen Capital Management, Inc., has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison for operating an investment scheme involving a private fund called “the Cheetah Fund,” which defrauded dozens of investors of more than $9 million.
“Allen lied to investors when he sent them account documents that intentionally inflated the Cheetah Fund’s performance,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. “Allen abused the investors’ trust by failing to invest their money as promised and diverting these funds to maintain his lifestyle. For some victims, these stolen funds comprised their life savings.”
“While it is easy to dismiss financial fraud cases as being almost benign because of their lack of violence, there is however, a very real victimization felt and lives are changed forever,” said Sean Burke, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI is hopeful that Allen’s sentencing will send a strong message to anyone who would try to take advantage of unsuspecting investors for their own personal greed.”
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, the charges, and other information presented in court: Allen, the sole shareholder and executive officer of C.M. Allen Capital Management, Inc., defrauded dozens of investors across the country out of millions of dollars through his management of the Cheetah Fund. In his roles with C.M. Allen Capital Management, Allen was responsible for managing Cheetah and its investment portfolio. Prospective investors received tear sheets that reported Cheetah achieved annual investment returns as high as 73%. Once invested in Cheetah, investors received fraudulent monthly account statements showing false investment gains, and fake tax documents reporting the false gains. In reality, Allen reported gains even as the Fund continuously lost money.
In addition, Allen at times used investors’ money to write checks payable to himself to fund his lifestyle. Cheetah investors lost more than $9 million due to Allen’s investment fraud scheme.
Craig Allen, 53, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr. to seven years, two months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $9.2 million to the victims.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The SEC provided valuable assistance. The SEC’s separate civil case is SEC v. Craig Allen, Case Number 1:24-cv-01771-SDG.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha Cooper and former 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.
Houston Woman Sentenced for $800,000 Covid Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Houston, Texas, woman was sentenced in federal court today for fraudulently receiving more than $800,000 in Missouri and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act unemployment benefits using the identity information of numerous other persons.
Prayshana Washington, 37, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to three years and one month in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Washington to pay $808,019 in restitution to the Missouri Division of Employment Security and $28,350 in restitution to the California Employment Development Department, for a total of $836,369 in restitution.
On May 23, 2024, Washington pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government property. Washington admitted she facilitated the filing of false claims in her name and the names of other persons, thereby fraudulently receiving unemployment benefits paid through the state of Missouri. These benefits included benefits from the CARES Act.
Washington fraudulently filed 38 successful claims for unemployment benefits, using the name and personal identifying information of individuals in the state of Missouri and elsewhere. These persons were not eligible to receive Missouri and enhanced unemployment benefits. The scheme lasted over a year and required repeated false statements by Washington to the Missouri Department of Employment Services.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General and the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General – Office of Investigations & Labor Racketeering Fraud.
Horizon City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Lead Role in Human Smuggling OrganizationRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – A Horizon City man was sentenced to 54 months in federal prison for charges related to his involvement in a human smuggling conspiracy.
According to court documents, Isai Orona aka Panda, 35, was the organizer of a human smuggling scheme. He had been identified in WhatsApp communications, which the organization used for coordinating criminal activity. Additionally, when U.S. Border Patrol agents apprehended a co-conspirator who had been transporting nine undocumented noncitizens in El Paso, the vehicle used was registered to Orona.
Orona was arrested Nov. 20, 2023. He pleaded guilty July 12, 2024, to one count of conspiracy to transport aliens and one count of transporting aliens. Orona admitted to smuggling over 2,500 undocumented noncitizens within approximately six months in 2023. Many car loads of undocumented noncitizens were transported to Albuquerque, New Mexico and on to other locations. He also admitted to having a network of drivers to transport the undocumented noncitizens in at least 12 vehicles, which he obtained or helped others to obtain. In addition to Orona’s imprisonment, the court entered a money judgment against him in the amount of $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
USBP investigated the case with assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Watts and Patricia Acosta prosecuted the case.
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Hell’s Kitchen Aesthetician Arrested for Unlawfully Injecting Counterfeit BotoxRead the Press Release
Danielle R. Sassoon, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the unsealing of a Complaint charging JOEY GRANT LUTHER with wire fraud, smuggling, and other crimes related to misbranded and counterfeit drugs. As alleged in the Complaint, from in or about April 2023 through at least in or about July 2024, LUTHER shipped counterfeit drugs, including counterfeit Botox, from countries in Asia, including China, and injected them, without the required license, into his clients at his medical spa, JGL Aesthetics. None of the counterfeit Botox that LUTHER injected was approved for sale or dispensing in the U.S. by the FDA. LUTHER was arrested this morning and will be presented later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave.
U.S. Attorney Danielle R. Sassoon said: “As alleged, Joey Grant Luther, who does not possess the licensing required by New York State to perform injections of Botox, knowingly purchased counterfeit Botox from China, injected it into his clients, and represented that the counterfeit Botox that he was peddling was genuine. Luther continued to purchase and inject the counterfeit Botox even after he learned that clients had fallen ill or experienced strange symptoms after Luther injected them. Luther’s disregard for the health of his clients put all of his victims in harm’s way and, in some cases, caused life-threating injuries. Luther will now face criminal charges for this conduct.”
As alleged in the Complaint:[1]
From at least in or about January 2021 through at least in or about July 2024, LUTHER ran a medical spa called JGL Aesthetics in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan. In or about September 2021, an individual (“Victim-1”) went to JGL Aesthetics to receive Botox treatments to treat excessive sweating as well as fine lines on her face. Victim-1 learned that LUTHER performed Botox injections from a friend. Between in or about September 2021 and in or about February 2024, LUTHER injected counterfeit drugs labeled as Botox® 150 Units manufactured by Allergan into Victim-1’s armpit, forehead, and face on approximately eight occasions. Victim-1 never provided LUTHER with a prescription to receive Botox injections.
On or about February 27, 2024, LUTHER injected Counterfeit Botox into Victim-1’s armpits and eyebrow area at JGL Aesthetics. Approximately three days after Victim-1’s February 27, 2024, visit to JGL Aesthetics, Victim-1 began experiencing double vision, light headedness, difficulty swallowing and chewing, heart palpitations, and slurring of speech. Victim-1 also could not lift her arms and experienced weakness from the waist up. Victim-1 went to three hospitals to seek medical assistance for these symptoms. On or about March 20, 2024, Victim-1 was diagnosed with Botulism toxin.
From between in or about April 2023 and in or about January 2024, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (“CBP”) seized parcels intended for JGL Aesthetics, including one which lists a return address in Hong Kong. These parcels contained significant quantities of counterfeit drugs, including Counterfeit Botox. Below is a photo of the contents of the parcel—including the exterior of cartons of Counterfeit Botox.
From at least in or about March 2024 through at least in or about April 2024, during which time LUTHER negotiated an additional purchase of Counterfeit Botox from one of his suppliers, multiple individuals who received injections of Counterfeit Botox from LUTHER messaged LUTHER about the negative side effects from the injections, including lazy eyes, double vision, and drooping eyelids. In response to these complaints, LUTHER typically assured his clients that the side effects were temporary, represented that he was unaware that counterfeit Botox had been found circulating in the U.S., and assured clients that the Counterfeit Botox was from Allergan, the veritable maker. As alleged, LUTHER was well aware that the Counterfeit Botox was, in fact, counterfeit.
Neither CBP’s seizure of packages intended for LUTHER, the defendant, nor his clients informing LUTHER of injuries related to his injecting Counterfeit Botox stopped LUTHER from continuing to procure the Counterfeit Botox and injecting it into his clients. Between March 13, 2024—the date that Victim-1 contacted LUTHER about the injections of Counterfeit Botox—and October 2, 2024—after law enforcement officers and special agents executed a search warrant of JGL Aesthetics, JGL Aesthetics had at least approximately 700 appointments logged in its client and service management application that were coded with having provided Botox-related services. Data contained in the client and services management application also revealed that JGL Aesthetics provided Botox-related services as early as January 2021.
