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15 January 2025
Denver Man Convicted on Five Counts Related to Denver Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Flozell Beasley, 72, of Denver, was convicted by a federal jury on four counts of bank robbery and one count of robbery affecting interstate commerce.
According to the facts established at trial, Beasley robbed two banks, two credit unions, and a taco shop in Denver, between May and July 2023. In each robbery, the defendant dressed like a construction worker and threatened employees with a high-quality replica gun before taking their money and fleeing. On July 11, 2023, the defendant robbed the Vectra Bank at 1001 E 17th Street and left with a GPS tracker inside the money stolen from the bank. He then boarded a nearby RTD bus and was arrested twelve minutes later sitting on the bus with the tracker, stolen money, replica gun, construction vest, and construction helmet in a bag at his feet.
“Our office remains focused on stopping brazen, serial bank robbers who victimize bank employees,” said United States Attorney Matt Kirsch. “
“This individual is a previously convicted felon who was released from prison and returned to robbing banks -- and a restaurant when his chosen bank was closed,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “This is the kind of defendant that gets the attention of the FBI Denver Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force, and with help from partners like the Denver Police Department and the Regional Transportation District, we tracked him down and ended his criminal activity in the community. “
United States District Court Judge Regina M. Rodriguez presided over the trial.
The FBI Denver Field Office handled the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Brian Dunn and Garreth Winstead handled the prosecution.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Case Number: 23-cr-342-RMR
Connecticut Man Sentenced to Prison for Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Thomaston, Conn. man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Springfield in connection with a scheme to obtain bank loans and money for projects in Saudi Arabia.
Hanibal Tayeh, 63, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 27 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In August 2024, Tayeh pleaded guilty to a superseding indictment with two counts of bank fraud, four counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering and one count of making a false bankruptcy declaration. Tayeh was originally charged and arrested in July 2018.
In 2013 and 2014, Tayeh used fake documents and misrepresentations to obtain a $9.1 million loan package and later a $400,000 extension of credit from a bank. A number of the fake documents and misrepresentations pertained to a business venture Tayeh claimed to be pursuing in Saudi Arabia. Further, he financially defrauded an individual by making misrepresentations related to construction projects he claimed to be pursuing in Saudi Arabia. Tayeh then laundered the proceeds of his fraud schemes through payments made to third parties for his personal obligations. Additionally, Tayeh made a false statement during a bankruptcy proceeding when he denied knowledge of a fake letter of credit that he created.United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher L. Morgan of the Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Connecticut Man Sentenced to Nine Years on Methamphetamine ConvictionRead the Press Release
UTICA, NEW YORK – Joseph Lastrina, age 39, of Norwalk, Connecticut, was sentenced today to 108 months in prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, made the announcement.
Lastrina admitted to directing both Robert Sanger and Thaddeus Price to complete drug deals that Lastrina arranged. Those November 2023 transactions collectively involved 177 grams of pure methamphetamine. A search warrant executed at Sanger’s home led to the recovery of an additional 217 grams of pure methamphetamine.
Senior United States District Judge David N. Hurd also imposed a 3-year-term of supervised release and a $30,000. Judge Hurd previously sentenced Sanger to 16 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release. Price will be sentenced on March 19, 2025.
The DEA investigated this case, which Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan S. Reiner and Ashlyn Miranda are prosecuting.
Colorado man sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for attempting to entice a minor to engage in illegal sexual activityRead the Press Release
Gabriel Estrada, 30, of Denver, Colorado, was sentenced to 120 months, with five years of supervised release to follow, for attempting to entice a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence in Cheyenne on Jan. 13.
A federal jury convicted Estrada on Oct. 25, 2024. According to trial evidence and court documents, Estrada used a chat website to meet up with a 13-year-old persona for sexual intercourse. An undercover agent posed as a 13-year-old female living in Laramie, Wyoming. Estrada messaged the 13-year-old persona asking if she would have sex with him. He went on to ask the 13-year-old persona if she had a friend who would like to join them in the sexual encounter and asked about her sexual experience. Estrada then drove the two hours from his home to Laramie after confirming the person he believed to be a 13-year-old girl would engage in sexual acts with him. Estrada arrived in Laramie and was arrested by police officers, who seized Estrada’s iPhone containing text messages to the 13-year-old persona. Estrada also had two condoms.
“The Internet can be a dangerous place for our children because of people like this defendant, a fully grown man who wanted to have sex with a 13-year-old girl and did everything he could to make that happen,” said United States Attorney Eric Heimann. “The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to support proactive law enforcement actions aimed at identifying and arresting individuals who are ready, willing, and eager to sexually abuse children.”
The Laramie Police Department and the FBI investigated the crime and Assistant U.S. Attorney Z. Seth Griswold prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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.
Case No. CR-24-00033
Coeur d’Alene Man Sentenced for Multimillion Dollar Accounts Receivable Factoring SchemeRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE – Douglas Worman, 64, of Coeur d’Alene was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison for his convictions for engaging in a scheme to defraud J.S. Richards Forestry Management out of more than $2.5 million, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today. A federal jury convicted Worman of 17 counts of wire fraud relating to his factoring scheme after a six-day trial in August 2024.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Worman owned and operated Worman Forest Management, a Coeur d’Alene-area forestry management company. In 2010, Worman, through his company, entered into a factoring agreement with J.S. Richards Forestry Management to sell millions of dollars of Worman Forest Management’s accounts receivable that were based on invoices for work the business had provided to its customers. Factoring is a form of short-term financing in which a business sells its accounts receivable to a third-party at a discount. In a factoring transaction, the seller of an invoice obtains immediate funding from a buyer, and the buyer of an invoice earns a fee for providing the up-front financing.
According to court records, beginning in at least 2015 and continuing through September 2018, Worman submitted inflated and entirely false and fraudulent invoices to J.S. Richards Forestry Management for factoring, purportedly for work Worman’s business had performed for its customers. Between June and September 2018, Worman submitted more than $2 million in false and fraudulent invoices for factoring to J.S. Richards Forestry Management. Those invoices claimed to be for actual work performed by Worman Forest Management for its customers, but, in reality, the invoices were for amounts that were inflated and entirely fictitious. As a result of Worman’s fraud scheme, Worman fraudulently obtained at least $2.5 million from J.S. Richards Forestry Management.
Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also sentenced Worman to three years of supervised release and ordered that Worman pay restitution in an amount to be determined at a later date.
“This case sends a clear message that, along with our law enforcement partners, we will not tolerate fraud in Idaho’s business community,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “I am grateful for the FBI’s painstaking investigation of the defendant’s fraud and the tenacious work of our office’s prosecutors to marshal the evidence for the jury.”
“Douglas Worman is being held accountable for exploiting the trust of his victims,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Albert Kelly of the Salt Lake City FBI. “The FBI is committed to protecting Idahoans by investigating and arresting those who seek to defraud others. We also encourage the public to report potential fraud to the FBI.”
U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which led to the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittney Campbell and Sean Mazorol prosecuted this case.
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Choppa City Member Sentenced to 18 Years for His Role in Three Brinks Armored Car RobberiesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Erin Sheffey, 30, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today to 18 years in prison for his involvement in a series of armed robberies of Brinks armored cars in Washington, D.C. that resulted in the loss of more than $1.2 million. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Sheffey was found guilty by a jury on September 9, 2024, of conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery. The jury also convicted co-defendants Brock and McNair of interference with interstate commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act Robbery), bank robbery, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. In addition to the 18-year prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth ordered Sheffey to serve three years of supervised release.
The offenses related to three robberies of Brinks armored trucks that occurred on October 6, 2021, December 8, 2021, and March 2, 2022. In those robberies, the defendants used firearms to assault the drivers of Brinks armored cars and steal money. In total, the defendants stole over $1.2 million.
According to court documents and the evidence at trial, the three defendants were members of the Choppa City street crew. Brock, McNair, and Sheffey conspired together and with others to plan and carry out the robberies, brandishing firearms on D.C. city streets while doing so. Each robbery occurred on a Wednesday at about 9 a.m. in the morning and two occurred on busy city throughfares, causing a significant risk to the public. Testimony in the case revealed the conspirators used assault rifles to carry out their robberies.
Co-defendant Brock planned the robberies for months, learning the routes and arrival times of the Brinks drivers, in order to ensure the robbery team was in place. When the Brinks driver exited his armored car vehicle to deliver money to a bank or local business, the robbers ambushed him. In two cases, the defendants assaulted one of the Brink’s drivers, even after he turned over his courier bag.
Some of the defendants used social media to show off large sums of money they stole during the robberies and photographed themselves making high-end luxury purchases. For example, within two days of the robberies, defendant Brock purchased vehicles in cash totalling over $36,000.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron Tepfer and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Schneider. Valuable assistance was provided by AUSAs Josh Gold, Meredith Mayer-Dempsey, and Thomas Strong.
An AR-15 Weapon Used by the Defendants During the Armed Robberies
Defendant Brock (Right) and Defendant McNair (Left) robbing a Brinks armored car employee weapon with a firearm on December 8, 2021. Both Brock and McNair assaulted the driver by beating him with their pistols even after he turned over the delivery bag.
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Choctaw County Resident Pleads Guilty to Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Karen Sue Freeman, age 64, of Grant, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Distribution of Methamphetamine.
The Indictment alleged that on March 13, 2024, Freeman knowingly and intentionally distributed 5 grams or more of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Hugo Police Department, and the Durant Police Department.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea, and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Freeman will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Geizura represented the United States.
Chicago Man Sentenced to 108 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Clinton Williams, 48 years old, of Chicago, Illinois was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Gretchen S. Lund after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute heroin and fentanyl, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Williams was sentenced to 108 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, between August 2021 and June 2022, Williams was involved in a conspiracy to distribute heroin laced with fentanyl. As part of that conspiracy, Williams was personally involved in five controlled buys of the substance.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Gang Response Investigative Team. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Toth and Special Assistant United States Attorney Patrick D. Grindlay.
Charlotte Man Is Sentenced to Prison for Transporting Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – David Williams, 45, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to 140 months in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for transporting of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Williams was also ordered to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison.
Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
“Williams possessed thousands of images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, yet his criminal conduct did not end there,” said U.S. Attorney King. “Williams produced a surreptitious recording of a prepubescent minor using the bathroom, and also used AI technology to modify and alter images of children he found on the internet to generate child sexual abuse material. This type of misuse of technology, and specifically generative AI, is at the forefront of our efforts to protect our children from this emerging threat and secure proper punishment for perpetrators.”
According to filed court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, law enforcement received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that an individual was using the internet to upload CSAM. Law enforcement identified the individual as Williams. On September 14, 2021, law enforcement conducted an interview of Williams. The defendant denied having any CSAM, at first. He later admitted to having CSAM and turned over some of his electronic devices to law enforcement. A forensic examination of Williams’s devices revealed that the defendant possessed images and videos depicting children being sexually abused and that Williams did not provide all of the relevant electronics.
On September 16, 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Williams’s residence, seizing additional electronics from the defendant. A forensic analysis of those electronics confirmed the presence of CSAM, including images and videos of children as young as toddlers being sexually abused. In total, Williams possessed over 4,000 videos and images of CSAM. Additionally, forensic analysis determined that Williams produced a surreptitious recording of a prepubescent minor using the bathroom.
Forensic analysis further determined that Williams used an online AI chatbot to generate realistic CSAM by morphing or modifying images of clothed minors he found on the internet.
On June 12, 2023, Williams pleaded guilty to transportation of child pornography. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In announcing Williams’s sentence, U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn, Jr., emphasized that “this is a serious crime with serious consequences.”
The FBI and CMPD investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Cervantes of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Central Ohio men sentenced to 25 years & 13 years in prison for crimes related to armed robberies, I-70 shootoutRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Two central Ohio men were sentenced in federal court here today for committing crimes related to the July 6, 2023, shooting of a Columbus police officer. The men participated in a crime spree that involved the armed robberies of five high-end automobile dealerships, banks and gaming stores in and around Columbus and ended in a shootout with police officers on I-70.
Faisal M. Darod, 25, of Columbus, was sentenced to 300 months in prison. Aden Abdullahi Jama, 21, of Reynoldsburg, was sentenced to 156 months in prison.
“Violent crimes like these reverberate throughout the community. The victims of the armed robberies remain traumatized from being held at gunpoint and having their lives threatened. One accomplice is dead. And, though he survived this tragedy, one Columbus police officer was shot a number of times and was gravely injured,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “Put simply, gun violence is never worth the resulting costs, including spending significant time in federal prison.”
“The gun violence committed by these defendants altered the lives of many victims, especially the hero Columbus Division of Police Officer who was wounded during the harrowing gun battle that ensued when Columbus Police bravely confronted the defendants,” stated Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Columbus Field Division. “Thanks to the valiant action of Columbus and Whitehall Police, the violent crime spree of the defendants was stopped. ATF is proud to have led the investigation in collaboration with our federal, state, and local partners to ensure justice for all the victims and accountability for the defendants.”
Columbus Police Chief Elaine R. Bryant stated: “This case serves as a solemn reminder of the dangers brave officers of the Division face every day in the line of duty. I extend my appreciation to those in the U.S. Attorney’s office who worked to ensure that justice prevailed, holding the responsible individuals accountable.”
In spring 2023, Darod began making concerted efforts to obtain a firearm for a third man involved in the crimes. By June of 2023, Darod and the man began using a Glock handgun with extended magazine to commit a host of armed robberies.
