Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Friday 15 November 2024
Operator of Helix Darknet Cryptocurrency “Mixer” Sentenced in Money Laundering Conspiracy and Ordered to Forfeit over $400M in AssetsRead the Press Release
An Ohio man was sentenced today to three years in prison for his operation of the darknet cryptocurrency “mixer” Helix, which processed transactions involving over $300 million worth of cryptocurrency from 2014 to 2017.
According to court documents, Larry Dean Harmon, 41, of Akron, ran Helix, a darknet mixer that laundered customers’ bitcoin. Helix was connected to Grams, a darknet search engine also run by Harmon. Helix was one of the most popular mixing services on the darknet and was highly sought after by online drug dealers who needed to launder their illicit proceeds. Helix processed at least approximately 354,468 bitcoin — the equivalent of approximately $311,145,854 in U.S. dollars at the time of the transactions — on behalf of its customers, including customers in the District of Columbia. Much of those funds were coming from or going to darknet drug markets. Harmon retained a percentage of these transactions as his commissions and fees for operating Helix.
Harmon worked to ensure Grams and Helix connected to or otherwise supported all of the major darknet markets at the time. Harmon developed an Application Program Interface (API) to allow darknet markets to integrate Helix directly into their bitcoin withdrawal systems. Harmon also customized features of Helix to ensure compatibility with significant markets. Investigators traced tens of millions of dollars from darknet markets to Helix.
On Aug. 18, 2021, Harmon pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering.
In addition to his term in prison, Harmon was sentenced to three years of supervised release; a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $311,145,854; and forfeiture of seized cryptocurrencies, real estate, and monetary assets valued at over $400 million.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia; Chief Guy Ficco of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); and Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran of FBI’s Cyber Division made the announcement.
IRS-CI’s Washington D.C. Cyber Crimes Unit and the FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case, with valuable assistance provided by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.
The Attorney General’s Ministry of Belize and Belize Police Department provided essential support for the investigation, coordinated through U.S. Embassy Belmopan. The investigation was coordinated with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, which assessed a $60 million civil monetary penalty against Harmon in a parallel action.
Trial Attorney C. Alden Pelker of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher B. Brown for the District of Columbia prosecuted the case. Trial Attorney Riane Harper and former Trial Attorney W. Joss Nichols of CCIPS, Paralegal Specialist Angela De Falco for the District of Columbia, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Riedl for the Northern District of Ohio provided valuable assistance.
Operator of Helix Darknet Cryptocurrency ‘Mixer’ Sentenced in Money Laundering Conspiracy Involving Hundreds of Millions of DollarsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — Larry Dean Harmon, 41, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced today to three years in prison for his operation of the darknet cryptocurrency “mixer” Helix, which processed transactions involving over $300 million worth of cryptocurrency from 2014 to 2017.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia; Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Chief Guy Ficco of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office and Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran of the FBI’s Cyber Division.
Harmon pleaded guilty on August 18, 2021, to conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to court documents, Harmon ran Helix, a darknet mixer that laundered customers’ bitcoin. Helix was connected to Grams, a darknet search engine also run by Harmon. Helix was one of the most popular mixing services on the darknet and was highly sought after by online drug dealers who needed to launder their illicit proceeds. Helix processed at least approximately 354,468 bitcoin — the equivalent of approximately $311,145,854 in U.S. dollars at the time of the transactions — on behalf of its customers, including customers in the District of Columbia. Much of those funds were coming from or going to darknet drug markets. Harmon retained a percentage of these transactions as his commissions and fees for operating Helix.
Harmon worked to ensure Grams and Helix connected to or otherwise supported all of the major darknet markets at the time. Harmon developed an Application Program Interface (API) to allow darknet markets to integrate Helix directly into their bitcoin withdrawal systems. Harmon also customized features of Helix to ensure compatibility with significant markets. Investigators traced tens of millions of dollars from darknet markets to Helix.
In addition to his term of imprisonment, Harmon was sentenced to three years of supervised release; a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $311,145,854; and forfeiture of seized cryptocurrencies, real estate, and monetary assets valued at over $400 million.
The IRS-CI Cyber Crimes Unit and FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case, with valuable assistance provided by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.
The Attorney General’s Ministry of Belize and the Belize Police Department provided essential support for the investigation, coordinated through the U.S. Embassy in Belmopan. The investigation was coordinated with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, which assessed a $60 million civil monetary penalty against Harmon in a parallel action.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher B. Brown of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney C. Alden Pelker of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) prosecuted the case. Trial Attorney Riane Harper and former Trial Attorney W. Joss Nichols of CCIPS, Paralegal Specialist Angela De Falco for the District of Columbia, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Riedl for the Northern District of Ohio provided valuable assistance.
19cr0395
Oklahoma Man Sentenced to 84 Months in Federal Prison for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced David John Ballance, age 58, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, to 84 months in federal prison following his conviction for receipt of child pornography. Ballance must serve five years of supervised release upon completing his term of imprisonment. The Court also ordered Ballance to pay $3,000 in restitution and ordered him to register as a sex offender upon his release.
According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, in July 2021, Ballance, located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, began communicating with a 13-year-old minor located in the Middle District of Louisiana. Ballance told the minor that he was 23 years old, when he was in fact 54 years old, and identified himself by a false name. The communications began via an on-line gaming application that allowed for direct messaging between players. Ballance then began using a separate social media platform that allowed for one-on-one communications between parties. During the period of communications, he knew that the individual with whom he was communicating was younger than 16.