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LUTHER, 54, of New York, New York, is charged with one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of dispensing of a misbranded drug while held for sale, which carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison; one count of holding counterfeit drugs for sale and for dispensing, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; one count of receiving misbranded drugs in interstate commerce and delivery or proffered delivery thereof, which carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison; and one count of smuggling, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The minimum and maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Ms. Sassoon praised the outstanding investigative work of the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the CBP – New York Field Office, and the Special Agents and Task Force Officers assigned to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon C. Thompson is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation.
Harvey Man Guilty of Possession of Intent to Distribute TapentadolRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on January 16, 2025, TYRAN ADAMS (“ADAMS”), age 34, of Harvey, Louisiana, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon to possession, with intent to distribute, tapentadol.
According to court documents, ADAMS, was arrested on June 18, 2024, for possession of 200 tablets of tapentadol. ADAMS faces up to twenty (20) years imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000 fine, up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. He is scheduled for sentencing on April 24, 2025.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation - New Orleans Gang Task Force. Special Assistant United States Attorney James Ollinger and Assistant United States Attorney Mike Trummel of the Violent Crimes Unit are in charge of the prosecution.
Hartford Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that JASON BARBER, 40, of Hartford, pleaded guilty yesterday in Hartford federal court to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 2, 2022, law enforcement received information that Barber, while seated in a vehicle, was streaming on Facebook Live and showing off a loaded pistol magazine. Officers located the vehicle, which parked on Barbour Street, and then followed Barber into a package store. Officers approached Barber and retrieved from his coat pocket a Kahr Arms P45 handgun containing a magazine with five rounds of .45 caliber ammunition.
Barber’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for firearm, robbery, drug, and escape offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
At sentencing, which is not scheduled, Barber faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years. He is released on a $100,000 bond.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Hartford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Stolfi Collins.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Justice 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 www.justice.gov/psn.
Fort Wayne Man Convicted at Trial of Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Neon L. Frazier, 50 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was found guilty of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm following a two-day jury trial presided over by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
A sentencing hearing will be scheduled by separate order. Any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the District Court Judge after consideration of federal statutes and the United States Sentencing Guidelines.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stacey R. Speith and Dawn Ransom.
This case was also 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.
Former School Bus Driver Admits Recording Sexual Abuse of MinorsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A former school bus driver on Wednesday admitted recording his sexual abuse of two young children.
Robert W. Stillwell, 67, of St. Peters, Missouri, pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child pornography. Stillwell admitted filming his sexual abuse of one girl, born in 2016, and another, born in 2022. Stillwell abused the victims while they were both asleep and awake, and coerced the older girl into complying with his demands by promising toys and money as well as by threatening her. She said Stillwell would become angry and scream when she did not cooperate. He also modified his voice to resemble that of two elementary school-aged girls and recorded messages to the older victim in which the “girls” encourage her to comply with his demands.
The parents of the older victim contacted the St. Peters Police Department in December 2023 after their daughter said Stillwell was drinking her urine, claiming it was medicine for him. Investigators then found recordings of his abuse of the victims.Stillwell is scheduled to be sentenced on April 22. The government will recommend a sentence of 30 years in prison.
The FBI, the St. Charles County Cyber Crime Task Force and the St. Peters Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former Marine and Wife Charged with Involuntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Kodi Glenn Simon (30, Cleveland, OH) and Kateri Ann Simon (30, Avon Lake, OH) with involuntary manslaughter. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of eight years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, in 2022, Kodi and Kateri Simon unlawfully kill Victim 1, without malice, while at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Abigail K. King and Michael C. Sinacore.
Former Corrections Officer Sentenced to Prison for Providing Firearm to FelonRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Brian Mills, age 39, a resident of Dannemora, New York, was sentenced today to serve 21 months in prison for knowingly providing a firearm to a felon. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo Field Office, made the announcement.
As part of his guilty plea, Mills admitted that at various times during summer 2022, he traded a New England Firearms Company Model Pardner-SP1 .410-gauge shotgun, an Armalite rifle, ammunition, an ammunition magazine and two body armor vests to Dustin J. Manor at Manor’s apartment in Plattsburgh, New York, knowing that Manor was a felon. On October 20, 2022, the Plattsburgh Police Department seized the shotgun, one (1) .44 magnum round of ammunition, shotgun rounds, and a set of RTS Tactical Level IV ceramic body armor from Manor’s Plattsburgh apartment after responding to a domestic incident there.
Manor was federally prohibited from possessing the firearms and ammunition due to 2014 drug felony convictions for which he was sentenced to 5 years in state prison.
Mills had been employed as a corrections officer at Clinton Correctional Facility but resigned his position following his arrest.
Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn also imposed a 2-year term of supervised release to begin after Mills is released from prison.
Manor was sentenced in August to 57 months in prison and 3 years’ supervised release for possessing the .410-gauge shotgun and ammunition as a felon.
HSI and the Plattsburgh Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas G. Collyer prosecuted the case.
Former Columbus police officer pleads guilty to destroying, altering records by turning off body worn camera during encounters with women while on dutyRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A former Columbus police officer offered a guilty plea in federal court here today for destroying or altering records related to a criminal investigation.
Nicholas P. Duty, 35, of Commercial Point, Ohio, admitted to two counts of the crime. The plea agreement includes a sentencing recommendation of 18 to 48 months in prison.
According to court documents, on two occasions, Duty destroyed, altered or falsified records by purposefully deactivating or removing his police body worn camera. Duty’s actions were intended to impede, obstruct or influence a federal investigation.
In February 2024, Columbus police officers were working street-level prostitution crimes in the area of Sullivant Avenue on the west side of Columbus when a witness expressed concerns about Duty’s on-duty activities. Duty was positively identified during the administration of a blind photo array.
Further investigation revealed that, on Oct. 31, 2023, and March 22, 2024, Duty deactivated or removed his body worn camera during interactions with two women, including during a sexual encounter.
During the incidents, Duty was on duty, wearing a police uniform, in a marked police vehicle and assigned a body worn camera. He knew he was required to comply with Columbus Division of Police policies for wearing the division-issued camera.
On Halloween 2023, the first woman had called Columbus police and asked for assistance, stating her boyfriend was attempting to kill himself. Duty transported the woman following the call and disabled his body worn and in-car cameras. Duty and the woman exchanged phone numbers and Duty reached out to her, including in April 2024 a few days before his arrest.
On March 22, 2024, video footage shows Duty speaking with the second woman near the Sunoco station at Sullivant and Clarendon avenues. The woman confirmed that Duty had money with him and asked if he wanted to go to their “normal spot.” Duty drove away in his police vehicle, relocated to a different alley, and met up with the woman. Duty removed his body worn camera and blocked it from recording video. The camera, however, still recorded audio from the incident. The audio recording reveals Duty asking the woman several times to have sex. She declines but performs oral sex on Duty. The two discuss meeting up later for sex and Duty is reported to have paid the woman $20.
Duty was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2024. He had been employed with the Columbus Division of Police since June 2018.
United States Attorney Kenneth L. Parker, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Daryl S. McCormick, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Angie M. Salazar, and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola announced the plea offered today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King.
Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and Kevin W. Kelley are representing the United States in this case, which is being investigated by the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission’s Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force.
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Florida man sentenced to life in prison for sex trafficking nearly a dozen women and girlsRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Shannima Yuantrell Session, also known as Shalamar, 47, of Lake Placid, Florida, was sentenced today to life in prison for trafficking nearly a dozen women and girls. Previously, a jury in the Southern District of Florida found him guilty of 10 counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and three counts of sex trafficking of a minor. The court has set a restitution hearing date of April 17.
