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17 January 2025
Foreign National Facing Federal Charges Related to $6-Million-Plus Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland –James Aliyu, 29, the last of three defendants charged in a $6-million business email compromise (BEC) scheme, has been extradited from South Africa to the United States to face federal indictment.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Aliyu, Kosi Goodness Simon-Ebo, 30, and Henry Onyedikachi Echefu, 31, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering in connection with a BEC scheme that resulted in the loss of more than $6 million.
All three are Nigerian citizens that resided in South Africa at the time of the crimes. Federal authorities returned this indictment on June 24, 2019, and unsealed it on July 6, 2022, upon the defendants’ arrests outside the U.S.
Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Baltimore.
According to the seven-count indictment, from February 2016 until at least July 2017, the defendants conspired with others to perpetrate a BEC scheme. The indictment alleges that the defendants and their co-conspirators, some of whom resided in Maryland, gained unauthorized access to individual and business email accounts. Co-conspirators then allegedly sent false wiring instructions to the victims’ email accounts from spoofed emails, which are forged with sender addresses, to deceive the victims into sending money to bank accounts, known as drop accounts, that were controlled by perpetrators of the scheme.
The indictment also alleges that the defendants conspired to commit money laundering. They planned to disburse the fraudulently obtained funds to other accounts by initiating account transfers, withdrawing cash, obtaining cashier’s checks, and by writing checks to other individuals and entities, to hide the true ownership and source of the assets. Additionally, the defendants are charged with wire fraud, related to the BEC scheme. Specifically, Simon-Ebo is charged in three wire-fraud counts in which he wired $6,343,533.10 collected from victims to accounts controlled by conspirators.
Simon-Ebo and Echefu were previously extradited from Canada, pled guilty, and have been sentenced.
If convicted, Aliyu faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and for each count of money laundering and wire fraud.
Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. The individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
U.S. Attorney Barron commended HSI’s Mid-Atlantic El Dorado Task Force for its work in the investigation. Mr. Barron also thanked the South African Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa, and the South African Police Service. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) provided significant assistance in securing Aliyu’s extradition from South Africa. OIA and the Department of Justice Canada’s International Assistance Group also provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of both Echefu and Simon-Ebo. Mr. Barron also recognized Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes, who is prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Fentanyl Trafficker SentencedRead the Press Release
Austin, Texas – A Texas man was sentenced today to 168 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release for distributing fentanyl and other illegal controlled substances. The sentence included the forfeiture of $34,567 in drug proceeds, assorted jewelry, and nineteen firearms.
According to court documents, Joshua James Calvo, 37, distributed a variety of controlled substances between February and May 2024. DEA, through informants, bought heroin and methamphetamine from Calvo on three occasions: February 11, March 21, and April 11, 2024. DEA then obtained and executed a Federal search warrant on May 1, 2024, for Calvo's residence. Inside the residence, DEA agents found approximately 23 pounds of drugs, including 1.2kg of fentanyl, 8.2kg of marijuana, 890g of heroin, and 295g of meth. The DEA also seized nineteen firearms and $34,567 in cash. Calvo was arrested.
Joshua Calvo's sentencing continues this Office's efforts to stem the tide in the greater Austin area of the illegal drug distribution of fentanyl and other controlled substances. The DEA and its agents combined with Williamson Co. Sheriff's Office and Georgetown Police Dept. to investigate this case to its conclusion.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The DEA along with Williamson Co. Sheriff's Office and Georgetown Police Dept. investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Castillo prosecuted the case.
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Felon Sentenced for Committing Pandemic Relief Fraud While on Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Boeroepae Jordan has been sentenced to a new term in prison for defrauding the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program of more than $323,000, less than a year after being released from federal prison for firearms and drug crimes.
“Jordan quickly returned to his criminal activity after his release from prison, this time committing fraud to obtain money intended to help individuals and businesses who were suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “This case demonstrates our continuing resolve to identify and prosecute individuals who wrongfully exploited the pandemic relief programs.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: On September 9, 2019, Jordan completed a 72-month federal prison sentence for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime and began a six-year term of supervised release. On April 5, 2020, Jordan applied to the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”) for an EIDL advance of $5,000, claiming he owned a business named A/E Multi-Diamond Entertainment Incorporated which had five employees. In reality, the business existed in name only and had no employees. Jordan requested the funds be deposited into a business bank account that he arranged for a family member to open, claiming that the family member owned the business. The SBA then deposited the $5,000 into the bank account.
The following month, Jordan applied for an SBA-guaranteed PPP loan of $291,250 for the same fake business. Jordan claimed he had 18 employees and needed the loan to continue providing payroll during the pandemic. Jordan supported the application by providing fake IRS documents and altered bank statements. Jordan received the loan into his bank account on May 20, 2020, and immediately began withdrawing cash and spending large amounts of the money at restaurants, retail stores, nail salons, and furniture stores. By July 31, 2020, less than $5,000 of the loan funds was left in the account. Jordan caused an overall loss to the SBA of $323,433.31.
Boeroepae Jordan, 51, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to three years, five months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution to the U.S. Small Business Administration in the amount of $323,433.31. Jordan was convicted on October 10, 2024, after he pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Garrett L. Bradford and Erin N. Spritzer prosecuted the case.
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.
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.
Federal Jury Finds Repeat Offender Guilty of Receipt, Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL Minn. — A federal jury convicted a Ramsey County man for receipt and possession of videos and images depicting the sexual abuse of children, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Peter Michael Guevara, 56, was on “intensive supervised release” (ISR) for a previous conviction in 2014 of possession of child sexual abuse material in Sherburne County, Minnesota. Law enforcement agents received a tip the defendant was using an unauthorized smart phone. On November 12, 2020, agents conducted a surprise search of Guevara’s property, and found an Apple iPhone in the defendant’s pocket. Officers confirmed that it was an unauthorized device and arrested Guevara. Shortly afterwards, the defendant was recorded on jail calls instructing family members on how to remotely lock and erase the contents of his confiscated iPhone. A forensic examination of the iPhone later found more than 4,000 images and videos of prepubescent minors under the age of 18 engaged in illegal sexual activity.
A federal jury found Guevara guilty yesterday after a three-day trial on one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, with assistance from the Minnesota Department of Corrections and Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. It was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Assistant U.S. Attorney LeeAnn K. Bell and DOJ Trial Attorney Emily A. Polachek prosecuted the case.
Fayetteville Man Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
FAYETTEVILLE – A Fayetteville man was sentenced yesterday to 188 months in prison without the possibility of parole on one count of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor via Attempted Production of Child Pornography on January 15, 2025. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the U.S. District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court documents, in November of 2023, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office conducted an online child pornography investigation that led investigators to discover that a residence in Fayetteville was responsible for downloading child pornography. The Benton County Sheriff’s Office then provided the lead to the Northwest Arkansas Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Investigators with the ICAC Task Force and Fayetteville Police Department subsequently executed a residential search warrant at the Fayetteville residence and encountered John Steven Wallace, age 30, who admitted that he was responsible for downloading child pornography files via the peer-to-peer network. Wallace further admitted that he had produced images and videos of a minor in various stages of undress with a hidden camera staged in the bathroom of his residence. Subsequent forensic examination of the electronics taken from the residence confirmed Wallace had a large collection of child pornography and the videos of the minor he identified.
Wallace was indicted by a Grand Jury in May 2024 and entered a plea of guilty in September 2024.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, Fayetteville Police Department and the Benton County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyler Williams prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov
Drug Trafficker with Machinegun Sentenced to 16 YearsRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Kevon Bracey, age 26, of Wilmington, was sentenced to 196 months in prison and six years of supervised release, after fleeing from police with a bag containing cocaine and a fully automatic machinegun. On September 3, 2024, Bracey pled guilty to the charges.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, on February 22, 2024, the Wilmington Police Department was investigating narcotics activity in the South Turners Run area. Officers approached a vehicle where Bracey was a passenger. Bracey exited the vehicle carrying a bag and fled on foot. After a brief chase, police detained Bracey. They searched the area where he had fled and found the bag he had discarded during his escape.
The bag contained a loaded 9mm handgun that had been converted into a fully automatic machine gun with an extended magazine. In addition, it held quantities of crack and powdered cocaine. Law enforcement identified Bracey as a validated gang member and noted his extensive criminal history. He has previous convictions for possession of a stolen firearm, possession with intent to distribute heroin, and selling heroin in 2017, as well as possession of a firearm by a felon and discharging a firearm within city limits in 2020. In 2021, he was again convicted of possession of a stolen firearm and possession of a firearm by a felon. Due to these convictions, Bracey was prohibited from possessing any firearms.
This investigation was an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Bureau of Tobacco, Alcohol and Firearms (ATF) and the Wilmington Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for case no. 7:24-CR-00028-D.
Dominican Man Previously Convicted of Drug Offenses Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican man was sentenced yesterday for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Edward Tejeda Pimental, a/k/a “Miguel Carrillo Rodrigues,” a/k/a “Angel Matos,” 51, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 37 months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. He will be subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence. In November 2024, Tejeda Pimental pleaded guilty to one count of illegal reentry.
Tejeda Pimental was first removed from the United States following a federal conviction for an immigration offense in the Western District of Texas in 2003. He was removed a second time following narcotics convictions in the District of Massachusetts in 2008. Later, Tejeda Pimental was removed from the United States for a third time in 2018, following a drug-related arrest in New Hampshire. Tejeda Pimental is currently facing an additional drug charge in Massachusetts state court following a 2022 arrest for fentanyl trafficking.
United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Todd M. Lyons, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Reynolds III of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Detroit Man Sentenced for Armed Fentanyl and Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Detroit man, Khari Smith, 21, was sentenced on Friday, by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves, to 200 months in prison, for conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine.
In May 2023, law enforcement began investigating an individual distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine in Lexington, and also identified the vehicle being used to transport the drugs into the area. On July 10, 2023, law enforcement located the vehicle traveling from Detroit to Kentucky, as one of a pair of vehicles they believed were connected. Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on both vehicles. Khari Smith and Khmari Smith, his brother and co-defendant, were found in one vehicle, with no evidence of drugs. In the other vehicle, co-defendant Brianna Hanspard, 29, also from Detroit, was found with 4.6 kilograms of methamphetamine and 199.7 grams of fentanyl. Hanspard admitted agreeing with Khmari Smith and others to transport drugs from Detroit to Lexington, in exchange for payment.
Further investigation established that Khari and Khmari Smith continued their drug distribution, using sources in Detroit. In August 2023, law enforcement searched their leased residences in Lexington. At the first residence they found 354.4 grams of fentanyl, 216.3 grams of methamphetamine, and 18 firearms; at the second residence, they found additional fentanyl, methamphetamine, and 12 firearms. Khmari Smith admitted that he received those firearms as payment for drugs he distributed.
In their previous sentencings, Khmari Smith was sentenced to 384 months and Hanspard was sentenced to 84 months.
Under federal law, Khari Smith must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentences.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA, KSP, and Lexington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger West prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Crypto ‘Godfather’ and LASD Detective Agree to Plead Guilty to Violating Civil Rights of Business Rivals and Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A cryptocurrency businessman who dubbed himself “The Godfather” and a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) deputy have agreed to plead guilty to federal criminal charges, including for their roles in a conspiracy that targeted multiple victims in Los Angeles, violating their civil rights via intimidation, extortion, illegal search warrants and other abuses of police power, the Justice Department announced today.
Adam Iza, 24, who has residences in Beverly Hills and Newport Coast, was named this week in a three-count superseding information that charges him with conspiracy against rights, wire fraud and tax evasion. Iza has been in federal custody since September 2024.
Eric Chase Saavedra, 41, of Chino, an LASD deputy and a former federal task force officer, was separately charged today with conspiracy against rights and subscribing to a false tax return.
Iza and Saavedra have agreed to plead guilty to these felony charges and are expected to make their initial appearances in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles in the coming days.
“When law enforcement officers violate their oath, they betray not only the public but also the vast majority of officers who do the job the right way,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “The conduct admitted to in these plea agreements is deeply disturbing and cannot be tolerated. I am grateful for the cooperation of Sheriff Robert Luna and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in working with our office to root out corruption and uphold civil rights.”
“The defendants profited handsomely by abusing the criminal justice system and trampling on victims’ civil rights,” said Akil Davis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI is committed to rooting out corrupt officials and their coconspirators whose actions erode trust in law enforcement.”
The plea agreement for Iza was filed this morning. Federal prosecutors late Thursday filed charges, as well a plea agreement, in the case against Saavedra.
According to their plea agreements, Iza hired off-duty LASD deputies to act as his personal enforcers against his enemies. As part of the conspiracy to violate civil rights, Iza would have the deputies assist him in carrying out extortion, intimidation, setting people up for arrest, and abuse of legal process. One of the deputies Iza employed was Saavedra, who was assigned to LASD’s Operation Safe Streets Bureau and served as a federal task force officer assigned to the United States Marshals Service’s Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force.
Saavedra founded a private security company, Saavedra & Associates LLC. This company provided private security for its clients and often employed active LASD deputies and other law enforcement officers. From August 2021 to March 2022, Iza – who then lived in a Bel Air mansion – hired Saavedra & Associates to provide him round-the-clock private security at a typical cost of $100,000 per month. Iza hired the company again from July 2024 until Iza’s arrest in September 2024.
Starting in the fall of 2021, Saavedra illegally and regularly used his LASD credentials to access sensitive law enforcement databases to obtain personal identifiable information for Iza, including PII for people with whom Iza had personal or business disputes, their associates and their family members. Saavedra knew he was not authorized under LASD rules to access this information for non-law enforcement matters or to share it with private clients. He did so because he wanted to impress Iza with his access to law enforcement information and to continue to receive lucrative business from Iza, according to court documents.
Saavedra admitted that he used his powers as a sworn law enforcement officer to improperly obtain court-authorized search warrants related to individuals with whom Iza had disputes, including a warrant to search an individual’s residence that Saavedra helped facilitate and a warrant to obtain location information associated with another individual that Saavedra directly obtained.
Iza, Saavedra and others used confidential information that the LASD deputies obtained in their official capacities to locate, intimidate, harass, threaten and extort individuals with whom Iza had disputes and their associates, according to court documents. They also used Telegram and other encrypted communications apps to avoid law enforcement detection.
For example, in late 2021 or early 2022, Iza – believing a victim possessed a laptop computer containing more than $100 million in cryptocurrency – discussed and agreed that Saavedra would obtain a search warrant for GPS location associated with that victim’s telephone number. In January 2022, Saavedra applied for and obtained a search warrant under false pretenses from a Los Angeles Superior Court judge. In an affidavit supporting the search warrant application, Saavedra falsely stated that the victim’s telephone number was associated with a suspect in a firearms investigation.
After securing the illegal warrant, Saavedra tracked down the victim and provided the victim’s address to Iza. In March 2022, Iza caused three armed individuals to try to force entry into the victim’s home to steal the laptop. The individuals fled after the victim fired a gunshot in their direction. Afterward, Iza sent the victim a video of the attempted home invasion robbery.
The documents filed this week describe other violent acts, including an August 2021 event during which two LASD deputies held a victim at gunpoint inside Iza’s residence, after which Iza caused $25,000 to be transferred from the victim’s bank account to his own, and an October 2021 event in which Iza himself held a victim at gunpoint, causing that victim to transfer $127,000 to Iza.
Iza also admitted to stealing more than $37 million by fraudulently gaining access to Meta Platforms Inc. business manager accounts and their associated lines of credit from 2020 to 2022.
Both Iza and Saavedra admitted in their plea agreements to federal tax crimes. Iza willfully avoided the assessment of approximately $6,772,725 in federal income tax due for the year 2021. Saavedra received approximately $373,146 in unreported income and subscribed to a false tax return for 2021.
“Mr. Iza’s and Mr. Saavedra’s relationship was little more than a thuggish partnership between a thief and a crooked cop,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office. “The public should be able to trust members of law enforcement, but Mr. Saavedra violated his oath for a payday. Mr. Iza stole from anyone he could and found a big payday by ripping off Meta so that he could afford to pay for Mr. Saavedra’s corrupt protection and assistance. Unfortunately for both of them, money leaves trails and IRS Criminal Investigation is the best in the world at finding and following those trails. When you commit fraud and take a payday from fraudsters you must pay taxes on those funds. Now they will face justice for their actions.”
After pleading guilty, Iza will face up to 35 years in federal prison. Saavedra will face up to 13 years in federal prison.
The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating this matter. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has provided assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel J. O’Brien and J. Jamari Buxton of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section, and Maxwell K. Coll of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.
Columbia County Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Wire Fraud Conspiracy and Illegally Dispensing Animal DrugsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Columbia County, Oregon woman was sentenced to federal prison Thursday for her role in a conspiracy to defraud customers seeking to adopt pets and illegally dispensing prescription animal drugs without a lawful order of a veterinarian.
Samantha Miller, 55, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. The sum of restitution Miller must pay to her victims will be determined at a later date.
“Today’s sentence should make it clear to others engaged in unconscionable conduct that it will not be tolerated and they will be held responsible for their crimes,” said Hannah Horsley, Chief of the Economic Crimes Unit for the District of Oregon.
“The FDA regulates animal drugs as part of its mission to protect the public health, which includes ensuring that prescription animal drugs are lawfully obtained, distributed, and dispensed,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Iwanicki, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Los Angeles Field Office. “We will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who criminally attempt to evade the law.”
According to court documents, between November 2019 and January 2021, Miller and her co-conspirators, through their animal rescue business Woofin Palooza, LLC, conspired to obtain animals with health and behavioral problems from out-of-state shelters at no cost to offer for adoption to paying customers in Oregon. Once animals were transported to Portland, Miller did not provide the care needed by these animals through a licensed veterinarian. Instead, their medical issues were either ignored or Miller attempted to treat the animals herself by administering prescription animal drugs without supervision of a veterinarian.
As part of the scheme, Miller used the alias “Mandy Myers” to hide her true identity. Miller advertised animals for adoption on Woofin Palooza and Petfinder websites with misleading or false statements of the known medical and behavioral issues. When victims adopted a pet, Miller misrepresented the extent of health and behavioral issues in communications and contracts with the victims. In some instances, Miller dispensed prescription animal drugs to victims that she had repackaged with false or misleading labels and without the order of a licensed veterinarian. As a result, victims unknowingly adopted unhealthy and aggressive animals and were forced to seek veterinary care and training, including euthanasia, often incurring significant expenses.