According to court documents, on June 21, 2023, Darod aided in the robbery of a GameStop store on Hilliard-Rome Road in Hilliard. Darod and the other man initially planned to rob a bank that day, but mistakenly thought the bank would be open until 6pm. When they realized the bank was closed, they shifted focus to the GameStop instead, and, at approximately 6:15pm, robbed the store at gunpoint using the handgun with an extended magazine. Darod served as a lookout during the robbery.
On July 3, 2023, Darod drove the other man to the Auto Gallery on Westerville Road in Minerva Park, where the man robbed the car dealership owner at gunpoint. The man stole a 2016 Corvette Stingray. Over the next two days, Darod had others record several videos of him driving the Corvette around the parking lot of the Baymont Inn and Suites at Morse Road, where he had rented a room.
On July 5, 2023, Darod arranged for Jama to pick up him and another individual after they robbed at gunpoint the Fifth Third Bank on Fishinger Road in Upper Arlington. Following the bank robbery, Darod texted Jama and instructed him to meet up with them on West Sixth Avenue in Columbus and drive them to the Baymont Inn and Suites.
While at the hotel, Darod and Jama recorded a video on Darod’s cell phone showing Darod lying on the bed surrounded by the recently stolen cash. In the video, Darod raps about “cheese” – i.e., money, being in the air and everywhere.
The next day, on July 6, 2023, Darod aided and abetted an armed robbery at Byers Imports in Whitehall. He and Jama drove the third man to the car dealership to commit the robbery.
Shortly after the robbery, Darod and Jama met up with the other man at townhomes on the southeast side of Columbus. The three men then drove the stolen Porsche Cayenne, sometimes exceeding 100 miles per hour, to Hilliard to commit another armed bank robbery.
Darod and Jama again served as the lookout and aided and abetted the armed robbery and the use of a firearm during that robbery at Fifth Third Bank on Hilliard-Rome Road in Hilliard.
Unbeknownst to the three men, Whitehall police detectives had been tracking their movements using the Porsche Cayenne’s onboard GPS system. The detectives surrounded the stolen car at Fifth Third Bank and ordered the men to stop the vehicle. The other man drove the stolen Porsche through a gap in the detectives’ cars and fled over a grass embankment onto Hilliard-Rome Road, and, eventually, out to Roberts Road and the freeway.
Columbus police officers then located the stolen vehicle on I-70 traveling eastbound. The men reached speeds more than 125 miles per hour near rush hour while attempting to flee law enforcement.
The vehicle became damaged and came to an abrupt stop before Darod and Jama both fled on foot. The third man used the handgun with an extended magazine to ambush the responding officers. He opened fire from close range and struck one officer. That officer suffered life-threatening injuries. The driver of the stolen vehicle was struck several times and died of his gunshot wounds soon after.
Following the gun battle on I-70, a coordinated manhunt ensued for Jama and Darod. Darod was arrested in Columbus on the evening of July 7, 2023. By then, he had conducted several internet searches for flights out of Columbus to Somalia. U.S. Marshals and Homeland Security Investigation agents arrested Jama at Chicago O’Hare International Airport on July 8, 2023, bound for Turkey, with an ultimate destination of Somalia.
Both Darod and Jama pleaded guilty in October 2023. Darod pleaded guilty to all nine counts charged against him in a superseding indictment that was returned in September 2023. The crimes include aiding and abetting robberies and aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during the robberies. Jama pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact to bank robbery, two counts of aiding and abetting robberies and two counts of aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during the robberies.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant; the United States Marshals in Columbus and Chicago; ICE and HSI Chicago; the Whitehall, Minerva Park and Upper Arlington police departments; and Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin announced the sentences imposed today by Chief U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorney Noah R. Litton and Special Assistant United States Attorney David J. Bosley are representing the United States in this case.
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Burnsville Woman Pleads Guilty to Straw Purchasing Firearms Used in Fatal Shooting of First RespondersRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Burnsville woman has pleaded guilty to straw purchasing multiple firearms for a felon, two of which were used to fatally shoot police officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge, and firefighter paramedic Adam Finseth in Burnsville on February 18, 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, between September of 2023 and January of 2024, the defendant purchased five different firearms from two different federal firearms licensees that the defendant knowingly transferred to her domestic partner, Shannon Cortez Gooden. Under Gooden’s direction, Dyrdahl purchased the firearms and transferred them to Gooden, despite knowing that Gooden was a felon and was therefore legally prohibited from obtaining or possessing firearms.
Among the firearms Dyrdahl bought for Gooden were three semiautomatic AR-15–style firearm lower-receivers. One of these was a Franklin Armory FAI-15 .300 caliber semiautomatic firearm that was equipped with a binary trigger. A firearm with a binary trigger fires one shot when the trigger is pulled and another when the trigger is released, effectively doubling the rate of fire. Dyrdahl also purchased a .300 caliber barrel for the lower receiver. Dyrdahl knew that Gooden was loading the semiautomatic AR-15–style firearms with .300 Blackout ammunition, which is a heavier load ammunition that has an increased potential for lethality.
On February 18, 2024, Gooden used two firearms that Dyrdahl purchased for him to ambush police officers and firefighter paramedics who were responding to a call for help in his home. Gooden used a large-capacity magazine in the attack. The attack killed two police officers and a firefighter paramedic and injured a third police officer.
Dyrdahl pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court to two counts of straw purchasing in front of U.S. District Judge Jerry W. Blackwell. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Burnsville Police Department, with assistance from the Dakota County Attorney’s Office and the Burnsville Fire Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristian Weir and Thomas Calhoun-Lopez are prosecuting the case.
Browning man sentenced to 13 years in prison for sexually abusing child, sending obscene material to minorsRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A federal judge today sentenced a Browning man to 13 years in prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for sexually abusing a child on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation and for sending sexually explicit photographs of himself to minors, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Treston Lane Kickingwoman, 29, pleaded guilty in September 2024 to one count of abusive sexual contact and two counts of transfer of obscene material to a minor.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that in 2022, the victim, Jane Doe 1, disclosed to law enforcement that when she was about six years old, in 2014 or 2015, Kickingwoman sexually abused her one time. While staying at a house in Browning, Kickingwoman laid down on the bed by her and sexually abused her. Kickingwoman stopped when another person started moving in the room.
Nearly a decade later, in March 2024, an FBI online covert employee with a fictitious persona as a juvenile began communicating on Facebook with Kickingwoman. Kickingwoman sent the persona explicit pictures and videos of his genitalia and solicited sexually explicit pictures from her. During a search of Kickingwoman’s Facebook account, law enforcement discovered that Kickingwoman had sent pictures of his nude genitalia to dozens of separate Facebook accounts. Investigators identified two Facebook accounts for juvenile girls, Jane Doe 2 and Jane Doe 3, who were living on the Blackfeet Reservation. Law enforcement interviewed both girls, who confirmed that they had messaged with Kickingwoman on Facebook Messenger in the summer of 2023, when they were 12 years old and that they told him they were 13. Kickingwoman sent both girls pictures of his nude genitalia and solicited sexually explicit pictures from them. Jane Doe 2 provided the requested photographs to Kickingwoman through his Facebook account.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI conducted the investigation.
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Broker and Three Traders Indicted for Years’ Long Insider Trading SchemeRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, an indictment was unsealed charging broker David Cooper and traders Randy Grewal, John Lowe and Richard Ringel with conspiracy to commit securities fraud and securities fraud for their involvement in an insider trading scheme. Cooper was arrested today in Westchester and will be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Marutollo. Grewal was arrested in Anthem, Arizona and Lowe and Ringel were arrested in Stewart and Boca Raton, Florida, respectively. They will be arraigned in the Eastern District of New York at a later date.
Judy Philips, Acting Attorney for the United States for the Eastern District of New York, William S. Walker, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations New York (HSI) and Brendan Donahue, Acting Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, New York Division (USPIS), announced the arrests and charges.
“As alleged, the defendants exploited their access to inside information for years to gain an unfair advantage over the investing public for their own personal gain,” stated Acting Attorney for the United States Philips. “The arrests and indictment demonstrate that this Office will protect the integrity of the securities markets and aggressively prosecute those who engage in insider trading.”
Ms. Philips expressed her appreciation to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, New York Regional Office, and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority for their significant cooperation and assistance during the investigation.
“Those who participate in illicit trading schemes undermine our U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission laws and regulations with selfish ambition,” stated HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Walker. “HSI continues to work side-by-side with our law enforcement partners to ensure fraudsters who manipulate our legal financial systems are identified and prosecuted to the fullest extent.”
“This is a case of pure greed where individuals lied, obtained information illegally, and used it solely for their own personal financial gain. Postal Inspectors, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to investigate fraud vigilantly and will protect investors from falling victim to predatory behavior,” stated USPIS Acting Inspector in Charge Donahue.
As alleged in the indictment, between approximately January 2018 and May 2024, the defendants conspired to obtain material non-public information (MNPI) about upcoming secondary stock offerings and to trade on that MNPI in advance of those offerings. The defendants illegally obtained MNPI from numerous sources, including through Cooper, who obtained MNPI in his capacity as an employee of a broker-dealer (Broker-Dealer) with investment banks involved in and underwriting the secondary stock offerings. The MNPI included specific deal information such as the identity of the public company issuing the secondary offering; the timing of the deal; the structure of the deal; and the price at which the company would offer its stock in the upcoming offering. Cooper breached his duty of confidentiality to Broker-Dealer and misappropriated the information when he improperly disclosed it to Lowe, Ringel and others with knowledge that they intended to use the information to execute short sales in advance of the public announcement of the secondary offerings. Cooper shared the MNPI to induce Broker-Dealer customers, including Lowe and Ringel, to commit to buy shares in the offerings so that Cooper and Broker-Dealer would receive compensation from the underwriters. Lowe, in turn, passed MNPI to Grewal. Lowe, Ringel and Grewal used MNPI to obtain more than $1 million in illegal profits on their short sales in advance of secondary offerings.
Evidence obtained from judicially authorized wiretaps revealed that in connection with numerous secondary offerings between approximately January 2023 and May 2023, Cooper and a co-conspirator (Co-Conspirator #1) obtained MNPI from investment firms that were underwriting the secondary offerings and provided MNPI to Lowe, Ringel and others, with knowledge that Lowe, Ringel and others intended to trade securities in advance of secondary offerings based on the MNPI. Those secondary offerings included the companies Chicken Soul for the Soul Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSSE), Revelation Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: REVB) and Tivic Health Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVC).
Fraudulent Trading on MNPI in the CSSE Secondary Offering
On or about March 30, 2023, Cooper obtained MNPI about the timing and pricing of the CSSE offering from the sole managing underwriter for the deal and shared that information with Ringel, who traded in CSSE in advance of the offering using the information, and Co-Conspirator #1, who gave the inside information to Lowe. Lowe traded based on the MNPI and tipped Grewal, who also traded using the MNPI.
Fraudulent Trading on MNPI in the REVB Secondary Offering
Between February 6, 2023 and February 8, 2023, Lowe obtained MNPI about the timing of the REVB offering from a representative of the sole underwriter on the deal and passed it to Grewal, who traded in REVB using the information. Between February 7, 2023 and February 9, 2023, Ringel traded REVB based on MNPI that Cooper received from another representative of the sole underwriter on the deal.
Fraudulent Trading on MNPI in the TIVC Secondary Offering
On or about February 6, 2023, Cooper called a representative of the sole managing underwriter for the TIVC offering. The next day, Co-Conspirator #1 communicated to Lowe that TIVC intended to offer shares of its stock in a secondary offering. After learning this information, Lowe traded in TIVC and passed the MNPI he received from Co-Conspirator #1 to Grewal, who then also traded in TIVC. Between February 6, 2023 and February 8, 2023, Ringel and Cooper spoke over the telephone numerous times and Cooper executed a number of short sales in TIVC. In particular, on February 8, 2023 (after Co-Conspirator shared MNPI about the TIVC deal with Lowe), Cooper spoke with Co-Conspirator #1 and then with Ringel. Approximately six minutes after Ringel and Cooper spoke, Ringel executed additional short sales in TIVC.
The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The defendants face up to 25 years in prison if convicted of the charges.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section and the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica K. Weigel, Sophia M. Suarez and Adam R. Toporovsky are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Liam McNett.
The Defendants:
DAVID COOPER
Age: 38
Larchmont, New YorkRANDY GREWAL
Age: 54
Anthem, ArizonaJOHN LOWE (also known as “Clams”)
Age: 61
Sayville, New YorkRICHARD RINGEL
Age: 54
Boca Raton, FloridaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-10 (DG)
Bollinger Shipyard LLC Agrees to Pay $1,025,000 to Settle False Claims Act Allegations Involving Billing the Coast Guard for Employees Ineligible to Work in the United StatesRead the Press Release
Bollinger Shipyard LLC (Bollinger), a Lockport, Louisiana, based company, has agreed to pay $1,025,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by knowingly billing the U.S. Coast Guard for labor provided by workers who were not eligible to work in the United States.
Bollinger manufactures ships for the United States, including the Coast Guard’s Fast Response Cutter (FRC). The United States alleged that, from 2015-2020, Bollinger knowingly billed the Coast Guard for labor prohibited under the FRC contracts. Specifically, the United States alleged that Bollinger was contractually required to confirm that its employees were eligible to work in the United States. The United States further alleges that Bollinger failed to comply with this requirement and, as a result, several ineligible employees worked on the contract. Further, the United States alleged that Bollinger billed the Coast Guard for the labor provided by the ineligible employees and received payment for those bills.