“Protecting victims of human trafficking and child exploitation is a top priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michael S. Davis for the Southern District of Florida. “We are committed to aggressively combating these exploitative crimes that victimize the most vulnerable people in our society. Human beings are not commodities to be bought and sold, but rather demand our united protection. Our dedicated team of prosecutors, victim witness coordinators, and support personnel will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to combat human trafficking and child exploitation to bring these offenders to justice.”
“This substantial sentence is indicative of the egregious sexual exploitation committed by Shannima Yuantrell Session on numerous juveniles and women in Highlands County, Florida,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office. “It is a testament to the cooperation and commitment of several law enforcement agencies including the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. We will continue working with these and other partners to dismantle human trafficking networks that operate in the shadows and brutalize their victims.”
The evidence presented at the nine-day trial in September 2024 demonstrated that Session compelled victims to commit commercial sex acts between July 2011 and July 2013 as well as between February 2016 and February 2019. Session made promises of legitimate work and housing assistance to women and girls struggling with unstable living accommodations, substance abuse and neglect or who otherwise led unstable lives. Session’s promises were often false and empty, designed to provide him with the opportunity to learn about a victim’s vulnerabilities while misrepresenting himself as caring and empathetic. Session then exploited the victims’ vulnerabilities to compel their commercial sex acts.
At times, Session used food and housing to control and coerce the victims. For example, he would not permit one of his victims to eat if the victim did not follow his instructions. Often, Session required his victims to engage in sexual activity with him after they had spent a night having compelled sexual intercourse with up to 18 men.
Further, the evidence presented during the trial demonstrated that Session resorted to extreme physical violence to compel and intimidate certain victims. He violently punched some of the victims in the back of their heads in order not to leave marks on their bodies. Once, Session dragged a victim to a shower and beat her in the back of her head with a metal object until she fell limp to the floor. Session also choked another victim to the point that she lost consciousness, beat another victim with a bat and brutalized yet another so badly that her nose ring fell out due to the force of the assault. In addition, Session took multiple victims to a nearby lake, where he held two of their heads underwater and threatened to drown them if they did not do as he ordered.
The evidence also showed that Session used a firearm to intimidate and control his victims. He consistently kept a firearm in his possession and frequently displayed it to victims or referred to it when talking with them. Once, Session pointed a firearm at a victim while he was driving and threatened to “kill” her after she asked him how he would feel if someone treated his daughter the way he treated her.
Finally, the evidence indicated that Session manipulated and took advantage of some victims’ substance abuse problems to compel their commercial sex services. For example, Session provided victims with cocaine and methamphetamine to give them sufficient energy to engage in commercial sex acts and force them to lose weight.
The FBI Miami Field Office, Ft. Pierce Resident Agency, investigated the case, with assistance from the Highlands County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Hoover for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Leah Branch and Matthew Thiman of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit prosecuted the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-14074.
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Florida Man Sentenced to Prison for Preparing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On Jan. 6, Juan Mendieta, of Miami-Dade County, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison after pleading guilty in October 2024 to one count of criminal conspiracy and four counts of aiding and assisting the preparation of false tax returns.
Beginning in 2019 and continuing through at least 2023, Mendieta conspired with others to prepare fraudulent tax returns for his clients by using false business losses and expenses. These false items resulted in inflated federal tax refunds. For multiple clients, Mendieta prepared two different sets of tax returns. One set directed certain refunds from the IRS to Mendieta’s clients. Mendieta provided this set to his clients and misrepresented to them that he would file these tax returns with the IRS. Instead, Mendieta filed a second set of tax returns, which directed even greater refunds to bank accounts that he and a co-conspirator controlled.
The IRS has identified at least 29 tax filings that fraudulently inflated refunds, which Mendieta filed on behalf of at least 13 separate clients during the conspiracy period. As a result of Mendieta’s fraudulent conduct, the IRS is entitled to over $11 million in restitution.
Acting U.S. Attorney Michael S. Davis for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge Emmanuel Gomez of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Chief Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga.
IRS-CI Miami Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob Koffsky and Katherine Guthrie prosecuted this case.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20320.
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Florida Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Sex Trafficking Nearly a Dozen Women and GirlsRead the Press Release
Shannima Yuantrell Session, also known as Shalamar, 47, of Lake Placid, Florida, was sentenced today to life in prison for trafficking nearly a dozen women and girls. Previously, a jury in the Southern District of Florida found him guilty of 10 counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and three counts of sex trafficking of a minor. The court has set a restitution hearing date of April 17.
“Protecting victims of human trafficking and child exploitation is a top priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michael S. Davis for the Southern District of Florida. “We are committed to aggressively combating these exploitative crimes that victimize the most vulnerable people in our society. Human beings are not commodities to be bought and sold, but rather demand our united protection. Our dedicated team of prosecutors, victim witness coordinators, and support personnel will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to combat human trafficking and child exploitation to bring these offenders to justice.”
“This substantial sentence is indicative of the egregious sexual exploitation committed by Shannima Yuantrell Session on numerous juveniles and women in Highlands County, Florida,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office. “It is a testament to the cooperation and commitment of several law enforcement agencies including the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. We will continue working with these and other partners to dismantle human trafficking networks that operate in the shadows and brutalize their victims.”
The evidence presented at the nine-day trial in September 2024 demonstrated that Session compelled victims to commit commercial sex acts between July 2011 and July 2013 as well as between February 2016 and February 2019. Session made promises of legitimate work and housing assistance to women and girls struggling with unstable living accommodations, substance abuse and neglect or who otherwise led unstable lives. Session’s promises were often false and empty, designed to provide him with the opportunity to learn about a victim’s vulnerabilities while misrepresenting himself as caring and empathetic. Session then exploited the victims’ vulnerabilities to compel their commercial sex acts.
At times, Session used food and housing to control and coerce the victims. For example, he would not permit one of his victims to eat if the victim did not follow his instructions. Often, Session required his victims to engage in sexual activity with him after they had spent a night having compelled sexual intercourse with up to 18 men.
Further, the evidence presented during the trial demonstrated that Session resorted to extreme physical violence to compel and intimidate certain victims. He violently punched some of the victims in the back of their heads in order not to leave marks on their bodies. Once, Session dragged a victim to a shower and beat her in the back of her head with a metal object until she fell limp to the floor. Session also choked another victim to the point that she lost consciousness, beat another victim with a bat and brutalized yet another so badly that her nose ring fell out due to the force of the assault. In addition, Session took multiple victims to a nearby lake, where he held two of their heads underwater and threatened to drown them if they did not do as he ordered.
The evidence also showed that Session used a firearm to intimidate and control his victims. He consistently kept a firearm in his possession and frequently displayed it to victims or referred to it when talking with them. Once, Session pointed a firearm at a victim while he was driving and threatened to “kill” her after she asked him how he would feel if someone treated his daughter the way he treated her.
Finally, the evidence indicated that Session manipulated and took advantage of some victims’ substance abuse problems to compel their commercial sex services. For example, Session provided victims with cocaine and methamphetamine to give them sufficient energy to engage in commercial sex acts and force them to lose weight.
The FBI Miami Field Office, Ft. Pierce Resident Agency, investigated the case, with assistance from the Highlands County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Hoover for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Leah Branch and Matthew Thiman of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit prosecuted the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Dubai-Based Wall Street Exchange Agrees to Pay More Than $9.2 Million to Resolve Bank Fraud InvestigationRead the Press Release
John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI) announced today that Dubai-based Wall Street Exchange (WSE) entered into a non-prosecution agreement (the NPA) on January 19, 2025 with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York (the Office) and the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS), and has agreed to pay more than $9 million to resolve a bank fraud investigation into false statements that it made to a U.S. financial institution concerning the anti-money laundering compliance of WSE and its United Kingdom (U.K.)-based subsidiary, Wall Street Forex London Limited (Forex).