On February 7, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a 4-count superseding indictment charging Miller with conspiring to commit wire fraud, conspiring to misbrand drugs, and misbranding animal drugs by dispensing them without a lawful order of a veterinarian and by repackaging and relabeling them.
On October 24, 2024, Miller pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud and misbranding drugs by dispensing prescription animal drugs without a lawful order of a veterinarian.
This case was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Robert S. Trisotto and Meredith D.M. Bateman, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
Colorado Man Sentenced to 37 Months for Methamphetamine and MarijuanaRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Juan Rodriguez-Rios, age 39, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was sentenced January 16, 2025, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for possessing with intent to distribute 430 grams of methamphetamine and 14 pounds of marijuana. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Rodriguez-Rios to 37 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a 2-year term of supervised release.
On September 6, 2022, the Nebraska State Patrol on I-80 around Seward, observed a GMC Yukon with an inoperative brake light. A traffic stop was conducted, and the driver and sole occupant was identified as Rodriguez-Rios. At the conclusion of the traffic stop, Rodriguez-Rios was given a warning. During the post-stop encounter, Rodriguez-Rios gave consent to search the vehicle. In the vehicle the trooper located approximately 14 pounds of marijuana and 430 grams of pure meth.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.
Cedar Rapids Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A Cedar Rapids man who distributed more than 900 fentanyl pills was sentenced January 15, 2025, to more than five years in federal prison.
Brogan Eugene McCartney, age 22, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 29, 2024 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, one count of distribution of a controlled substance, and three counts of use of a communication facility to commit a felony drug offense.
Information disclosed at sentencing showed that, between January 2023 and the beginning of March 2023, McCartney obtained at least 900 pills containing fentanyl from a source of supply. McCartney distributed some or all those pills to other individuals. On March 4, 2023, emergency personnel responded to McCartney’s residence in Cedar Rapids, where they found a female deceased in McCartney’s bed from a fentanyl‑related overdose. McCartney continued to distribute fentanyl pills.
On August 7, 2023, law enforcement officers used an undercover officer to purchase 18 fentanyl pills from McCartney. During the August 7 purchase, McCartney told the undercover officer that he had a firearm on him, and McCartney then lifted up his shirt and flashed the handle of what appeared to be a firearm. Officers later learned that it was actually a BB gun. On August 23, 2023, the undercover officer ordered more fentanyl pills from McCartney. When the officer arrived at McCartney’s residence, McCartney and McCartney’s friend entered the officer’s vehicle, where McCartney’s friend distributed 16 fentanyl pills to the officer. On September 6, 2023, McCartney posted a video on social media of himself with a firearm containing an extended magazine. That same day, the undercover officer ordered more fentanyl pills from McCartney. When the officer arrived at McCartney’s residence, McCartney and McCartney’s friend entered the officer’s vehicle. During the purchase, McCartney offered to purchase a firearm for the officer if the officer paid McCartney $100. McCartney’s friend eventually distributed 30 fentanyl pills to the officer.
McCartney was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. McCartney was sentenced to 63 months’ imprisonment, and he must also serve a three‑year term of supervised release after the prison sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.
McCartney is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Johnson County Drug Enforcement Task Force consisting of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa City Police Department, the Coralville Police Department, the North Liberty Police Department, the University of Iowa Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24‑CR‑00057‑CJW.
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California La eMe Members and Associates Indicted for Racketeering and Controlled Substance Trafficking through a Partnership with the Sinaloa CartelRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a six-count superseding indictment against Ronaldo Mudrano Ayala, 74, of San Diego; Angel Anthony Esparza, 41, of Indio; Ronald Paul Sepulveda, 40, of Riverside; Samuel O. Morales, 42, of Seattle; Allen David Fong, 33, of San Mateo; and Alexis Rodriguez, 23, of Seattle, Washington; charging them with racketeering and controlled substance offenses, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. The superseding indictment was returned on Dec. 19, 2024, and was unsealed yesterday following the arrest and arraignment of Rodriguez.
According to court documents, the defendants were members of an organization known as the Mexican Mafia or La eMe, whose members engaged in, among other things, interference with commerce through extortion, arson, controlled substance trafficking, and firearms trafficking. La eMe was founded in Folsom State Prison. Thereafter, La eMe grew within the California and Federal prison systems, and today, La eMe exerts influence and control over various illegal activities both inside and outside of the prison systems. La eMe controls and organizes Sureño street gangs into a larger, La eMe-controlled, criminal organization, and it enforces its rules and promotes discipline among its members and associates by assaulting and threatening those individuals, including associates, who violate the rules, fail to carry out an order, or pose a threat to La eMe. Members and associates of La eMe routinely used contraband cellphones smuggled into prisons to communicate with each other.
The superseding indictment alleges that La eMe generated revenue through the collection of “La eMe taxes.” For instance, La eMe required the payment of taxes on any illegal activities that generate revenue within their area of influence. To ensure the payment of taxes, La eMe offered protection should an individual paying the taxes serve a sentence of incarceration. Also, La eMe sought to burn property belonging to persons who failed to pay taxes. La eMe also collected taxes from entertainers or persons perceived to be profiting by using La eMe’s reputation, insignias, or claiming La eMe or “mafia” affiliation.
La eMe collected La eMe taxes in areas throughout the Western United States including throughout California and in Washington state. The superseding indictment alleges that La eMe formed a partnership with the Sinaloa Cartel offering protection for the cartel’s incarcerated members, including Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, in exchange for the Sinaloa Cartel supplying controlled substances from Mexico.
The superseding indictment alleges that the defendants served the following functions, among others, within the enterprise:
Ronaldo Mudrano Ayala, aka “OG,” aka “El Professor,” aka “Profe,” was an inmate at San Quentin State Prison. Ayala oversaw La eMe’s interests and tax collection efforts in the areas throughout the United States including San Diego, Riverside County, Sacramento, San Francisco, and Seattle. Ayala also oversaw the agreement between La eMe and the Sinaloa Cartel, ordered the extortion of persons who failed to pay La eMe taxes, ordered the arson of property belonging to persons who failed to pay La eMe taxes, communicated La eMe directives to La eMe associates inside and outside the prison systems, and enforced discipline among La eMe associates.
Angel Anthony Esparza, aka “Snappy,” aka “Snaps,” was an inmate at San Quentin State Prison. Esparza handled La eMe business for Ayala. Esparza instructed others concerning the amount of La eMe taxes which Ayala ordered to be collected on controlled substances received through the agreement between La eMe and the Sinaloa Cartel. Esparza also provided instructions concerning the payment of La eMe taxes including, coordinating the receipt of La eMe tax payments.
Ronald Paul Sepulveda, aka “Temper,” acted as a La eMe associate outside the prison system in Riverside County. Ayala or his associates communicated La eMe directives to Sepulveda who, in turn, oversaw their commission. Those directives involved the collection of taxes, extortionate threats, arson, and taxes collected from persons in the entertainment industry, particularly musicians, who purported to have Sureño or La eMe affiliation.
Samuel O. Morales, aka “Payaso,” aka “Paya” was a member of the United Lokotes, a Sureño gang located in the Seattle area. Through his membership in a Sureño gang, Morales acted as a La eMe associate. Morales carried out a La eMe a directive to improve La eMe tax collection by organizing Sureño gangs in the area surrounding Seattle. Morales also assisted La eMe in a plot to extort a musician, and Morales oversaw the arson of property belonging to the musician.
Allen David Fong, aka “Frank,” aka “Frankie Chino” was an incarcerated La eMe associate. From inside California State Prison – Solano, Fong acted as a La eMe associate who helped to arrange controlled substance transactions and to collect La eMe taxes.
Alexis Rodriguez, aka “Menace,” was a member of the United Lokotes, a Sureño gang located in the Seattle area. Through his membership in a Sureño gang, Rodriguez acted as a La eMe associate. Along with Morales, Rodriguez assisted La eMe in a plot to extort a musician, and Rodriguez helped in the arson of property belonging to the musician.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Abendroth is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Ayala, Esparza, and Fong face a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. If convicted, Sepulveda, Morales, and Rodriguez face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. The specific mission of the OCDETF Sacramento Strike Force is to identify, investigate, and prosecute the most significant criminal organizations operating in the Eastern District of California. OCDETF Sacramento Strike Force is composed of agents and officers from DEA, FBI, HSI, IRS-CI, USMS, ATF, USPIS, BLM, USFS, the Sacramento Sheriff’s Office, the California National Guard, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the California Department of Justice, and the Central Valley California HIDTA. The prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of California with the assistance of the Yolo County and Placer County District Attorneys.
Boston Man Sentenced to Prison for Firearm Offenses and Straw Purchasing ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today for conspiring to illegally traffic and straw purchase firearms.
Gustavo Rodriguez, 22, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to one year and one day in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In November 2023, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to make false statements in records required to be kept by an FFL and one count of aiding and abetting making false statements in records required to be kept by an FFL. Rodriguez was charged by complaint on Jan. 17, 2023 along with Cory Daigle and Shakim Grant. He was subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury on March 16, 2023.
From in or about August 2022 through November 2022, Rodriguez and Daigle conspired to create false entries in records required to be maintained by Daigle, an FFL, in order to conceal the illegal sale of multiple firearms through Grant to Rodriguez, who could not lawfully purchase or possess firearms. Specifically, Grant and Daigle made and signed false representations on required forms to disguise Rodriguez’s identity as the true firearm purchaser. Rodriguez is prohibited from possessing a firearm. The defendants also attempted to coverup the illegal straw purchase by providing false information to law enforcement.
Daigle and Grant each pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy. On Jan. 10, 2025, Daigle was sentenced to two years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. On Oct. 18, 2024, Grant was sentenced to three years of probation.
United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Revere Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.BioReference Health and OPKO Health Agree to Pay $704,349 to Settle Allegations that they Billed the Government for Medically Unnecessary Blood TestsRead the Press Release
BioReference Health LLC, formerly known as BioReference Laboratories Inc. (BioReference) and OPKO Health Inc. (OPKO), have agreed to pay $704,349 to resolve alleged violations of the False Claims Act arising from BioReference’s submission of claims for laboratory tests that had not been ordered by a patient’s provider. OPKO is a Delaware Corporation. BioReference, a subsidiary of OPKO, is headquartered in New Jersey and is one of the largest clinical laboratories in the United States.
The United States alleged that BioReference and OPKO knowingly submitted false claims to federal healthcare programs for complete blood count (CBC) with automated white blood cell (WBC) differential laboratory tests that were not medically necessary. Specifically, the United States alleged that, from Jan. 1, 2012, until March 1, 2023, BioReference and OPKO routinely performed more expensive CBC with WBC differential tests when, in fact, medical providers had ordered less expensive CBC with no WBC differential tests, and then billed federal healthcare programs for the more expensive and medically unnecessary tests.
“Health care providers are expected to provide and bill only for services that are medically necessary,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement demonstrates our commitment to protecting the integrity of federal health care programs and the taxpayer funds that support them.”
“BioReference allegedly profited by fraudulently performing and billing the federal government for unreasonable and unnecessary lab tests,” said U.S. Attorney David C. Weiss for the District of Delaware. “Schemes like these waste taxpayer money and raise healthcare costs for all Americans. My office will vigorously enforce anti-fraud statutes like the False Claims Act to combat such fraud and abuse of our healthcare system.”
“Laboratory companies have a responsibility to perform the specific testing requested by physicians’ orders,” said Special Agent in Charge Maureen R. Dixon of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG is committed to working with the Justice Department to investigate allegations of inappropriate insurance claims and to safeguard the integrity of our federal health care programs.”
The settlement stems from allegations originally brought in a lawsuit filed in the District of Delaware by a whistleblower under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, which allow private parties, known as relators, to bring suit on behalf of the government and to share in any recovery. In connection with today’s announced settlement, the relator will receive $112,694 of the recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Omni Healthcare Inc. v. OPKO Health, Inc. and BioReference Laboratories Inc., Civil Action No. 19-1670 (DDE).
This settlement was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware with assistance from HHS-OIG. Trial Attorney Claire L. Norsetter of the Justice Department’s Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Shamoor Anis for the District of Delaware handled the matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
Settlement
Benton Harbor Man Sentenced to 100 Months in Federal Prison for Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
Federal Jury Found Defendant Guilty Following Trial on Felon in Possession Charge
GRAND RAPIDS – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Lamon Tirell Turner, 47, of Benton Harbor, was sentenced to 100 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Turner has many prior violent convictions including assault, unarmed robbery, domestic violence, and assault on a police officer.
“Gun violence inflict tremendous harm on our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “My office is committed to stopping the proliferation of illegal guns flooding our communities. We will use all our tools and partnerships to hold offenders driving gun violence accountable and keep our communities safe.”
Investigators executed a search warrant at an apartment where Turner was staying. Officers located a firearm hidden underneath a couch, adjacent to where Turner was sleeping. Turner’s wallet was within feet of the weapon. Subsequent DNA analysis confirmed Turner’s DNA was present on the firearm.
The recovered firearm was determined to be the last one recovered of 123 firearms stolen during a November 16, 2023, robbery of Dunham's sporting goods store in Benton Harbor. With this recovery, law enforcement has now successfully located all firearms taken during that robbery.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department investigated this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexis Sanford and Constance Turnbull represented the United States at trial.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. For more information, visit www.justice.gov/psn.
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Barre, Vermont Woman Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud of Elder VictimRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on January 17, 2025, Jessica Russell, 42, of Barre, Vermont, pleaded guilty before Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to two counts of wire fraud.
According to court records, Russell defrauded an elderly Vermont victim of over $84,000. Russell befriended her victim who had lost a son. Russell built rapport with the victim by calling her “mom” and falsely telling her that Russell herself had lost a child. The elderly victim gave Russell a power of attorney, but it only authorized Russell to take legal actions that the victim would have taken, if they were able. As the elderly victim’s health and mental state declined, Russell opened a joint checking account with the victim. That account was funded with over $132,000 that came from the sale of the victim’s home. Of that money, Russell used $68,000 to buy a house in Barton, Vermont and over $16,000 to buy a 2017 Mitsubishi SUV. Russell put the house in her own name, falsely telling other people that she had bought it with her own money or that she had inherited it. Russell put the SUV in her name as well. Last year, Russell communicated with a car dealership about making repairs to the SUV which she continued to represent as belonging to her.
A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for June 12, 2025, in Burlington.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations and Vermont State Police.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Owyang. Russell is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Sara Puls.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Honors Justice Department Employees and Partners for the 72nd Annual Attorney General’s AwardsRead the Press Release
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced the recipients of the 72nd Annual Attorney General’s Awards, honoring Justice Department employees and others for extraordinary contributions to the enforcement of our nation’s laws. This year, there are 437 award recipients in 23 categories.
The 72nd Attorney General’s Awards and recipients are as follows:
The Attorney General’s David Margolis Award for Exceptional Service is the highest award given by the Justice Department to recognize employee achievement.
The Attorney General commends the investigation and prosecution team of the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting: U.S. Attorney Honorable Eric G. Olshan for the Western District of Pennsylvania; Trial Attorney Barry K. Disney of the Criminal Division’s Capital Case Section; First Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti for the Western District of Pennsylvania; Trial Attorney Aaron J. Stewart of the Criminal Division’s Capital Case Section; Assistant U.S. Attorney Soo C. Song for the Western District of Pennsylvania; Special Agent Samantha Bell of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office; Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Vasquez Schmitt for the Western District of Pennsylvania; Special Agent Brian R. Collins of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office; Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher M. Hanrahan for the Western District of Pennsylvania; Staff Operations Specialist Evan P. Browne of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office; Victim Assistance Specialist Adrienne R. Howe for the Western District of Pennsylvania; Victim Specialist Bridget M. Simunovic for the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office; Trial Attorney Mary J. Hahn of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section; Victim Specialist Kristin N. Czernewski of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office; and Trial Attorney Julia K. Gegenheimer of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.
The Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service is the Department’s second highest award for employee performance. There are 16 Distinguished Service Awards.
The first Distinguished Award is presented to the BOP Deaths in Custody Evaluation Team: Chief Inspector Jan E. Davis Hamm of the Office of Inspector General’s Evaluations and Inspections Division; Chief Inspector Michael E. Pannone of the Office of Inspector General’s Evaluations and Inspections Division; Senior Inspector Alexander C. Parker of the Office of Inspector General’s Evaluations and Inspections Division; and Inspector Lincoln T. Berget of the Office of Inspector General’s Evaluations and Inspections Division.
The second Distinguished Award is presented to the Uvalde Team: Deputy Director Robert Chapman of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services; Senior Counsel to the Director Shanetta Cutlar of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services; Policing Assistance and Reform Sociologist Nazmia Comrie of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.
The third Distinguished Award is presented to the Second Amendment Appellate Litigation Team: Assistant to the Solicitor General Vivek Suri of the Office of the Solicitor General; Appellate Litigation Counsel Mark B. Stern of the Civil Division’s Appellate Staff; Deputy Chief Ann O’Connell Adams of the Criminal Division’s Appellate Section; Appellate Litigation Counsel Michael S. Raab of the Civil Division’s Appellate Staff; Deputy Chief Scott Meisler of the Criminal Division’s Appellate Section; Trial Attorney Courtney L. Dixon of the Civil Division’s Appellate Staff; Trial Attorney William Glaser Criminal Division’s Appellate Section; Trial Attorney Sean R. Janda of the Civil Division’s Appellate Staff; Trial Attorney Joshua Handell of the Criminal Division’s Appellate Section; Trial Attorney Kevin B. Soter of the Civil Division’s Appellate Staff; Trial Attorney Andrew Noll of the Criminal Division’s Appellate Section; Trial Attorney Steven H. Hazel Civil Division’s Appellate Staff; Trial Attorney Mahogane Reed of the Criminal Division’s Appellate Section; Trial Attorney Benjamin R. Lewis Civil Division’s Appellate Staff; and Deputy Director Abby C. Wright of the Civil Division’s Appellate Staff.