“It is essential to the safety and operational readiness of our fleet that contractors comply with all contractual requirements,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to hold accountable those who knowingly disregard their contractual obligations.”
“Companies that conduct business with the United States are required to do so in a legitimate manner,” said U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “The favorable resolution of these False Claims Act allegations illustrates the collaboration and commitment by our federal partners to use all available remedies to address signs of fraud, waste and abuse.”
“Today’s settlement sends a clear message that contractors providing services to DHS programs will be held accountable for breaking the law,” said Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari Ph.D. of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). “DHS’ Office of Inspector General (DHS OIG) and our law enforcement partners will continue to prioritize protecting our national security from these kinds of schemes.”
“The Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) is committed to continually working with all our law enforcement partners to protect and secure taxpayer funds and aggressively act to fully investigate allegations of false claims involving the Coast Guard,” said Assistant Director William Hicks of CGIS.
Senior Trial Counsel Art J. Coulter of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra Lee Sears for the Eastern District of Louisiana handled the matter.
DHS OIG and CGIS assisted in the investigation.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
Settlement
Bloods Gang Member Sentenced to 23 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking of MinorsRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, Joshua Lampley-Reid, also known as “Tio” and “Fendi,” and a member of the Makk Balla set of the Bloods street gang, was sentenced by United States District Judge Gary R. Brown to 23 years in prison for sex trafficking of minors. Lampley-Reid operated as a “pimp,” using violence and the threat of violence to compel the commission of commercial sex acts for his financial benefit, including by minors as young as 15 years old. Lampley-Reid pleaded guilty to the charge in August 2022.
Carolyn Pokorny, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William S. Walker, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI) and Errol D. Toulon, Jr., Suffolk County Sheriff, announced the sentence.
“The defendant is a ruthless predator who exploited vulnerable minors without families or homes, and sexually trafficked them for his own financial gain,” stated Acting United States Attorney Pokorny. “He is deserving of today’s significant jail sentence for the horrific physical and psychological abuse he inflicted on the victims, which, unfortunately, will continue to affect them for years to come. It is my sincere hope that the justice meted out today will provide some measure of comfort to these young women and help them on their journey to healing.”
“This sentence brings some justice to the minors victimized by this dangerous predator who is now put away from causing any further harm to our community’s most vulnerable members,” stated HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Walker. “Our children deserve to be protected from this violence and shielded from the lifelong trauma that accompanies it. HSI works collectively with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to bring an end to child exploitation and sex trafficking. Prosecuting those who seek to exploit children for their own self-gratification or greed is one of our top priorities.”
“The sentencing of this dangerous gang member is a clear message that those who prey on the most vulnerable members of our community will be held accountable,” stated Suffolk County Sheriff Toulon. “The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office is committed to continuing to fight human trafficking and working tirelessly with our federal and local partners to ensure that justice is served and that survivors are supported in their journey toward recovery.”
As set forth in the government’s sentencing memorandum and other court documents, in December 2019, Lampley-Reid began recruiting females, including Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2, to engage in commercial sex acts for his own financial benefit. The defendant used social media and other internet applications to establish relationships with potential victims and groomed them by conveying a romantic interest in them, manipulating them into performing commercial sex acts and then effectively enslaving them through acts of force and coercion. The defendant directed when, where and with whom the commercial sex acts would be performed. The defendant met resistance to his commands, or failure to pay him, with violence or the threat of violence. To maintain control over his victims, the defendant alternately showed affection and acted violently, not only beating and choking his victims, but also withholding food and other basic necessities. This psychological and emotional abuse was depicted in videos recovered from the defendant’s cellular telephone. He tracked his victims’ phones, threatened their families and stalked them after they left him. The defendant used his association with the Makk Balla set of the Bloods street gang to terrorize them. He also engaged in sexual intercourse with his minor victims, which he often video recorded, and managed his prostitution business over the Internet, posting sexually exploitative photos of minor victims that he took or persuaded them to take of themselves in order to further his trafficking business. Although this conduct was concentrated in Nassau County, the defendant also transported certain victims to other states, including Florida, North Carolina and Maryland.
If you are a victim or have information about sex trafficking, call HSI at 1-866-347-2423. To get help from the National Human Trafficking Hotline, call 1-888-373-7888 or text HELP or INFO to BeFree (233733). HSI is ready to work with you in your native language, regardless of your immigration status.
The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorney Megan E. Farrell is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
JOSHUA LAMPLEY-REID (also known as “Tio” and “Fendi”)
Age: 30
West Hempstead, Long IslandE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-CR-319 (S-1) (GRB)
Bergen County Man Sentenced to 72 Months in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute HeroinRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County, New Jersey, man was sentenced to 72 months in prison for possession of heroin with intent to distribute, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.
Dawan A. Brown, 37, of Cliffside Park, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before Judge Brian R. Martinotti to an information charging him with one count of possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin. Judge Martinotti imposed the sentence in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Since at least January 2022, law enforcement had investigated drug trafficking activity in the District of New Jersey, to include in and around Harrison, New Jersey. During the investigation, law enforcement officers learned that Dawan Brown, a/k/a “DB,” distributes narcotics in New Jersey.
Through investigation, law enforcement officers learned that Brown packaged and distributed large amounts of heroin from an apartment in a building located in Harrison, New Jersey. On June 14, 2022, law enforcement officers executed search warrants at the Harrison apartment and at Brown’s residence located in Cliffside Park, New Jersey. From the apartment in Harrison, officers recovered approximately two kilograms of narcotics, suspected to contain amounts of heroin and fentanyl; drug paraphernalia, including a ledger, a safe, scales, a coffee and spice grinder, ink pads, stamps, Ziplock bags, vacuum bags and a vacuum bag sealer machine, razor blades, glassine envelopes and strainers; and approximately $34,000 that was contained within the safe along with some of the suspected heroin and fentanyl. From the residence in Cliffside Park, officers recovered approximately $169,000, five cell phones, safety deposit keys, and various jewelry including diamond necklaces, gold watches, and a gold ring. Law enforcement officers also recovered approximately $225,000 from safety deposit boxes that were associated with Brown.
As part of his plea agreement, Brown agreed to forfeit $436,615.95, the proceeds from the narcotics trafficking.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Martinotti sentenced Brown to four years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian J Driscoll Newark; the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II; Harrison Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Strumolo; and Cliffside Park Police Department, under the direction of Chief Marc Marano, with the investigation leading to the sentencing. He also thanked the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, the Bloomfield Police Department, the Newark Police Department, Irvington Police Department, Hillsborough Police Department, and the Fort Lee Police Department.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert L. Frazer of the Organized Crime/Gangs Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dong Joo Lee of the Cybercrime Unit, in Newark.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Announces Gina Allery as Director of the Office of Tribal JusticeRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced that Gina Allery has been appointed to serve as the Director of the Office of Tribal Justice (OTJ). Attorney General Merrick B. Garland swore Allery in to the office on Monday afternoon. In this role, Allery will lead OTJ and serve as the principal advisor on Tribal matters to the Attorney General and other Department leaders.
“Gina Allery’s experience and leadership on Indian law and Tribal issues in a variety of roles across the Justice Department will make her an incredible asset to the Office of Tribal Justice,” said Attorney General Garland. “I am confident that Gina will skillfully lead the Department’s efforts to partner with Tribal Nations in the pursuit of justice and safety for Tribal communities. I am grateful that she has agreed to continue her public service in this important role.”
OTJ was initially formed in 1995 in response to requests from Tribal leaders for a dedicated point of contact for Indian country-specific legal and policy matters. The office was made permanent on July 29, 2010, with the passage of the Tribal Law and Order Act.
OTJ is the program and legal policy advisor to the Attorney General on the treaty and trust relationship between the United States and Indian Tribes. The office also serves as a primary point of contact for federally recognized Tribal governments and Tribal organizations on Department policies and programs, as well as issues relating to public safety and justice in Indian country. OTJ also coordinates with other bureaus, agencies, offices, and divisions within the Justice Department on issues and initiatives that affect Tribes and American Indian and Alaska Native people.
Prior to her appointment, Allery served as Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Tribal Resources and Land Acquisition Sections of the Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), beginning in 2022. From 2018-2021, Allery served as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota where she prosecuted violent crimes in Indian country. Previously, she served for six years as Deputy Director of OTJ, where she worked on a variety of legal and policy issues impacting Indian Tribes. Allery began her career with the Justice Department as an attorney in ENRD, where she litigated cases on behalf of Tribes, including land-into-trust, reservation boundary, treaty rights, and gaming cases. She served for three years as ENRD’s Senior Counsel for Indian Affairs, providing legal advice to the Assistant Attorney General on variety of Indian law issues. She is a recipient of the John Marshall Award, the Department’s highest award for attorneys for contributions and excellence in specialized areas of legal performance. Prior to working at the Justice Department, Allery worked in private practice. Allery earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Minnesota and a J.D. from Columbia Law School.
Daron Carreiro, who has been serving as the Acting Director of OTJ since March 2024, will return to his role as Section Chief in ENRD’s Tribal Resources Section.
“Daron Carreiro has been an excellent leader and advisor since beginning as Acting Director of OTJ,” said Attorney General Garland. “I thank him for his dedicated public service and for his ongoing contributions to the Department’s work alongside our Tribal partners.”
Armed Henderson Fentanyl Trafficker Sentenced to Nine YearsRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Henderson man was sentenced to 117 months in prison for possessing with the intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing fentanyl and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. On September 23, 2024, Kortez Travon Williams, age 26, pled guilty to the charges.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, law enforcement utilized a confidential informant (CI) to conduct multiple controlled purchases of narcotics from Williams. Two days after selling the CI marijuana, Williams sold the CI approximately 400 dosage units of a substance containing fentanyl. One week later, Williams sold the CI almost 500 dosage units of a substance containing fentanyl. During all three controlled purchases, Williams had a firearm with him and visible. Following the controlled purchases, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Williams’ residence, during which they recovered approximately 7,095 dosage units, a firearm, and $12,736.
Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation, the Henderson Police Department, and the Vance County Sheriff’s Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey L. Peaden prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-CR-00063.
Arizona Man Sentenced to 240 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE –Alexander J. Short, 26 years old, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Short was sentenced to 240 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, from 2020 through 2023, Short engaged in a conspiracy to supply fentanyl pills to a distribution group in the Northern District of Indiana.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Fort Wayne Safe Streets Gang Task Force, which includes the Indiana State Police, the Allen County Sheriff’s Department, and the Fort Wayne Police Department, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s North Central Laboratory, the Phoenix (Arizona) Police Department, the Glendale (Arizona) Police Department, and the Allen County (Indiana) Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony W. Geller and Lesley J. Miller Lowery.
This case was 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.
Arcadia Felon Pleads Guilty to Selling Firearms to Undercover ATF AgentRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that William Roger Clayton (41, Arcadia) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Clayton faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison.
According to court documents, on July 28, 2022, Clayton directed an ATF agent, acting in an undercover capacity, to meet him in Arcadia where Clayton offered several firearms for sale, including a Ruger Mini-14 .223 caliber rifle, a Mauser 6.5 caliber rifle, a VZ24 6.5 caliber rifle, a Tokarev 7.62mm caliber pistol, and a Romarm-Cugir 7.62mm pistol. Clayton advised that he could also facilitate the sale of silencers as well as “ghost guns,” which are privately manufactured and untraceable firearms. At the time, Clayton had multiple prior felony convictions including grand theft, grand theft of a motor vehicle, trafficking in stolen property, possession of a place for the purpose of trafficking, fleeing and eluding a law enforcement officer, and robbery. As a convicted felon he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee and Michael J. Buchanan.
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.
14 January 2025
United States Attorney Zachary A. Myers Announces His DepartureRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS— United States Attorney Zachary A. Myers announced today that he has tendered his resignation to the President and the Attorney General and will conclude his service effective January 18, 2025.
“It has been a privilege to lead this office of talented professionals who strive every day to make the public safer, hold lawbreakers accountable, and ensure that our rights are protected,” said U.S. Attorney Myers. “The rule of law is not self-executing. It requires the hard work and sacrifice of public servants acting with dedication and fairness. Alongside our outstanding law enforcement partners, we sought to maximize our impact for the public’s benefit and always strove to do the right thing the right way. I am so very proud of all we accomplished together and know that the office will continue to do extraordinary work on behalf of the people we serve. I am deeply grateful to the President for nominating me, and to the Attorney General, Senator Young, Former Senator Braun, and Congressman Carson for their support. Serving on behalf of the United States has been the professional honor of a lifetime.”
Under Myers’ leadership, the United States Attorney’s Office successfully implemented his strategic plan, focused on maximizing the impact of the office by bringing cases against the most serious offenses and offenders, expanding the office’s resources, working closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, and increasing community outreach:
Combatting Gun Violence and Other Violent Crimes
Combatting gun violence has been a top priority for the office throughout U.S. Attorney Myers’ tenure. The office has focused on bringing impactful cases against offenders who engage in serial gun crimes and who continue to illegally arm themselves notwithstanding a significant, violent criminal history.