Between July 2021 and October 2021, Ballance started introducing intimate language in the communications with the minor, and knowingly sent images containing explicit content. The minor then sent explicit images of themself to Ballance via the internet. The image was taken by the minor and transmitted to Ballance by the minor in October 2021 through an application set to allow images to remain visible for five seconds. During those five seconds, however, for the aforementioned image and others of the minor, Ballance was able to capture them before they disappeared from the social media application.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul L. Pugliese.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
Ocala Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of A Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Alan Ellis Gillespie, Jr. (31, Ocala) has pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition affecting commerce by a convicted felon. Gillespie faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, on August 27, 2024, a deputy from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle. Gillespie exited that vehicle through the passenger door and fled on foot. During the chase, Gillespie threw a backpack on the ground. Once Gillespie was apprehended, a search of his backpack revealed an AK-47 style pistol loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition. At the time, Gillespie had previous state felony convictions, including battery, carrying a concealed firearm, and possession of cannabis of more than 20 grams. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
This case is part of the 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 for occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Norfolk Man Sentenced to 135 Months for Methamphetamine ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Mick T. Hausmann, age 55, of Norfolk, Nebraska, was sentenced November 14, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for possessing with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of pure methamphetamine. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Hausmann to 135 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
On April 3, 2024, the Nebraska State Patrol conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle of a vehicle in which Hausmann was the driver. After a glass meth pipe was found on a passenger, troopers conducted a search of the vehicle. In the center console, a bag containing 32 grams of meth was found.
A search warrant was obtained for Hausmann’s residence. Troopers searching the residence found more than 1200 grams of pure meth.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.
Nicolelus Sanborn Pleads Not Guilty to Federal Drug Distribution ChargesRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office announced that Nicolelus Sanborn, 30, of Burlington, Vermont, pleaded not guilty yesterday in United States District Court in Burlington to an indictment charging him with distributing fentanyl. U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle ordered that Sanborn be detained during the pendency of this matter.
On October 17, 2024, a federal grand jury returned the indictment that charged Sanborn with distributing fentanyl in May 2024. According to court records, a cooperating individual bought narcotics from Sanborn in controlled purchases that were recorded and surveilled by law enforcement. Law enforcement arrested Sanborn on those charges on November 14, 2024.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Sanborn is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
If convicted, Sanborn faces up to 20 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $1,000,000. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
This case was investigated by the Burlington Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force.
Sanborn is represented by Mark Oettinger, Esq. The prosecutor for the government is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.
Newtown Restaurant to Improve Accessibility in ADA SettlementRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office has reached a settlement with Carminuccio’s Pizza, LLC, a restaurant located on South Main Street in Newtown, to address allegations of non-compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”).
The agreement resolves a complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Justice that alleged that Carminuccio’s Pizza, LLC (“Carminuccio’s”) was not accessible to individuals with mobility disabilities. Under the ADA, public accommodations, including restaurants, are prohibited from discriminating against individuals with disabilities. As part of that obligation, public accommodations must remove physical barriers to access for individuals with mobility disabilities where doing so is readily achievable. They must also ensure that renovations undertaken after the effective date of the ADA are readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities to the maximum extent feasible.
Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Carminuccio’s will make its parking area more accessible and add a ramp to the entrance of the restaurant. In addition, the restaurant will add accessible dining tables and make a number of changes to make the bathroom more accessible. The restaurant has also agreed to comply with Title III of the ADA in all future alterations and renovations.
U.S. Attorney Avery noted that the owner and operator of Carminuccio’s has worked cooperatively with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to improve their ADA compliance without litigation. The settlement agreement is effective for three years, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will monitor compliance during that time.
This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stewart C. Dearing.
Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that any place of public accommodation or public entity in Connecticut is not accessible to persons with disabilities may contact the Civil Rights Intake Specialist at the U.S. Attorney’s Office by calling 203-696-3000.
Additional information about the ADA may be found at www.ada.gov, or by calling the Justice Department’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 and (833) 610-1264 (TTY). More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.
New York Man Pleads Guilty to Employment Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
A New York man pleaded guilty to employment tax crimes for not collecting and paying over employment taxes from the wages of his company’s employees.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Victor Aguayo, of Nassau County, was owner and president of Mabel Interior Design Inc., an interior painting business in Westbury, New York. Aguayo was responsible for withholding Social Security, Medicare and federal income taxes from his employees’ wages, reporting those wages and withholdings to the IRS quarterly and paying those withheld taxes to the IRS quarterly as well.
Instead, Aguayo paid his employees approximately $3.6 million in cash wages but did not withhold or pay taxes from those wages. In addition, he caused false quarterly tax returns to be filed that did not report those cash wages. As a result, Aguayo caused a tax loss to the IRS of $545,743.
Aguayo is scheduled to be sentenced on April 21, 2025. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Assistant Chief Sarah Ranney and Trial Attorney Joseph D. G. Castro of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
New York Doctor Pleads Guilty to Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New York doctor pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston for receiving kickbacks in exchange for ordering medically unnecessary brain scans.
Dr. Kenneth Fishberger, 75, of East Setauket, N.Y. pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Feb. 25, 2025.
Fishberger, an internist in Long Island, N.Y., was a licensed medical doctor in the State of New York for approximately 47 years. From approximately June 2013 through December 2019, Fishberger conspired with others, including a principal for a mobile medical diagnostics company that performed transcranial doppler (TCD) scans, and a salesperson for the company, to order hundreds of medically unnecessary TCD scans in exchange for kickbacks. TCD scans are brain scans that measure blood flow in parts of the brain. Fishberger and his co-conspirators used false diagnoses to order the unnecessary brain scans, for which a co-conspirator would submit claims to Medicare and other insurance companies, including private insurance companies, on behalf of the medical diagnostic company for payment. In exchange, Fishberger was paid cash kickbacks of approximately $100 per test. According to the charging documents, the scheme resulted in fraudulent bills of approximately $891,978 to Medicare and private insurance companies.