The fourth Distinguished Award is presented to the Purdue Pharma Team: Deputy Director and General Counsel Ramona D. Elliott of the U.S. Trustee Program’s Executive Office; Deputy General Counsel Lisa A. Tracy of the U.S. Trustee Program’s Executive Office; Associate General Counsel Nan Roberts Eitel of the of the U.S. Trustee Program’s Executive Office; Associate General Counsel P. Matthew Sutko of the of the U.S. Trustee Program’s Executive Office; U.S. Trustee William K. Harrington of the U.S. Trustee Program’s Regions 1 and 2; Assistant U.S. Trustee Linda A. Riffkin of the U.S. Trustee Program’s Regions 1 and 2; Trial Attorney Paul M. Schwartzberg of the U.S. Trustee Program’s Region 2; Trial Attorney Denise J. Penn of the U.S. Trustee Program’s Executive Office; Trial Attorney John P. Sheahan of the U.S. Trustee Program’s Executive Office; Trial Attorney Beth A. Levene of the U.S. Trustee Program’s Executive Office; Trial Attorney Sumi K. Sakata of the U.S. Trustee Program’s Executive Office; Attorney Michael Shih Civil Division’s Appellate Staff; Attorney Sean R. Janda Civil Division’s Appellate Staff; Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence A. Fogelman for the Southern District of New York; Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter M. Aronoff for Southern District of New York; Deputy Solicitor General Curtis E. Gannon of the Office of the Solicitor General; Assistant to the Solicitor General Masha G. Hansford of the Office of the Solicitor General
The fifth Distinguished Award is presented to the Medicare Drug Negotiation Team: Assistant Director Michelle Bennett of the Civil Division; Staff Attorney Steve Myers of the Civil Division; Senior Trial Counsel Steve Pezzi of the Civil Division; Staff Attorney Catherine Padhi of the Civil Division; Appellate Litigation Counsel Michael S. Raab of the Civil Division; Staff Attorney David Peters of the Civil Division; Staff Attorney Maxwell Baldi of the Civil Division; Staff Attorney Lindsey Powell of the Civil Division; Trial Attorney Christine Coogle of the Civil Division; Trial Attorney Cassie Snyder of the Civil Division; Trial Attorney Alexander V. Sverdlov Civil Division; Trial Attorney Mike Gaffney of the Civil Division.
The sixth Distinguished Award is presented to the Magazine Case Team: Supervisory Special Agent Dustin Berger of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office; Paralegal Specialist Chrissy J. Nguyen for the District of Minnesota; Forensic Accountant Lacramioara Blackwell of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office; Paralegal Specialist Hannah C. Serres for the District of Minnesota; Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew S. Ebert for the District of Minnesota; Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson for the District of Minnesota; Assistant U.S. Attorney Garrett S. Fields for the District of Minnesota; Litigation Support Specialist Rachel L. Thrasher for the District of Minnesota; Assistant U.S. Attorney Harry M. Jacobs for the District of Minnesota; U.S. Postal Inspector John M. Western of the U.S. Postal Inspection (USPIS) Denver Field Office; and Special Agent Jared F. Kary of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office.
The seventh Distinguished Award is presented to the Emergency Support Function #13 National Coordinator Center: National Coordinator Robert P. McCloy of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Unit Chief Michael T. McCarthy of the FBI’s Critical Incident Response Group; Correctional Program Specialist Jacob Dyer of the Federal Bureau of Prisons; Special Agent Robert L. Patrizi of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Special Agent Christopher E. Felski of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Special Agent Michael D. Schaefer of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Special Agent Gregory A. Fox of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Special Agent Nathan P. Shaffer of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Program Analyst Jennifer D. Ivy of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Assistant Chief Inspector Jeffrey R. Sharp U.S. Marshals Service (USMS); Budget Analyst Naomi Jacques of the Federal Bureau of Prisons; Emergency Management Specialist Edward G. Sherburne III of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Special Agent Gabriel S. Mamock of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Assistant Chief Inspector Andrew Slazinik of the USMS; and Special Agent Daniel R. Marchant of the DEA.
The eighth Distinguished Award is presented to the Google Search Team: Trial Attorney Diana A. Aguilar Aldape of the Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office; Trial Attorney Claire M. Maddox of the Antitrust Division’s Technology and Digital Platforms; Assistant Section Chief Meagan K. Bellshaw of the Antitrust Division’s Financial Services, Fintech, and Banking Section; Trial Attorney Michael G. McLellan of the Antitrust Division’s Financial Services, Fintech, and Banking Section; Acting Deputy Director of Civil Litigation David E. Dahlquist of the Antitrust Division’s Litigation Program; Economics Director of Enforcement Office Aditi M. Mehta of the Antitrust Division’s Assistant Attorney General; Deputy Branch Director Kenneth Dintzer of the Antitrust Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch/National Courts; Senior Litigation Counsel Erin K. Murdock-Park of the Antitrust Division’s Litigation Program; Trial Attorney Jeremy M.P. Goldstein of the Antitrust Division’s San Fransico Office; Economist Craig T. Peters of the Antitrust Division’s Economic Policy Section; Trial Attorney Richard C. Gower of the Antitrust Division’s Technology and Digital Platforms; Assistant Section Chief Adam T. Severt of the Antitrust Division’s Technology and Digital Platforms; Trial Attorney Karl E. Herrmann of the Antitrust Division’s Technology and Digital Platforms; Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General Lara E.V. Trager of the Antitrust Division’s Technology and Digital Platforms; Assistant Section Chief Elizabeth S. Jensen of the Antitrust Division’s San Fransico Office; Trial Attorney Sara Trent of the Antitrust Division’s Technology and Digital Platforms; Trial Attorney Matthew R. Jones of the Antitrust Division’s Financial Services, Fintech, and Banking Section; Economist Andrew S. Vollmer of the Antitrust Division’s Economic Litigation Section; Economist Samuel D. Krumholz of the Antitrust Division’s Economic Regulatory Section; and Trial Attorney Catharine S. Wright of the Antitrust Division’s Technology and Digital Platforms.
The ninth Distinguished Award is presented to the Counternarcotic Cyber Investigations Task Force: Special Agent Michael A. Buemi of the DEA’s Miami Field Division; Task Force Officer Carlos Muvdi of the DEA’s Miami Field Division; Staff Coordinator Hauns G. Charters of the DEA’s Special Operations Division; Sanctions Investigator Thomas L. Vien of the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control; Postal Inspector Rafael A. Garcia of the USPIS Miami Division; Special Agent James B. Whitworth of the DEA’s Miami Field Division; Special Agent Alexis J. Gregory of Homeland Security Investigation (HSI), Program Manager Lissel Wilson of U.S. Custom and Border Protection’s Officer National Targeting Center;
Sanctions Investigator Matthew B. Hebron of the Department of the Treasury’s Office of the Foreign Assets Control; Intelligence Research Specialist Nikeisha P. Winston of DEA’s Miami Field Division; Special Agent Bryce Jones of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations; Diversion Investigator Lana M. Worobec of DEA’s Beijing Country Office; and Supervisory Intelligence Research Specialist Daniel E. Maxwell of DEA’s Office of Special Intelligence.
The 10th Distinguished Award is presented to the Title II Web Final Rule Team: Deputy Assistant Attorney General Jennifer E. Mathis of the Civil Rights Division; Attorney Advisor Lara S. Kaufmann of the Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section; Chief Rebecca B. Bond of the Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section; Trial Attorney Rebecca N. Guterman of the Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section; Deputy Chief Kristin M. Stitcher of the Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section; Trial Attorney Abigail A. Olson of the Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section; Deputy Chief Joy Levin Welan of the Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section; Attorney Advisor Badar U. Tareen of the Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section; Attorney Advisor David K. Gardner of the Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section; Paralegal Specialist Cameron C. Lynch of the Civil Rights Division’s Professional Development Office; Attorney Advisor Logan K. Gerrity of the Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section.
The 11th Distinguished Award is presented to the Access to Justice Leadership Team: Senior Advisor Jesse Bernstein of the Office for Access to Justice; Executive Officer Shannon Munro of the Office for Access to Justice; Language Access Coordinator Claudia Castillo of the Office for Access to Justice; Senior Counsel Nikhil Ramnaney of the Office for Access to Justice; Pro Bono Program Manager Laura Klein of the Office for Access to Justice; Deputy Director of Policy Christina Smith of the Office for Access to Justice; Public Affairs Officer Lauren Lambert of the Office for Access to Justice; Acting Deputy Director of Programs David Steib of the Office for Access to Justice; Senior Advisor Kim Lopez of the Office for Access to Justice; Senior Counsel Andrew Walchuk of the Office for Access to Justice; General Counsel Catalina Martinez of the Office for Access to Justice; Acting Chief of Staff Jessa Wilcox of the Office for Access to Justice; Human Resource Liaison Nichole Miller of the Office for Access to Justice; and Executive Director of the Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable Allie Yang-Green of the Office for Access to Justice.
The 12th Distinguished Award is presented to the Fisher Team: Deputy Chief of Complex Frauds Christopher Huber for the Northern District of Georgia; Trial Attorney Richard Rolwing of the Tax Division’s Northern Criminal Enforcement Section; Trial Attorney Jessica Kraft of the Tax Division’s Southern Criminal Enforcement Section; Trial Attorney Nicholas Schilling of the Tax Division’s Southern Criminal Enforcement Section; Paralegal Robert Resto of the Tax Division’s Southern Criminal Enforcement Section; Trial Attorney Parker Tobin of the Tax Division’s Southern Criminal Enforcement Section.
The 13th Distinguished Award is presented to the Data Protection Review Court Team: Acting Director Katherine Harman-Stokes of the Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties; Program Specialist Leatha Johnson of the Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties; Senior Counsel Christina Baptista of the Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties; International Director Dylan Cors of the National Security Division’s Office of Law and Policy; Senior Counsel Hannah Mayer of the Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties; Litigation Support Specialist Maisha Treadwell of the National Security Division’s eLitigation and Data Services; Senior Counsel Andrew McFarland of the Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties; Assistant Director Nancy Anne Baugher of the Justice Management Division’s Budget Staff; Senior Counsel Jay Sinha of the Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties; Budget Analyst Peter Carlino of the Justice Management Division’s Budget Staff; Attorney Advisor Victoria Garcia of the Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties; Assistant Director Julie Homick of Justice Management Division’s Human Resources Coordination Team; Management and Program Advisor Andria Robinson-Smith of the Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties; and Program Specialist Claudia Tweed of the Justice Management Division’s Human Resource Operations.
The 14th Distinguished Award is presented to the Section 702 Reauthorization Team: Supervisory Attorney Advisor Peter J. Atlee of the National Security Division’s Office of Intelligence; Chief of Staff and Senior Counsel Susan J. Hennessey of the National Security Division’s Office of the Assistant Attorney General; Senior Counsel Andrew D. Beaty of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General; Supervisory Special Agent W. Mike Herrington of the FBI’s Office of the Director; Counselor Margot G. Benedict of the Office of the Attorney General; Counsel Hilary A. Hurd of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General; Senior Counsel Adrienne L. Benson of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General; Deputy Assistant Attorney General Melissa MacTough of the National Security Division’s Office of the Assistant Attorney General; Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nelson Slade Bond II of the Office of Legislative Affairs; Legislative Affairs Specialist Daniel J. Paviglianiti of the FBI’s Office of Congressional Affairs; Attorney Advisor Kathryn J. L. Donahue of the National Security Division’s Office of Intelligence; Supervisory Attorney Advisor Joshua T. Raines of the National Security Division’s Office of Intelligence; Press Secretary Emma M. Dulaney of the Office of Public Affairs; and Attorney Advisor James Saulino of the FBI’s Office of General Counsel.
The 15th Distinguished Award is presented to the Marathon Oil Team: Trial Attorney Jonah P. Brown of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Enforcement Section; Trial Attorney Vanessa M. Moore of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Enforcement Section; Legal Assistant Gabrielle J. James of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Enforcement Section; Assistant Section Chief Laura A. Thoms of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Enforcement Section; Paralegal Specialist Meghan R. Jones of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Enforcement Section.
The 16th Distinguished Award is presented to the United States v. Ross Roggio Team: Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee National Security Division’s Counter Espionage Section; Legal Administrative Specialist Sierra Morano for the Middle District of Pennsylvania; Trial Attorney Colette L. Ford of the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs; Victim Witness Specialist Andrea C. Myers for the Middle District of Pennsylvania; Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd K. Hinkley for the Middle District of Pennsylvania; Legal Administrative Specialist Christina M. Nihen for the Middle District of Pennsylvania; Historian Phil Hoffman of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights & Special Prosecutions Section; Special Agent Thomas J. O’Donnell of the FBI Philadelphia Field Office; Trial Attorney Patrick Jasperse of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights & Special Prosecutions Section; Paralegal Anna Rogers of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights & Special Prosecutions Section; Trial Attorney Christian Levesque of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights & Special Prosecutions Section; and Deputy Chief Courtney Spivey Urschel of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights & Special Prosecutions Section.
The Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Heroism recognizes a remarkable act of bravery and risk of life while performing official duties.
The Award for Exception Heroism is presented to the Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force: Senior Inspector Austin Acheson of the USMS Investigative Operations Division; Special Agent Arthur Philson of the ATF; Task Force Officer (Fallen) William Elliott of the USMS Investigative Operations Division; Task Force Officer (Fallen) Samuel Poloche of the USMS Investigative Operations Division; Task Force Officer Josh Funderburk of the USMS Investigative Operations Division; Task Force Officer Frankie Runyon of the USMS Investigative Operations Division; Task Force Officer Casey Hoover of the USMS Investigative Operations Division; Task Force Officer Chad Shingler of the USMS Investigative Operations Division; Task Force Officer Frank Irizarry of the USMS Investigative Operations; Deputy U.S. Marshal Joshua Shuffler for the Western District of North Carolina; Task Force Officer Collin Johnson of the USMS Investigative Operations Division; Senior Inspector Eric Tillman of the USMS Investigative Operations; Task Force Officer Samuel Laws of the USMS Investigative Operations Division; Deputy U.S. Marshal (Fallen) Thomas Weeks for the Western District of North Carolina; Senior Inspector Derek Miller of the USMS Investigative Operations Division.
The Mary C. Lawton Lifetime Service Award recognizes employees who have served at least 20 years in the Department and who have demonstrated high standards of excellence and dedication throughout their careers. This award is presented only in exceptional circumstances to those individuals of special merit and is not awarded to express general appreciation for tenure alone.
The first Mary C. Lawton Lifetime Service Award is presented to Deputy Chief Barbara “Bobbi” Bernstein of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.
The second Mary C. Lawton Lifetime Service Award is presented to General Counsel Jennifer Kaplan of the Office on Violence Against Women.
The third Mary C. Lawton Lifetime Service Award is presented to Supervisory Trial Attorney Terry Henry of the Civil Division’s Federal Programs Branch.
The fourth Mary C. Lawton Lifetime Service Award is presented to Assistant U.S. Attorney Shane Harrigan for the Southern District of California.
The fifth Mary C. Lawton Lifetime Service Award is presented to Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Jane Stewart for the Northern District of Georgia.
The sixth Mary C. Lawton Lifetime Service Award is presented to Deputy Chief Gregg A. Maisel for the District of Columbia.
The seventh Mary C. Lawton Lifetime Service Award is presented to Senior Counsel for Appellate Matters Eric G. Hostetler of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Defense Section.
The eighth Mary C. Lawton Lifetime Service Award is presented to Supervisory Attorney Mary K. Butler of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section.
The ninth Mary C. Lawton Lifetime Service Award is presented to Supervisory Special Agent Richard B. Marx of the FBI’s Laboratory Division.
The Edward H. Levi Award for Outstanding Professionalism and Exemplary Integrity is established to pay tribute to the memory and achievements of former Attorney General Edward H. Levi, whose career as an attorney, law professor, and dean and public servant exemplified these qualities in the best traditions of the Department. The Edward H. Levi Award for Outstanding Professionalism and Exemplary Integrity is presented to Trial Attorney Lowell V. Sturgill of the Civil Division’s Appellate Staff.
The William French Smith Award for Outstanding Contribution to Cooperative Law Enforcement was established to pay tribute to the memory and achievements of former Attorney General William French Smith for his establishment of Law Enforcement Coordinating Committees (LECCs), and his outstanding efforts in promoting law enforcement cooperation and coordination throughout the nation. It is designed to recognize state and local law enforcement officials who, through their participation in cooperative interagency efforts, have made significant contributions to law enforcement endeavors and objectives.
This award is presented to the OPERATION DISRUPT SoCal Team: Senior Trial Attorney Stephen Da Ponte of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section; Special Agent Brett A. Crooks of HSI; Deputy Chief Joseph A. Poux of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section; Special Agent Seidy Gaytan of HSI; Assistant Special Agent-In-Charge Benjamin M. Carr of Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division; Special Agent Shawn P. Doyle of HSI; Special Agent Gabrielle M. Buda of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division; Special Agent Ian MacLean of HSI; Special Agent Sawyer A. Rotell of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division; Criminal Analyst Regina Soria of HSI; Special Agent Ezekiel Austin of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division; Chief Phong Hua of U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Supervisory Special Agent Michael Lesley of HSI; Watch Commander Roberto Pagan of U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Supervising Criminal Investigator Gloria Gamino of the California Department of Toxic Substances Control.
The Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement recognizes outstanding professional achievements by law enforcement officers within the Justice Department. Two Excellence in Law Enforcement Awards.
The first Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement is presented to the Charlotte Response Team: Deputy Commander Brian Alfano of the USMS’ Investigative Operations Division; Senior Inspector David Frebel Jr. of the USMS’ Investigative Operations Division; Deputy Commander Brian Montana of the USMS’ Investigative Operations Division; Task Force Officer Jamie Terry of the USMS’ Investigative Operations Division; Law Enforcement Officer Jack Blowers of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department; Law Enforcement Officer Mike Giglio of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department; Law Enforcement Officer Justin Campbell of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department; Law Enforcement Officer Christopher Tolley of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department; Enforcement Officer (Fallen) Joshua Eyer Law of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department; Task Force Officer Samuel Barksdale of the Investigative Operations Division Gastonia Police Department.
The second Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement is presented to Special Agent Kimojha “Mo” Brooks of the DEA’s North and Central America Division.
The Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service in Indian Country is designed to recognize extraordinary efforts to demonstrate the Department's commitment to fight crime in Indian Country. The Award for Exceptional Service in Indian Country is presented to the Tribal Affairs Division of the Office on Violence Against Women: Grants Management Specialist Lisa M. Arnold of the Office on Violence Against Women; Grants Management Specialist Jennifer W. Marsh of the Office on Violence Against Women; Grants Management Specialist Tammy L. Ashley of the Office on Violence Against Women; Grants Management Specialist Jenny R. Mills of the Office on Violence Against Women; Grants Management Specialist Yulonda I. Candelario of the Office on Violence Against Women; Grants Management Specialist Mary A. Mummaw of the Office on Violence Against Women; Attorney Advisor Frances A. Cook of the Office on Violence Against Women; Deputy Director Sherriann C. Moore of the Office on Violence Against Women; Grants Management Specialist Samantha L. Dziatkiewicz of the Office on Violence Against Women; Grants Management Darla R. Nolan of the Specialist Office on Violence Against Women; Supervisory Grants Management Specialist Tia H. Farmer of the Office on Violence Against Women; Grants Management Specialist Cheryl “Renee” Stapp of the Office on Violence Against Women; Supervisory Grants Management Specialist Rebekah R. Jones of the Office on Violence Against Women; Grants Management Specialist Sydney L. West of the Office on Violence Against Women; Senior Grants Management Specialist Regina D. Madison of the Office on Violence Against Women.
The Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Management recognizes outstanding administrative or managerial achievements which have significant improved operations, productivity, or reduced costs. The award is presented to Program Manager Angela D. Vandergrift of the FBI’s Criminal Justice Investigative Services.
The Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Technology or Privacy recognizes outstanding contributions by Justice Department employees in applying information technology to improve the operations or productivity of the Department, reduce or avoid costs, or solve problems, as well as recognizing outstanding achievements in privacy law, policy, and compliance.
The first Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Technology or Privacy was presented to the Bankruptcy Videoconference Team: Supervisory Auditor Krista G. Hale of the U.S. Trustee Program; Auditor Nicole M. Zollars of the U.S. Trustee Program.
The second Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Technology or Privacy was presented to the DOJ National Law Enforcement Accountability Database (NLEAD) Team: Senior Counsel Jeffrey S. Nestler of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General; Director James L. Dunlap of the Justice Management Division’s Security and Emergency Planning Staff; Chief Privacy & Civil Liberties Officer (Acting) Peter A. Winn of the Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties; Assistant Director Michael W. Haas of the Justice Management Division’s Law Enforcement Services and Information Sharing; Deputy Associate Attorney General Saeed Mody of the Office of the Associate Attorney General; Senior Advisor Marissa A. Marrone of the Justice Management Division’s Human Resources Staff; Deputy Assistant Attorney General Melinda Rogers of the Justice Management Division’s Office of the Chief Information Officer; Deputy Director Brian Merrick of the Justice Management Division’s Service Delivery Staff; Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Williams of the Justice Management Division’s Human Resources and Administration; General Counsel Morton J. Posner of the Justice Management Division; Director Melody Armstrong of the Justice Management Division; Deputy Director F. Michael Sena Justice Management Division’s Human Resources Staff; Chief of Staff Nikki Collier of the Justice Management Division; Senior Assistant General Counsel Evelyn Tang of the Justice Management Division; Deputy Assistant Director Peter W. Crichlow of the Justice Management Division; Deputy Assistant Director Leah Taylor of the USMS; Assistant Director Eric S. Daniels of the Justice Management Division; Deputy Assistant Director Erin M. Prest of the FBI’s Office of the General Counsel; Assistant Director Swati Deb of the Justice Management Division’s Application Technical Services.
The Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Furthering the Interests of U.S. National Security is designed to recognize a special act or service by a Department employee who has greatly contributed to protecting U.S. national security. The 2024 award is presented to T-Mobile Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States Penalty and Disclosure Team: Supervisory Attorney Advisor Eric S. Johnson of the National Security Division’s Foreign Investment Review Section; Supervisory Attorney Advisor Diane Kelleher of the Civil Division’s Federal Programs Branch; Research Support Specialist Robert A. Kaminaris of the National Security Division’s Foreign Investment Review Section; Trial Attorney James C. Luh of the Civil Division’s Federal Programs Branch; Attorney Advisor Eileen C. Keenan of the National Security Division’s Foreign Investment Review Section; Information Technology Specialist Matthew Baer of the FBI’s Operation Technology Division; Attorney Advisor Kara L. Podraza of the National Security Division’s Foreign Investment Review Section; Senior Telecommunications Specialist Michael Gray of the FBI’s Operational Technology Division; Supervisory Attorney Advisor Tyler J. Wood of the National Security Division’s Foreign Investment Review Section; Attorney Gregory Welsch of the FBI’s Operational Technology Division; and Trial Attorney Alison Zitron of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.
The Attorney General’s Award for Outstanding Service in Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Administration is designated to recognize exceptional dedication to the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act. This award is presented to the Federal Bureau of Prisons Freedom of Information Act Team: Government Information Specialist Santos Arellano of the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ North Central Regional Office; Government Information Specialist Sara Lilly of the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Central Office; Supervisory Attorney Advisor Eugene Baime of the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Central Office; Government Information Specialist Kristi Scarantino of the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Federal Correctional Complex Butner; Government Information Specialist Robin Carl of the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Western Regional Office; Government Information Specialist Shauniece White of the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Federal Correctional Institution Fort Dix; Supervisory Government Information Specialist Kara Christenson of the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Federal Medical Center Rochester.
The Attorney General’s Award for Equal Employment Opportunity is the Department’s highest award for performance in support of the Equal Employment Opportunity Program. This award is presented to the Beacon Project Team: Information Technology Specialist Aisha Napari Abass of the FBI Newark Field Office; Special Agent Corey G. Harris of the FBI New Orleans Field Office; Management & Program Analyst Alexis Karen Averette of the FBI’s Office of Diversity & Inclusion; Management and Program Analyst Tamika M. Harrison of the FBI’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion; Bryant Management & Program Analyst Shantuana Nicole of the FBI’s Directorate of Intelligence; Community Outreach Specialist Chiquanda D. Tillie of the FBI Columbia Field Office; Supervisory Foreign Language Program Coordinator Annie Yaitze Correa of the FBI New York Field Office; Community Outreach Specialist Stacie K. Ward of the FBI Charlotte Field Office; Management & Program Analyst Stacy Lamonte Culler of the FBI Office of Diversity and Inclusion; Management and Program Analyst Amy E. Waye of the FBI’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion; Special Agent Stacey Reid Deal of the FBI Charlotte Field Office; Applicant Recruiter/Coordinator Amani Wilson of the FBI Baltimore Field Office; Management & Program Analyst Edrienne C. Elliott-Wade of the FBI’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion; Supervisory Special Agent Kisha T. Winston of the FBI Washington Field Office; Community Outreach Specialist Marvella Gray of the FBI Baltimore Field Office.
The Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Legal Support recognizes outstanding achievements in the field of legal support to attorneys by paralegal specialists and other legal assistants.
The first award for Excellence in Legal Support is presented to Environmental Torts Litigation Paralegal Specialist Doris Renate Epton of the Civil Division’s Torts Branch.
The second award for Excellence in Legal Support is presented to Management Analyst/Criminal Paralegal Margaret E. Jahn for the Eastern District of Virginia.
The Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Administrative Support recognizes outstanding administrative or managerial achievements (e.g., human resources, financial management, information technology, and general non-legal administrative support). This award is presented to Paralegal Jenna Rahrle of the Office of Legislative Affairs.
The Claudia J. Flynn Award for Professional Responsibility is designed to recognize a Department attorney who has made significant contributions in professional responsibility by successfully handling a sensitive and challenging professional responsibility issue in an exemplary fashion and/or leading efforts to ensure that Department attorneys carry out their duties in accordance with the rules of professional conduct. The Claudia J. Flynn Award for Professional Responsibility is presented to Deputy Counsel Suzanne K. Drouet of the Office of Professional Responsibility.
The Attorney General’s Award for Asset Forfeiture recognizes the outstanding legal efforts or other actions by Department employees in support of the Government’s asset forfeiture programs. The Attorney General’s Award for Asset Forfeiture is presented to the Corporate Whistleblower Awards Pilot Program Team: Associate Deputy Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General; Chief Policy Unit Sarah Dorsey of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering & Asset Recovery Section; Deputy Assistant Attorney General Kevin O. Driscoll of the Criminal Division’s Office of the Assistant Attorney General; Acting Director of the Corporate Whistleblower Awards Pilot Program Patrick B. Gushue of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering & Asset Recovery Section; Deputy Assistant Attorney General Lisa H. Miller of the Criminal Division’s Office of the Assistant Attorney General; Principal Deputy Chief Lorinda Laryea of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section; Chief Counselor Brent Wible of the Criminal Division’s Office of the Assistant Attorney General; Chief Glenn S. Leon of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section; Chief Margaret “Molly” Moeser of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering & Asset Recovery Section; Principal Deputy Assistant Chief of the Health Care Fraud Unit Jacob N. Foster of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section; Chief of the Program Management and Training Unit Jennifer Bickford of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering & Asset Recovery Section; Assistant Chief Market Integrity & Major Fraud Unit Michael “Mike” O’Neill of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section; Deputy Chief Program Management and Training Unit Raymond “Matt” Colon of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering & Asset Recovery Section; and Attorney Advisor Mark H. Goldberg of the National Security Division.
The Attorney General’s Award for Fraud Prevention recognizes those who have been involved with the prevention, investigation, and prosecution of fraud and other white-collar crimes. The award is presented to the Endo Bankruptcy and Litigation Team: Assistant United States Attorney Peter Aronoff for the Southern District of New York; Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Schwartz for the Southern District of New York; Special Agent Wende E. Bardfeld of the FBI; Trial Attorney Tara M. Shinnick of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch; Assistant U.S. Attorney Jean-David Barnea for the Southern District of New York; Diversion Investigator Stephanie K. Tait of the DEA; Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Chase for the Southern District of Florida; Senior Trial Counsel Christopher Terranova of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section Commercial Litigation Branch; Trial Attorney Benjamin A. Cornfeld of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch; Supervisory Trial Attorney Kevin P. VanLandingham of the Civil Division’s Corporate/Financial Litigation; Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Feeley for the Southern District of Florida; Assistant Director of the Fraud Section Natalie A. Waites of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch; Diversion Investigator Donna G. Richards of the DEA; Legal Administrative Specialist Angela Weddle for the Southern District of Florida; and Supervisory Trial Attorney Mary Schmergel of the Civil Division’s Corporate/Financial Litigation.
The Attorney General’s Award for Outstanding Contributions by a New Employee recognizes exceptional performance and notable accomplishments towards the Department’s mission by an employee with fewer than five years of federal career service.
The first Attorney General’s Award for Outstanding Contributions by a New Employee recognizes Chief Juan Castillo of the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Human Resource Management Division, National Recruitment Office.
The second Attorney General’s Award for Outstanding Contributions by a New Employee recognizes Physical Security Specialist Nicholas R. Eubanks of the USMS Southern District of Alabama.
The Attorney General’s Award for Outstanding External Contributions recognizes individuals or teams who have demonstrated exceptional dedication and skill in fostering collaboration between government agencies and community stakeholders to enhance public safety or have rendered exceptionally helpful assistance to the Department in high-visibility litigation.
The first Attorney General’s Award for Outstanding External Contributions is presented to the Republican National Convention and Democratic National Convention Deployment Team: Conciliation Specialist Sean Barrett Community Relations Service’s South Region; Pearson Conciliation Specialist Kelly Hams of the Community Relations Service’s Midwest Region; Conciliation Specialist Kabrina W. Bass of the Community Relations Service’s Midwest Region; Conciliation Specialist Karl Jegeris of the Community Relations Service’s Midwest Region; Conciliation Specialist Joi Brown Dillard of the Community Relations Service’s South Region; Conciliation Specialist Dion Lyons of the Community Relations Service’s South Region; Conciliation Specialist Mildred Duprey de Robles of the Community Relations Service’s South Region; Conciliation Specialist Reginal M. Malden of the Community Relations Service’s South Region; Conciliation Specialist Clayton B. Fong of the Community Relations Service’s Mountain Central Region; Conciliation Specialist Kimberly L. McDonald of the Community Relations Service’s Atlantic North Region; Conciliation Specialist GusTavo A. Guerra Vasquez of the Community Relations Service’s West Region; Conciliation Specialist Michael Outlaw of the Community Relations Service’s Atlantic North Region; Conciliation Specialist Shanette Hall of the Community Relations Service’s Midwest Region; Conciliation Specialist Daniel Z. Rowe of the Community Relations Service’s South Region.
The second Attorney General’s Award for Outstanding External Contributions is the Project Safe Childhood Team: Project Safe Childhood Program Specialist Karen Legace for the District of Massachusetts; Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Paruti for the District of Massachusetts; Special Agent Jennifer L. Gerega of the FBI Boston Field Office; Special Agent Matthew G. Fontaine of the FBI Boston Field Office; Special Agent Edward Bradstreet of HSI; Special Agent Virginia B. Toulouse of the FBI Boston Field Office; Special Agent Andrew Kelleher of HSI; Trooper DeShawn Brown Trooper of the Massachusetts State Police.
The John Marshall Awards are the Department’s highest awards presented to attorneys for contributions and excellence in specialized areas of legal performance.
The first John Marshall Award for Excellence in Litigation is presented to the United States v. Aldrich Prosecution Team: Victim Witness Coordinator Debbie Azua-Dillehay for the District of Colorado; Special Agent Ryan Molinari of ATF; Auditor Dana Chamberlin for the District of Colorado; Victim Specialist Alicia Wagner of the FBIE Denver Field Office; Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Connaughty for the District of Colorado; Special Agent Jason R. Walter of the FBI Denver Field Office; Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Fields for the District of Colorado; Trial Attorney Maura D. White of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section; and Special Agent Justin Kempf of the FBI Denver Field Office.
The second John Marshall Award is presented to the United States v. Westchester Joint Water Works Team: Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel H. Dolinger for the Southern District of New York and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tomoko Onozawa for the Southern District of New York.
The third John Marshall Award is presented to the Aimenn Penny Investigation and Prosecution Team: Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian S. Deckert for the Northern District of Ohio; Special Agent Patrick B. Lentz of the FBI Cleveland Field Office; Special Agent Stacey Griggs of the FBI Cleveland Field Office; Intelligence Analyst Wendi Parker of the FBI Cleveland Field Office; Special Operations Specialist Megan Hixon of the FBI Cleveland Field Office; Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew W. Shepherd for the Northern District of Ohio; Victim Witness Specialist Allison A. Kretz for the Northern District of Ohio; Special Agent Lane R. Thorum for the FBI Cleveland Field Office; Supervisory Special Agent Jacob C. Kunkle of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; Special Agent Cleveland Nicholas H. Visnich of the FBI Field Office.
The fourth John Marshall Award is presented to the United States v. Andrew Fahie Prosecution Team: Trial Attorney Shane Butland Criminal Division’s Fraud Section; Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean T. McLaughlin for the Southern District of Florida; Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin D. Gerarde for the Southern District of Florida; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Frederic (Fritz) Shadley for the Southern District of Florida.
The fifth John Marshall Award is presented to the Columbia River System Team: Senior Trial Attorney Michael R. Eitel of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Wildlife and Marine Resources Section; Senior Trial Attorney Romney S. Philpott of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Natural Resources Section; Trial Attorney David S. Frankel of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Appellate Section; Senior Trial Attorney Frederick H. Turner of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Wildlife and Marine Resources Section.
The sixth John Marshall Award is presented to the Binance Investigation and Prosecution Team: Trial Attorney Elizabeth R. Carr of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering & Asset Recovery Section; Trial Attorney Alexander H. Wharton of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section; Deputy Chief of the Bank Integrity Unit Kevin G. Mosley Criminal Division’s Money Laundering & Asset Recovery Section; Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael W. Dion for the Western District of Washington; Trial Attorney Victor R. Salgado of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering & Asset Recovery Section; Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia E. Jarrett for the District of Oregon; Deputy Chief Matthew A. Anzaldi of the National Security Division’s Nation Security Cyber Section; Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonas B. Lerman for the Western District of Washington; and Trial Attorney Beau Barnes of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
The John Marshall Award for Providing Legal Advice is presented to the Securing the Border Team: Attorney-Advisor Amanda Chuzi of the Office of Legal Counsel; Attorney-Advisor Louis Katz of the Office of Legal Counsel; Attorney-Advisor Jon Cowles of the Executive Office for Immigration Review’s Office of Policy, Immigration Law Division; Attorney-Advisor Mark Krass of the Office of Legal Counsel; Attorney-Advisor Conor Craft of the Office of Legal Counsel; Attorney-Advisor Lucas Lallinger of the Office of Legal Counsel; Attorney-Advisor Lauren Gallenstein of the Executive Office for Immigration Review’s Office of Policy, Immigration Law Division; Attorney-Advisor Grace Leeper of the Office of Legal Counsel; Attorney-Advisor Naomi Gilens of the Office of Legal Counsel; Attorney-Advisor Robert Charles Merritt of the Office of Legal Counsel; Attorney-Advisor Samantha Goldstein of the Office of Legal Counsel; Attorney-Advisor Dina Mishra of the Office of Legal Counsel; Honors Program Attorney Emily Gorrivan of the Executive Office for Immigration Review’s Office of Policy, Immigration Law Division; Counsel Nicholas Nasrallah of the Office of Legal Counsel; Senior Litigation Counsel Christina Greer of the Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation; Attorney-Advisor Mariette Peltier of the Office of Legal Counsel; Special Counsel Rosemary Hart of the Office of Legal Counsel; Attorney-Advisor Caitlin E. Whaley of the Executive Office for Immigration Review’s Office of Policy, Immigration Law Division; and Supervisory Attorney Raechel J. Horowitz of the Executive Office for Immigration Review’s Office of Policy, Immigration Law Division.
The John Marshall Award for Appellate Litigation is presented to Trial Attorney David M. Lieberman of the Criminal Division’s Appellate Section.