Under the terms of the NPA, WSE agreed to pay to the United States a criminal monetary fine of $3,920,000, and forfeiture in the amount of $5,326,648. The NPA also requires WSE to continue to cooperate with and provide information to the United States for the term of the agreement.
“With this agreement, WSE admits that it is responsible under U.S. law for the past acts of its former officers, directors, employees and agents which constitute a violation of law, specifically bank fraud, and has implemented a program to detect and prevent money laundering violations,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “My Office is committed to holding foreign actors accountable for abusing our financial system and ensures that we protect the integrity of U.S. banks.”
Mr. Durham expressed his appreciation to the Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division, for their work on the case.
“WSE’s failure to inform the US bank of an open investigation in the UK left the bank vulnerable to regulatory scrutiny. Anti-money laundering compliance is not only necessary to protect the sovereignty of our financial institutions but also that of our nation. IRS-CI worked closely with our federal partners to ensure that there is accountability in this case, and now WSE will pay the US government more than $9 million in fines and forfeiture,” stated IRS-CI New York Special Agent in Charge Chavis.WSE and its Subsidiary, Forex
WSE is a money exchange service provider headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Forex was incorporated in the United Kingdom in 1992 and was a wholly owned subsidiary of WSE. Prior to 2018, three of WSE’s most senior executives (collectively, WSE Executives) were also directly involved in directing and managing Forex. Two of the WSE Executives – Officer 1 and Officer 2— simultaneously served as executives of WSE and directors of Forex.
Between 2009 and 2018, WSE had a U.S. dollar correspondent bank account in New York with Bank A, which allowed WSE to execute transactions in U.S. dollars, access the U.S. financial system, and remit funds globally. Between 2012 and 2017, Forex had a similar trading account with Bank A in London.
Prior to 2016, Forex’s business included facilitating international dollar-denominated wires for money service businesses (MSBs) that could not wire funds internationally on their own. Forex was required to register with U.K. financial authorities, including His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Forex was also required to comply with U.K. money laundering regulations, including having to establish internal controls to prevent its clients from laundering money through its business.
Through its external compliance consultant and its own employees and directors, Forex was aware that its money services business clients were using Forex’s operations to engage in suspicious money laundering activities. For example, Forex’s external consultant alerted Forex that several of its clients were providing demonstrably false information to Forex. At least one Forex employee also raised concerns about the inadequacy of Forex’s internal controls and by extension, Forex’s potential facilitation of money laundering. These concerns were raised and elevated to one or more of the WSE Executives.
In 2016, HMRC revoked the “fit and proper” status of all of Forex’s directors, including the “fit and proper” status of Officer 1 and Officer 2. In withdrawing the directors’ “fit and proper” status, HMRC concluded that Forex repeatedly engaged in non-compliant financial activities and persistently failed to comply with key aspects of the requisite money laundering regulations and that among other deficiencies, Forex and its directors failed to establish and maintain appropriate internal controls to detect money laundering activities. HMRC also canceled Forex’s registration and notified Forex that it could not continue to do business in the U.K. After HMRC’s revocation, Forex subsequently ceased its U.K. operations in 2016.
Bank Fraud
Despite the above-described regulatory action against Forex, Forex and WSE never disclosed to Bank A negative findings regarding Forex’s money laundering controls and compliance, the regulatory action by HMRC, and the reason that Forex ceased operations in the U.K. Instead, Forex and WSE reported in multiple communications between 2015 and 2018, including in WSE’s and Forex’s audited financial statements for 2015, that Forex’s agents were the subjects of both an internal investigation and an investigation by U.K. authorities, while omitting that Forex itself was also a subject of both investigations. For example, when Bank A was conducting its due diligence review on WSE in 2015 and 2016, and asked WSE whether WSE had identified “any issues” in “internal/external audits,” each time, WSE responded, “No.” Moreover, in 2016, when Bank A asked whether WSE had any “regulatory action regarding any AML [anti-money laundering] issues” that year, WSE also reported “No,” –even though weeks prior, HMRC had revoked the “fit and proper” status of Forex’s directors, including officers of WSE, for AML issues and had notified Forex it could no longer operate as an MSB in the U.K. WSE repeated this misrepresentation to Bank A in 2017. Between 2016 and 2018, WSE also misrepresented to Bank A that Forex was voluntarily withdrawing from the U.K. and surrendering its license, characterizing the move as a “business decision” rather than the result of the HMRC regulatory action.
WSE, through its former officers and directors, failed between 2015 and 2018 to disclose information regarding Forex and made material misrepresentations to Bank A. WSE was able to maintain its banking relationships with Bank A until September 2018, when Bank A terminated its banking relationships with WSE globally.
The Non-Prosecution Agreement
The Justice Department reached this resolution with WSE based on a number of factors, including, among others: (i) the nature and seriousness of the offense, including that the events relevant to this matter largely related to a WSE affiliate no longer in operation and occurred under former WSE management and that WSE has had no bank accounts in the United States since 2018; (ii) WSE’s remedial measures to enhance its compliance program; and (iii) WSE’s lack of a criminal history in the United States. In addition, WSE received credit for cooperating with the department including by providing documents and information not otherwise available to the department.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section and MLARS, in coordination with the Office’s Bank Integrity Task Force, which is charged with investigating and charging corporate and individual actors who launder criminal proceeds using the U.S. banking system and enforcing anti-money laundering controls under the Bank Secrecy Act. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hiral D. Mehta, former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Genny Ngai and Brian Morris of the Eastern District of New York, and Trial Attorneys Elizabeth Carr and Michael P. Grady of MLARS' Bank Integrity Unit, are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of MLARS Paralegal Specialist Nicholas Aholt. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance.
The Defendant:
Wall Street Exchange
2025.01.19_npa_and_sof_fully_executed.pdf
Dubai, United Arab EmiratesDark Web Moderator Advertising Child Sexual Abuse Material Sentenced to 15 YearsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Kent, Washington man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for advertising child pornography.
Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Michael Posey, 50, to 180 months to be followed by seven years of supervised release. Posey pleaded guilty on August 29, 2024.
In sentencing Posey, the judge noted that communities such as the one in which Posey participated “create a supply chain to satisfy the demand for this poison” and inflict “generational emotional destruction on vulnerable members of our communities” with untold lasting impact on the young victims.
According to court records, in early 2024, agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Portland, Maine were investigating a site on the dark web dedicated to the sexual abuse of children. During the investigation, HSI agents observed a profile, later identified as belonging to Michael Posey, 49, that held a moderator position and was responsible for approving posts submitted by others. The profile included a password that individuals could use for any files/links provided by the user. A review of the profile’s history revealed a history of postings that dated back to December 2021. Agents logged into the site, reviewed a post made by Posey regarding a collection of 70 videos of child sexual abuse, and accessed a zipped file containing numerous videos including young children. In April 2024, HSI agents executed a search warrant at Posey’s residence in Kent, Washington. During the interview, Posey confirmed he used the profile on the dark web site and provided agents with his login information.
HSI investigated the case.
“Mr. Posey helped to create and benefited from a marketplace predicated on vulnerable victims being abused,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee. “Peddling child pornography is not a victimless crime – child sexual abuse material captures the very real, traumatizing, and abhorrent sexual abuse of children, and those children are revictimized every single time that material is shared, by every single person who views it.”
“Posey used the dark web to advertise abhorrent images capturing the sexual abuse of children who were irreparably harmed in the productions. Now he will remain in prison for a considerable period of time where he cannot be a threat to the public,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol for Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “Today's sentence shows the gravity of Posey’s crime and HSI’s commitment to seeking justice for children traumatized by online child sexual exploitation.”