The charge of conspiracy to commit health care fraud provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division, Boston Field Office; Carol S. Hamilton, Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Boston Regional Office; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Howard Locker and Mackenzie Queenin of the Health Care Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.
Moses Lake Man Who Detonated Homemade Bomb with Shrapnel Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – On November 14, 2024, Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian sentenced Nicholas Andrew Anardi, age 33, of Moses Lake, Washington, to 60 months in federal prison for setting off an explosive device. Chief Judge Bastian also imposed 3 years of supervised release.
According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, When Anardi was in prison, someone robbed his garage. Anardi told investigators he, “had it out” for the person he thought committed the robbery, so he decided to build two explosive devices to, “scare them.”
Anardi used a model rocket engine for one of the bombs and an aerial mortar round in the other. He wrapped metal wire and pennies, that would act as homemade shrapnel, around the explosives, held in place by black electrical tape.
On September 11, 2021, Anardi rode his bike to an apartment where, the man who Anardi thought robbed him, lived. Anardi lit one bomb and thew it over the fence towards the apartment, but the bomb did not go off. Anardi then lit the second bomb and rolled it to the door of the apartment. The bomb exploded a few seconds later.
A resident inside a nearby apartment reported hearing a loud bang, and something hitting her door. The resident described the noise as being like someone hitting the door with a sledgehammer. She opened the door, saw the bomb, and called 911.
The Washington State Patrol Bomb squad (WSP) arrived and rendered the unexploded bomb safe. They collected several pieces of the exploded bomb, including one piece of the bomb that had been thrown 130 feet from the blast site. Investigators also found a coin and piece of metal wire embedded in the door of an apartment near where bomb exploded.
“Mr. Anardi built two deadly bombs that included homemade shrapnel and attempted to detonate them in an apartment complex full of people. Thankfully, no one was hurt by Mr. Anaradi’s reckless and dangerous behavior,” stated U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref. “My office is committed to working closely with our law enforcement partners to hold violent offenders accountable and build safer and stronger communities.”
“The danger posed by explosives such as the ones Mr. Anardi built and used cannot be overstated,” said ATF Seattle Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais. “Shrapnel from an explosion knows no difference between an intended target and an unintentional bystander, making this attempted attack that much more dangerous to the community. Because of this, we believe today’s prison sentence is well deserved.”
This case was investigated the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Grant County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Timothy J. Ohms and Patrick J. Cashman.
2:24-cr-00019-SAB
Mitchell Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Assaulting a Federal Officer in the Cheyenne River ReservationRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Court Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Mitchell, South Dakota, man convicted of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer. The sentencing took place on November 12, 2024
Dustin Todd Long, age 38, was sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Long was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2023. He pleaded guilty on August 14, 2024.
The conviction stems from Long pointing a handgun toward Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services officers after refusing to obey their commands in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, on August 22, 2023. During the incident, Long waved the handgun around while walking toward Main Street, where he continued to ignore commands to drop the firearm. After Long was apprehended, law enforcement was able to determine that the firearm was unloaded.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case.
Long was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Mid-Valley Hospital Agrees to Pay $15,000 Penalty and Implement Corrective Actions to Address Theft of Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington - Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Mid-Valley Hospital and Clinic in Omak, Washington, agreed to pay a $15,000 Controlled Substances Act penalty and to institute corrective actions in regard to its pharmacy and controlled substances policy and procedures.
To protect the public, the Controlled Substances Act and its implementing regulations place legal responsibilities on medical professionals to ensure that controlled substances are prescribed, dispensed, and used for medically-appropriate purposes and in a safe manner. The responsibility for the proper prescribing and dispensing of controlled substances is upon the prescribing practitioner, but a corresponding responsibility rests with the pharmacist who fills the prescription to ensure that prescriptions are legitimate, safe, and medically appropriate. This responsibility includes reviewing controlled substance override reports to make sure controlled substances are being administered correctly.
In the settlement announced today, Mid-Valley Hospital admitted that beginning in late 2021 and ending in October 2023, nurse Eileen Lombardi regularly stole doses of the drug Dilaudid, which is a brand name for hydromorphone HC1, for her own personal use. Lombardi would take left over medications after administering a patient’s dose for her personal use, rather than wasting the remaining medication as required. Lombardi also entered overrides into automated medication dispensing systems to obtain additional doses of Dilaudid that she took for personal use.
Mid-Valley admitted that it had not enacted sufficient controls to catch the Lombardi’s theft of controlled substances. Specifically, while Mid-Valley pharmacy technicians regularly printed out controlled substance override reports for review by the Pharmacy Director, he routinely filed them away without reviewing them, which enabled Lombardi to continue diverting Dilaudid for two years. Mid-Valley has subsequently engaged an outside consultant to review its pharmacy and controlled substance policies and procedures.
The Washington Department of Health has entered an agreement with Lombardi under which she will be required to be enrolled in the Washington Healthcare Provider Services program for one to five years, during which time she will not have direct access to controlled substances. Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has entered into a criminal diversion agreement with Lombardi that matches the terms of the Washington Department of Health agreement, as well as a requirement that she does not seek a re-issue of her Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration until no earlier than November 2025 and recognizing that reinstatement will be entirely at the discretion of the DEA.
“Nurses play a vital role in providing life-saving care. They have access to powerful drugs that can lead to crippling addiction. It is important that hospitals and pharmacies have proper checks and procedures in place to ensure these medications are accounted for and used appropriately and safely,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “I am grateful that Mid-Valley Hospital quickly accepted responsibility and has taken steps to comply with its obligations going forward.”