During Myers’s tenure, the office has successfully prosecuted the murders of a mail carrier during the pandemic, a victim of a series of online marketplace robberies, and fellow inmates at the federal prison in Terre Haute. The office has focused on gun trafficking as a source of violence, prosecuting two brothers who manufactured and distributed machine guns intended for ISIS, and offenders who illegally trafficked guns to violent criminals in Indianapolis, Chicago, and allegedly Mexico. The office responded to the illegal proliferation of “Glock switches” and “ghost guns,” securing significant federal prison sentences against criminals who illegally manufactured and trafficked the weapons in Evansville, Franklin, and Indianapolis. U.S. Attorney Myers secured a partnership with the City of Indianapolis to create three Special Assistant U.S. Attorney positions to increase the resources available to federally prosecute armed, violent criminals in the city.
U.S. Attorney Myers prioritized the office’s LEATH Initiative, a partnership initiated in 2020 to focus federal prosecution resources on illegally armed domestic abusers in honor of IMPD Officer Breann Leath, who was killed in the line of duty while responding to a domestic violence call. Over the past three years, the office has brought significant cases, securing serious federal prison sentences for illegally armed domestic abusers. U.S. Attorney Myers and prosecutors in the office have increased outreach to better inform domestic violence service providers, law enforcement, and local prosecutors and judges about federal gun laws and the office’s commitment to addressing domestic gun violence through federal prosecution.
Disrupting the Trafficking of Deadly Drugs
The acceleration of drug overdoses caused thousands of deaths and tremendous suffering in Indiana and nationwide, largely fueled by the explosion in the availability of synthetic opioids like fentanyl, manufactured by cartels based in Mexico and smuggled into the United States. Under U.S. Attorney Myers, the office has focused its efforts on disrupting the trafficking of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other deadly drugs by targeting the traffickers causing the most harm in our communities. Working closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, the office successfully dismantled prolific drug trafficking conspiracies, took down a drug trafficking outlaw motorcycle gang, and prosecuted traffickers responsible for pumping poisons into neighborhoods from Kokomo, to Indianapolis, to Evansville. The office targeted significant traffickers who were responsible for bringing fentanyl from Mexico into our communities, armed themselves with arsenals including with machineguns, and engaged in violence including dog fighting.
Working closely with our partners at the DEA and other law enforcement agencies, the office sought justice for deaths resulting from fentanyl trafficking, including drugs sold through social media, and allegedly causing the death of a toddler and near-fatal overdose of an infant. U.S. Attorney Myers worked closely with our community and law enforcement partners on numerous community outreach and engagement efforts to spread awareness of the dangers of counterfeit fentanyl pills, and that “One Pill Can Kill.”
Fighting Hate and Discrimination
As U.S. Attorney, Myers prioritized protecting federal civil rights, significantly expanding staffing and outreach to prosecute hate crimes and stop illegal discrimination. Myers and the office’s civil rights attorneys have led the United Against Hate initiative, educating communities across the district about the Department of Justice’s enforcement efforts and how to report hate and bias incidents. Under U.S. Attorney Myers, the office successfully prosecuted a violent hate crime against an Asian-American student and antisemitic death threats against offices of the Anti-Defamation League. The office also secured court orders halting unlawful discrimination against a police officer with HIV and a Muslim group seeking to build a religious seminary and residential housing.
Protecting Children from Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking
U.S. Attorney Myers prioritized prosecution of heinous criminals who sexually exploited and trafficked our children. Under his leadership, the office worked closely with Indiana’s nationally-renowned Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and other law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute the predators who seek gratification through abuse of the most vulnerable. Under U.S. Attorney Myers’ leadership, the office prosecuted pedophiles who identified and groomed their victims using online platforms and games including Roblox, Snapchat, Instagram, and Kik. The office secured decades-long prison sentences against a man who solicited a hitman to murder his child victim and her family, two predators who conspired to sexually exploit a child they drugged with methamphetamine, parents who recorded themselves sexually abusing their baby, and a couple who conspired with Jared Fogle to sexually exploit children.
U.S. Attorney Myers and the office’s prosecutors also worked to expand the office’s efforts to fight human trafficking, bringing impactful prosecutions against pimps and abusers who trafficked children for sex, and investing significant resources in outreach including hosting a two-day training seminar for law enforcement and victim organizations.
Holding Public Officials Accountable for Violations of Public Trust
Government officials who engage in corruption betray the public’s trust in furtherance of personal gain. Law enforcement officers who violate Hoosiers’ civil rights betray the public’s trust and erode support for their sisters and brothers who serve honorably. Under U.S. Attorney Myers, federal prosecutors successfully disrupted a culture of public corruption in Muncie’s City Hall and held three former Indiana state legislators accountable for taking bribes and illegal campaign contributions from casino companies.
U.S. Attorney Myers’ significantly increased the resources dedicated to investigating and prosecuting law enforcement officers engaged in police brutality, and under his leadership the office secured serious prison sentences for five Muncie police officers responsible for a series of illegal beatings and their attempted coverup, an IMPD Sergeant who stomped on the head of a defenseless arrestee on Monument Circle, and a New Castle police Lieutenant who assaulted three defenseless men causing serious injuries, including a fractured spine.
Combatting Frauds Against Individuals, Businesses, and the Government
Under U.S. Attorney Myers’ leadership, the office prioritized criminal prosecution and civil enforcement of fraud and abuse targeting government programs, small businesses, and vulnerable individuals. The office worked with its law enforcement and Justice Department partners to bring indictments in an alleged $45 million fraudulent virtual school scheme, dismantle a nationwide “grandparent scam,” hold an insurance broker accountable for a multi-million dollar “Ponzi” scheme, and aggressively pursue civil enforcement including recovering $345 million from a hospital system alleged to have illegally overpaid doctors to incentivize referrals.
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During his tenure as U.S. Attorney, Myers served in additional leadership roles including as chair of the Attorney General’s Advisory Subcommittee on Cyber and Intellectual Property and as a member of various committees and working groups developing policy and addressing issues relating to cybercrime and technology. Myers regularly spoke to public and private sector groups about cybercrime, cybersecurity, and the importance of working with federal law enforcement in responding to a critical cyber incident.
Before assuming office as U.S. Attorney, Myers spent more than a decade as an AUSA in the Southern District of Indiana and the District of Maryland focused on cyber- and technology-facilitated offenses. He earned his undergraduate degree from Stanford University, graduate degree from George Washington University, and law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center. Before becoming a federal prosecutor, Myers worked in the private sector and on Capitol Hill. Myers grew up in Indianapolis and is the first Black person to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the district.
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Upon U.S. Attorney Myers’ departure, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Childress will serve as Acting U.S. Attorney under the Vacancies Reform Act.
Mr. Childress first joined the Department of Justice as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in 2001. He previously served as both First Assistant United States Attorney and Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana and the Central District of Illinois.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office and Former Los Alamos National Laboratory Employee Reach Settlement to Resolve False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A former employee of Los Alamos National Laboratory has agreed to pay the United States a total of $67,500 to resolve allegations that he violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims for payment for time allegedly worked and expenses allegedly incurred during business trips.
The settlement resolves allegations that William Monford Wood submitted 23 false claims between July 12, 2016, and December 20, 2017, for trips to various locations in California, including Oakland, Livermore, and Santa Barbara. The United States contends that these claims were for time not actually worked and expenses not actually incurred or without a legitimate business purpose during the period from June 19, 2016, to December 9, 2017.
As part of the settlement, Wood has agreed to pay $67,500, of which $38,549.83 is restitution. In addition to the monetary settlement, Wood has agreed to never seek employment with, or work for, the federal government, its contractors or subcontractors in any capacity funded by or through the federal government, and to never seek a federal government security clearance.
The government’s investigation was led by Assistant United States Attorney Cassandra C. Currie and Auditor Phillip Stella.
The claims resolved by the settlements are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Sentencing of Belen Couple for Theft from Isleta Pueblo BusinessRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Belen couple were sentenced for stealing $10,420.63 from a general store on the Isleta Pueblo, after pleading guilty to federal theft charges involving a coordinated burglary captured on surveillance footage.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on February 3, 2023, Frank Hernandez, 44, entered the business office of Chical Haystack, a general store located within the Isleta Pueblo, and stole $7,285.75 in cash and a check for $3,134.88 from the store’s safe.
Frank in the store’s safe
His wife, Eva Hernandez, 46, acted as a lookout during the incident.
Eva (highlighted) acting as lookout
Surveillance footage showed Frank’s distinctive neck tattoo, which aided in his identification.
Frank’s neck tattoo, visible in another mugshot.
Following an anonymous tip on February 7, 2023, an Isleta Pueblo Criminal Investigator identified the suspects through social media and vehicle-registration searches. Frank and Eva Hernandez were arrested on February 13, 2024.
During police interviews, Frank Hernandez admitted to the theft, stating he used the money to purchase drugs. Eva Hernandez denied knowledge of the theft but admitted opiate use.
Frank Hernandez was sentenced to 257 days incarceration, followed by three years of supervised release. Mandatory conditions of Frank’s supervised release include substance-abuse treatment, mental-health treatment, community service, and full restitution to Chical Haystack. He cannot return to the Isleta Pueblo.
Eva Hernandez was sentenced to six months of home confinement with GPS monitoring. She will thereafter be under supervision for 2.5 years, with mandatory conditions to include substance-abuse treatment, community service, and full restitution to Chical Haystack. She cannot return to the Isleta Pueblo.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today.
The Isleta Police Department investigated this case with assistance from the Belen Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Jones and Brittany DuChaussee are prosecuting these cases.
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U.S. Attorney's Office and Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office Secure Sentencing in Albuquerque Firearms CaseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man has been sentenced to 46 months in prison for unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition following an incident at Adam Food Market in Albuquerque.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on the night of January 24, 2024, officers from the Albuquerque Police Department responded to reports of a man brandishing a handgun during an argument at Adam Food Market on Central Avenue. Surveillance footage from APD's Real Time Crime Center captured most of the incident.
During the altercation, the other individual involved produced a knife. Despite opportunities to disengage, Arthur Steven Stewart retrieved a small pistol and reapproached the other individual, pointing the firearm at him. APD officers arrived on scene and apprehended Stewart, recovering a loaded pistol from his pocket.
Stewart, who was on probation for a previous robbery with a firearm enhancement conviction, initially claimed he had found the gun in the street and was attempting to return it to its owner.
Upon his release from prison, Stewart will be subject to two years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman made the announcement today.
The Albuquerque Police Department investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Haynes is prosecuting this case as part of an agreement with the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
Through the agreement, Assistant District Attorneys are designated Special Assistant United States Attorneys (SAUSAs) in the United States Attorney’s Office. The SAUSA from the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office screens felony criminal complaints filed in Bernalillo County for federal criminal offenses, prioritizing federal charges against those who drive violence in the Albuquerque metropolitan area. Since 2020, the United States Attorney’s Office has reviewed almost 3,000 cases and has charged more than 300 criminal cases pursuant to this program.
The United States Attorney’s Office has similar agreements with the New Mexico Department of Justice and the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office and plans to expand the program throughout the state.
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U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Guilty Pleas in Albuquerque Fentanyl CaseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Two Albuquerque drug dealers pleaded guilty to federal charges after attempting to sell 30,000 fentanyl pills, containing approximately 3,200 grams of the drug, to an undercover law enforcement agent.
According to court documents, on December 6, 2023, Miguel Antonio Ramirez, 23, and Isaiah Anthony Aragon, 24, conspired to sell approximately 30,000 fentanyl pills for $30,000 to an undercover law enforcement agent.
That day, Ramirez drove to Aragon's residence in Albuquerque, where Aragon delivered a tan plastic bag containing the fentanyl pills to Ramirez's vehicle. When DEA agents approached the vehicle, Aragon attempted to flee, but was apprehended shortly after. A subsequent search of Aragon's residence yielded $61,024 in cash, an electronic money counter, and a digital scale.
Laboratory analysis confirmed that the seized pills contained fentanyl with a net weight of 3,217 grams.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Towanda R. Thorne-James, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration El Paso Division, made the announcement today.
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico is prosecuting the case.
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U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada to Leave Justice Department After Serving as Chief Federal Law Enforcement Officer in the Largest District in the NationRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – United States Attorney Martin Estrada announced today that he will resign his position as the chief prosecutor for the nation’s most-populous federal district, the Central District of California. While serving as the top federal law enforcement officer in the Los Angeles-based district since September 2022, Mr. Estrada oversaw more than 500 Assistant U.S. Attorneys and staff who serve almost 20 million people in the seven counties that comprise the district.
Mr. Estrada tendered his resignation to the President and the Attorney General today, and he will conclude his service as United States Attorney on January 17.
“As the child of immigrants from Guatemala, neither my family nor I could ever have believed that I would one day have the opportunity to serve as United States Attorney in service to the greatest country in the world,” Mr. Estrada said. “To say that serving in this position has been an honor would be a profound understatement. Giving back to the community where I grew up and that I love so dearly – and doing so alongside such talented and generous attorneys and staff – has been the greatest privilege of my life.”
During his tenure, Mr. Estrada prioritized protecting the public by taking on the most significant and impactful cases, outreach to the community, and recruiting the best lawyers in the country to continue the office’s excellent service to the nation.
Notable Casework
With regard to casework, Mr. Estrada focused on matters addressing hate crimes, civil rights, violent crime, national security, fentanyl and other synthetic drugs, public corruption, corporate fraud and financial crimes, and protecting vulnerable communities and environmental justice.