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – in legal terms, "child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are shared or viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at https://report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.
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Convicted Felon Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Gun-related CrimeRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A convicted felon has been sentenced for illegal possession of ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson.
United States District Court Judge R. David Proctor sentenced D’Angelo Martin, also known as “Hot Boi,” 28, of Gadsden, to 36 months in prison. In October, Martin pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm (which includes possession of ammunition).
According to court documents, on April 24, 2023, Gadsden Police Department officers responded to a call that someone had shot at a vehicle in front of the caller’s residence. The officers found a shell casing on the porch. Martin admitted to possessing the 9mm ammunition that officers collected from outside the home.
Martin is prohibited from having ammunition because of multiple prior felony convictions. Martin was convicted on January 26, 2016, of the offense of Robbery, Second Degree and on November 1, 2021, of the offense of Certain Persons Forbidden to Possess a Firearm in the Circuit Court of Etowah County, Alabama.
ATF investigated the case along with the Gadsden Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristy M. Peoples and William R. McComb prosecuted the case.
Colorado Businesswoman Pleads Guilty to Employment Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
A Colorado businesswoman pleaded guilty today to not paying employment taxes.
According to documents and statements made in court, Shandel Arkadie, of Agate, Colorado, operated a home health care business, Alternative Choice Home Care Nursing LLC. Arkadie was responsible for withholding Social Security, Medicare and income taxes from Alternative Choice’s employees’ wages and paying those funds over to the IRS each quarter. She was also responsible for paying over Alternative Choice’s portion of Social Security and Medicare taxes. Between January 2015 and December 2020, the company withheld over $1,000,000 from its employees’ wages but did not pay the funds over to the IRS or file the requisite quarterly tax returns. In addition, the company owed approximately $500,000 in Social Security and Medicare taxes, which Arkadie did not pay.
In total, Arkadie caused a tax loss to the IRS of about $1,500,000.
Arkadie is scheduled to be sentenced on May 15. She faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Julia Rugg and Mahana Weidler of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
Colombian Woman Charged with Illegal Re-Entry into United StatesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A citizen of Colombia has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of illegal re-entry of a removed alien, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Heyder Molina Prieto, 37, as the sole defendant. According to public records, Prieto was arrested on November 27, 2024, related to charges filed by the Monroeville Police Department and Upper St. Clair Police Department.
According to the Indictment, in November 2024, Prieto was found in this District after having been removed from the United States on or about June 20, 2020, and March 4, 2022.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to two years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Bradford County Man Sentenced to 150 Months in Prison for Transporting A Minor to Engage in Illicit Sexual ConductRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Mark Douglas Miller, age 45, of Wyalusing, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by Chief District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann to 150 months of imprisonment to be followed by 10 years of supervised release for transporting a minor to engage in sexual conduct.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, from January 2020 to March 2020, Miller knowingly and willfully transported a minor across state lines with a motivating purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct.
The case was investigated by the FBI and Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisan V. Martin prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
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Boston Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Escape from Residential Re-Entry CenterRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for leaving a residential re-entry center where he was serving the remainder of his federal sentence for drug distribution. He was also sentenced for violations of supervised release on a prior federal conviction.
Derek Rego, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 18 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Rego was also sentenced to a term of eight months in prison to run concurrent with the escape sentence after being found in violation of the multiple terms of his supervised release on a prior federal drug trafficking conviction. In September 2024, Rego pleaded guilty to one count of escape after being indicted in in September 2020.
In September 2012, Rego was sentenced in federal court in Boston to 120 months in prison for distribution of cocaine. On Jan. 8, 2020, Rego was transferred from a correctional institution to a residential re-entry center (“RRC”) in Boston to serve the remainder of his sentence until his release date on June 5, 2020.
Prior to his transfer, in October 2019, Rego signed the furlough application which notified him, in part, that while on furlough status, he remains in the custody of the Attorney General. While residing at the RRC, Rego was permitted to work and was employed. On March 25, 2020, after informing the RRC that two co-workers tested positive for COVID-19, Rego was instructed to quarantine for 14 days at an approved “pass site” location and told that he would receive random phone calls and pass site visits to ensure his compliance. Rego was informed that after his 14-day quarantine ended on April 9, 2020, he was required to return to the RRC. Initially, Rego was compliant. However, on April 3, 2020, RRC staff attempted an in-person spot check at Rego’s temporary pass site and placed several calls to the temporary pass site landline and to Rego’s personal cell phone with negative results. Rego never returned to the RRC and his whereabouts were unknown for almost one month. On May 4, 2020 Rego was arrested in Boston on unrelated state domestic violence charges that were later dismissed.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Brian Kyes, United States Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus, David G. Tobin and Lauren Maynard of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Boston Man Sentenced for Federal Ammunition ChargeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today in federal court for being a felon in possession of ammunition.
Nicholas Carle, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 42 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. In September 2024, Carle pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition after being charged in April 2023.
On Dec. 18, 2022, after being stopped for a traffic violation, Carle ran from law enforcement, dropping his coat. Inside the coat, a Smith & Wesson .357 revolver, loaded with six rounds of ammunition was recovered. Inside of the trunk of the vehicle, approximately 2.5 pounds of a substance that appeared to be marijuana was located.
Due to prior felony convictions including a conviction for possession of a firearm without a permit, Carle is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William F. Abely and Julien M. Mundele prosecuted the case.
Arizona Couple That Ran Medical Clinic Business Charged with Conspiracy, Fraud, and Violating the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic ActRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced the unsealing of an indictment charging Mary Blakley (aka “Marye Blakley,” “Mary Blakely,” “Mary Blakeley,” “Mary Davis,” “Mary Venable,” “Mary Cammer,” “Rosemary Cammer,” “Rosemary Davis,” “Yvonne Davis,” and “Mary Blaksley”) and Fred Blakley (aka “Fred Blakely” and “Floyd Blakely”) with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to violate the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Mary Blakley and Fred Blakley are residents of Lake Havasu City, Arizona.
The indictment alleges that the two defendants were the principals of a medical clinic business that charged clients throughout the United States approximately $300 for conducting what the defendants described as “full body scans” by use of an ultrasound machine. The defendants falsely claimed that, through the deployment of a “smart chip technology” invented by defendant Mary Blakley and purportedly added to the ultrasound machines, their “full body scans” could diagnose a wide variety of human diseases and medical conditions, including blood cancers, such as leukemia, and candida in the bowel.
The indictment further alleges that the defendants falsely and fraudulently claimed that the Blakley Clinics’ full body scans, using the purported “smart chip technology,” could perform many other medical procedures, including colonoscopies, non-invasive prostate exams, and electrocardiograms. Based on the results of these “full body scans,” the defendants falsely and fraudulently prescribed to their human clients various supplements, creams, and veterinary products as treatments for conditions purportedly discovered during the full body scans.
According to the indictment, the defendants also claimed that Mary Blakley’s purported “smart chip technology” could treat and cure a wide range of human diseases, illnesses, and conditions, including by: (i) “driving” a substance known as Aetheion into the body to kill cancer; (ii) “cleaning” the lungs and brainstem; and (iii) removing kidney stones. In fact, neither the purported “smart chip technology” nor the substances prescribed by the defendants had been approved by the FDA to treat diseases in human beings.
If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 165 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Office of Criminal Investigations of the Food and Drug Administration, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ruth Mandelbaum and Paul G. Shapiro.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
21 January 2025
Windsor, Vermont Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Gun CaseRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on January 21, 2025, Ryan Buckley, 36, of Windsor, Vermont, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 46 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. Buckley previously pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm after previously having been convicted of a felony.