“The Drug Enforcement Administration ensures that medical providers and facilities follow established laws and procedures while dispensing controlled substances”, said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “DEA holds medical professionals to a high standard to protect public safety and ensure accountability, and this settlement demonstrates DEA’s resolve to maintain these standards.”
The settlement agreement can be viewed here:
mid-valley_settlement_agreement_fully_executed.pdfThe settlement was the result of a joint investigation conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington, DEA’s Seattle Field Division, Diversion Group and the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy J. Kelley handled this matter on behalf of the United States.
Meridian Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Federal Gun, Drug, and Obstruction OffensesRead the Press Release
BOISE – Bart Thomas Martin, 29, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for drug trafficking, possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, and obstruction of justice, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today.
According to court records, Martin operated a drug trafficking operation where he received large quantities of drugs in the mail and further distributed those drugs in Idaho. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service arrested Martin in April 2024 in possession of approximately 900 grams of methamphetamine. Martin was booked into jail and later made a phone call to another individual requesting that individual remove evidence from his apartment. Investigators subsequently seized a safe from Martin’s apartment, which contained large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine, as well as five firearms.
“This case is an excellent example of the successful cooperation between federal and state law enforcement here in Idaho,” U.S. Attorney Hurwit said. “Lengthy prison sentences are part and parcel of federal drug trafficking and firearm crimes. Our Project Safe Neighborhoods team does a great job making our streets safer.”
“Traffickers like Martin and their operations continue to wreak havoc on our communities,” said Inspector in Charge Anthony Galetti. “He will spend more than a decade behind bars because of the great work by Inspectors, Officers and Prosecutors across the state of Idaho. Partnerships like Project Safe Neighborhoods are what deliver these kind of results. We will continue to do the work day in and day out to serve our communities and bring these traffickers to justice”
“This case demonstrates the severe consequences that accompany drug trafficking and firearm-related crimes in Idaho. The Idaho State Police remains dedicated to working alongside federal partners to bring individuals to justice and to protect our communities from the dangers of illicit drugs. ISP is committed to continuing our efforts to curb drug trafficking and prevent the harm it inflicts on our state,” said Investigations Lieutenant Jack Catlin of the Idaho State Police.
Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Martin to complete four years of supervised release upon completion of his prison sentence.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the cooperative efforts of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Idaho State Police for their work on this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis Zebari prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
###
Memphis Man Sentenced in Connection with Scheme to Defraud COVID-19 Relief Program of over $700,000Read the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A Memphis man was recently sentenced to federal prison in connection with his scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a federal program intended to help small businesses survive the COVID-19 pandemic. Reagan Fondren, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, Herman Shaw, 44, used an accomplice to assist him in submitting a fraudulent PPP loan application in the name of “Freight Masters, Inc.,” his small trucking business, to a United States Small Business Administration (SBA) approved lending institution. The application contained numerous false statements, including false information about the number of persons Freight Masters employed. Shaw received $782,212 in loan proceeds to be used for approved purposes such as paying his purported employees. Shaw, instead, used the loan proceeds to pay gambling debts and other personal expenses and to provide his accomplice with a $262,000 kickback.
On August 2, 2024, Shaw pled guilty to a one-count information that charged him with wire fraud. United States District Court Judge Thomas L. Parker sentenced Shaw to 30 months in federal prison on November 6, 2024. He was also ordered to pay restitution to the United States Small Business Administration in the amount of $782,212. There is no parole in the federal system.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fondren stated: “Individuals preying on the generosity provided by the Paycheck Protection Program stole money from U.S. taxpayers for personal gain without regard to the economic losses felt around the country. This sentencing reflects the severity of thefts from COVID-19 relief programs.
I commend the federal law enforcement agents who uncovered this fraud and brought this defendant to justice. I would especially like to thank the SBA Office of Inspector General – Central Region, the United States Secret Service – Memphis Field Office, FDIC – Office of Inspector General, Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General, the Gulf States Field Division of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), and the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee who jointly investigated this fraud in an effort to protect the integrity of the Paycheck Protection Program in this instance and COVID-19 relief programs in general.
My office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bring those who committed pandemic benefit fraud in the Western District of Tennessee to justice and use all appropriate tools to recover stolen pandemic relief funds.”
The case was investigated by the Small Business Administration, the U.S. Secret Service, TIGTA, the FDIC, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, and the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fondren also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Arvin, who prosecuted this case, as well as law enforcement partners for their roles in the investigation.
###
For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Mason City Man Sent to Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
Jason Keys, age 41, from Mason City, Iowa was sentenced today to more than six years in federal prison after a June 28, 2024, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
Evidence in the case revealed in January 2023, Keys was identified as a person distributing methamphetamine. Law enforcement utilized a confidential source to conduct a controlled purchase of methamphetamine, however, Keys had no methamphetamine to sell. The following day, Keys contacted the confidential source and advised that he had a revolver for sale. Law enforcement utilized the source to conduct a controlled buy of the firearm from Keys. Keys has a lengthy criminal history and was previously convicted of numerous burglaries and thefts, as well as multiple convictions for domestic abuse assault, assault, and controlled substance offenses.
Keys was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 78 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Keys is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Department, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-3016.
Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Man Who Robbed Same Bank Twice Sent to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who was convicted of robbing a particular bank in 2014, was sentenced today to more than five years in federal prison for -- again -- robbing the same bank.
Jonathan Bird-Necklace, age 32, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 26, 2024, guilty plea to bank robbery.
Evidence in the case revealed that Bird-Necklace was discharged from Iowa Department of Corrections on January 10, 2024, for the 2014 bank robbery. 13-days later, on January 23, 2024, Bird-Necklace entered a particular bank, passed a teller a note demanding $15,000, and threatening to shoot him if he raised the alarm. Despite wearing a disguise, masking his movements, and briefly escaping, officers of the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department solved the robbery and apprehended Bird-Necklace within just hours of the crime.