Hate Crimes
In one of the most diverse regions in the country, Mr. Estrada collaborated with other civic and law enforcement leaders in numerous events to highlight the community’s unity against hate and prejudice of all types. Delivering on this message, the office aggressively prosecuted hate crimes in the district, including by convicting and obtaining a 35-year prison sentence against a man who attempted to murder two orthodox Jewish men in the Pico-Robertson area of Los Angeles; carrying out the largest-ever takedown of a Neo-Nazi organization, involving 68 members and associates of the San Fernando Valley Peckerwoods and Aryan Brotherhood; convicting an active-duty Marine and his conspirators who firebombed a Planned Parenthood clinic, sought to attack Dodger Stadium during “Pride Night” and conspired to attack the power-grid system to start a race war; obtaining a 98-count indictment against the shooter who murdered one congregant and attempted to kill 44 others at a Taiwanese church in Laguna Woods; and convicting a man who drove his car through a “stop Asian hate” rally in Diamond Bar.
Civil Rights
In the field of civil rights, under Mr. Estrada’s leadership, prosecutors charged a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) deputy who allegedly, along with his former law enforcement and military accomplices, unlawfully held an Irvine family as part of a multimillion-dollar business dispute; convicted a former FBI agent who accepted bribes from an organized crime figure; and convicted an LASD deputy for using excessive force against a teacher and then attempting to cover up the act.
Lawyers in the office’s Civil Division obtained the largest redlining settlement in the history of the Department of Justice – $31 million – against City National Bank; secured a settlement with the County of Los Angeles to ensure access for voters with disabilities; filed a lawsuit against LA Fitness, the largest fitness club chain in the country, alleging disability discrimination at its fitness clubs; and initiated an investigation into allegations of sexual assault and harassment at the two women’s state prisons in California.
Violent Crime
To address violent crime, Mr. Estrada built greater federal and local partnerships throughout the region. In particular, he launched Operation Safe Cities, an enhanced collaboration with local police and sheriffs’ departments to address the most violent gun criminals, particularly those involved in commercial robberies, kidnappings, extortion and gun offenses. Through Operation Safe Cities, the office has filed dozens of cases subjecting dangerous gun criminals to enhanced federal penalties.
Other notable violent crime results under Mr. Estrada’s leadership include decades-long prison sentences against three gang members who murdered an off-duty Los Angeles Police Department officer while he was shopping for a home with his girlfriend; a life sentence against a gang member who murdered the son of a former federal agent; a racketeering indictment targeting the leadership of a gang allegedly responsible for the murder of two El Monte Police Department officers; the indictment of a car-rental business and its operators who allegedly facilitated more than 120 burglaries by South American crime tourists; the indictment of a man who shot at a San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department deputy responding to a domestic violence call; and the indictment of Grammy-winning Chicago rapper Durk Banks, a.k.a. “Lil Durk,” for allegedly conspiring to murder a rival rapper and killing his cousin.
In September 2024, Mr. Estrada was joined by Mayor Karen Bass, City Attorney Heidi Feldstein-Soto and other law enforcement officials to announce the Figueroa Corridor Human Trafficking Initiative, a multi-agency initiative to address the sexual exploitation of children and young people along Figueroa Street, a notorious prostitution hub. With this initiative, prosecutors were able to obtain major sentences against pimps trafficking in children.
National Security
In the national security area, prosecutors obtained a life sentence against a Long Beach man whose bomb attack in Orange County killed his ex-girlfriend and injured two other victims; prison time for a U.S. Navy officer who transmitted sensitive U.S. military information to a Chinese intelligence officer; convictions and prison time for weapons traffickers who illegally exported military items to Russia; the indictment of a Chinese national who allegedly worked to illegally ship firearms, ammunition and sensitive technology to North Korea; and the indictment of a former member of the Chinese military who allegedly illegally operated as an agent for the People’s Republic of China and sought to influence the U.S. political system.
Prosecutors also worked to protect the cybersecurity of the nation with notable cases, including indicting the leaders of the cybercriminal group known as Anonymous Sudan that launched more than 35,000 cyber attacks in one year against U.S. government agencies, major corporations and foreign governments; dismantling the massive, global botnet known as Qakbot, which was tied to ransomware attacks around the world; and indicting four individuals connected to the Scattered Spider network, which was responsible for more than $11 million in losses.
Synthetic Drugs
With fentanyl becoming the leading cause of death for Americans between 18 and 45 and wreaking havoc on the streets, Mr. Estrada focused major resources on combating this epidemic. As for large-scale drug traffickers, prosecutors filed critical cases, including matters against a Chinese laboratory and its staff for allegedly selling fentanyl precursor chemicals; a Canadian and former Olympic snowboarder and his conspirators charged with trafficking tons of drugs from Mexico to the United States and Canada; Mexican cartel members and Canadian truckdrivers moving hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine throughout the United States and Canada; an alliance alleged between the Sinaloa cartel and money launderers in the People’s Republic of China; and numerous fentanyl traffickers operating on the dark web.
Mr. Estrada also directed the office to put significant focus on charging drug-traffickers who cause the death of another person, cases which carry 20-year mandatory minimum sentences in federal prison. Partnering with local law enforcement and district attorney’s offices in the region, the office filed over 70 “death-resulting” cases during Mr. Estrada’s tenure, by far the most of any office in the country. Among these was the prosecution of five individuals, including two doctors, responsible for the death of actor Matthew Perry in October 2023.
Public Corruption
Mr. Estrada led the office to continued success in combating public corruption. Among other matters, prosecutors obtained a RICO conspiracy conviction and 13-year prison sentence for former Los Angeles city councilman Jose Huizar; a 12-year prison sentence for former Los Angeles deputy mayor Raymond Chan; a bribery and fraud conviction and 3½-year prison sentence against longtime politician Mark Ridley-Thomas; a five-year prison sentence for a real estate executive who bribed a San Luis Obispo County supervisor; and convictions of the former Commerce city manager and Baldwin Park city attorney for a bribery scheme concerning cannabis permits. Prosecutors also secured the guilty plea of Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do to charges of bribery involving more than $10 million in COVID-19 pandemic relief funds.
Corporate Fraud and Financial Crimes
To put greater focus and resources on fraud by executives and insiders, Mr. Estrada launched the Corporate and Securities Fraud Strike Force, a section dedicated to prosecuting complex corporate crimes, abuses by company insiders, and offenses that impact the nation’s financial system. Among other cases, prosecutors charged Fat Brands Inc., its former CEO, and former CFO on fraud charges; indicted an activist short seller with multiple counts of securities fraud; and convicted the former CEO and chairman of a health care company of securities fraud and insider trading.
Financial fraud prosecutors also brought criminal charges against those involved in illegal gambling, including Ippei Mizuhara, the former translator for Major League Baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani.
Protecting Vulnerable Communities and Environmental Justice
Mr. Estrada placed great emphasis on protecting vulnerable victims. To do so, he launched the Vulnerable Communities Task Force, which addresses scams aimed at groups that historically have had less legal recourse to address offenders targeting them, such as immigrants, indigent individuals, and older adults. With this initiative, prosecutors have convicted and sentenced numerous individuals and groups involved in “pig butchering” scams and other fraud. Prosecutors also convicted celebrity lawyer Tom Girardi, who stole from his clients in their greatest time of need.
Recognizing the need to combat environmental violations in the nation’s most populous and diverse district, Mr. Estrada created the position of Environmental Justice Coordinator and bolstered the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section of the office. The section indicted Phillips 66 Company for alleged violations of the Clean Water Act by illegally discharging hundreds of thousands of gallons of contaminated wastewater; convicted the captain of the Conception dive boat for a fire that killed 34 people; and secured a landmark $20 million settlement with the City of Los Angeles for the discharge of millions of gallons of wastewater from the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant into Santa Monica Bay in 2021.
Community Outreach and Recruitment
Mr. Estrada, the first U.S. Attorney of Central American heritage and a native of Southern California, prioritized outreach to allow the community to better understand the work of the office. A fluent Spanish speaker, Mr. Estrada made it a point to provide Spanish-language segments in the over four dozen press conferences and interviews he provided to reporters. Mr. Estrada also created the Community Service and Outreach Committee to direct the office’s outreach efforts. Among other events, the office organized court visits for youth nonprofits in South Los Angeles, met with Tribal leaders and youth, organized civil rights roundtable events with public-interest and faith-based organizations, partnered with AARP and local leaders at fraud-prevention events for older adults, and participated in Adoption Day. To expand outreach at local schools, the office partnered with the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest school district in the country, to educate students about cyber safety and other cybersecurity dangers. In launching this partnership, Mr. Estrada served as “Principal for the Day” at LAUSD’s Whitman High School in the Fairfax area of Los Angeles.
Additionally, Mr. Estrada strengthened private sector-public sector collaboration through a series of summits attended by federal and local law enforcement, private companies, and non-profits. Among these were the Power Grid Security Summit, the Semiconductor Security Summit, and the Public Interest Summit.
In the area of criminal justice reform, Mr. Estrada established one of the first federal conviction integrity committees and created an executive position of Chief of Ethics and Post-Conviction Review. The new committee and position allowed for expedited review of innocence claims, ethical issues, and requests for commutation or pardon. Further, working with the district court, U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services, and the Federal Public Defender’s Office, Mr. Estrada announced the expansion of the Conviction and Sentence Alternatives (CASA) program, which is being made available to a wider group of defendants by expanding admission criteria to include defendants facing federal charges who have demonstrated an ability and willingness to make significant and meaningful changes in their lives.
To move the office toward better reflecting the diversity of the region, Mr. Estrada also significantly expanded recruitment efforts, sending attorneys to speak at law schools throughout the country and personally visiting dozens of law schools. Mr. Estrada also spoke to bar organizations throughout the country to discuss the work of the office and encourage applicants from nontraditional backgrounds to apply to become AUSAs.
In addition, Mr. Estrada recruited federal investigators to create the office’s first-ever Investigative Division, which will help the office bring more meritorious cases.
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On June 6, 2022, President Biden nominated Mr. Estrada to be U.S. Attorney, and he was unanimously confirmed by the Senate on September 13, 2022. He was sworn in as U.S. Attorney on September 19, 2022.
Mr. Estrada received his B.A. from the University of California, Irvine, where he graduated magna cum laude, and his J.D. from Stanford Law School, where he graduated with distinction.
Mr. Estrada, who served as an Assistant United States Attorney from 2007 to 2014, is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He also was an Adjunct Professor for Loyola Law School’s Ninth Circuit Appellate Clinic, part of the Alarcón Advocacy Project, where his teams achieved success for indigent clients.
Mr. Estrada served as a law clerk for U.S. District Judge Robert J. Timlin of the Central District of California and Judge Arthur L. Alarcón of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
U.S. Attorney Mark Totten Announces DepartureRead the Press Release
Highlights Office’s Work to Uphold the Rule of Law, Keep the District Safe, and Protect Civil Rights
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced his departure effective Monday, January 20, 2025. President Biden nominated Totten on November 12, 2021, and the U.S. Senate confirmed him on April 27, 2022. He took the oath of office and began service on May 5, 2022.
“I’m incredibly proud of the work my team and I have done to protect the public, especially our more vulnerable citizens like children and seniors,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “Over the past few years, we’ve secured major wins in our fight against gun violence, child exploitation, public corruption, hate crimes, consumer fraud, drug poisonings, and other threats. I’m so grateful to have served alongside the amazing team in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan and the privilege I’ve been given to advance our mission.”
WATCH: Message from U.S. Attorney Mark Totten
Over the past few years, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan has furthered its mission to uphold the rule of law, keep the District safe, and protect civil rights in several important ways:
- Gun violence. In 2021 the nation and Michigan had one of highest violent crime rates in three decades and gun violence became the #1 cause of death among children. To help address this spike, the Office focused on two primary drivers of violence: firearms traffickers and shooters. Cases included the prosecution of Darnell Bishop and Dontrell Nance (who kidnapped a Dunham Sports manager in Benton Harbor and stole 123 guns); the prosecution of Craig Hunnicutt, Jr. (a Grand Rapids man who opened fire and shot multiple victims in the parking lot of a convenience store); and the prosecution of Avis Coward (a Lansing man who illegally possessed a gun that a two-year-old child used to accidentally kill himself). In addition, the Office ran the Safe Summer programs in 2023 and 2024, pledging to prosecute all cases that involved a crime gun to address the rise of gun violence during the warmer months.
- Violence against women. The Office also prioritized the prosecution of firearms offenders who committed violence against women. Cases included the prosecution of Mitchell Pierce (Muskegon man who stalked his ex-wife and threatened to torture and kill her); and Alexander Dominic (Grand Rapids man who beat and choked multiple domestic partners).
- Crimes against children. Access to cell phones and the internet has rendered children more vulnerable than ever, including to criminal networks around the world. The FBI’s investigation and the Office’s successful prosecution of Samuel and Samson Ogoshi, who ran a sextortion scheme from Nigeria that resulted in the death of 17-year-old Jordan DeMay of Marquette, Mich., created a new benchmark for how law enforcement responds to this ever-growing threat. Other cases protecting children included the prosecution of Richard Densmore (member of violent 764 terror network who manipulated children to create sexual images and commit self-harm); Arisknight Winfree (Lansing-based sexual predator who preyed on au pairs, including gagging and raping at least one victim); and Rashad Trice (Lansing man who kidnapped and killed 2-year-old Wynter Cole-Smith, leaving her body in a Detroit alley).
- Public corruption. The Office’s mission to uphold the rule of law includes rooting out public corruption. The prosecution of Rick Johnson, former Speaker of the Michigan House, for brazenly soliciting and accepting bribes as Chair of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Licensing Board, was one of the largest public corruption cases in state government in a generation.