According to court records, police found Buckley passed out with a loaded handgun in his lap while parked in his pickup truck at the community baseball field in Cheshire, Vermont. When police woke him, Buckley grasped the handgun and put his truck into gear before police successfully disarmed Buckley without anyone getting hurt. Buckley admitted that he had just smoked methamphetamine which police recovered in his pickup truck. As part of his plea agreement, Buckley also admitted to possessing another 18 firearms, some of them stolen.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Chester, Vermont Police Department.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Owyang. Buckley was represented by Michael Straub, Esq.
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.
Wareham Woman Sentenced to More Than Four Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Wareham resident was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for selling fentanyl to a 42-year-old man who died of an overdose.
Kayla Nightingale, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 52 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $7,868 in restitution to the family of the victim for funeral expenses. In August 2024, Nightingale pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl. In October 2020, Nightingale and her co-conspirator, Troy Jones, were indicted by a federal grand jury.Jones and Nightingale worked together from January 2019 through at least April 3, 2019 to distribute fentanyl in Wareham, including to a 42-year-old Wareham resident. On April 2, 2019, that resident died of a fentanyl overdose.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Wareham Police Chief Walter Correia; and the Barnstable Police Chief Jean Challies made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Dolan and J. Mackenzie Duane of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
United States Attorney's Office Collected More than $137 Million in Fiscal Year 2024Read the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire announced today that the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee recovered $137,054,515 for American taxpayers and crime victims in Fiscal Year 2024.
“The dedicated public servants in our office responsible for protecting the public fisc from fraud and disgorging criminal proceeds have once again done a fantastic job on behalf of taxpayers and crime victims in Middle Tennessee,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire.
Of the money collected, $135,738,858 was collected in civil cases, primarily through actions brought pursuant to the False Claims Act, which provides that the United States may recover up to three times the amount of money that had been fraudulently obtained from government programs. In the addition to the False Claims Act recoveries, over $59 million of the funds collected in civil cases came from civil penalties paid under the Controlled Substances Act, which governs controlled substances. The United States obtained money judgments totaling approximately $4,130,000 in criminal cases during Fiscal Year 2024. The United States Attorney’s Office also recovered $939,718 through forfeited criminal and civil assets during Fiscal Year 2024.
The pursuit of recovery as a result of fraud committed against the United States through affirmative civil enforcement is a top priority of the United States Attorney’s Office. This includes actions to recover monies lost due to fraud – including Medicare and TennCare fraud – or other misconduct against the United States and the pursuit of monetary penalties and injunctive relief to address ongoing violations of federal laws. One of the primary objectives of asset forfeiture is to take the profit out of crime. Both the proceeds and instrumentalities of crimes are subject to forfeiture. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also initiates legal proceedings and takes other necessary actions to enforce the collection of all federal debts in the Middle District of Tennessee. These debts include criminal fines, restitution orders and civil judgments filed against judgment debtors, as well as unsecured civil debts referred from federal agencies.
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United States Attorney Appointed for District of MassachusettsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah Belaire Foley was appointed as the United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts by Acting Attorney General James McHenry on Jan. 20, 2025. With more than two decades of experience as a federal prosecutor within the Department of Justice, Ms. Foley brings extensive experience in prosecuting complex federal crimes and leading significant Department operations. Ms. Foley was sworn in this afternoon by the U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton.
“I can think of no greater mission than that of public service and it is the honor of a lifetime to now serve in the capacity of U.S. Attorney. I am profoundly humbled by the opportunity to serve our great nation as the chief federal law enforcement officer in Massachusetts,” said Ms. Foley. “I look forward to working with the outstanding men and women of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to protect our communities and support the principles of the rule of law.”
Ms. Foley has been a federal prosecutor for 23 years, first serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia and, most recently, the District of Massachusetts after joining the office in 2006 as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Criminal Division. Prior to being appointed as U.S. Attorney, Ms. Foley served as Deputy Chief of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit where she supervised international and domestic narcotics investigations and international money laundering, immigration, human trafficking and firearms cases. She also served as the Lead Attorney for Boston’s Organized Crime & Drug Enforcement Task Force since 2013.
As an Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Columbia, Ms. Foley prosecuted violent crimes, sex crimes, felony narcotics and firearms cases. She also authored appellate briefs and argued before the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.
Prior to her tenure with the Department of Justice, Ms. Foley Served as Counsel to the United States Senate, Committee on the Judiciary from 1998-2002, where she advised Senator Orrin G. Hatch, Chairman of the Judiciary Committee on drug policy and other criminal law matters; negotiated policy issues with representatives of elected officials, federal agencies, public interest groups and private organizations; traveled to foreign countries to assess American law enforcement initiatives abroad; and liaised with foreign law enforcement and officials to combat international drug trafficking.
Before she began her career in public service, Ms. Foley worked as an Associate at diGenova & Toensing in Washington D.C., representing clients in tax, antitrust, securities fraud and FEC violations cases.
Ms. Foley received a Master of Laws (LLM) from Georgetown University Law Center in 1996 after receiving her Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School. She received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette where she studied, English, Philosophy and French.
USAO Prosecution Team Awarded for Excellence in Legal PerformanceRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently recognized the work of its employees and others for extraordinary contributions to the enforcement of the nation’s laws at the 72nd Annual Attorney General’s Awards held Jan. 15, 2025, in Washington D.C. The event was celebrated at the DOJ’s Constitution Hall and followed by a reception for more than 400 award recipients and their guests.
The prosecution team from the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the Northern District of Ohio was among the award recipients for the successful outcome of the United States v. Aimenn Penny case.
Team members Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian S. Deckert, Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew W. Shepherd, and Victim Witness Specialist Allison A. Kretz were honored with the John Marshall Award for “Excellence in Litigation,” one of the Department’s highest recognitions presented for contributions and excellence in specialized areas of legal performance.
The team was honored for its exceptional service in the prosecution of Penny for the 2023 firebombing of the Community Church of Chesterland, in Chesterland, Ohio. According to one of the nominators, the team’s exemplary cooperation and dedication allowed for the rapid identification and arrest of Penny, with the prosecution resulting in Penny receiving an 18-year prison sentence.
The investigative agents on the case from the FBI Cleveland Division, were also recognized at the ceremony.
U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Sentencing of Former New Mexico State Police Officer for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Carlsbad man was sentenced to 85 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, between December 30, 2023, and March 25, 2024, Sammy Clouthier, 45, knowingly possessed child pornography involving a prepubescent minor. At the time, Clouthier was a sergeant with the New Mexico State Police.
Clouthier was also ordered to pay over $52,000 in restitution to the victims. Upon his release from prison, Clouthier will be subject to five years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque Division Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force of the Federal Bureau Investigation and the New Mexico State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Matilda McCarthy Villalobos is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
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U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Sentencing of Espanola Man for Federal Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A repeat offender from Espanola was sentenced today to 33 months in federal prison for drug trafficking charges after being found in possession of multiple controlled substances.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on April 19, 2023, Jeremy Isaac Lopez, 29, was apprehended at the Cities of Gold Casino by the Pueblo of Pojoaque Tribal Police Department on a bench warrant that had been issued, after Lopez removed his GPS ankle monitor in violation of the pretrial release conditions put in place for his State of New Mexico charges related to an armed robbery.
As officers approached, Lopez attempted to flee, crashing into a parked vehicle. A search of the vehicle he was driving revealed Lopez was in possession of pure methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, suspected suboxone, , and dozens of small clear baggies.
Upon his release from prison, Lopez will be subject to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Pueblo of Pojoaque Tribal Police Department, Chief Freddie Trujillo of the Pojoaque Tribal Police Department, and the Espanola Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert James Booth II is prosecuting the case.
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U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Guilty Plea from Gallup Man in Navajo Nation ShootingRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Gallup man pleaded guilty today in federal court to shooting and seriously injuring another man during a confrontation on the Navajo reservation last year.