Attorney for the United States Announces $9.5 Million Settlement with Stericycle, Inc. for Violations of Hazardous Waste Management RegulationsRead the Press Release
Matthew Podolsky, Attorney for the United States, Acting under Authority Conferred by 28 U.S.C. § 515, and Cecil Rodrigues, the Acting Assistant Administrator of the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”), announced today that the U.S. has filed and simultaneously settled a lawsuit against STERICYCLE, INC. (“STERICYCLE”) for systemic, nationwide violations of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (“RCRA”), 42 U.S.C. § 6901 et seq., and related regulations in the operation of its former hazardous waste management business from May 5, 2014, through April 6, 2020.
The proposed stipulation and order of settlement agreed to by STERICYCLE requires payment of a $9.5 million civil penalty, one of the largest civil penalties ever paid for RCRA violations. The settlement is subject to approval by the Court.
Attorney for the United States Matthew Podolsky said: “Today, we hold Stericycle responsible for flouting hazardous waste management requirements while operating a nationwide hazardous waste business, and risking significant potential harm to human health and the environment. This penalty should put other waste management firms on notice that we will hold them accountable when they shirk their legal responsibilities and put the public and environment in harm’s way.”
EPA Acting Assistant Administrator Cecil Rodrigues said: “Stericycle repeatedly failed to ensure the proper transport, management, and storage of hazardous waste – a job that they were paid to do and entrusted to perform on behalf of customers nationwide. EPA is committed to ensuring companies comply with the law and to protecting communities from the potential risks associated with the mismanagement of hazardous wastes.”
As alleged in the U.S. Complaint filed in Manhattan federal court:
STERICYCLE is a waste management company that operated a nationwide hazardous waste transportation, storage, treatment, and disposal business until it sold the vast majority of the business on April 6, 2020. STERICYCLE operated 13 RCRA-permitted hazardous waste Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facilities (“TSDFs”) and 44 waste transfer facilities.
Between May 5, 2014, and the date of sale, STERICYCLE routinely violated RCRA requirements related to tracking and transportation of hazardous waste, as alleged in detail in the Complaint. STERICYCLE routinely lost track of hazardous waste while transporting it, sent hazardous waste to disposal facilities that were not the ones its customers had chosen, or delivered hazardous waste shipments without the required manifests. STERICYCLE also failed to comply with requirements for resolving and reporting discrepancies between hazardous waste identified on a shipping manifest and the hazardous waste received by STERICYCLE at its facilities for disposal, and it failed to timely return signed manifests to generators and timely submit them electronically to EPA. STERICYCLE also violated RCRA by storing hazardous waste in transfer facilities when not authorized to do so, either because the storage period was longer than the 10 days permitted by RCRA regulations or because overall transportation times for the hazardous waste shipment exceeded those constituting “the normal course of transportation” under RCRA regulations. All of this conduct violated RCRA hazardous waste regulations critical to preventing substantial risks to human health and the environment.
STERICYCLE was well aware of severe problems giving rise to these violations and failed to address them. In the words of one STERICYCLE director in 2016, STERICYCLE had “way too many issues with a basic fundamental of [its] business, getting waste and paperwork from the generator to the designated facility.” In 2019, the same STERICYCLE director underscored the continuation of these fundamental failings: “The most basic thing that we do for our clients is moving the waste from point a to point b and we can’t do it.”
On April 6, 2020, STERICYCLE completed the sale of its “Stericycle Environmental Solutions” hazardous waste business and, since that date, has largely ceased managing hazardous waste in the U.S. However, STERICYCLE remains accountable for its systemic RCRA violations prior to that sale.
In the settlement filed with the federal court today, STERICYCLE admits, acknowledges, and accepts responsibility for the following, among other things:
- On numerous occasions between May 5, 2014, and April 6, 2020, STERICYCLE was the transporter of hazardous waste shipments for hazardous waste generators, and failed to deliver part or all of the hazardous waste shipment described on the shipment’s manifest to the designated TSDF.
- On numerous occasions between May 5, 2014, and April 6, 2020, STERICYCLE (or one of its subsidiaries or subcontractors) served as a transporter of hazardous waste shipments to one of STERICYCLE’s TSDFs and failed to ensure that a manifest accompanied all hazardous waste shipments.
- On numerous occasions between May 5, 2014, and April 6, 2020, STERICYCLE failed to timely provide hazardous waste generators with final signed copies of their waste shipment manifests within 30 days after the shipments were delivered to STERICYCLE TSDFs.
- On numerous occasions between June 2018 and April 2020, STERICYCLE failed to timely submit hazardous waste manifests to EPA’s national system for electronically tracking hazardous waste shipments—known as the e-Manifest system—within 30 days after the date of delivery of the hazardous waste shipment to STERICYCLE TSDFs.
- On numerous occasions between May 5, 2014, and April 6, 2020, STERICYCLE failed to consult with a generator prior to changing the destination of hazardous waste as designated on a hazardous waste manifest.
- On numerous occasions between May 5, 2014, and April 6, 2020, STERICYCLE stored hazardous waste at its hazardous waste transfer facilities (as that term is defined in 40 C.F.R. § 260.10) for longer than the 10-day limits permitted under RCRA.
* * *
Mr. Podolsky thanked EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance for its critical work on this case.
The case is being handled by the Environmental Protection Unit of the Office’s Civil Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dominika Tarczynska and Tomoko Onozawa are in charge of the case.
Antitrust Division Releases 10-Year Workload Statistics ReportRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division today issued its 10-year workload statistics report, summarizing the Division’s work enforcing the federal antitrust laws from 2015 through 2024. These statistics can be found here.
The report reflects the critical enforcement and advocacy work the Antitrust Division has done on behalf of American consumers, taxpayers, and workers. This includes efforts to put a stop to conduct by monopolists or groups of competitors that harm consumers and workers; block mergers that threaten competition; prosecute anticompetitive crimes; ensure proper application of the antitrust laws in courts throughout the United States; and advocate for pro-competition policies across federal and state governments and with other countries.
More information about the Antitrust Division can be found at www.justice.gov/atr.
After Takedown, Opioid Overdose Rates Fall in AbileneRead the Press Release
Opioid overdose rates in Abilene fell precipitously following a large-scale takedown of fentanyl traffickers, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
According to Abilene Police Department data collected by OD MAP, from January 1, 2024 to September 11, 2024, Abilene suffered 41 overdoses, including nine that were fatal, for an average of 4.9 overdoses per month. Victims ranged in age from 13 to 72.
On September 11, a federal grand jury indicted 12 alleged fentanyl traffickers who were arrested the next week. All were detained pending trial.
Following that takedown, Abilene saw just three overdoses, none of them fatal, through the end of the year, for an average of 0.8 overdoses per month.
In addition, according to the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office, the street price of fentanyl pills rose from roughly $8 per pill to between $20 and $30 per pill, making fentanyl less accessible to at-risk users.
“This is precisely why the U.S. Attorney’s Office does the work it does – and why I am proud to have led the Northern District of Texas for the past two years,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “To see our fentanyl prosecutions having tangible impacts on the lives of the people of Abilene is immensely gratifying. I want to laud the hard work of our local law enforcement partners, especially the Abilene Police Department and the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office, for helping to make this happen.”
To date, 10 of the 12 defendants indicted on Sept. 11 have entered guilty pleas and await sentencing. The other two await trial and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Agencies involved in the fight against fentanyl in the region include the Abilene Police Department, the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office – all members of North Texas HIDTA and the OCEDTF Program. The Fort Worth Branch of the United States’s Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case.
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) identify, disrupt, and dismantle the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threat the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Adair County Resident Sentenced for Felony AssaultRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Cody Wayne Tye, age 34, of Watts, Oklahoma, was sentenced to time served plus three years supervised release for one count of Assault of a Spouse, Intimate Partner, and Dating Partner in Indian Country.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Watts Police Department, and the Westville Police Department.
On March 11, 2024, Tye pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on September 18, 2022, Tye assaulted an individual at an apartment in Westville, Oklahoma. During the attack, Tye wrapped both hands around the victim’s neck and shoved the victim against a wall, strangling the victim and causing bruising and abrasions. The crime occurred in Adair County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel Geizura and Edith Singer represented the United States.
Activity in the U.S. Attorney's OfficeRead the Press Release
Public Lands Violations
Yellowstone National Park
Alexander Villanueva, 37, of Las Vegas Nevada, pled guilty to reckless driving, failing to comply with a traffic control device, possessing an open container of alcohol in a vehicle, and refusing to submit to a test of his breath on January 14, 2025 in Mammoth, Wyoming. According to court documents, Villanueva was contacted by law enforcement officers after a park visitor reported him for an erratic driving pattern. After standard field sobriety testing indicated Mr. Villanueva was unsafe to operate a motor vehicle, he was arrested. After his arrest, Mr. Villanueva refused to submit to an official breath test. For refusing to submit to a breath test, Villanueva was sentenced to a seven-day term of incarceration with credit for two days previously served. He was also sentenced to pay a total of $1,020 in fines and court costs and placed on a two-year term of unsupervised probation, one of the terms prohibits him from entering Yellowstone National Park during the period of probation. Because he refused the official breath test, he may not operate a motor vehicle for one year on any federal land according to 18 U.S.C. 3118. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariel C. Calmes prosecuted the case.
Drug Trafficking and Firearm Offenses
Phillip Brent Chiles, 61, of Riverton, Wyoming, was sentenced to three years’ probation with two months of home confinement for being a felon and unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on May 3, 2024, the Riverton Police Department found Chiles in possession of a .22 rifle. Chiles said he uses the rifle for hunting. He also admitted to using approximately 1 gram of methamphetamine a week and was trying to cut back. As a previously convicted felon, Chiles is unable to possess a firearm. Chiles was indicted on July 18, 2024, pleaded guilty on Oct. 9, 2024, and Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Jan. 16, in Casper. The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and Riverton Police Department investigated the crime and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy W. Gist prosecuted the case. Case No. 24-CR-00121
Illegal Re-Entry of a Previously Deported Alien
Joel David Vazquez-Sanchez, 33, of Curaren, Francisco Morazan, Honduras, was sentenced to time served and will be deported for illegal reentry into the United States. According to court documents, on July 3, 2024, Vazquez-Sanchez was arrested by the Albany County Sheriff’s Office for driving while under the influence. The Albany County Wyoming Detention Center provided a booking sheet that indicated Vazquez-Sanchez was born in Honduras. Agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were contacted and determined that Vazquez-Sanchez had previously been removed from the U.S. and had not applied for permission to reenter after being formally removed in September 2016. ICE investigated the crime, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Jan. 16, Casper. Case No. 24-CR-00176
16 January 2025
Worcester Roofer Agrees to Plead Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The owner of a commercial and residential roofing business has been charged with, and has agreed to plead guilty to, concealing $1.6 million in income from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Jake Miller, 42, of Worcester, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of tax evasion. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court.
According to the charging documents, Miller owned and operated Kostas Roofing, a business that he conducted under the alias “Paul Kostas” rather than under his own name. It is alleged that, between 2013 and 2021, Miller cashed the checks that he received from roofing customers and deposited the proceeds into his personal bank accounts. Despite receiving at least $1.6 million from the roofing business during this period, Miller allegedly filed no income tax return for any of these years. As a result, Miller allegedly evaded income taxes of approximately $450,000.
The charge of tax evasion provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Tom Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Holcomb of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Virginia Man Sentenced to Prison for Interstate ThreatRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Sebastian Reigle, 24, of Woodbridge, Virginia, was sentenced today to two years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for transmitting a threat in interstate commerce.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 2, 2021, an incident occurred in Texas that resulted in the arrest of Reigle for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and later a charge of sexual assault. From October 2022 to January 2024, Reigle left a series of threatening communications by voicemail and text messaging for the alleged victim of the August 2, 2021 incident.
On August 4, 2023, Reigle left one of the threatening communications by voicemail while using a cell phone in Virginia and while the alleged victim was in the Southern District of West Virginia. In the message, Reigle threatened to “beat” the alleged victim “worse than two years ago” and that the beating would leave the individual unconscious.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney D. Keith Randolph prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-134.
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Vicksburg Man Sentenced to 32 Years in Federal Prison for Health Care Fraud, Money Laundering, Identity Theft, and Contempt of CourtRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Vicksburg man was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate to 32 years in prison for conspiring to commit wire fraud, mail fraud and health care fraud; money laundering; aggravated identity theft; mail fraud; and contempt of court. He was also ordered to pay $1,917,231.26 in restitution to the victims in the case.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Laron Evans conspired with co-defendant Travious Quinshad Jackson and others to execute a health care fraud scheme involving Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) using interstate wire communications and the U.S. postal system. The scheme used interstate wire communication via the Internet to send Personal Identification Information (PII) of 57 actual people, pretending that they were employees of an imaginary company, to a third-party administrator company located in Maryland.
The third-party administrator company used the stolen PII to create individualized HSA accounts, and corresponding debit cards, for all 57 employee names, and sent debit cards for each employee name in the mail to Vicksburg addresses. The third-party administrator advanced and credited funds to each HSA account created for the supposed employees, which money could then be spent through the debit card at designated retail stores.
Evans, assisted by Jackson and others, spent the debit cards in various stores throughout April and May 2018, buying gift cards, debit cards, and other consumer goods to deplete the HSA accounts. The third-party administrator in the meantime had learned that there was no money in the bank account that Evans had identified for his fake company, when the company sought reimbursement for the HSA accounts.
On July 10, 2018, using proceeds gained from the health care fraud scheme, Evans bought a 2018 Chevrolet Suburban SUV in Forrest County, Mississippi, for $44,335 in cash plus a trade-in vehicle.
On February 13, 2019, Evans appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Linda Anderson for his initial appearance and arraignment in this case. Judge Anderson entered an Order permitting Evans to be released on bond pending trial, subject to conditions forbidding travel without prior permission of the Court before leaving the Southern District of Mississippi.
In April 2019, Evans travelled outside the State of Mississippi without permission of the Court. While outside the State of Mississippi and on his return to Vicksburg, Evans continued to execute health care fraud schemes using the Internet and the U.S. Mail. Evans falsely represented himself as leader and manager of an Orlando, Florida, business, seeking to establish health care benefits including HSA accounts for its purported employees. Evans submitted over the Internet to a third-party administrator company located in Minnesota, bank account information for drawing reimbursement, plus employee information for creation of HSA debit cards. The Minnesota company sent some of the debit cards, during the period April 16-25, 2019, to Evans at his Vicksburg home address through the U.S. Mail. Evans had requested that the Minnesota administrator fund those HSA accounts up to $91,000.
Evans pled guilty on August 1, 2019 to conspiring to commit wire fraud, mail fraud and health care fraud; money laundering; aggravated identity theft; mail fraud; and contempt of court.
Co-defendant Travious Quinshad Jackson pled guilty on June 18, 2019 to aggravated identity theft and was sentenced to two years in prison. He was also ordered to pay $302,099.34 in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, Vicksburg Police Department, and Warren County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie prosecuted the case.
United States takes possession of Union Hill house from occupants who used it to sell drugs for over a decadeRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A house in the Union Hill neighborhood of Richmond was ordered forfeited to the United States today based on its longstanding use as a drug-involved premises.
According to court documents filed in federal court, the house at 2221 Venable Street had been used by its occupants for over a decade both to sell and use a wide variety of drugs, including fentanyl, heroin, and crack and powder cocaine. Occupants had even sold a mixture of fentanyl, para-fluorofentanyl, and the animal tranquilizer drug xylazine out of the house, a combination commonly referred to as “tranq” or “the zombie drug.”
Drug trafficking had been occurring at the house as far back as 2008. The property was the site of four drug trafficking-related search warrants executed by Richmond Police (RPD), one of which occurred in 2010 and three in 2022. RPD and EMS also responded to two drug overdose deaths at the property, one in 2016 and another in 2020. Frustrated local residents had repeatedly written to their city councilwoman to complain about the incessant criminal activity occurring at the property. Local residents referred to 2221 Venable Street as “the Yellow House.”
Several neighborhood residents wrote to local officials for help, having witness, among other things, open prostitution, illicit drug use, public indecency, public urination and defecation, violent fights, drug overdoses, theft, and more.
“This successful action demonstrates the positive impact of coordinated federal and state law enforcement partnerships to improve our community,” said Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “The Yellow House was more than a blight on this neighborhood. For years, it was a haven for criminal activity, endangering the safety and wellbeing of local residents. I am proud that we were able to use federal tools to help RPD address this quality of life issue for Union Hill.”
“Drug trafficking had been occurring at the house as far back as 2008,” said Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division. “The property was the site of four drug trafficking-related search warrants executed by Richmond Police, one of which occurred in 2010 and three in 2022. RPD and EMS also responded to two drug overdose deaths at the property, one in 2016 and another in 2020. In the fall of 2022, the DEA Richmond District Office team collaborated with the Richmond Police Department to investigate the drug distribution activities at 2221 Venable Street as part of Operation Overdrive – Phase 2. The collaborative efforts of the Richmond Police Department, DEA and the U.S. Attorney’s Office culminated in the seizure of the residence. Frustrated local residents had repeatedly written to their city councilwoman to complain about the incessant criminal activity occurring at the property.”
“There are times in public safety when law enforcement cannot arrest a problem away,” said Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police. “Investigations and charges to individuals, even across several years of enforcement, did not solve this problem. I truly appreciate the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and other federal law enforcement agencies, for partnering with RPD to address this longstanding issue in one of our neighborhoods.”
The United States began a civil forfeiture action against this drug-involved premises by publicly filing a civil forfeiture complaint in U.S. District Court. The government then sent notice of the forfeiture action to every person who appeared to have a potential property interest in the house, in addition to giving notice more broadly through online publication. This gave potential claimants an opportunity to contest the forfeiture action in court. Since no claimant came forward to contest the forfeiture action, the United States obtained a default forfeiture judgment. The house will now be sold by the United States Marshals Service, which will remove it from the possession of the occupants who were using it as a base of operations for drug sales. Some of those occupants have been prosecuted in state court.
The matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Janet Jin Ah Lee and Kevin Hudson.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cv-207.
United States Attorney Hairston resigns effective January 18Read the Press Release
GREENSBORO, NC – United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston announced that she has resigned her position as head of the United States Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC) and will retire from federal service effective January 18, 2025.