- Civil rights. In 2023 the Office announced the creation of a Civil Rights Team, hired an additional Assistant U.S. Attorney dedicated to civil rights cases, and launched the United Against Hate program to educate the public about federal hate crimes. The Office backed-up this commitment with two successful hate crimes prosecutions: Nathan Weeden (member of a white supremacist group convicted at trial for hate crimes targeting Black and Jewish people and defacing a Michigan synagogue with Neo-Nazi symbols); and Seann Pietila (Pickford, Mich. resident who plotted a mass-shooting attack on a synagogue in East Lansing). In addition, the office also prosecuted Joshua Brereton (committed arson against the Planned Parenthood clinic in Kalamazoo) and secured a civil settlement with Darrell Jones (Muskegon landlord who the Office alleged repeatedly sexually harassed his female tenants).
- Consumer fraud. These criminals prey on senior citizens and their crimes can lead to financial ruin for their victims. The Office successfully prosecuted several consumer fraud cases including one against Irfan Gill (international telemarketing scheme that defrauded over 1,500 seniors with cable and satellite television).
- Environmental crime. In addition to direct crimes against people, the Office also prosecuted environmental crimes, protecting air, water, and public lands. In the Diesel Freak case, the office prosecuted and convicted multiple companies and individuals involved in a scheme to disable emission-control systems on semi-trucks. These schemes can drastically increase emissions of harmful air pollutants associated with serious health risks. This major Clean Air Act case represented one of the largest aftermarket deletion schemes ever prosecuted in the United States.
- Illegal drugs. Lastly, the Office worked to dismantle the regional-level pipelines that bring drugs into Michigan communities. This work was especially important over the past few years as the number of drug-related deaths reached the highest number ever recorded both in the United States and here in Michigan, driven primarily by the spread of fentanyl. An example of this effort is the prosecution of James Smith, a supplier responsible for the distribution of fentanyl in Kalamazoo that resulted in the death of at least 6 people during a 24-hour period in April 2023.
In addition to these and other cases, U.S. Attorney Totten prioritized efforts to strengthen relationships with law enforcement, community partners, and the eleven federally recognized Tribes in the District. During his term, Totten visited all 49 counties in the Western District of Michigan, meeting with county sheriffs, county prosecutors, and other community partners. In 2023, for example, Totten participated in 311 meetings and other events as part of his community outreach efforts.
U.S. Attorney Totten was born and raised in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he lives today. He previously served as Chief Legal Counsel in the Executive Office of the Governor for the State of Michigan from 2019-2022. Prior to entering government service, Totten was a law professor at Michigan State University from 2008-2018, where he taught criminal law and criminal procedure. From 2011-2013 he served part-time as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney handling criminal appeals in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan. He was a judicial law clerk on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and began his career as an attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Appellate Staff, in Washington, D.C. Totten received his B.A. from Cedarville College and his law degree and a Ph.D. in ethics from Yale University.
The U.S. Attorney is the chief federal law enforcement officer in the Western District of Michigan. The District covers 49 counties, including the western half of Michigan’s lower peninsula and the whole of the upper peninsula. The main office is in Grand Rapids, but the District also has a staffed office in Marquette and unstaffed offices in Lansing and Kalamazoo. As U.S. Attorney, Totten managed a team of approximately 42 attorneys and 48 support staff. At the national level, Totten served as a member on several U.S. Department of Justice bodies: the Terrorism & National Security Subcommittee; the Civil Rights Subcommittee; and the Environmental Justice Subcommittee.###
- Gun violence. In 2021 the nation and Michigan had one of highest violent crime rates in three decades and gun violence became the #1 cause of death among children. To help address this spike, the Office focused on two primary drivers of violence: firearms traffickers and shooters. Cases included the prosecution of Darnell Bishop and Dontrell Nance (who kidnapped a Dunham Sports manager in Benton Harbor and stole 123 guns); the prosecution of Craig Hunnicutt, Jr. (a Grand Rapids man who opened fire and shot multiple victims in the parking lot of a convenience store); and the prosecution of Avis Coward (a Lansing man who illegally possessed a gun that a two-year-old child used to accidentally kill himself). In addition, the Office ran the Safe Summer programs in 2023 and 2024, pledging to prosecute all cases that involved a crime gun to address the rise of gun violence during the warmer months.
U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger Announces Resignation from the District of MinnesotaRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger officially announced his resignation as the chief federal law enforcement officer in the district, effective 11:59 p.m. on January 15, 2025. His resignation marks the close of U.S. Attorney Luger’s second stint as the top prosecutor and federal law enforcement executive in the state of Minnesota. He was appointed by President Joseph R. Biden and sworn in on March 30, 2022, as the 37th United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota. He was previously appointed by President Barack Obama and served as Minnesota’s United States Attorney from 2014 until 2017.
U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger said: “I have been honored to lead this office for the second time. In March 2022, I set us on the path to address violent crime to meet the challenge our community faced. I am so grateful to the people of this Office and our many law enforcement partners for the work we have done to bring violent criminals to justice. We have also taken aggressive action against child predators, for which I am proud.”
Under U.S. Attorney Luger’s leadership, the U.S. Attorney’s Office prioritized the prosecution of crimes related to gun and gang violence, narcotics trafficking, child exploitation online, human trafficking and smuggling, and financial fraud and public corruption. Carrying out the U.S. Attorney’s violent crime initiative, the United States Attorney’s Office charged over 100 gang members, brought first ever RICO cases against Minneapolis gangs, charged 70 defendants in the Feeding Our Future scandal and charged 5 people with attempting to bribe a juror in the first Feeding Our Future trial. The Office brought charges against a defendant for an attempted arson at a Mosque, won a conviction in the sex trafficking case against Tony Lazzaro, and indicted a woman for s straw purchasing firearms used in fatal shooting of three first responders in Burnsville, Minnesota. U.S. Attorney Luger’s direction, the Office also revamped and expanded its work in Indian Country, opened an office in Duluth with the first-ever full-time federal prosecutor outside of the Metro and expanded its civil enforcement and investigation of civil rights cases.
U.S. Attorney Luger’s vision and innovative approach to combatting violent crime in the Twin Cities and beyond recently earned him commendation from the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association and the Minneapolis Police Department. Last September, U.S. Attorney Luger received an Honorary Award of Appreciation from the Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for his “innovative strategy of both targeting those who are committing firearm violence and disrupting the supply of firearms to criminals in Minnesota” and support of the overall mission of the ATF.
U.S. Attorney Luger was also appointed by Attorney General Garland to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee, and he chaired its Violent Crime Subcommittee, leading over 30 U.S. Attorney’s in developing and implementing innovative strategies to address violent crime around the nation.
Upon Mr. Luger’s resignation, Lisa D. Kirkpatrick, who currently serves as First Assistant United States Attorney, will become the Acting United States Attorney. Ms. Kirkpatrick is a veteran federal prosecutor who previously served as Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney and Appellate Chief.
“I thank President Biden for nominating me as United States Attorney, and Attorney General Garland for leading the Department and supporting the District of Minnesota during my tenure. I was privileged to work closely with Attorney General Garland and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. It has been an honor to serve the American people,” U.S. Attorney Luger commented in closing.
Two Romanian Men Plead Guilty to Possession of Device Making EquipmentRead the Press Release
JACKSON, MS – Alexandru Ionut Gheorghe, and Marian Aurelian Neacsu, both nationals of Romania, pleaded guilty today to one count of possession of device making equipment, also known as skimming devices.
According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning on June 21, 2024, the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office Cyber Crime Division began receiving reports from various agencies regarding the discovery of skimmer devices being located at various stores in central Mississippi. The Cyber Fraud Task Force began investigating leads that would determine the location of installed skimmers throughout the Southern District of Mississippi, Tennessee, and Louisiana.
Gheorghe, 28, and Neacsu, 29, could be seen on surveillance video at various stores throughout the Southern District of Mississippi placing skimming devices on point-of-sale machines in June and July 2024. The skimmers were adhered using double-sided tape and were equipped with electronics that captured or recorded bank card magstripe track data and PIN numbers.
Included in the information skimmed or stolen by these defendants were SNAP benefits totaling over $80,000. SNAP provides food benefits to low-income families to supplement their grocery budget. These stolen SNAP benefits were used in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and can be traced back to the skimming devices in Mississippi.
Gheorghe and Neacsu are scheduled to be sentenced on April 15, 2025, and face a maximum penalty of 15 years 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 Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis, and Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch made the announcement.
The United States Secret Service and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office are investigating the case through their partnership in the Cyber Fraud Task Force with assistance from the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie is prosecuting the case.
The Cyber Fraud Task Force offered the following tips to keep your bank card data safe: 1. Use terminals that offer tap to pay or chip read capabilities. Avoid swiping cards, if possible.
2. Look at the terminal prior to inserting or using your card in relation to other terminals in the store. Do they look the same? Overlay skimmers will add to the overall dimensions of a terminal.
Two Altoona Residents Plead Guilty to Methamphetamine Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Two residents of Altoona, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of narcotics trafficking related to a six-month Title III wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in and around Blair, Cambria, Centre, and Clearfield counties, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Tonya Settlemyer, 39, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine, while Andrew Stowell, 67, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute and distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Both pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines.
In connection with the guilty pleas, the Court was advised that Stowell sold a quantity of methamphetamine to an undercover officer on December 12, 2022. The Court was also advised that Settlemyer assisted an Altoona-based narcotics dealer who distributed large quantities of methamphetamine to various individuals throughout the Western District of Pennsylvania.
Judge Haines scheduled sentencing for both defendants for May 15, 2025. The law provides for a total sentence of up to 20 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $1 million, or both for Settlemyer and not less than 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $10 million, or both for Stowell. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense(s) and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. The Court ordered that Settlemyer remain detained and Stowell remain on bond pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan D. Lusty is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the multi-agency investigation of the case, which also included the United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Internal Revenue Service, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and Pennsylvania State Police.
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.
Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing Nearly $400,000 from Maine Couple While They Were on VacationRead the Press Release
A Texas man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to four counts of wire fraud.
According to court records, in October 2022, the FBI began an investigation after a Maine couple reported a loss of nearly $400,000 via unauthorized wire transfers and purchases from their bank account. The couple stated that after returning from a vacation, they unsuccessfully attempted to log into their bank account and called the bank to request their username and password be reset. Once able to view the account, they found multiple wire transfers on the statement.
The investigation showed that in August 2022, an unknown person called the bank pretending to be the account holder, requesting the account balance and updating the contact phone number. Shortly after, they also changed the contact email address. Over a two-week period, several transfers were made between the victims’ home equity line of credit account to their savings account. Multiple wire transfers were then made to a Texas bank account held by Kyle Lawless Pollar, 27. The four wire transfers totaled $360,880. $66,000 from one wire transfer was transferred to a jeweler also located in Texas. Pollar withdrew funds from his account in cash and cashier’s checks, and the cashier’s checks were deposited in other Texas bank accounts in his name. Security cameras captured him making deposits and withdrawing funds.
Pollar faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000 for each of the four counts, to be followed by up to three years of supervised release. He will also be ordered to pay restitution to the victims.
The FBI investigated the case.
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Tampa Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jack Rocker (19, Tampa) pleaded guilty on December 16, 2024, to possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Rocker faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Rocker will also be required to register as a sex offender and pay restitution to the victims. The government is also seeking forfeiture of Rocker’s cellphone, thumb drive, and laptop which were used to commit the offense. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 14, 2025.
According to court filings, Rocker was a member of a network of racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists called “764.” Members of “764” use online social media communications platforms as mediums to support the possession, production, and sharing of extreme gore media and CSAM.
On January 19, 2024, the Federal Bureau of Investigation executed a search at Rocker’s home and seized his cellphone, thumb drive, and laptop, all of which contained CSAM. At the time, the FBI determined that Rocker’s devices contain more than 8,300 images and videos of CSAM, including images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers, masochistic sexual behavior, and bestiality.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ilyssa Spergel and Karyna Valdes.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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.
Stratford Man Pleads Guilty to Committing Child Abuse in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Yesterday, DONAVEN LEE NOTARO, 24, of Stratford, pleaded guilty to committing child abuse, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On December 27, 2024, Notaro was charged by Superseding Information with child abuse. According to public record, between January 1, 2024, and April 16, 2024, Notaro willfully injured or harmed the health, safety, or welfare of three children for whom he was responsible.
Yesterday, Notaro pleaded guilty to the Superseding Information, and admitted he willfully injured or harmed the health, safety, or welfare of the victims. After his plea, Notaro was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshals.
This case is in federal court because Notaro is a member of the Creek Nation and the crimes took place within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation.
At sentencing, Notaro faces up to life in federal prison and a fine of up to $5,000.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office and the Stratford Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Edgmon is prosecuting the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
St. Louis County Man Admits Defrauding Online Sellers with Prop MoneyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County on Tuesday admitted using movie prop money to defraud at least 13 online sellers of vehicles and other property, costing them $229,200.
Aaron Montgomery, 41, of Bellefontaine Neighbors, Missouri, pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud and four counts of interstate transportation of stolen vehicles. He admitted that beginning in August 2022, he targeted those who were selling vehicles or other property online. Montgomery contacted the sellers, negotiated a price and then arranged a meeting, often at a bank to make it appear as if he was using real money. Montgomery provided them “motion picture money,” or prop money, often inside a bank envelope or bag. Montgomery would then take the property, which included cars, SUVs, trucks, five pairs of Air Jordans and audio equipment, before the sellers discovered that he had not provided them with real money.