According to court documents, on January 22, 2024, Arthur Chee Pat, 69, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, heard a commotion near his residence in Gallup and drove to investigate. Upon arriving at John Doe's residence, where his son and three other men were gathered, Pat retrieved a firearm from his vehicle. He then fired three gunshots in the direction of one man and two more towards John Doe, striking Doe once in the knee.
After the shooting, Pat fled the scene with his son. John Doe was initially transported to Gallup Indian Medical Center and later transferred to the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque for treatment. Law enforcement apprehended Pat at his residence shortly after the incident and recovered the handgun from his vehicle.
Pat will remain on condition of release pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. At sentencing, Pat faces up to 10 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Jones is prosecuting the case.
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U.S. Attorney Will Thompson and Law Enforcement Officials to Announce Capture of Sex Trafficking FugitiveRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson will hold a press conference today, Tuesday, January 21, 2025, at 2 p.m. with law enforcement officials to announce the arrest of Tiwan Robert Bailey, also known as “Quick,” 48, of Charleston, on federal charges related to the sex trafficking of multiple victims, including a minor victim, and his efforts to obstruct the investigation and prosecution of those crimes.
WHAT: Press Conference
WHEN: Tuesday, January 21, 2025, at 2 p.m.
WHERE: Robert C. Byrd U.S. Courthouse, Charleston, Fourth Floor, Suite 4000
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
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U.S. Attorney Will Thompson and Law Enforcement Officials Announce Capture of Sex Trafficking FugitiveRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson joined with law enforcement officials today to announce the capture of Tiwan Robert Bailey, also known as “Quick,” 48, of Charleston, on federal charges related to the sex trafficking of multiple victims, including a minor victim, and his efforts to obstruct the investigation and prosecution of those crimes.
Bailey was arrested on January 17, 2025, in Lexington, Kentucky. Bailey had been a fugitive since July 30, 2024, when federal law enforcement attempted to execute an arrest warrant that had been issued on July 23, 2024, based upon a federal grand jury indictment charging him with three felony counts.
“This is, once again, a great example of what happens when agencies work together,” Thompson said. “This was a high priority of all the law enforcement involved and a result of the time, energy and resources they have committed to this case.”
A six-count superseding indictment was handed up by a federal grand jury on October 16, 2024, against Bailey and two co-defendants: Carrie Roy, also known as “Carrie Ash,” 51, of Charleston; and David Lee White, 68, of Charleston and a former lawyer whose law license was annulled in 2018 by the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia.
The superseding indictment was unsealed following Bailey’s arrest. It alleges Bailey and Roy aided and abetted each other to recruit, entice, harbor, provide, obtain, maintain, patronize and solicit a minor victim to participate in a venture that they knew would cause the minor victim to engage in a commercial sex act in December 2023 at or near Charleston and Rand. The indictment further alleges that Bailey and Roy conspired with others in the sex trafficking of the minor victim.
The superseding indictment alleges that Bailey recruited, enticed, harbored, provided, obtained, maintained, patronized and solicited three other victims to engage in commercial sex through force and coercion in and around November 2023 through in and around January 2024 at or near Charleston and Rand. The indictment also alleges that Bailey, aided and abetted by White, obstructed, attempted to obstruct, and interfered with the sex trafficking investigation and prosecution from on or about May 20, 2024, through on or about October 15, 2024, at or near Rand and elsewhere.
Bailey faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to life in prison if convicted. The superseding indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Thompson commended the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the United States Marshals Service and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office for their investigative work in this case and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) and the West Virginia Fusion Center for the assistance they provided.
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-118.
A video of the press conference held for this announcement is available on the YouTube Channel of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
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Three Beckley Men Plead Guilty to Drug Trafficking CrimesRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Today, Tilford Joe Bradley Jr., 47, of Beckley, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and Mark Anderson Staples, 53, of Beckley, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine base, also known as “crack.” Bradley and Staples each admitted to roles in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed methamphetamine, fentanyl and crack in Beckley and elsewhere within the Southern District of West Virginia. A co-defendant, Talbert Mazell Pannell, 42, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to use of a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense in a separate case.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 6, 2024, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Bradley in Beckley. Officers searched Bradley’s vehicle during the traffic stop and found 2 ounces of methamphetamine in a magnetic box hidden in the vehicle’s engine bay, a Colt model MK IV .45-caliber pistol and a Hi-Point model C9 9mm pistol.
Bradley admitted that he intended to distribute the seized methamphetamine. Bradley further admitted to discussing and arranging multiple drug transactions with Staples and other co-conspirators. Bradley admitted that he and Staples spoke by cell phone on April 6, 2024, about exchanging controlled substances for cash and discussed $850 per ounce of cocaine as the purchase price. On April 9, 2024, Bradley spoke with co-conspirator Ronald Lavaughn Mason and arranged to buy a half-ounce of controlled substances from Mason that day. On April 12, 2024, Bradley arranged to buy a quantity of fentanyl from co-conspirator Demetrius Terrell Burns for $1,800 after Burns received a shipment of “raw” fentanyl. On April 24, 2024, Bradley arranged to trade 8.5 grams of fentanyl for 8.5 grams of heroin with co-conspirator Christopher Michael Shepherd, and conducted the transaction that day at a gas station near Beckley while under surveillance by law enforcement officers.
Bradley admitted that he and Staples arranged a drug transaction by phone on May 2, 2024, and conducted the transaction that day. Bradley initially asked Staples for a half-pound of methamphetamine, and then asked for an additional pound of methamphetamine in exchange for Staples’ supplier holding the title to Bradley’s truck. Law enforcement officers observed Bradley arrive at Staples’ Beckley residence to pick up the 1.5 pounds of methamphetamine.
On June 28, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Bradley’s residence and seized 38 grams of fentanyl, 6 grams of cocaine, multiple digital scales, a money counter, a large quantity of small plastic bags, and a blender containing white residue.
Staples participated in the DTO conspiracy between April and May 2024. Staples obtained methamphetamine from other individuals that he distributed to customers who also intended to distribute the methamphetamine, and used his cell phone to set up these transactions.
Pannell admitted to receiving fentanyl and cocaine at his Beckley residence from his Beckley supplier throughout May 2024, and to using his cell phone to arrange these transactions. On May 12, 2024, Pannell called his supplier and asked for approximately 1.75 grams of fentanyl.
Bradley is scheduled to be sentenced on May 22, 2025, and Staples is scheduled to be sentenced on May 15, 2025. Each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1,000,000 fine. Pannell is scheduled to be sentenced on May 22, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of four years in prison, up to one year of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Mason, 46, of Beckley, pleaded guilty on October 24, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base, also known as “crack. Burns, 32, of Beckley, pleaded guilty on October 31, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine base. Shepherd, 48, of Fayetteville, pleaded guilty on September 26, 2024, to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Mason, Burns and Shepherd each await sentencing.
Bradley, Staples, Pannell, Mason, Burns, and Shepherd are among 12 individuals indicted on charges alleging the defendants conspired to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and crack within the Southern District of West Virginia from in or about June 2023 to in or about May 2024. Bradley, Staples, Pannell, Mason, Burns, and Shepherd are also among eight defendants who have pleaded guilty. The charges against the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.
United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell is prosecuting the cases.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 5:24-cr-90 (Bradley and Staples) and 5:24-cr-199 (Pannell).
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Texas County Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Meth Trafficking, Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Texas County, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and for illegally possessing firearms.
Richard D. Sims, 63, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Sims to forfeit to the government $480,000, which represents the proceeds of drug trafficking.
On Oct. 31, 2023, Sims pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, three counts of aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine, and one count of being a felon in possession of firearms.