“Serving this district as United States Attorney and as an Assistant United States Attorney has been the honor of my life,” said U.S. Attorney Hairston. “The late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. often said, ‘The time is always right to do what is right.’ I have done my best to do what is right during my time as a prosecutor, and with the help of dedicated professionals in the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, I believe we have made our communities safer, more just, and more equitable.”
Ms. Hairston joined the United States Attorney’s Office for the MDNC in 1990. During her 34 years with the Department of Justice, Ms. Hairston served as Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division and Lead Task Force Attorney in the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Section in the MDNC. She also served as the Professional Responsibility Officer, Ethics Advisor, and Criminal Discovery Coordinator for the district. From April 1994 until June 1996, Ms. Hairston served as Chief of the Criminal Division in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
Ms. Hairston was named First Assistant United States Attorney for the MDNC in April 2014, a position she held until November 2021. Ms. Hairston served as Acting United States Attorney for the MDNC from January 14, 2017, until January 3, 2018, and from March 1, 2021, until she was sworn in as United States Attorney on November 23, 2021. Ms. Hairston served on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee from March 2022 until June 2023.
Ms. Hairston is a 2002 recipient of the Director’s Award from the Executive Office for United States Attorneys for superior performance as an Assistant United States Attorney. In 2015, she received the Peter S. Gilchrist III Award from the North Carolina Bar Association which is given to a prosecutor who exemplifies the highest ideals of the profession. In 2018, she was inducted as a Fellow into the American College of Trial Lawyers.
Ms. Hairston is a 1981 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and a 1987 graduate of the North Carolina Central University School of Law. She began her legal career in 1987 as an Assistant District Attorney in the Thirteenth (now Fifteenth) Prosecutorial District of North Carolina.
Selected highlights of the U.S. Attorney’s Office accomplishments during Hairston’s tenure include:
- Expanding Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the federal Department of Justice’s premier data-driven, comprehensive anti-gun-violence program, to systematically address rising juvenile crime across the MDNC through community engagement, targeted prevention, intervention and reentry, strategic enforcement, and improved accountability between partners.
- Planning and hosting over 25 re-entry simulations, all designed to share best practices, aid assimilation, and reduce recidivism among inmates returning to society after serving their sentences. Hosting with the NC Department of Adult Correction a reentry simulation “train the trainer” seminar to share best practices and lessons learned with other groups holding simulations.
- Further integrating the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN) and Crime Gun Intelligence Centers, in partnership with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and police departments in Durham, Greensboro, High Point, and Winston-Salem into the strategic enforcement component of PSN to help solve gun crime incidents and get violent criminals off the street.
- Encouraging and supporting the implementation of the evidence-based Violent Impact Player or “VIP” case screening model in Greensboro and Winston-Salem where law enforcement, probation and prosecutors use objective information to identify VIPs and focus “best efforts” of partnering agencies on the most dangerous “shooters.” VIP has contributed to a reduction in homicides of over 40% in Greensboro and 34% in Winston-Salem from 2023 to 2024, and significant reductions in overall violent crime.
- In 2024, Remy St Felix and 12 other defendants received lengthy prison sentences for their roles in an international conspiracy to break into U.S. citizens’ homes, violently kidnap and assault them, and steal Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency.
- In 2024, Marian Hudak was convicted at trial of violating the civil rights of Black and Hispanic citizens by willfully intimidating the victims and interfering with their enjoyment of federally protected activities through both threats of force and actual force.
- In 2022, Antonio Nathaniel Davenport, Jr., and Derrick Lamont Dixon, Jr., received life sentences for the RICO murder of nine-year-old Z’yon Person in Durham in 2019.
- In 2023, Steven Tyler Smith received a 50-year sentence for producing child pornography and Joshua Timothy Taylor received a 60-year sentence for engaging in sex with a minor and producing child pornography.
- Emphasized the prosecution of the most dangerous offenders who exploit children, resulting in the sentencing of 72 defendants with an average sentence of nearly 15 years (179.125 months) and median sentence of 10 years.
- Protected taxpayers and victim rights by collecting more than $25 million in criminal debts and more than $12 million in federal civil debts from 2021 through 2024.
- Partnering with the Civil Rights Division in DOJ’s Combatting Redlining Initiative, leading to a $13.5 million settlement with a national bank to resolve Fair Housing Act and Equal Credit Opportunity Act claims.
- Partnering with the Environmental and Natural Resources Division on Clean Air Act litigation resulting in a $10 million consent decree to resolve claims that a local company sold and installed emissions defeat devices.
- In conjunction with the Civil Rights Division, working with the North Carolina Division of Adult Corrections to resolve Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act allegations, leading to religious policy changes across the North Carolina prison system that expand the rights of minority faith groups to gather for religious services.
- Recovering more than $10 million for the federal fisc in False Claims Act cases, including allegations of improper kickbacks and medically unnecessary testing.
- Fighting the opioid crisis through both civil Controlled Substances Act enforcement against pharmacies and physicians and expanding access to treatment through enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act, including outreach to county jails and medical providers regarding their legal obligations.
- Hosting three United Against Hate outreach events, to empower local communities with information about how to recognize and report hate crimes.
- Resolving fifteen Americans with Disabilities Act cases, including resolutions that require policy changes to ensure that individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing have access to effective communication during medical care.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall Galyon will serve as acting U.S. Attorney upon Ms. Hairston’s departure.
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U.S. Marshals Service Montana Violent Offender Task Force celebrates 20th AnniversaryRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — The U.S. Marshals Service Montana Violent Offender Task Force today commemorated and celebrated its 20th Anniversary of working in partnership with federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement agencies to arrest violent fugitives on felony warrants, closing a total of 22,520 warrants across Montana, the United States and globally, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich and U.S. Marshal Craig Anderson announced today.
During a joint press conference in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, U.S. Attorney Laslovich and Marshal Anderson discussed the MVOTF’s mission and accomplishments. Joining in the celebration were former U.S. Marshals Darrell J. Bell and Dwight MacKay, along with representatives of the MVOTF 41 partner law enforcement agencies.
“For 20 years, the brave people who have served on the Montana Violent Offender Task Force have consistently risked their own lives to keep all of us safe. Their extensive training, collaboration, and courage have removed thousands of dangerous and violent offenders from our streets, most without incident. And while it is difficult to measure the number of lives they’ve saved, we know it is significant. They are the best of our state and nation. As we pause to celebrate the extraordinary work of the last 20 years, we also pledge to every Montanan that we are just as committed to the work ahead and we will never rest until justice is achieved,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.
“Looking beyond the dangers the Task Force members faced each time they made an arrest and looking beyond the incalculable positive impacts the seizures of guns and drugs have had, there is one over-arching and significant take away. And that is the irrefutable evidence that when law enforcement agencies from tribal, local, county, state and federal agencies coalesced around the mission of tracking down Montana’s most dangerous criminals, these are the results that followed,” U.S. Marshal Anderson said. “Montanans should expect and deserve this level of coordination and cooperation from their law enforcement agencies. And we should celebrate when those successes produce such fantastic results.”
Since 1865, when Montana was still a Territory, the U.S. Marshals Service has been hunting wanted persons on behalf of Montana citizens and the federal government. In 2005, under the Presidential Threat Protection Act and with the Attorney General’s direction, the U.S. Marshals Service established the MVOTF for Montana. At the time, the MVOTF was one of five similar task forces started in the country. The U.S. Marshals Service oversees permanent task forces composed of federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement agencies to locate and arrest fugitives. At its beginning, the MVOTF’s charter members included the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Attorney’s Office, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, Montana Department of Corrections, Probation and Parole, Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office and Billings Police Department. Over the past 20 years, 41 agencies and 164 law enforcement officers have participated on the MVOTF, with 38 agencies currently participating.
The U.S. Marshals Service deputizes task force officers from the various agencies, which allows officers to work across jurisdictions. Task force members share resources and prioritize warrants to identify and pursue the most wanted and violent fugitive to improve public safety.
In the 20 years of its existence, the MVOTF has closed a total of 22,520 arrest warrants. The task force also has seized a total of 531 firearms and pounds of narcotics, including methamphetamine, fentanyl pills and powder, cocaine, heroin, marijuana and prescription pills. In addition, task force arrests have resulted in seizures of 91 vehicles, $598,196 in U.S. currency and $61,040 in counterfeit currency.
To celebrate the 20 years of service to the United States and State of Montana, the U.S. Marshals Service has authorized a commemorative patch to be awarded to current and past MVOTF members, along with a patch for past and present participating agencies.
The MVOTF members include:
- Charter members: U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Attorney’s Office; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General; Montana Department of Corrections, Probation and Parole; Billings Police Department; and Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office.
- Current members: Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Gallatin, Dawson, Custer, Carbon, Big Horn, Cascade, Glacier, Roosevelt, Valley, Hill, Pondera, Fergus, Judith Basin, Lewis and Clark and Missoula county sheriff’s offices; Bozeman, Laurel, Red Lodge, Glendive, Great Falls, Cut Bank, and Helena police departments; Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, Chippewa Cree Law Enforcement Services, Fort Peck Department of Law and Justice; U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Border Patrol-Havre Sector; Bureau of Land Management; U.S. Forest Service, Region 1; and Montana Highway Patrol.
- Past members: Montana Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation, Sexual or Violent Offender Registry; U.S. Postal Inspection Services; and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Secures 25-Year Sentence for Albuquerque Man Following Violent Crime Spree in 2020Read the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man was sentenced to 25 years in prison for a violent crime spree that began with a double murder, after being convicted at trial of two counts of attempted carjacking, one count of carjacking, and the possession and use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
At trial, the court heard evidence that on September 7, 2020, Dakota Briscoe, 38, used a tan handgun to commit a series of violent acts, including the double homicide of two victims whose bodies were discovered in a burning vehicle in the South Valley. Although the firearm was never recovered by law enforcement, witness testimonies confirmed that Briscoe was seen with the firearm, and multiple .45 caliber casings were recovered from the crime scenes.
Briscoe’s violent spree began with the double homicide, which led to his desperate attempts to evade capture through armed carjackings. Briscoe targeted vulnerable individuals, including women, brandishing his firearm during these incidents.
Briscoe successfully evaded arrest that day and was not apprehended until September 16, 2020. He was stopped at a United States Border Patrol checkpoint while driving a white commercial-style van that lacked a license plate or registration tag. During the encounter with USBP, Briscoe exhibited nervous behavior, avoided eye contact, and claimed he did not have identification.Briscoe provided agents with his brother's name, who had an active warrant issued in New Mexico for failing to appear. As a result, Briscoe was arrested and booked under his brother’s identity.
Upon his release from prison, Briscoe will be subject to four years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Albuquerque Police Department, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, New Mexico State Police and U.S. Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jaymie L. Roybal and Jon Stanford prosecuted the case.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Reaches ADA Settlement with Mandan Parks and Recreation Regarding the Starion Sports ComplexRead the Press Release
Fargo – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced today that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota completed its investigation and entered into a settlement agreement with Mandan Parks and Recreation to resolve allegations that elements of the Starion Sports Complex (“Starion”) violate the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”). The Starion opened in 2017 and is an 84,000 square foot facility with two ice rinks, a gymnastics center, parks maintenance shop, rubberized track and jumping facilities, practice field and track and field throwing facilities, and a synthetic turf football and soccer field. Tenants of the Starion include the University of Mary, Mandan School District, Mandan Hockey Club, and Dakota Star Gymnastics.
The settlement agreement resolves an ADA complaint alleging that the Starion was not fully accessible to individuals with disabilities. During its investigation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office found that the Starion did not provide an accessible path to visitor seating in the football field, and that the accessible seating provided in the competition ice rink was not an integrated part of the seating plan. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also found that the Starion lacked adequate accessible seating in other areas of the complex, and that elements of the toilet rooms, concourse, skate rental counter, outdoor picnic area, and assistive listening systems did not comply with the ADA’s requirements. Under the settlement agreement, Mandan Parks and Recreation will provide adequate and integrated wheelchair and companion seating and cure all other noted violations of the ADA.
Under federal law, discrimination on the basis of a disability in the services, programs, or activities of a public entity such as Mandan Parks and Recreation is prohibited. Newly constructed buildings, like the Starion, are required to comply with the ADA’s program accessibility requirements and be readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities, including individuals who use wheelchairs.
“Protecting access for individuals with disabilities is a priority for the United States Attorney’s Office,” said U.S. Attorney Schneider “Mandan Parks and Recreation cooperated throughout this investigation, and I commend its commitment to quickly address the ADA violations when these barriers to accessibility were brought to its attention. The Starion is a great venue, and this settlement will help ensure everyone is able to access it.”
This matter was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Melissa H. Burkland and Tara Vavrosky Iversen and Paralegal Specialist Michelle Erdmann of the District of North Dakota.
Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that any place of public accommodation or public entity in North Dakota is not accessible to persons with disabilities may file a complaint online at www.ada.gov or contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 701-297-7400.
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U.S. Attorney: Durham Man Arrested for Attempting to Provide Support to TerroristsRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr., announced today the unsealing of a criminal complaint against a Durham man charged with attempting to provide material support to ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization. Alexander Justin White, age 29, was arrested on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, as he was preparing to board an international flight from RDU Airport to Morocco. The complaint alleges that White was traveling overseas intent on joining ISIS. If convicted, White faces up to 20 years in prison.
As alleged in the complaint, between May and October of 2024, White used an online account under the name “Sulaiman Al-Amriki” to make numerous posts supporting ISIS and the concept of violent jihad. This allegedly included videos commonly used to recruit new members and to generate a passion for fighting as well as fundraising videos and several posts and reposts in reference to well-known ISIS supporters and scholars. The complaint alleges that White’s online communications with like-minded individuals displayed an active effort to find a way to join ISIS overseas so that he could become a mujahideen with ISIS. In addition, the complaint alleges that White was engaged in financial transactions to refugee camps which are well known for acting as a front to funnel money to ISIS members and their supporters. White allegedly made online comments noting that he regretted not having traveled to join ISIS earlier, when it may have been easier through certain overseas routes which were now viewed suspiciously. Believing that his opportunity had come to fruition, White allegedly took steps to make his intended travel appear as nothing more than a vacation when he in fact claimed that he would rather die than return to the United States. After allegedly making various preparations, to include purchasing a personal combat medical kit, on December 4, White made efforts to board a flight bound for Morocco which he intended to use as a jumping point from which to join ISIS members in Africa.
“We work closely with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force to shut down suspected terrorist activities in the United States, including American citizens willing to commit violence against our troops,” said U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. “We couldn’t do our work without strong local partners, willing to share their resources to protect our homeland.”
“The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces across the country leverage the resources, skills, and authorities of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to identify and combat terrorism threats, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In many ways, our JTTFs are our nation’s first line of defense against terrorism. The threats we face are bigger than any one law enforcement or intelligence agency can tackle, requiring not only a law enforcement partnership, but working with our communities to keep people safe,” said Robert M. DeWitt, the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina. The investigation into White is a result of the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Raleigh-based Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). The JTTF is a group of highly trained, locally based investigators, analysts, linguists, and other specialists from dozens of U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies that gather evidence, make arrests, provide security for special events, collect and share intelligence, and respond to threats and incidents at a moment’s notice. There are about 200 JTTFs across the country, including one in each field office, with hundreds of participating state, local and federal agencies.
The Raleigh-based JTTF includes the Cary, Raleigh, and Durham Police Departments, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office, the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation, the N.C. State Highway Patrol, and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service. Critical to this case was also the assistance of the Morocco General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance (DGST).
Michael F. Easley Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The FBI JTTF is investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Gabe Diaz and Jason Kellhofer, along with Trial Attorney David Andrew Sigler from the Department of Justice’s Counterterrorism Section, are prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for case number 5:25-CR-00009-M.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Conviction of Albuquerque Man for Assaulting Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A federal jury has convicted an Albuquerque man of assaulting a federal officer at the Cibola County Correctional Center in Milan, New Mexico, following a three-day trial that concluded after just over two hours of deliberation.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on November 15, 2022, Anthony Hernandez, who was in custody at the Cibola County Correctional Center awaiting trial for a federal firearms offense, attacked a security consultant contracted by CoreCivic, the company that manages and operates the Cibola County Correctional Center. The assault occurred during a routine inspection of Hernandez's cell.
Surveillance video captured Hernandez pushing open his unlocked cell door and launching an unprovoked attack on the victim. The security consultant, who was assisting with the cell inspection, suffered cuts, bruises, a concussion, and a broken nose that required surgery.
Following the verdict, the Court ordered that Hernandez remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. At sentencing, Hernandez faces up to 20 years in prison.
There is no parole in the federal system.
Hernandez was also convicted by a federal jury after trial in October of 2024 for being a felon in possession of a firearm in an unrelated offense.
Hernandez is currently under indictment for a second assault on a federal officer in March 2023, while being held at the Otero County Prison Facility.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and United States Marshal David Barnett made the announcement today.
The U.S. Marshals Service investigated this case with the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Maria Elena Stiteler and Kimberly Bell are prosecuting the case.
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U.S. Attorney's Office Secures 25-Year Sentence for Farmington Man in Fatal Shooting CaseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Farmington man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for the 2021 murder of one woman and the serious injury of another on the Navajo Nation.
According to court documents, on September 5, 2021, Hanson Tsosie, 34, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, used a 12-gauge shotgun to fire multiple rounds into a group of individuals gathered around a tree in the yard of a residence near Nenahnezad, New Mexico, killing one woman and seriously injuring another.
Neither woman posed any threat to Tsosie; they were simply innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire of his violent actions. After the shooting, Tsosie fled approximately 46.1 miles to dispose of the vehicle he had been driving.
Upon his release from prison, Tsosie will be subject to five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark A. Probasco and Matthew J. McGinley is prosecuting the case.
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Two Omaha Men Sentenced for Firearm Offenses after Jury TrialRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Dilang N. Dat, age 31, and Jany Jock, age 29, both of Omaha, Nebraska were sentenced on January 16, 2025, in federal court in Omaha. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Dilang Dat to 120 months for possessing a firearm as a felon and 24 months consecutive that for violating the terms of his supervised release as a result of a prior conviction for robbery. Judge Buescher sentenced Jany Jock to 120 months for transferring a firearm to a prohibited person. There is no parole in the federal system. After Dat and Jock are released from prison, each defendant will begin an individual 3-year term of supervised release.