Montgomery transported at least five of the stolen vehicles from the states where the sellers lived, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee, back to Missouri.
Montgomery’s sentencing is scheduled for May 22. Both sides agreed to recommend 51 months in prison and full restitution to all victims.
Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Secret Service and the Illinois State Police investigated the case. The Missouri law enforcement agencies that investigated include the Lake St. Louis Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the Ralls County Sheriff’s Office, the Maryland Heights Police Department, the Kansas City Police Department, the Barry County Sheriff's Office and the Richmond Heights Police Department. The Glen Carbon (Illinois) Police Department, the Palatine (Illinois) Police Department, the Holland (Michigan) Police Department and the Gahanna (Ohio) Police Department also investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Ladendorf is prosecuting the case.
Springfield Man Indicted for Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for illegally possessing a stolen firearm that has been connected to two shootings.
Jayden Isaac Simmonds, 18, was charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Simmonds on Dec. 20, 2024.
The federal indictment charges Simmonds with one count of being an unlawful user of a controlled substance while in possession of a firearm.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, Simmonds’s father turned in a Smith & Wesson 10mm semi-automatic pistol to the Springfield Police Department on Aug. 23, 2024. The pistol, which investigators later learned was stolen during the theft of a motor vehicle in December 2023, had been taken from Simmonds while he was asleep.
Investigators test-fired the pistol and submitted the 10mm cartridges to the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) for analysis. The test-fired cartridges, the affidavit says, were a presumptive match to shell casings recovered from two separate shootings in Springfield in August 2024. The first shooting occurred on Aug. 4, 2024, on West Brower Street. An occupied residence was shot multiple times by unknown suspects. At least 17 rounds stuck the residence, but there were no injuries. The second shooting occurred on Aug. 14, 2024, on North Prospect Avenue. A disturbance resulted in shots being fired. One residence was struck, but there were no injuries reported.
Following his arrest, the affidavit says, Simmonds told investigators he had been using marijuana daily since he was 11 or 12 years old, and that he was addicted to opioids and had been using fentanyl.
The charge contained in this indictment is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Christian County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.
Shanelle Booker Becomes Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of GeorgiaRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A life-long Georgian who has served as a federal prosecutor for the Middle District of Georgia in most of its major leadership roles—including as its Criminal Division Chief and First Assistant U.S. Attorney—is the new Acting U.S. Attorney, the first time a Black person and a Black woman has led the office.
C. Shanelle Booker became the Acting U.S. Attorney on Jan. 12, 2025, by virtue of the Vacancies Reform Act, and has served the citizens of the Middle District of Georgia as a federal prosecutor since 2015.
“It is an honor for me to serve the citizens of the Middle District of Georgia in this leadership role, and to ensure the good work of the office continues seamlessly,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Shanelle Booker. “Upholding justice and ensuring the safety of all is our office’s utmost objective, alongside our strong law enforcement and community partners across the Middle District of Georgia.”
Ms. Booker has prosecuted high-profile violent crime, child exploitation, sex trafficking, public corruption and fraud cases in the Middle District of Georgia. Since joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2015, Ms. Booker has held nearly every major leadership role, including Elder Justice Coordinator, Criminal Civil Rights and Hate Crimes Coordinator, Deputy Criminal Division Chief, Criminal Division Chief, Acting Administrative Officer and as the First Assistant U.S. Attorney.
A resident of Macon, Georgia, Ms. Booker is active in the community with a special focus on volunteering with young people, including mentoring juvenile girls committed to the Macon Regional Youth Detention Center through the Girl Squad Mentoring Program and the United Way of Central Georgia’s Read United Program, a comprehensive literacy program focused on school-based, grade-level reading support and tutoring. Ms. Booker also works with Just the Beginning Foundation to inspire law careers among underrepresented students and volunteers with the Georgia High School Mock Trial Competition. She is a member of Bibb Mount Zion Baptist Church, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and is a former board member of the Central Georgia Empowerment Fund, a philanthropic fund that seeks to build capacity and financial sustainability of non-profit organizations that serve the Black community and address the most pressing needs facing Blacks in the Central Georgia region.
Ms. Booker is an adjunct professor at Mercer University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, where she has taught criminal justice classes since 2020. Ms. Booker also regularly leads critical training for the law enforcement community on topics including firearm conversion devices and machineguns; fentanyl and armed drug trafficking; hate crimes; elder abuse and other major areas of concern, sharing her expertise as a seasoned prosecutor.
Raised in Riverdale, Georgia, and a graduate of Clayton County Public Schools, Ms. Booker received her B.A. from Hampton University, magna cum laude, and J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law. After law school, Ms. Booker clerked for U.S. District Judge Brian Miller of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas. Following her clerkship, Ms. Booker served as a state public defender and managing attorney in the Brunswick Judicial Circuit Defender’s Office where she represented indigent people charged with felony crimes in Brunswick, Georgia.
As Acting U.S. Attorney, Ms. Booker is the top-ranking federal law enforcement official in the Middle District of Georgia, which covers 70 of Georgia’s 159 counties, includes Albany, Athens, Columbus, Macon and Valdosta, and has a population of approximately 2,045,000 people. The office is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes in the District, including crimes related to terrorism, public corruption, child exploitation, fraud, firearms, illegal gangs and narcotics. The office also defends the United States in civil cases and collects debts owed to the United States.
San Diego Man Pleads Guilty to Supplying Fentanyl that Resulted in Deaths of Two in North Park HomeRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO –Scott Anthony Sargent of San Diego pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that he supplied the fentanyl that caused the fatal overdoses of a 40-year-old woman and a 35-year-old man in North Park in 2022.
San Diego Police officers, along with investigators from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Overdose Response Team, responded to a 911 call at a home in North Park in the very early hours of November 10, 2022. When law enforcement officials arrived, they found four individuals unresponsive in the home. Two of the individuals were pronounced dead at the scene, while Sargent and another individual were treated with Narcan and transported for medical attention and recovered.
According to the plea agreement, Sargent admitted that he distributed the fatal mix of fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl (a common fentanyl analogue) to the two victims, causing their deaths.. Investigators linked Sargent to the overdoses through the fentanyl/para-fluorofentanyl mixture found at the overdose location and in a subsequent law enforcement search of Sargent’s storage locker.
Sargent’s backpack was found at the site containing 318 grams of methamphetamine, 26.2 grams of fentanyl/para-fluorofentanyl, and 13 bags of a tan powdery substance weighing 437.9 grams of fentanyl/para-fluorofentanyl. Sargent’s duffel bag, also recovered from the bedroom, contained 30.4 grams of methamphetamine and 11.3 grams of fentanyl/para-fluorofentanyl.
Sargent’s storage locker was searched following his arrest. Inside, officers found two 40 mm semi-automatic handguns, 3.2 kilograms of methamphetamine, 5.44 grams of cocaine, and 113.4 grams of fentanyl/para-fluorofentanyl.
“This result is another reminder that the U.S. Attorney’s Office is tackling the fentanyl crisis at all levels: from suppliers to traffickers to street-level distributors,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “Even dealing personal use amounts of fentanyl can result in a federal conviction.”
“A guilty plea cannot undo the lives lost, but it can stand as a stark reminder that those who distribute these drugs will face severe consequences,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian Clark. “Investigating and bringing to justice those who choose to harm our community is exactly what DEA and our partners are committed to doing.”
“Our department, along with federal and local partners, proudly brought justice to the victims of this heartbreaking crime,” said San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl. “Let this case be a warning to anyone dealing these dangerous drugs in our communities. We will find and prosecute you, just as we did in this case.”
Sargent’s sentencing hearing is set for April 4, 2025, at 9 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Robert Huie.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Gordon and Sarah Goldwasser.
Special Agents and Task Force Officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Overdose Response Team led the investigation. This case is the result of ongoing efforts by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the San Diego Police Department, the La Mesa Police Department, National Guard Counterdrug Task Force and the California Department of Health Care Services to investigate and prosecute the distribution of dangerous illegal drugs—fentanyl in particular—that result in overdose deaths. The Drug Enforcement Administration created the Overdose Response Team as a response to the increase in overdose deaths in San Diego County.
DEFENDANT Case Number 24cr807-RSH
Scott Anthony Sargent Age: 63 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Distribution of Fentanyl
21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1)
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Drug Enforcement Administration
San Diego Police Department
Homeland Security Investigations
California National Guard Counterdrug Task Force
California Department of Health Care Services
La Mesa Police Department
San Diego County District Attorney’s Office
Repeat Gun Offender Sentenced to 46 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Clarence Minor, 30, a previously convicted felon from Washington D.C. , was sentenced today to 46 months in federal prison for illegally possessing after pleading guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly ordered that Minor serve three years on supervised release when he is released from prison.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives- Washington Field Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Minor pleaded guilty on May 8, 2024, to being a felon in possession of a firearm. In addition to the 46-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Timothy J. Kelly ordered Minor to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on June 17, 2023, a citizen called 911 to report having seen a young man pull a handgun from his backpack and place it his waistband on his right side. The caller provided details about the physical description, clothing, location, and direction of travel to the 911 operator. Within 10 minutes, MPD officers observed a man, later identified as Minor, wearing the same clothes walking in the area described by the 911 caller.
Officers conducted a lawful stop of Minor, patted the right side of his waistband, and recovered a Glock19, 9 mm semi-automatic handgun loaded with one round in the chamber and ten rounds in a 31-round capacity magazine. At the time of the stop, Minor was carrying a small child on his right hip, directly over the top of the loaded handgun.
A review of Minor’s criminal history revealed that he was on supervised release in D.C. Superior Court for a prior gun conviction when he was arrested in this case. Minor had only been back on the streets for four months before his arrest.
This case was investigated by the MPD and ATF as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James B. Nelson.
23cr322
Registered sex offender gets 30 years for using social media to distribute child pornographyRead the Press Release
GALVESTON – A 46-year-old Alvin resident has been ordered to federal prison after his convictions of transportation and possession of child sexual assault material (CSAM), announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
David Lopez Jr. pleaded guilty June 27, 2024.
Today, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey V. Brown sentenced him to 360 months on each of the two transportation counts and 120 months for each of the two possession counts. They will run concurrently for a total 360-month-term of imprisonment. The court heard additional evidence regarding his lengthy criminal history and his sexual interest in children which dated back to 2014.
Judge Brown considered how Lopez committed this offense while he was registering as a sex offender for his 2006 convictions for sexual assault of a child and indecency with a child. The court also took into consideration the victims through their impact statements read in court. He considered how his conduct affected those minors of whom he had collected images and videos that were found in his collection.
Lopez was furthered ordered to pay restitution to the victims and will be on supervised release following the completion of his prison term for the rest of his life. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to the internet.
“This is an individual who has a deep-seated sexual interest in children that cannot be deterred,” said Hamdani. “After two decades of sexually exploiting children by his hands-on offenses and trading child pornography, he must be stopped. The only way to do that is by giving him to a lengthy prison sentence which is what the court did today.”
“With today’s sentencing we have removed a dangerous predator from the community who has shown absolutely no remorse for his heinous actions two decades ago when he sexually assaulted a young child and destroyed an innocent life,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Houston Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz. “Instead, while registered as a sex offender, he has actively engaged in trafficking the sexual abuse materials that force child victims to relive their worst nightmare in perpetuity. HSI Houston is committed to continuing to aggressively pursue anyone who preys on the vulnerability of our children and will not rest until we have eradicated southeast Texas of this pure form of evil.”
In 2016, Lopez came to the attention of law enforcement after learning he was using social media to distribute files depicting CSAM. From 2016 until 2020, Lopez used multiple sites to upload CSAM to his accounts between Feb. 19, 2016, and Jan. 14, 2020.
Authorities arrested Lopez in February 2020 for failure to comply with his sex offender registration. At that time, he admitted to viewing child pornography. Law enforcement executed a search warrant on Lopez’s phone and found 100 images and 60 videos of young children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The images and videos depicted babies/toddlers and acts of violence such as the penetration of the victims, bestiality, bondage and sadistic and masochistic conduct.
After serving his sentence for the failure to comply with his sex offender registration and possession of a controlled substance, Lopez began transporting, distributing, receiving and possessing child pornography again. Lopez was arrested in October 2022 and once again admitted to trading and viewing child pornography.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations - Galveston conducted the investigation with the assistance of Pearland Police Department, Houston Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Ann Leo prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Prior felon going back to prison for 16 years on fentanyl and gun chargesRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Walter H. Bennett, 34, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, 10 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue, and 500 grams or more of cocaine, and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, was sentenced to serve 192 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett A. Harvey, who handled the case, stated that Bennett, a two-time convicted felon, was a leader of a drug trafficking organization that distributed significant quantities of fentanyl, para-fluorofentanyl (a lethal fentanyl analogue), and cocaine in the Rochester, and Augusta, Maine, areas. Bennett and his co-conspirators operated a drug house on Woodward Street in Rochester, where they sold these drugs. They also stored controlled substances, firearms, magazines, and ammunition, at houses on Argo Park and Clairmount Street. During the investigation, law enforcement recovered approximately 158 grams of fentanyl, 11 grams of para-fluorofentanyl, and 580 grams of cocaine, along with more than $20,000 in drug proceeds, six firearms, including two stolen firearms and a defaced handgun, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and seven magazines.