Beyond his repeated bank robberies, Bird-Necklace has repeatedly committed other serious offenses, and violated the rules of the Iowa Department of Corrections while he was incarcerated.
Bird-Necklace was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 63 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Bird-Necklace is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by Sioux City Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4024.
Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Man Who Carjacked Delivery Driver is Sentenced to Seven Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Dennis Vanison, 31, of Oxon Hill, Maryland, was sentenced today, to 84 months in prison for his participation in the May 2023 carjacking of a delivery driver, and carrying a pistol without a license, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Anthony A. Spotswood, of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Vanison pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking and one count of carrying a pistol without a license, in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia, on August 13, 2024. Judge Robert A. Salerno also sentenced Vanison to three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.
According to the government’s evidence, Vanison and an unidentified accomplice carjacked a food delivery driver on May 2, 2023. The victim had just dropped off a delivery in the 2400 block of Wagner Street Southeast when Vanison’s accomplice stole items from the victim’s car. When the victim went to retrieve his belongings, Vanison and his accomplice attacked the victim and attempted to take his phone. During the attack, the accomplice produced a gun and pointed it at the victim, and at Vanison’s direction, snatched the victim’s keys from his pocket. Vanison and his accomplice then fled the scene, driving away in their car and the victim’s car, respectively.
The next morning, members of the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department encountered Vanison inside an SUV several feet from the victim’s car, which was parked and idling in an alley. Vanison’s cellphone and keychain were found inside the victim’s car, and a fully loaded pistol was found at Vanison’s feet inside the SUV. Vanison was apprehended on May 3, 2023, and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Spotswood, and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. They also acknowledged those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Assistant U.S. Attorney Omeed A. Assefi; Investigative Analyst Stephen Jones; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Renee Prather; and Paralegal Specialist Marcella Trader. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Parron and Daniel Bromwich, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Man Tied to Mexican Drug Cartel Sentenced 11 Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of Drugs in Sioux CityRead the Press Release
A San Diego man who was part of a drug trafficking organization was sentenced November 14, 2024 to 11 years in federal prison.
Adrian Ibarra-Manzo, age 29, from San Diego, California, received the prison term after a June 26, 2024, guilty plea to 1 count of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine Possession With Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
Ibarra-Manzo’s co-conspirator, Ramon Serrano, 31, of San Bernardino, California, is set to be sentenced on December 12, 2024, for 1 count of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine.
Evidence in the case revealed Ibarra-Manzo was part of a conspiracy based in Mexico and California that was responsible for distributing approximately 100 pounds of methamphetamine in the Sioux City area.
Ibarra-Manzo was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 132 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Ibarra-Manzo is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the DEA Tri-State Drug Task Force and the Sioux City Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4022.
Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Abusing Senior CitizenRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Darnell Peoples, 22, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today, to orally raping a senior citizen at her home, in Southeast Washington earlier this year, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Peoples pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to a charge of first-degree sexual abuse. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon twenty-year prison term. Following his prison term, Peoples will be required to complete a term of supervised release and register as a sex offender for the remainder of his lifetime.
The Honorable Anthony C. Epstein scheduled sentencing for February 10, 2025.
According to a proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, on June 11, 2024, the victim was working in her yard. Peoples approached the victim from behind, displayed a knife, and told the victim to get on her knees. When the victim informed Peoples that she could not get on her knees, Peoples grabbed her and threw her to the ground. Peoples then pulled down his pants and exposed his penis. He pulled the victim’s head toward his penis and told the victim, “Shut up, shut up, put it in your mouth.” While the victim was screaming and shouting “No,” Peoples forcefully inserted his penis into the victim’s mouth multiple times.
The defendant was arrested on the same day and has been in custody ever since.
The case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Sourbeer of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Man Known as “the Monkey Whisperer” and His Brother Indicted for the Illegal Trafficking of MonkeysRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Jimmy Wayne Hammonds a/k/a “The Monkey Whisperer,” (61, Parrish) and Johnny D-Lane Hammonds (59, St. Petersburg), with conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act and Lacey Act trafficking. If convicted on all counts, Jimmy Hammonds and Johnny Hammonds each face a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, the defendants conspired with each other to sell wildlife, and transported and sold marmosets, in violation of federal and state laws.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by U.S. Fish and Wildlife and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Erin Claire Favorit and Abigail K. King.
Macy Man Sentenced for Aggravated Sexual Abuse with ChildrenRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Jason Walker, age 54, of Macy, Nebraska, was sentenced on November 15, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for aggravated sexual abuse with children in Indian Country. Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Walker to 360 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Walker’s release from prison, he will begin a 7-year term of supervised release.
In February 2024, a minor victim disclosed to a trusted adult that Walker had inappropriately touched the minor victim on multiple occasions. Following a forensic interview during which the minor victim disclosed the extensive nature of Walker’s sexual abuse, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) began an investigation into Walker’s conduct which resulted in Walker admitting to sexually abusing the minor victim on more than 50 occasions over the course of a roughly two-year period.
Before pronouncing Walker’s 30-year sentence, Chief U.S. District Court Judge Rossiter described Walker’s criminal conduct, saying, “I think the word ‘horrific’ is appropriate, and perhaps not even enough here.”