On January 26, 2022, the Omaha Police Department (“OPD”) executed a search warrant at home near 47th and Ellison Avenue, Omaha, based on reports by a concerned citizen that drugs were being sold and stored at the residence. At the time, the home was part of an on-going police investigation into gang activity based on the recent homicide of Goa Dat, a Trip Set gang member who was shot and killed in Lincoln, Nebraska on October 30, 2021. His brothers, Dilang Dat and Baling Dat, both convicted felons and Trip Set gang members, resided at the home.
Officers located distribution amounts of drugs, including marijuana and cocaine, and recovered five (5) firearms in the home, one of which had been reported stolen. Two of the firearms recovered during the search were purchased by Jany Jock. More evidence revealed that Jock has purchased other firearms that were not found in his possession. Jock gave permission to law enforcement to search his phone. Jock’s iPhone contained several pieces of evidence, including text messages between Jock, Baling and Dilang Dat indicating a conspiracy to purchase, transfer and possess firearms. Further evidence established that Jock knew Baling Dat was a convicted felon at that time due to his communications with Baling Dat while Dat was incarcerated in the Nebraska Department of Corrections for a robbery conviction.
Dilang Dat is a convicted felon out of the District of Nebraska for robbery and was on federal supervised release at the time of his arrest.
Jany Jock and Dilang Dat were arrested along with Baling Dat and Bumatet Duop.
Following a two-week jury trial, Baling Dat, Dilang Dat, and Jany Jock were convicted on all counts against them.
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.
Baling N. Dat was convicted by a jury trial for possessing with the intent to distribute cocaine, possessing a firearm in drug trafficking and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was sentenced on January 8, 2025, to 195 months in prison.
Bumatet G. Duop pled guilty to possession of a stolen firearm and on June 7, 2023, was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment, consecutive to a state sentence he was serving in Woodbury County, Iowa. He will serve a 3-year term of supervision upon his release.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Omaha Police Department and United States Marshals Service Omaha Metro Fugitive Task Force.
Two Iowa Healthcare Practitioners Settle Allegations for False Submission of Claims to Federal Healthcare Programs in Telemedicine SchemeRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – Two Iowa healthcare practitioners have entered into civil settlements to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly causing the submission of false or fraudulent claims to Medicare as part of a telemedicine scheme.
Nurse practitioner Cori Lempiainen has agreed to pay $150,000 to the United States to resolve allegations that between October 4, 2021 and November 11, 2022 she billed Medicare for over 650 claims for office visits and medical discussions she did not provide, and signed over 2,700 orders for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment, such as orthotic braces.
Paul Baumert, M.D., has agreed to pay $14,325.96 to the United States to resolve allegations that between May 16, 2022 and August 26, 2022 he billed Medicare for over 200 claims for office visits and medical discussions that he did not provide, and signed over 180 orders for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment, such as orthotic braces.
Both practitioners participated in a telemedicine scheme in which they placed orders for braces based on listening to recorded cold calls to Medicare beneficiaries asking about common aches and pains. Neither Lempiainen nor Baumert had any contact with the Medicare beneficiaries for whom they signed orders or submitted claims, and beneficiaries complained of receiving braces they did not want or use.
“Telemedicine schemes like these rely on the willing participation of healthcare providers to defraud the Medicare program by signing orders for expensive and unnecessary medical braces and other equipment,” said Richard D. Westphal, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa. “Our office will continue to aggressively pursue healthcare fraud in all forms.”
The cases were investigated by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy C. Licht of the Southern District of Iowa and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian J. Keogh of the Northern District of Iowa.
Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800‑HHS‑TIPS (800-447-8477).
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Links to the settlement agreements are available below.
Baumert Final Settlement
Lempiainen Final Settlement
Two Idaho Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Separate Sex Crimes Involving Minor ChildrenRead the Press Release
BOISE – U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced the outcomes in two separate cases in which the defendants were sentenced to 19.5 years and 6.5 years in federal prison, respectively, for sex crimes against minor children.
Today, Daniel Wade Lowry, 34, of Notus, was sentenced to 235 months in federal prison for sexual exploitation of a child.
According to court records, in September 2023, law enforcement became aware that Lowry was a member of an online group dedicated to the sharing of child sexual abuse material. Pursuant to a federal search warrant, law enforcement seized cellphones belonging to Lowry. Investigators located images and videos of child sexual abuse material on the cellphones, including sexually explicit images that Lowry had produced of a 5-year-old child. Investigators also determined that Lowry had posted the images of the victim in the online group.
U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also ordered that Lowry serve 15 years of supervised release following his prison sentence and to pay restitution to the victims. Lowry will be required to register as a sex offender as a result of the conviction.
In a separate case, Sean Sterling, 28, of Nampa, was sentenced to 6.5 years in federal prison for possession of child sexual abuse material.
According to court records, the investigation began when law enforcement received CyberTip reports from Discord and Twitter. A CyberTip is a report submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). NCMEC gathers leads and tips regarding suspected online crimes against children and forwards them to the appropriate law enforcement agencies. Law enforcement determined that Discord and Twitter accounts, later identified as belonging to Sterling, had been used to distribute child sexual abuse material.
Law enforcement obtained search warrants for the contents of Sterling’s online accounts and located and images and videos of child sexual abuse material, along with messages that Sterling had sent discussing his sexual interest in children. Law enforcement apprehended Sterling in Las Vegas, Nevada, and seized his cellphone and computer. Pursuant to a search warrant, law enforcement examined his devices and found additional images and videos of child sexual abuse material.
Judge Brailsford also ordered Sterling to be placed on supervised release for 15 years after the end of his prison term and to pay restitution to the victims in the files he possessed. Sterling will be required to register as a sex offender as a result of the conviction.
“The production and endless distribution of child sexual abuse material can haunt victims for life,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “We are steadfast in our commitment to seek justice for child victims and hold child predators accountable for their egregious conduct. Our law enforcement partners share the same mission and together we will do everything possible to protect Idaho’s children.”
“There is no greater betrayal than stealing the innocence of a child, and these sentences are the result of the necessary investigative work to prevent the revictimization of the children in these images,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Murphy, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “It will always be a challenge to find child predators in the many places they may lurk online. HSI will always be committed to working with our partners in every aspect of law enforcement, along with using our private sector partnerships to prevent online crimes committed against children.”
Both cases were investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Boise with assistance from the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The Boone Police Department in North Carolina, the Idaho State Police, and the Parma Police Department also assisted with the Lowry investigation. HSI partnered on the Sterling investigation with investigators from the Canyon County Prosecutor’s Office, with additional assistance from HSI Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Metro Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kassandra McGrady and Erin Blackadar prosecuted these cases.
These cases were 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. As part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office partner to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Tractor-Trailer Driver in Deadly 2022 Smuggling Event Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – The driver of the tractor-trailer used to smuggle at least 64 undocumented individuals resulting in the deaths of 47 adults and six children in 2022 entered a plea of guilty today to multiple counts arising from the fatal incident.
According to court documents, Homero Zamorano Jr., 48, of Elkhart, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to transport aliens resulting in death, causing serious bodily injury, and placing lives in jeopardy; one count of transportation of aliens resulting in death; and one count of transportation of aliens resulting in serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy.
Zamorano is scheduled to be sentenced on April 24, 2025 and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
HSI is investigating the case with valuable assistance from the Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations, FBI, ATF, San Antonio Police Department, Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, San Antonio Fire Department, Marshall Police Department, and Palestine Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Fuchs and Sarah Spears for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
These charges resulted in coordination with Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas is part of the JTFA, which was established by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to enhance U.S. enforcement efforts against the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. The Task Force focuses on disrupting and dismantling smuggling and trafficking networks that abuse, exploit, or endanger migrants, pose national security threats, and are involved in organized crime. JTFA consists of federal prosecutors and attorneys from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the Southwest Border (District of Arizona, Southern District of California, Southern District of Texas, and Western District of Texas), from the Criminal Division and the Civil Rights Division, along with law enforcement agents and analysts from DHS’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol, the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing AI Child Sex Abuse ImagesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Daniel Weatherly (42, Brownwood, TX) has pleaded guilty to possession of an obscene visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Weatherly faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Weatherly has also agreed to forfeit an iPhone 12 Pro Max, which is traceable to proceeds of the offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, Weatherly used an application on his cellphone to create and possess synthetic or “AI” images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the North Port Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Erin Claire Favorit and Abigail K. King.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Texas Defendant Pleads Guilty to Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act ViolationRead the Press Release
A Texas defendant pleaded guilty yesterday to a misdemeanor charge under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which prohibits a person from intentionally damaging or destroying the property of a facility because that facility provides reproductive health services.
According to court documents, on May 7, 2022, Ethan Skorick, 23, intentionally damaged the property of Loreto House and Woman to Woman pregnancy resource centers located in Denton, Texas, by defacing the clinics’ buildings, doors and security cameras with spray paint. Specifically, Skorick vandalized the buildings with words including, “NOT A CLINIC,” “FORCED BIRTH IS MURDER,” and “PRO BIRTH [does not equal] PRO LIFE.”
“Vandalizing facilities, including pregnancy resource centers, that provide reproductive health care has no place in the national discourse on reproductive health. Such conduct is unacceptable and unlawful,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will enforce the FACE Act to protect all providers of reproductive health services, and their patients.”
“This defendant sought to prevent fellow citizens from exercising rights protected by law,” said U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs for the Eastern District of Texas. “People cannot resort to destroying property in an effort to intimidate or prevent others from engaging in lawful activity simply because they disagree with the law. This office will remain dedicated to protecting the rights of all Americans to safely access medical services and ensuring providers can perform their duties freely.”
“Under federal law the FBI is tasked with defending civil rights in the United States and will work with our partners to ensure those rights are protected,” said Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the Dallas FBI Field Office. “Anyone who intentionally damages property to prevent individuals from seeking to obtain or provide reproductive health services will be held accountable for their actions.”
The FBI Dallas Field Office, Frisco Resident Agency are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Sanjay Patel of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Batson for the Eastern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
Taunton Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Oxycodone ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Taunton man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his role in an oxycodone conspiracy.
John Campbell, 41, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to four years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Campbell was also ordered to pay a fine of $25,000. In September 2024, Campbell pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone pills. Campbell was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2023.
Between approximately July 2022 and June 2023, Campbell distributed oxycodone pills to others for further re-distribution. He also obtained oxycodone pills from his co-conspirator and co-defendant Kenneth Veiga. The quantities of oxycodone pills distributed ranged from hundreds to more than 1,000 on several occasions. Campbell also distributed oxycodone pills to an undercover agent on at least four occasions. Laboratory testing of pills seized as part of the conspiracy confirmed that the pills contained oxycodone. During intercepted calls, Campbell was overheard discussing oxycodone prices and quantities in telephone calls and text messages. On July 12, 2023, during a search of Campbell’s residence, agents seized evidence of drug trafficking including a digital scale and rubber bands.
Veiga pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and, in July 2024, was sentenced to five years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.
United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; 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; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations, Boston Field Office; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; United States Coast Guard Investigative Service; Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office; and the Barnstable, Dennis, Bourne, Falmouth, Mashpee, Yarmouth and Sandwich Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Springfield Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Assaulting United States Postal WorkerRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Springfield, Illinois, man, Larry French Jr., 23, was sentenced on January 14, 2025, to eighteen months in federal prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release, for assaulting a United States Postal Service employee.
At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Colleen Lawless, the government presented evidence that on May 15, 2024, French punched a United States postal carrier in the face after the carrier attempted to stop French from battering his sister on a public street in Springfield. French was involved in a physical altercation with his sister in the roadway, which prevented the USPS carrier from driving through an intersection. When the carrier yelled that the police were going to be called, French approached the carrier and punched the carrier through an open window in the delivery vehicle. The carrier suffered injuries that will require corrective surgery.
At the hearing, Judge Lawless said that French acted irrationally when he punched the victim and that his actions caused the victim serious bodily injury. Judge Lawless noted that the victim acted as a Good Samaritan in stopping the initial attack and by trying to call law enforcement.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging French with the assault in July 2024, and French pleaded guilty in September 2024. He has remained in the custody of the United States Marshal since his arrest.
The statutory penalties for assaulting a federal officer are up to twenty years of imprisonment, up to three years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine.
The United States Postal Inspection Service and the Springfield Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sierra Senor-Moore represented the government in the prosecution.
Springfield Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Springfield, Mass. man was sentenced yesterday for drug trafficking and possession of a firearm and ammunition.
William Scott, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In September 2024, Scott pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking felonies.
On Oct. 12, 2023, Scott possessed cocaine intended for distribution and a Glock .380 semi-automatic handgun after being convicted of a felony.
United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Springfield Police Superintendent Lawrence E. Akers; and Brian A. Kyes, United States Marshal for the District of Massachusetts made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd E. Newhouse of the Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case.Sin City Deciples Member Sentenced to 132 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Marvie Gardner “Widowmaker,” age 54, of Jeffersonville, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to a racketeering conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Gardner was sentenced to 132 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to the Second Superseding Indictment, the Sin City Deciples, originally formed in 1967 in Gary, Indiana, is an outlaw motorcycle organization in which its members and associates engaged in acts of violence, extortion, and narcotics distribution in the Northern District of Indiana and elsewhere.
Gardner served as a National Vice-President of the entire club and was involved in the conspiracy to commit acts of racketeering activity between 2017-2020. As National Vice-President, Gardner was 3rd in command behind the founder of the club, and the National President.
This case was investigated by: the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the East Chicago Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Gary Police Department, the Griffith Police Department, the Hammond Police Department, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area officers and agents, the Merrillville Police Department, the Munster Police Department, and the Schererville Police Department. Also providing assistance were the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern District of Arkansas, the Northern District of Illinois, the Southern District of Indiana, the Western District of Kentucky, and the Western District of Pennsylvania.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David J. Nozick and Michael J. Toth.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This 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.
Seven Chilean Nationals Charged in Connection with Residential Burglaries in Multiple StatesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Seven members of an interstate burglary crew were charged for conspiring to target homeowners across multiple states in residential burglaries, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.
Christofer Sanguesa Aguirre, Fabiana Prado Scatarzi, Santana Arturo Castillo Gonzalez, Felipe Andres Del Valle Munoz, Carlos Alfredo Calderon Valencia, Diego Antonio Calderon Leiva, and Pedro Alejandro Salgado Vallejos, all Chilean nationals, were each charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to sell and receive stolen property that had crossed state lines and one count of receiving stolen property that had crossed state lines.
"Residential burglaries have a traumatic and personal impact upon the people whose homes are violated. Seven Chilean nationals have been charged with conspiring to target homeowners in residential burglaries across multiple states from New Jersey to Massachusetts, resulting in the theft of expensive wristwatches, designer handbags, and thousands of dollars in cash. This office will continue to pursue those who commit these serious crimes.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna
“We allege these men and women ransacked houses here in New Jersey and the East Coast, and then quickly traveled across the country, stealing over one hundred thousand dollars in valuables from private homes.” FBI-Newark Special Agent-in-charge Brian J. Driscoll, Jr. said. “These alleged criminals are part of South American theft groups who have been coming in and out of the United States for months. They hit an area and immediately disappear, using fake identifications and short-term rentals to evade getting caught. It’s like chasing ghosts. We put in a tremendous amount of hard work with incredible partner agencies from here to Oregon. We caught this group—and a warning to others, this doesn’t end here.”
“This is another outstanding example how cooperation, both on a local and national level amongst law enforcement agencies, yields positive outcomes for public safety in our communities,” said Immigrations and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Newark Field Office Director John Tsoukaris. “ERO’s contributions to this investigation, initially with the defendants’ arrests on immigration charges, were critical in facilitating the criminal charges.”
“To disrupt these fast-moving, well-traveled crime networks, it often takes strong collaboration and state-of-the-art technology. Thankfully, we have both,” said Port Authority Police Superintendent Edward Cetnar. “By working together and leveraging our advanced technology, including CCTV and ALPR systems, we were able to track these subjects across state lines so that we could assist our law enforcement partners in apprehending them. This operation is a testament to the strength of cooperation throughout our vast law enforcement family, including our longtime partners at the FBI Newark Joint Organized Crime Task Force and the New Jersey U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
Sanguesa Aguirre and Castillo Gonzalez appeared on January 15, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor in Newark federal court and were detained. Del Valle Munoz and Calderon Valencia had their initial appearances on January 15, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Theresa L. Fricke in federal court in Tacoma, Washington, and were detained. Calderon Leiva had his initial appearance on January 15, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daryl F. Bloom in federal court in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and was detained. Prado Scatarzi appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carol B. Whitehurst in federal court in Lafayette, Louisiana today and was detained. Salgado Vallejos appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul G. Levenson in federal court in Boston, Massachusetts today and was detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The defendants were part of a sophisticated burglary ring that committed multiple residential burglaries in November 2024 in New Jersey and Massachusetts. The defendants conspired to possess large amounts of jewelry, watches, designer handbags, and other valuable goods, among other items, with the losses totaling over $100,000.
Law enforcement searched a vehicle the defendants were using to transport the stolen goods and recovered multiple pieces of jewelry, designer handbags and belts, perfume bottles, paper currency, watches, and other valuable items, alongside tools commonly used to burglarize residences. After law enforcement stopped the vehicle, Del Valle Munoz and Calderon Valencia fled across the country, eventually appearing near Seattle, Washington before traveling to a residence in Carlton, Oregon. Law enforcement searched the residence where Del Valle Munoz, Calderon Valencia, and others had arrived and recovered bags and backpacks containing additional gold jewelry, diamonds, and watches, along with additional burglary tools.
The charge of conspiracy to sell or receive stolen property carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison; and the charge of receipt of stolen property carries a maximum potential penalty of ten years in prison. Both charges also carry a maximum potential penalty of up to a $250,000 fine, or twice the amount of money involved in the offense, whichever is greater.
Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited the FBI Newark’s Joint Organized Crime Task Force (JOCTF), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian J. Driscoll, Jr. in Newark; Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations, under the direction of Field Office Director John Tsoukaris; and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department, under the direction of Superintendent of Police Edward T. Cetnar, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the Colts Neck Police Department, Keansburg Police Department, Fort Lee Police Department, Paramus Police Department, New Jersey State Police, Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, Spring Valley Police Department (NY), Town of Greenburgh Police Department (NY), Wellesley Police Department (MA), Westwood Police Department (MA), Massachusetts State Police, Renton Police Department (WA), King County Sheriff’s Office (WA), Tukwila Police Department (WA), Oregon State Police, Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office (OR), Carlton Police Department (OR), Denver Police Department (CO), Pennsylvania State Police, Novi Police Department (MI), ICE/ERO Portland, ICE/ERO Seattle, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, FBI New York, FBI Philadelphia, FBI Seattle, FBI Portland, FBI Denver, FBI New Orleans, FBI Boston, and FBI Legal Attaché Santiago, Chile.
Anyone who believes they may be a victim, or has information about the theft group or burglaries, is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI, submit the information online at tips.fbi.gov, or call a local field office.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trevor A. Chenoweth of the Narcotics/OCDETF Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel:
Christofer Sanguesa Aguirre: Claressa Lowe, Esq., Newark, New Jersey
Fabiana Prado Scatarzi: James N. Green, Esq., Lafayette, Louisiana
Santana Arturo Castillo Gonzalez: Michael Simon, Esq., Mountainside, New Jersey
Felipe Andres Del Valle Munoz: John Carpenter, Esq., Tacoma, Washington
Carlos Alfredo Calderon Valencia: Thomas Weaver, Esq., Bremerton, Washington
Diego Antonio Calderon Leiva: Thomas Thornton, Esq., Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Pedro Alejandro Salgado Vallejos: Michael Tumposky, Esq., Boston, Massachusetts
residential_burglars.complaint.pdfSecond Man Convicted in 2022 St. Louis Murder-For-HireRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Jurors on Thursday found a St. Louis County, Missouri man guilty of the murder-for-hire of a New Jersey man in 2022.
Moreion Lindsey, 35, was found guilty of on one count each of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and murder-for-hire.
Evidence and testimony at Lindsey’s trial, which began Monday, showed that he fatally shot Titus Armstead on April 21, 2022, in Penrose Park in St. Louis. Lindsey had been hired for the murder by Jerome Williams, at the behest of a New Jersey man, Ray Bradley, who trafficked cocaine and marijuana to St. Louis and other cities. Armstead counted drug proceeds and watched Bradley’s “stash” house, and Bradley blamed him for the theft of drugs and millions of dollars in cash from that house. Bradley arranged for Armstead to fly to St. Louis. Armstead thought Bradley was sending him to St. Louis to protect him from possible harm, but Bradley was sending him there because Williams said he knew someone who could kill Armstead. Lindsey met Armstead at the airport at about 9:15 p.m. and then immediately drove him to Penrose Park, where he fatally shot Armstead with a .45-caliber handgun, evidence showed. He took a photo of the body using a prepaid “burner” phone to provide proof of the death to Williams and Bradley.
Lindsey was later paid $15,000 by Williams. Williams disposed of evidence, including the burner phone, Armstead’s Social Security card and other belongings. Lindsey had the SUV that he used to drive Armstead to the park reported stolen. He used $5,000 of the money the next day to buy a Chevrolet Suburban.
Lindsey is scheduled to be sentenced April 24. The crimes carry a mandatory life sentence in prison.
Bradley, 46, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in June to one count of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and one count of murder-for-hire. He was sentenced in September to 25 years in prison.
Williams, 52, pleaded guilty in December to a charge of destruction of evidence to obstruct a federal investigation.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Atlanta Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angie Danis, Ryan Finlen and Nathan Chapman are prosecuting the case.Sacaton Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Shooting DeathRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Tyshon Andrew Redcloud Norris, 23, of Sacaton, was sentenced on Monday by United States District Judge Susan M. Brnovich to 15 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
On November 12, 2021, Norris, a member of the Gila River Indian Community, shot the victim multiple times and killed him. Norris pleaded guilty on October 29, 2024, to Voluntary Manslaughter.
The Gila River Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Raynette Logan and Amanda Tesarek, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: CR-23-01029-PHX-SMB
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-007_Norris# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Roanoke Man Pleads Guilty to Killing Drug Supplier, Setting Body on FireRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A Roanoke man, who robbed, shot, and killed his drug supplier then later burned the body to conceal his crimes, pled guilty today in Federal Court in Roanoke.
Joseph Richard Walker, 30, pled guilty today to one count of Hobbs Act Robbery and one count of possessing, brandishing, and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and a crime of violence. He faces up to 35 years in prison.
A second man, Garrett Isaac Williams, has been indicted on related charges and is pending trial.
“The Department of Justice has no greater mission than to hold accountable those individuals who commit violence in our communities,” Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee said today. “Our strong partnerships with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies are critical in bringing about successful prosecutions of our most violent criminals. The Department will continue to fight against gun violence through important prosecutions like this one and in conjunction with programs such as Project Safe Neighborhoods.”
“This multiyear investigation and subsequent guilty plea reflect the diligent and collaborative efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies committed to safeguarding our communities. Gun violence and drug trafficking have no place in our neighborhoods, and FBI Richmond is proud to work alongside our Safe Streets Task Force partners to hold accountable those who seek to undermine the safety and security of our citizens,” said Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division.
“The Virginia State Police is committed to bringing violent offenders to justice. Our special agents work tirelessly with our federal and local partners every day to make Virginia a safer place to live," said Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Hanley, Interim Superintendent of Virginia State Police. "This judicial outcome is a victory for the citizens of the Commonwealth.”
According to court documents, beginning no later than January 2023, Mr. Walker and Mr. Williams conspired to distribute marijuana. Their source of supply was E.B., an individual who lived in Pennsylvania. E.B. often traveled from Pennsylvania to Roanoke to meet Walker and Williams to conduct marijuana sales. These sales often occurred at Walker’s Roanoke residence.
Eventually, in an effort to collect money that he was owed, E.B. inadvertently called Mr. Walker’s mother. This phone call caused Walker and Williams to set in motion a plan to end their relationship with E.B. However, instead of paying E.B. the money that was owed, they planned to order more marijuana from E.B., rob E.B. of that marijuana when he made the delivery, and in so doing, scare him from returning to Virginia.
On April 17, 2023, E.B. traveled from Pennsylvania to Walker’s residence bringing with him approximately 10 pounds of marijuana and two pounds of marijuana wax. Prior to E.B.’s arrival, Walker had concealed a Sig Sauer, .45 caliber pistol on his person, intending to use it as part of the robbery. Upon E.B.’s arrival, Walker confronted E.B. about the phone call E.B. made to his mother, before ultimately shooting him twice, killing him.
To conceal his crime, Walker dragged E.B.’s body out of his residence, placed it in the truck of his car and drove to Bedford County, Virginia where he set it on fire. Prior to departing his residence in E.B.’s car, Walker took the marijuana that E.B. had brought with him.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Virginia State Police, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, the Roanoke City Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, the Roanoke City Police Department, the Roanoke County Police Department, the City of Lynchburg Police Department, and the Bedford County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office are investigating the case.
The Star City Drug and Violent Crime Task Force also aided in the investigation and is comprised of officers from the Roanoke City Police Department, Roanoke County Police Department, City of Salem Virginia Police Department, the Vinton Police Department, and Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation's Salem Field Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys M. Coleman Adams and Kelly McGann are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew O. Inman.
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.
Renton, Washington man who worked with his son to deal drugs and launder proceeds sentenced to 5 years in prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 57-year-old Renton, Washington man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to five years in prison for drug trafficking and money laundering crimes related to his role in a drug distribution ring, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Frank Lozano Graves was arrested in July 2023 following an investigation of a drug trafficking organization involving Graves, his son and daughter, and other coconspirators. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Tana Lin said, “You knew the havoc that drugs wreak and yet you endangered your family…. You modeled for your children that drug dealing was okay, and you got them involved in it.”
“IRS-Criminal Investigations is a key partner in our efforts to take the profit out of drug distribution,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “The IRS-CI agents truly ‘follow the money,’ providing the evidence we need to seize bank accounts and assets such as homes or vehicles that have been purchased with drug money. In this way they do their part to remove the financial incentive of drug trafficking.”
“Mr. Graves enabled addiction in his own community for money,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Seattle Field Office. “We follow the money to stop criminal organizations from profiting at the expense of human lives.”
According to records filed in the case, as early as July 2022, communications between Graves and his son, who was incarcerated, made it clear that Graves was dealing opioids. The investigation revealed that the drugs were coming from a source in Las Vegas. After Graves’ son was released from prison, the two men were heard on wiretapped phone calls discussing their drug conspiracy. Graves was even posting on social media about his drug trafficking. Graves was arrested in July 2023.
Following the arrest, agents with IRS-CI began analyzing Graves’ bank accounts and financial records. They could trace drug proceeds going into his accounts totaling about $800,000 over three years. Graves and his son set up a phony construction company to launder the funds. In his plea agreement Graves admits that the funds flowing into the accounts were from his drug trafficking activity.
As part of his sentence Graves is forfeiting to the government a vehicle, jewelry and more than $15,000 in cash seized from his home.
Graves’ son, Frank Marquis Graves, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and assault (for an attack on another inmate at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac). Frank Marquis Graves is scheduled for sentencing on April 16, 2025.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Seattle Police Department, and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen Hobbs and Michelle Jensen.
Prominent D.C. Rapper ‘Migo Lee,’ a Leader in the KDY Drug Trafficking Crew, Sentenced to 168 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Khali Ahmed Brown, 23, and Keion Michael Brown, 21, brothers from Washington D.C. and members of the violent Kennedy Street Crew (KDY), were sentenced today for their roles in a massive drug trafficking organization that operated open-air markets in Northwest Washington D.C.
Khali Brown, aka rapper “Migo Lee,” pleaded guilty on September 20, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana, fentanyl, and oxycodone. He also pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense and to assault with a dangerous weapon. U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell today sentenced Khali Brown to 168 months in federal prison and ordered him to serve five years of supervised release.
Keion Brown, pleaded guilty on September 20, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana and oxycodone and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Judge Howell sentenced Keion Brown today to 147 months in federal prison and ordered him to serve five years of supervised release.
The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, DEA Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Washington Division, ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives – Washington Field Division, and Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter, of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Washington D.C. Field Office.
According to court documents, KDY members operated open-air drug markets on an 11-block stretch of Kennedy Street in Northwest Washington, D.C., as well as surrounding streets. Like many drug trafficking organizations (DTOs), KDY armed itself with fire power to facilitate the drug trade and defend its territory from rival crews.
As Migo Lee, Khali Brown served as the leading public face for the Kennedy Street Crew, functioning as a driver of escalating crew-related violence through beefs incited through his social media activity and music videos. The music videos put a finer point on the dangerousness he presents. Generally, in his videos, Khali Brown glorified violence, referring to himself by the tagline used among KDY crew members, “young and violent”, and/or characterizing himself as part of “Seal Team 6” or “ST6”, evoking militaristic tactics to eliminate the opposition. He is notorious for producing “diss” music videos taunting rival crew members, including those who have been murdered.
In addition, by Khali Brown’s admission, he is accountable for trafficking no greater than 40 grams of fentanyl; no greater than 125 grams of oxycodone; and more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana, but no more than 2,000 kilos of marijuana. The converted drug weight for these quantities of narcotics, under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, was at least 1,000 kilograms but no greater than 3,000 kilograms. Khali Brown’s role as a drug trafficker for KDY is further documented in a review of his social media activity, along with his travel patterns and encounters with law enforcement. Khali Brown regularly utilized Instagram to advertise his narcotics, most predominantly pills, for sale. Independent of the ads, Khali Brown also regularly boasted on social media about the spoils of his drug trafficking.
Early in the morning of October 10, 2022, Prince Georges County police were called for a report of a shooting at a stash house in Bowie, Maryland that Khali Brown maintained. After executing a search warrant, law enforcement recovered three firearms, as well as numerous live rounds of ammunition, firearms accessories, and large capacity magazines. Overall, throughout the residence, officers found and seized nearly $47,000 in cash. In addition, law enforcement seized 103 pounds of marijuana stored in hardshell luggage; 66.2 grams of crack cocaine; and an aggregate of 106.4 grams of oxycodone pills and 79.6 grams of methamphetamine pills.
Khali Brown, his brothers Keion and Miasiah, as well as co-conspirator Jovan Williams, lived in the Bowie, MD, house. Despite the Browns’ mother denying to police that anyone had been injured during the shooting, responding officers noticed multiple bullet holes in the living room window, blood on the living room floor, spent shell casings, and a trail of blood near the front door.
Khali Brown’s social media activity led law enforcement to confirm another of his stash houses, this one on the 1700 block of D Street, NE. On the morning of January 26, 2023, DEA and ATF agents conducted an interdiction at Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI), where Khali Brown and several other KDY members were stopped as they returned on a redeye flight from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) smuggling bulk quantities of marijuana. At BWI, Khali Brown and codefendant Herman Signou managed to evade law enforcement, but surveilling ATF agents followed their vehicle to the residence on D Street NE. MPD officers watched as the two men entered the house with two pieces of luggage. Law enforcement compared open-source photos of the interior of the house to the Instagram stories posted by Khali Brown, and noticed distinct characteristics of the living room that were also present in his Instagram ads.
When officers entered the D Street home, they found Khali Brown along with two of his brothers and three other co-defendants. Scattered throughout the basement of the stash house officers found 10 loaded firearms, two of which were machine guns. Four of those firearms were found in a suitcase resembling one officers had seen Khali Brown had been seen with as he entered the house earlier in the day. The suitcase also contained bulk quantities of marijuana, 351 fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills, and 50 oxycodone pills.
Khali Brown’s DNA was included on two of the 10 firearms law enforcement recovered from the D Street residence: a Glock 17 9mm handgun with an obliterated serial number equipped with a machine gun conversion device that was used in the November 18, 2022, shooting at Jackson-Reed High School in Northwest D.C.; and a Glock 29 10 mm pistol equipped with an extended magazine. The DNA of Keion Brown, Khali’s brother and codefendant, was included on three firearms, including a Glock 45 9mm handgun equipped with an extended magazine. The Glock 4 was linked to two shootings on October 10, 2022, one in Takoma Park and another in Southeast Washington D.C.
On June 26, 2023, Khali Brown was arrested with his co-defendants, Tristan “Greedy” Ware and Miasiah Brown, at a known stash house at Fifth and O Streets NW where both Khali and Miasiah Brown had been observed by law enforcement conducting narcotics transactions. Law enforcement was able to identify the apartment as being associated with Khali Brown based upon a music video he published shortly before his arrest. Agents found six loaded firearms concealed within the apartment, four of which were machine guns; a high-capacity drum magazine; nearly $3,000 in cash; and numerous bags containing about 3.5 kilograms of marijuana packaged for distribution.
This investigation was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department, the DEA’s Washington Division, ATF’s Washington Field Division, with assistance from FBI’s Washington Field Office, and the IRS-Criminal Investigation Washington, D.C. Office.
The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey and Sitara Witanachchi, of the of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
DEFENDANTS
NAME
AGE
CHARGES/SENTENCES
Kenneth Ademola Olugbenga27Pleaded Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or more of Cocaine Base, and a Detectable Amount of Marijuana; and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense. Sentencing is scheduled for February 28, 2025.Khali Ahmed Brown, aka “Migo Lee”23Sentenced January 16, 2025, to 168 Months after Pleading Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana and 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl and Oxycodone; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense; and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon.Keion Michael Brown21Sentenced January 16, 2025, to 147 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana and Oxycodone and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.Miasiah Jamal Brown, aka “Michael Jamal Crawford”21Sentenced August 16, 2024, to Five Years for Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.Tristan Miles Ware, aka “Greedy”23Sentenced December 13, 2024, to 120 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilos of Marijuana; and Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime.Jovan Williams, aka “Chewy” and “Choo”20Pleaded Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana and Armed Carjacking. Sentencing is scheduled for January 24, 2025.Herman Eric-Bibmin Signou, aka “Herman Signour”23Sentenced March 22, 2024, to 40 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute 100 Kilograms of More of MarijuanaCameron Xavier Reid26Sentenced May 31, 2024, to 60 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms of More of Marijuana.Warren Lawrence Fields, III, aka B-Dub26Sentenced May 16, 2024, to 60 Months for Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Offense and for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.Juwan Demetrius Clark, aka “Squirrel”28Sentenced January 10, 2025, to 37 Months for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.Aaron DeAndre Mercer, aka “Curby,”27Sentenced September 13, 2024, to 120 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl, Marijuana, and Cocaine Base.David Penn, aka “Turtle”31Sentenced November 15, 2024, to 220 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana, 40 Grams or More of Fentanyl, and a Mixture of Cocaine Base; and Two Counts of Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense.Ronald Lynn Dorsey, aka “Ron G” and “HBGeezy”29Sentenced September 13, 2024, to 30 Months for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.Antonio Reginald Bailey, aka “Boy Boy,” and “Fellow King”22Sentenced February 8, 2024, to 24 Months for Receiving a Firearm While Under Indictment.Anthony Trayon Bailey, aka “Fat Ant,” and “Bizzle”27Sentenced April 26, 2024, to 15 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana, 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl, and a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Cocaine Base.Angel Enrique Suncar, aka “Coqui”29Sentenced December 12, 2024, to 60 Months for Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime.Adebayo Adediji Green30Sentenced August 16, 2024, to 60 Months for Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.Defendant Cameron Reid is from Falmouth, VA; all remaining defendants are from Washington, D.C.
Examples of Khali Brown’s public advertisements of narcotics, in the form of Instagram Stories.
Khali Brown also boasted of his drug trafficking earnings on social media, as seen in these postings to Instagram.
Khali Brown also regularly posted photographs of his drug inventory.
Khali Brown maintained a stash house in Bowie, Maryland. Secreted within the walls in his sleeping area was a separate hardshell suitcase, containing various drum magazines, a pistol conversion kit to convert a handgun into a short barrel rifle, additional opioids, and a digital scale.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Khali Brown’s stash house in Bowie, MD, and seized over 100 pounds of marijuana in hardshell suitcases.
The weapons, narcotics, and cash seized on Oct. 10, 2022, at Khali Brown’s stash house in Bowie, MD.
Law enforcement seized 10 firearms, including two machine guns, marijuana, and assorted narcotics on January 23, 2023, at Khali Brown’s stash house on the 1700 block of D Street, NE.
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