Co-defendants Tyrik Edwards, Ray C. Mack, Jr., and Steven Jackson were previously convicted and were sentenced to serve 160 months, 135 months, and 48 months in prison respectively.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter, and the Rochester Police Department and the Greater Rochester Area Narcotics Enforcement Team, under the direction of Chief David M. Smith.
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Pharmacy Agrees to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations for Billing for Drugs Not DispensedRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Medsinbox Pharmacy LTC LLC d/b/a Farmacia San Antonio (“Medsinbox”), a pharmacy located in Camden, New Jersey, has agreed to pay $625,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by knowingly billing federal health care programs for medications that it never dispensed, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced today.
According to the contentions of the United States in the settlement agreement:
The United States alleged that, from January 1, 2019, through January 24, 2022, Medsinbox caused the submission of claims for reimbursement to the Medicare Part D Program and the New Jersey Medicaid Program for drugs that were never dispensed to beneficiaries. The government contends that inventory records showed that Medsinbox did not purchase enough of these medications from wholesalers to fill all the prescriptions billed to these federal health care programs.
“Pharmacies play an important role in maintaining the safety and accuracy of prescribed medications, and allegedly billing for medications not actually dispensed undermines that role and defrauds our healthcare programs. The government will continue to pursue entities that engage in fraud and abuse at the taxpayers’ expense.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna
“Health care providers defraud federal health care programs when they bill for goods or services that they did not provide,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will hold accountable those who improperly seek to profit from taxpayer funded programs.”
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey and the Justice Department’s Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Toll and Kruti Dharia of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit and Senior Trial Counsel Jennifer Cihon in the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section).
The government’s pursuit of these matters illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. 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 1-800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The claims resolved by the settlements are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
medsinbox.settlement_agreement.pdfOhio Man Sentenced to Prison for Trafficking of Fentanyl, Cocaine, and Other NarcoticsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Youngstown, Ohio, has been sentenced in federal court to 45 months in prison for conspiring to distribute and distributing fentanyl, fluorofentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on William McCree, 21, also ordering McCree to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.
Prior to sentencing, the Court was informed that McCree was responsible for trafficking 35 grams of fentanyl, five grams of fluorofentanyl, 50 grams of cocaine, and 30 grams of methamphetamine between May 2021 and October 2022. McCree was on bond with a pending state drug trafficking charge in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, during part of that time period.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Lawrence County Drug Task Force, Mercer County Drug Task Force, New Castle Police Department, Sharon Police Department, and Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of McCree.
North Carolina Man Sentenced for Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Robert Hamlett, 49, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was sentenced today to 24 months in federal prison for the unlawful possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Hamlett was in possession of a stolen firearm during a traffic stop on the interstate in Martinsburg, West Virginia. Hamlett is prohibited from having firearms because of prior felony drug and firearms convictions.
Hamlett will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley Crockett prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
U.S. District Court Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Non-Profit A Jewish Voice for Peace, Inc. to Pay $677,634 to Resolve PPP Fraud AllegationsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Jewish Voice for Peace, Inc., a Washington, D.C., based nonprofit organization, has agreed to pay $677,634 to settle allegations that the organization violated the False Claims Act when it applied for and received a $338,817 second-draw loan under the Paycheck Protection Act Program of the CARES Act Disaster Relief Program, and when it further applied for and was granted forgiveness of the entire amount of the loan.
The agreement was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and U.S. Small Business Administration General Counsel Therese Meers.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was created to provide emergency financial support to Americans suffering economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized billions of dollars in forgivable loans to small businesses and other entities, including non-profit organizations, struggling to pay employees and other business expenses. Under the applicable provision of the CARES Act, a business concern or other entity, including a nonprofit organization, is not eligible to receive a second draw loan if it is primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities, which shall include any entity that is organized for research or for engaging in advocacy in areas such as public policy or political strategy or otherwise describes itself as a think tank in any public document.
At the time it applied for the second draw PPP loan, A Jewish Voice for Peace certified to its lender and the SBA in the loan application that it was “not a business concern or entity primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities, including any entity that is organized for research or for engaging in advocacy in areas such as public policy or political strategy or otherwise describes itself as a think tank in any public documents.” It further certified in the loan forgiveness application that it met the conditions for receiving the second draw PPP loan. The investigation revealed that A Jewish Voice for Peace was primarily engaged in political activities. A Jewish Voice for Peace contends that any misstatements in this application were inadvertent.
“The Paycheck Protection Act Program existed to help businesses survive a devastating global pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “When business owners unfairly drain those funds – either by not reading the eligibility requirements or disregarding them – they put the entire program at risk. In the end, those who are harmed are the businesses that actually qualified for and needed the money, and the taxpayers who funded the program.”
“The favorable settlement in this case is the product of enhanced efforts by federal agencies such as the Small Business Administration working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, SBA’s Office of Inspector General and other Federal law enforcement agencies, as well as private individuals who uncover fraudulent conduct to recover the product of this fraud as well as penalties,” said SBA General Counsel Therese Meers.
Under the False Claims Act, a party found to violate the Act must pay three-times the amount of damage to the United States. Had A Jewish Voice for Peace been found liable to the United States under the False Claims Act, it would have been ordered to pay three times the amount of the loan and lost interest, along with civil penalties for each false certification made in the loan application and forgiveness application. In connection with this settlement, A Jewish Voice for Peace agreed to pay an amount equal to two-times the loan amount, or $677,634.
The settlement announced today stems from a Federal investigation that was initiated when another public interest group, TZAC, filed a whistleblower complaint pursuant to the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. The claims resolved by the civil settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability in the civil case.
The civil settlement was the result of an investigation by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen DeGenaro and Auditor Timothy Hurley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. U.S. Attorney Graves commended Attorneys Kandace Zelaya and Arlene Messengerlerner of the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of the General Counsel for their assistance in the investigation and settlement negotiations. The case is captioned U.S. ex rel. TZAC v. A Jewish Voice for Peace, Inc.
Tips and complaints regarding potential fraud affecting COVID-19 government relief programs can be reported by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or by submitting a NCDF Web Complaint form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form
New York Man Sentenced for Role in Cocaine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New York man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that shipped dozens of parcels containing kilograms of cocaine from Puerto Rico to various addresses throughout Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Felix Baez Munoz, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 46 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In September 2024, Baez Munoz pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
Baez Munoz was identified as a drug and money courier for a DTO that trafficked kilograms cocaine from Puerto Rico through the mail. The cocaine inside these packages was typically hidden inside innocuous consumer goods, such as air fryers. The packages were addressed to various addresses in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. In May 2020, federal agents surveilled Baez Munoz as he transported a duffle bag from Massachusetts to New York. After stopping Baez Munoz in New York, he consented to a search of the duffle bag, which resulted in the seizure of $387,030 of suspected drug proceeds.
U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. The Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division and Homeland Security Investigations in Boston provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Cheng of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
New Mexican Business Owner Settles Allegations of COVID-19 Relief Fund Misuse with U.S. Attorney's OfficeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A New Mexico business owner has agreed to pay $3.2 million to resolve allegations that he violated the False Claims Act by misusing funds received through the Small Business Administration's Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, which was expanded under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
The United States contends that Leonard Vandenberg, who owns and operates several restaurants in New Mexico and Texas, applied for and received three EIDL loans totaling $2,795,700.00 for his businesses. These loans were intended to be used for working capital and expenditures necessary to alleviate economic injury resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, after receiving the funds, Vandenberg allegedly moved the majority of the money into his personal investment accounts.
As part of the settlement, Vandenberg will pay $3,281,825.62, of which $2,731,750.26 is restitution. This amount will be applied to the balances of the EIDL loans and associated advances. Additionally, Vandenberg has agreed not to seek any assistance or support from or participate in any Small Business Administration program for a period of five years.
The government’s investigation was led by Assistant United States Attorney Cassandra C. Currie and Auditor Phillip Stella.
The claims resolved by the settlements are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
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New Jersey Resident and Business Owner Admits $3,400,000 Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Gloucester, County, New Jersey man admitted to willfully evading more than $3,400,000 of taxes, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced today.
Jose Camilo Perez, Jr., 54, of Sewell, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb to an information charging him with one count of tax evasion.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Perez controlled a company that digitized medical records for hospitals and other healthcare entities. From 2016 through 2023, the business received more than $8,000,000 for the services it performed. Perez attempted to evade the assessment of federal income taxes by cashing checks payable to the business at a check cashing business rather than depositing those checks into the business’s bank account or his personal bank account, and then he used the cash for personal expenses and to pay payroll. From 2016 through 2023, Perez did not report any of the income he received from the business to the IRS. As a result, Perez evaded income taxes of more than $3,400,000.
The tax evasion charge carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for May 20, 2025.
Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan in Newark, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel A. Friedman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Camden.
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Defense counsel:
Brian J. McMonagle Esq., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
josecamiloperez.information.pdfNew Jersey Pharmacy Agrees to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations for Billing for Drugs Not DispensedRead the Press Release
Medsinbox Pharmacy LTC LLC, doing business as Farmacia San Antonio (Medsinbox), a pharmacy located in Camden, New Jersey, has agreed to pay $625,000.00 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by knowingly billing federal health care programs for medications that it never dispensed.
The United States alleged that, from Jan. 1, 2019, through Jan. 24, 2022, Medsinbox caused the submission of claims for reimbursement to the Medicare Part D Program and the New Jersey Medicaid Program for drugs that were never dispensed to beneficiaries. The government contends that inventory records showed that Medsinbox did not purchase enough of these medications from wholesalers to fill all of the prescriptions billed to these federal health care programs.
“Health care providers defraud federal health care programs when they bill for goods or services that they did not provide,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will hold accountable those who improperly seek to profit from taxpayer funded programs.”
“Pharmacies play an important role in maintaining the safety and accuracy of prescribed medications, and allegedly billing for medications not actually dispensed undermines that role and defrauds our healthcare programs,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna for the District of New Jersey. “The government will continue to pursue entities that engage in fraud and abuse at the taxpayers’ expense.”
The resolution obtained in this matter 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 New Jersey.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. 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).
Senior Trial Counsel Jennifer Cihon of the Justice Department’s Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kruti Dharia and Robert Toll for the District of New Jersey handled the matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
Settlement
New Haven Gang Member Involved in 2021 Murder Sentenced to More Than 20 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
QUAYMAR SUGGS, 20, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 250 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for his involvement in a violent New Haven street gang and his murder of an associate of a rival gang in May 2021.
Today’s announcement was made by Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; John P. Doyle, Jr., State’s Attorney for the New Haven Judicial District; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England; and New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in an effort to address violence in New Haven, the ATF, FBI, DEA and New Haven Police Department, working closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, have been investigating a gang war between members and associates of the Exit 8 street gang and rival gangs in the Hill section and other areas of the city. The Exit 8 gang is named after the geographic area accessed by exiting Interstate 91 at Exit 8 in New Haven. Recently, younger members of Exit 8 are identifying themselves with the word “Honcho,” which is derived from the street name of an Exit 8 member who was murdered on Quinnipiac Avenue in February 2020.
The investigation revealed that Suggs and other members of the Exit 8 gang engaged in drug trafficking, used and shared firearms, and, since June 2018, committed at least three murders and 16 attempted murders. Exit 8 members and associates also stole vehicles, at times from outside of the state, and used those stolen vehicles when committing acts of violence. Gang members also promoted, coordinated, facilitated, and celebrated their narcotics distribution and acts of violence through text messaging and the use of social media applications and websites including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube.
On July 1, 2024, Suggs pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity, including acts of violence, narcotics trafficking, and gun sales, and specifically admitted that, on May 19, 2021, he shot and killed an 18-year-old associate of a rival gang. Suggs also admitted that in 2021, he and other Exit 8 members broke into a Connecticut state trooper’s car and stole the trooper’s duty bag.
Suggs has been detained since March 24, 2023.
This investigation has been conducted by ATF, the FBI, the DEA, the New Haven Police Department, the Hamden Police Department, and the New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police and the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis.
This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.
PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.
Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
New Hampshire Man Sentenced to 3+ Years for Selling Fake Pills Laced with Fentanyl to Undercover Informant, OfficerRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Portsmouth, New Hampshire man was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Portland today for distributing fentanyl.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Jerome Hovey Leclair, 39, to 38 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Leclair pleaded guilty on July 11, 2024.
According to court records, in April 2023, under the direction of the Berwick Police Department, a cooperating source met with Leclair at his Portsmouth residence to discuss a future purchase of counterfeit Oxycodone pills. While in the apartment, the informant noted multiple plastic bags filled with small, blue pills, and Leclair gave the informant one pill as a sample. In June 2023, Leclair agreed to sell the informant 100 pills, offering to add 25 for free so that they could make more money selling them. The phone call was recorded, and investigators established surveillance in advance of the controlled purchase at Leclair’s residence and near the agreed-upon meeting location. An undercover officer drove the informant to the buy.
In July 2023, an undercover officer contacted Leclair by text and negotiated the purchase of pills, meeting in Kittery to complete the transaction. The meeting was captured on video and audio. On July 7, 2023, the New Hampshire State Police stopped Leclair’s vehicle in Seabrook, N.H. Investigators recovered 500 blue circular pills from the vehicle along with approximately 30 grams of methamphetamine. In August 2023, the informant again contacted Leclair, negotiating and completing two more buys in New Hampshire.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Berwick Police Department investigated the case, with assistance from the New Hampshire State Police.
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