This case was prosecuted in federal court because the offense was a felony and occurred on the Omaha Nation Indian Reservation in Nebraska.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Los Angeles Man Pleads Guilty to Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Daniel Hooker, 35, of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit money laundering, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, from August 2023 through March 2024, Hooker and three co‑conspirators conducted multiple financial transactions involving funds they believed to be proceeds of cocaine trafficking. Their belief as to the nature of the funds was based on representations of an individual working at the direction of law enforcement. On two different occasions in 2023 and 2024, Hooker met the individual in a parking lot in Rancho Cordova and accepted a total of $100,000 in cash to be laundered. After those meetings in Rancho Cordova, Hooker wired funds from a bank account he controlled into a bank account designated by the individual in an effort to complete the laundering. In total, the conspirators received approximately $940,000 in purported drug trafficking proceeds. Of that amount, the conspirators laundered approximately $811,000.
This case is the product of an investigation by the IRS Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Thuesen and Whitnee Goins are prosecuting the case.
U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins is scheduled to sentence Hooker on Feb. 21, 2025. Hooker faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Lockport man pleads guilty to distributing child pornographyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Gerard Dzierzanowski, 52, of Lockport, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy to distribution of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright, who is handling the case, stated that in February 2023, Dzierzanowski began communicating with who he believed was a 13-year-old girl using the Whisper Messenger application. The communications later transitioned to Kik Messenger, another online application. Dzierzanowski thought he was communicating with an actual 13-year-old girl, when in reality, he was communicating with an undercover law enforcement officer, who was involved in an investigation aimed at identifying users of Whisper and Kik attempting to engage in criminal sexual activity with children. The undercover officer repeatedly advised Dzierzanowski during the Kik chat that she was 13 years old. Dzierzanowski sent multiple images that meet the definition of child pornography. Dzierzanowski also sent videos that depicted a prepubescent female child engaged in sexually explicit behavior with an adult male. During the online conversations, Dzierzanowski requested the 13-year-old girl engage in sexually explicit behavior with him. The defendant also sent a “selfie” of himself, and a sexually explicit video of himself. In August 2023, a search warrant was executed at Dzierzanowski’s residence, during which multiple digital items, which contained images and videos depicting children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, were seized.
The plea is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan.
Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
# # # #
Lexington Man Convicted of Armed Drug Trafficking and Possession of Firearm by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Lexington man, Tevye Tyshear Shelton Jones, 26, was found guilty on Thursday, by a federal jury sitting in Lexington, of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and felon in possession of a firearm. He was found guilty following a two-day trial.
According to the evidence at trial, on November 30, 2023, law enforcement attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle that was registered to someone with a suspended driver’s license. The vehicle briefly stopped before accelerating through a red light and eventually colliding with a light pole. After the collision, the vehicle’s occupants began kicking the vehicle’s windshield to exit, and two people exited the vehicle and fled. Jones was the third occupant of the vehicle; and as he was attempting to exit the vehicle, a loaded gun fell onto the ground. He attempted to pick the gun up but was apprehended.
A search of Jones’ person revealed four cell phones, $350 in cash, and a fanny pack with a loaded, extended firearm magazine, and 57.8 grams of fentanyl (of which at least 32.642 grams also contained methamphetamine and cocaine. A search of the vehicle revealed a stolen pistol; and when the two occupants that originally fled were apprehended, a third firearm was recovered. Jones possessed the controlled substances with intent to distribute them and he possessed the firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking.
Evidence further showed that Jones had prior felony convictions, which prohibited him from possessing a firearm. Jones had prior convictions for robbery in the second degree, from Fayette Circuit Court in June 2017, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, from the U.S. District Court Eastern District of Kentucky in February 2020.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Michael Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Division; and Sheriff Kathy Witt, Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the jury’s verdict.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Fayette County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittany Baker and Todd Bradbury are representing the United States in the case.
Jones is scheduled to appear for sentencing on February 27, 2025. He faces up to life in prison. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing a sentence.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
— END —
Leader of Sampson County Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 15 YearsRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Seth Allen Hall, 29, was sentenced to 190 months in prison for his involvement in the trafficking of methamphetamine and fentanyl after fleeing from law enforcement on four separate occasions. On August 16, 2024, Hall pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a substance containing methamphetamine, and a quantity of fentanyl; possession with the intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
“This defendant led three different Sheriff’s Offices on reckless chases that put innocent drivers at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. “We won’t stand for drug traffickers who consistently put our law enforcement officers in danger.”
“This sentence reflects the destructive impact on the community caused by this defendant,” said Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant who leads Homeland Security Investigations Charlotte, covering North and South Carolina. “HSI is committed to holding those accountable who distribute their poison into our communities.”
“The Sampson County Sheriff's Office remains committed to eradicating drugs in our community. We are proud of our continued relationship with our federal partners. These partnerships have proven to be a valuable asset in investigations and justice,” said Sampson County Sheriff Jimmy Thornton.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Hall has been supplying kilogram quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl for several years. In December 2022, Hall fled from law enforcement at speeds exceeding 130mph before crashing and being apprehended by the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO). Following the crash, law enforcement seized methamphetamine and fentanyl.
In June 2023, HCSO deputies approached a parked vehicle that Hall was a passenger in. When law enforcement attempted to remove Hall from the vehicle, he climbed into the driver’s seat and fled down the highway.
On July 14, 2023, the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) observed Hall driving a vehicle and pulling a trailer, which was fishtailing on the highway. The SCSO deputy attempted to stop Hall, but Hall fled in the vehicle and then fled on foot after jackknifing the vehicle in the middle of the road. Law enforcement located a handgun on the ground near where Hall was ultimately arrested. Inside his vehicle, deputies located digital scales, syringes, drug paraphernalia, and methamphetamine.
Roughly fifteen days later, the Onslow County Sherriff’s Office (OCSO) attempted to make a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Hall. He refused to comply and drove over 130mph before striking two other vehicles, jumping the curb, crashing, and running away. He was quickly apprehended. A search of his person and vehicle revealed cash, over 500 grams of methamphetamine, 22 grams of fentanyl and xylazine, cocaine, and multiple cell phones.