By pleading guilty, Sims admitted that he participated in the conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from March 9 to July 11, 2022. Sims also admitted to aiding and abetting his wife, co-defendant Billie J. Sims, 53, to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on three separate occasions.
On July 8, 2022, federal agents executed a search warrant at the Sims’s residence. Agents found a bag that contained 95.9 grams of methamphetamine in the bathtub. Agents also found three firearms inside a safe – a Canik 9mm semi0-automatic pistol, a Hi-Point 9mm semi-automatic pistol, and a Colt .38-caliber revolver – and an Armscor of the Philippines .38-caliber revolver in the garage.
Billie Sims told investigators that Richard Sims had distributed approximately 50 pounds of methamphetamine over the past five months.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Richard Sims has prior felony convictions for burglary, theft, unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a controlled substance, and operating a motor vehicle without a license.
Richard Sims is the first defendant to be sentenced in this case. Billie Sims is among four co-defendants who have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Eatmon and Michael S. Oliver It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Texas County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department; the South Central Drug Task Force; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Licking, Mo., Police Department; the Dent County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department; and the Salem, Mo., Police Department.
Sue Fahami Named Acting United States Attorney for the District of NevadaRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – Under the Vacancies Reform Act, First Assistant United States Attorney Sue Fahami is the Acting United States Attorney for the District of Nevada.
As the chief federal law enforcement officer for the District of Nevada, which covers all 17 counties in the Silver State, Ms. Fahami leads a team of over 100 prosecutors and staff professionals with offices located in Las Vegas and Reno.
Prior to joining the United States Attorney’s Office in the District of Nevada in 2001, Ms. Fahami served as the elected District Attorney in White Pine County, Nevada.
Ms. Fahami earned her LL.M. from the University of San Diego School of Law in 1996, J.D. from Whittier Law School in 1995, and B.A. from the University of Southern California in 1991.
The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Nevada is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all of the litigation involving the United States in Nevada.
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St. Tammany Man Guilty of Federal Controlled Substances Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that RICARDO JORDAN (“JORDAN”), age 21, of St. Tammany Parish, pled guilty on January 16, 2025 before United States District Judge Carl J. Barbier to three counts of Distribution of Fentanyl and one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B).
As to each count, JORDAN faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and up to a maximum term of imprisonment of forty years, a fine of up to $5,000,000.00, and at least four years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. JORDAN also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee as to each count.
Sentencing in this matter is set for April 10, 2025.
According to court documents, on August 3, August 10, and September 19, 2023, JORDAN sold forty (40) grams or more of fentanyl to an undercover Louisiana State Police Trooper. On September 28, 2023, Louisiana State Police and Homeland Security Investigations executed a search warrant at JORDAN’s Covington residence where they recovered approximately 101 grams of fentanyl.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Louisiana State Police. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Briana Williams of the
Narcotics Unit.
St. Louis Woman Sentenced for Stealing Dead Grandmother’s Government BenefitsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Tuesday ordered a woman who stole government benefits intended for her dead grandmother to repay the money and sentenced her to five years of probation and 40 hours of community service.
Shamari Jackson, 33, of St. Louis, used her grandmother’s debit card to access $13,047 in Social Security benefits that continued to be paid by direct deposit into her grandmother’s account after her death was not properly reported to the Social Security Administration. Jackson also used a $1,200 COVID-19-related stimulus payment intended for her grandmother, her guilty plea says.
Jackson pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one felony count of theft of government money.
This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Klocke prosecuted the case.
St. Louis Man Admits Carjacking and Shooting IncidentsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A convicted felon from St. Louis, Missouri on Tuesday admitted committing an armed 2018 carjacking, a 2021 shooting and two other incidents involving guns.
Darnell L. Clemons, 38, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of carjacking, two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and one count of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.
On May 16, 2018, Clemons and another man carjacked the manager of a University City, Missouri restaurant, stealing her 2015 Toyota Corolla, cash and her phone. On July 29, 2021, after Clemons’ nephew tried to steal someone’s gun at a convenience store, Clemons shot the man in the back while the victim struggled with Clemons’ nephew. On Aug. 4, 2021, following an apparent shootout with unknown individuals in a car, Clemons jumped through a stranger’s window in the O’Fallon neighborhood in St. Louis. Police found an empty, stolen 9mm pistol with him. On Dec. 8, 2021, he was arrested on outstanding warrants and officers found a 9mm Glock loaded with a large capacity drum magazine.
Clemons is scheduled to be sentenced on April 24. The carjacking charge is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. The firearm and ammunition charges each carry a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the University City Police Department, the Florissant Police Department and the St. Louis County Crime Lab investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary Bluestone and Matthew Martin are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Springfield Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Drug Trafficking, Fatal ShootingRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today in two separate criminal cases for drug trafficking and fatally shooting another person.
Austin A. Ball, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 25 years in federal prison without parole.
On April 30, 2024, Ball pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to distribute marijuana and one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking offense. In a separate case, Ball also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Ball admitted that he went to a local gas station on April 19, 2020, to distribute marijuana. After he arrived at the gas station, Ball saw a person identified in court documents as “C.T.” approach his vehicle and feared that C.T. was going to rob him. Ball fired his .380-caliber firearm at C.T. through his driver’s side window. A bullet struck C.T. The injuries from that bullet caused C.T.’s death later that day. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Ball’s residence and found the firearm that was used by Ball to cause the death of C.T.
In the second federal criminal case, Ball admitted that he participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from April 19, 2017, to Oct. 2, 2019. Ball admitted that he was in possession of 62 grams of methamphetamine, some clonazepam, alprazolam, $872 in cash, and three cell phones when he was stopped by a Springfield police officer while driving a motorcycle on April 11, 2018.
Ball is the sixth defendant to be sentenced in the second case. Two co-defendants have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
These cases were prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall D. Eggert and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron A. Beaver. They were investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, IRS-Criminal Investigation, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Sioux City Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm and Meth ChargesRead the Press Release
A man who illegally possessed three firearms and several ounces of methamphetamine pled guilty January 21, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City. Felipe Alcaraz, Jr., 35, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of three counts of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Alcaraz, Jr. was previously convicted of eluding and possession of controlled substance – third or subsequent offense, which prohibit a person from possessing a firearm.
At the plea hearing, Alcaraz, Jr. admitted that on a number of occasions he fled law enforcement’s attempts to conduct traffic stops of vehicles he operated, driving at high-speeds and in a reckless manner. During two traffic stops, law enforcement located Alcaraz, Jr. with firearms and ammunition, and on another occasion, drugs. One of the firearms seized had been reported stolen and another had an altered serial number. Alcaraz, Jr. further admitted to his involvement in the possession of at least 350 grams of methamphetamine which he intended to distribute to others in the Sioux City area.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Alcaraz, Jr. remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. On each of the firearm convictions, Alcaraz, Jr. faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment. On the methamphetamine conviction, Alcaraz, Jr. faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, and at least four years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4052. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Sioux City Man Pleads Guilty to Receipt and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Uriah Jordan Buffalo Chief-Torrez, II of Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty in federal court January 21, 2025, to receipt and possession of child pornography.
At the plea hearing, Buffalo Chief-Torrez pled guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. In an interview with law enforcement, Buffalo Chief-Torrez admitted individuals on several social media platforms had tried to show and sell him child pornography. Buffalo Chief-Torrez admitted that individuals on Telegram would sell him “CP” for $65. Buffalo Chief-Torrez admitted that he viewed 15 or 16 videos of child pornography. Buffalo Chief-Torrez admitted he downloaded child pornography on nine separate occasions and had streamed others on social media. The images and videos contained material that portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct or the sexual abuse and exploitation of an infant or toddler.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Buffalo Chief-Torrez will remain in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Buffalo Chief-Torrez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and five years to life of supervised release following any imprisonment.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
The case was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-4029. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.