Hall has prior felony convictions for possession of heroin in 2019 and 2020, as well as attempted trafficking by transportation and attempted trafficking by possession in 2019.
Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. HSI, the SCSO, HCSO, OCSO, and the ATF investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey 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. 5:23-CR-0041.
Lafayette Area Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – Matthew Matherne, 46, of Broussard, Louisiana, was sentenced today in federal court for production of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. United States District Judge Robert L. Summerhays sentenced Matherne to 210 months (17 years, 6 months) in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release.
According to information presented in court, in late November of 2023, Matherne met a 15 year old minor female from another state online and began communicating with her. In December of 2023, Matherne traveled from the Lafayette area to the state where the minor female resided and picked her up and drove her back to his residence in the Lafayette area. While there, Matherne began having sex with the minor female. He also took images of the child engaging in sexual activity with him, as well as numerous images of the child in which she was naked or partially naked. After the minor female had been in Matherne’s home for several weeks, she contacted her mother and told her where she was. The mother then contacted the Lafayette Police Department. The victim was found and cooperated with law enforcement.
Officers with the Lafayette Police Department obtained a search warrant on Matherne’s residence. Upon execution of the search warrant, officers found and seized Matherne’s cell phone which contained the images of the minor female. An indictment was returned charging Matherne and he pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography on May 30, 2024, and admitted that he did in fact use his cell phone to produce the sexually explicit images of the minor female.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Lafayette Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Luke Walker.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood combines federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
# # #
Kennedy Street Drug Gang Member Sentenced to 220 Months for Trafficking Fentanyl While ArmedRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – David Penn, 31, of Washington D.C. and a member of the violent Kennedy Street Crew (KDY), was sentenced today to 220 months in federal prison for his role in a massive drug trafficking organization that operated open-air markets in Northwest Washington D.C. where he dealt copious amounts of fentanyl and cocaine base and sold firearms, including an assault rifle.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, DEA Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Washington Division, ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives - Washington Division, and Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Washington D.C. Field Office.
Penn, aka “Turtle,” pleaded guilty on June 27, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and to two counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell ordered Penn to serve five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, KDY members operated open-air drug markets on an 11-block stretch of Kennedy Street in Northwest Washington, D.C., as well as surrounding streets. Like many drug trafficking organizations (DTOs), KDY armed itself with fire power to facilitate the drug trade and defend its territory from rival crews.
For his part, Penn was a bulk fentanyl supplier who trafficked narcotics and firearms in the Kennedy Street Neighborhood while armed with guns. During a span of five months, from December 2022 to May 2023, Penn conducted 17 controlled buys with undercover officers selling a total of about 257.73 grams of fentanyl, 11.15 grams of cocaine base, and semi-automatic firearms that included a Draco and an AR-15 assault rifle.
On February 3, 2023, patrol officers in the 900 block of Kennedy Street NW stopped Penn’s vehicle wherein they found about 44 grams of fentanyl, 11 grams of cocaine base, 1.4 kilograms of marijuana, digital scales, one 22-round extended magazine with 22 rounds of ammunition; and one loaded machine gun.
On February 23, 2023, wholly undeterred by his recent arrest, Penn agreed to sell an undercover officer a privately manufactured AR-15 assault rifle for $3,800.
This investigation was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department, the DEA’s Washington Division, ATF’s Washington Field Division, with assistance from FBI’s Washington Field Office, and the IRS-Criminal Investigation Washington, D.C. Office.
The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey and Sitara Witanachchi, of the of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
DEFENDANTS
NAME
AGE
CHARGES
Kenneth Ademola Olugbenga27Pleaded Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or more of Cocaine Base, and a Detectable Amount of Marijuana; and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense.Khali Ahmed Brown, aka “Migo Lee”22Pleaded Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana and 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl and Oxycodone; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense; and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon.Miasiah Jamal Brown, aka “Michael Jamal Crawford”21Sentenced August 16, 2024, to Five Years for Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.Tristan Miles Ware, aka “Greedy”23Pleaded Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilos of Marijuana; and Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime.Herman Eric-Bibmin Signou, aka “Herman Signour”23Sentenced March 22, 2024, to 40 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute 100 Kilograms of More of MarijuanaCameron Xavier Reid26Sentenced May 31, 2024, to Five Years for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms of More of Marijuana.Aaron DeAndre Mercer, aka “Curby,”27Sentenced September 13, 2024, to 120 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl, Marijuana, and Cocaine Base.David Penn, aka “Turtle”31Sentenced November 15, 2024, to 220 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana, 40 Grams or Fentanyl, and a Mixture of Cocaine Base; and Two Counts of Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense.Ronald Lynn Dorsey, aka “Ron G” and “HBGeezy”29Sentenced September 13, 2024, to 30 Months for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.Antonio Reginald Bailey, aka “Boy Boy,” and “Fellow King”22Sentenced February 8, 2024, to 24 Months for Receiving a Firearm While Under Indictment.Anthony Trayon Bailey, aka “Fat Ant,” and “Bizzle”27Sentenced April 26, 2024, to 15 months for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana, 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl, and a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Cocaine Base.Angel Enrique Suncar, aka “Coqui”29Pleaded Guilty to Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime.Warren Lawrence Fields, III, aka B-Dub26Sentenced May 16, 2024 to Five Years for Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Offense and for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.Adebayo Adediji Green30Sentenced August 16, 2024, to Five Years for Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.Defendant Cameron Reid is from Falmouth, VA; all remaining defendants are from Washington, D.C.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Justice Department Secures Agreement with Staffing Company to Resolve Immigration-Related Discrimination ClaimRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it secured a settlement agreement with Key Fortune Inc., doing business as Express Employment Professionals (Express), a staffing company in Rancho Cucamonga, California. The agreement resolves the department’s determination that Express discriminated against a worker because of her immigration status by refusing to continue to honor her valid document that showed her permission to work in the United States. The agreement also resolves the department’s determination that Express refused to place her on an assignment until she presented a specific document showing her future permission to work.
“It is unlawful for employers to require a specific document, or to reject a valid document, showing someone’s permission to work because of their immigration status,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The department is committed to protecting workers from immigration-related discrimination in the hiring process and eliminating unnecessary barriers to employment.”
After conducting an investigation based on a complaint, the Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) concluded that Express unlawfully discriminated against a worker based on her immigration status when it rejected the worker’s Employment Authorization Document (EAD), which was still valid and not set to expire for an additional two months. Express then told the worker that it would not place her on an assignment until she provided a new EAD. Under the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), employers are not permitted to request specific documentation or reject valid documentation showing someone’s permission to work because of their immigration status.
Under the terms of the settlement, Express will pay a civil penalty to the United States and pay backpay to the affected worker. The agreement also requires the company to train its personnel on the INA’s anti-discrimination requirements, review its employment policies and be subject to departmental monitoring.
IER is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. Among other things, the statute prohibits discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; or retaliation and intimidation.
IER’s website has information about how employers can avoid unlawful discrimination when verifying a worker’s permission to work. Learn more about IER’s work and how to get assistance through this brief video. Applicants or employees who believe they were discriminated against based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment or during the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify); or subjected to retaliation, may file a charge. The public can also call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a live webinar or watch an on-demand presentation; email [email protected]; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Sign up for email updates from IER.
Jury convicts Lenexa man of federal loan fraudRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal jury convicted a Kansas businessman of submitting false information on applications to secure loans from the Small Business Administration (SBA). The SBA is a federal government agency that provides support to entrepreneurs and small businesses.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Scott W. Anderson, 53, of Lenexa was found guilty of four counts of false statement in a loan application, four counts of wire fraud, and six counts of aggravated identity theft.
Anderson was part owner of Riley Drive, a company that operated restaurants in Kansas and Iowa. In 2018 and 2019, Anderson applied for separate loans from SBA on behalf of Riley Drive. At the time Anderson submitted the applications the company was a defendant in civil lawsuits. Anderson falsely responded “no” to questions on the loan applications concerning whether he or companies he controlled were involved in any legal actions.
The SBA approved a loan to Riley Drive in March 2018 for $3,600,000. The company defaulted in June 2019, causing a loss to the SBA of $2,173,766.
Additionally, the SBA approved a loan in April 2019 for $700,000. The company defaulted on the loan in June 2019, causing a loss of $658,141.
The Small Business Administration – Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG) are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley is prosecuting the case.
###
Jury Found Ohio Man Guilty of Coercing and Enticing a Minor ChildRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A federal jury convicted Thomas Edward Petro, 32, of Ashtabula, Ohio, for Coercion and Enticement of a Minor.
The evidence presented at trial showed that Petro shared sexually explicit messages, voice recordings, pictures, and videos of himself with a 13-year-old minor child. The evidence further showed that Petro solicited the minor to take sexually explicit photos of their body and send the photos to him.
The inappropriate relationship was discovered when the minor child told a friend. That friend told the school resource officer, who immediately contacted the principal and reported the incident to the FBI.
When the lead FBI agent testified, he confirmed that the minor child did disclose that they were only 13 years old. After going over all of the sexually explicit evidence in front of the jury, the agent also confirmed that Petro never asked the minor child to stop engaging in sexual activity.
The FBI and Adair Police Department investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kate Brandon and Scott Dunn prosecuted it.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. 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.
International Fugitive Home Health Care Owner Sentenced for Fraudulently Billing MedicareRead the Press Release
A Michigan home health care company owner was sentenced yesterday to three years and five months in prison for his role in a health care fraud conspiracy that resulted in almost $7.9 million in false and fraudulent claims for home health care services paid by Medicare Part A.
According to court documents, Muhammad Zafar, 53, of Wayne County, owned and operated a home health care business in Michigan. Together with three doctors and two other home health care company owners, Zafar offered kickbacks, bribes, and other inducements to beneficiary recruiters in exchange for Medicare beneficiary information. Zafar and his co-conspirators used this information to bill Medicare for services that were medically unnecessary and not provided. Zafar pleaded guilty to submitting approximately $393,500 in claims to Medicare from his home health care company for services that were medically unnecessary, ineligible for Medicare reimbursement, and not provided as represented.
On the same day that Zafar appeared in court for his initial appearance on June 17, 2015, he violated his court-issued bond, crossed the international border into Canada, and shortly thereafter flew to Pakistan. Zafar remained an international fugitive for approximately seven and a half years before returning to the United States to face the charges against him.
On May 29, Zafar pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Mario Pinto of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); and Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the FBI Detroit Field Office made the announcement.
HHS-OIG and the FBI Detroit Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Jeffrey A. Crapko of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt:
Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on Nov. 12 was:
Sebastian Kessamer Gilder Jr., 26, of Phoenix, Arizona, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Gilder faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Gilder was released pending further proceedings. The Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force conducted the investigation. PACER case reference.24-74.
Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and pleading not guilty on Nov. 12 was:
Franklin Troy Caplette, 40, of Box Elder, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition. If convicted of the most serious crime, Caplette faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Caplette was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Hill County Sheriff’s Office, Rocky Boy’s Police Department and U.S. Probation Office conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-91.
Briana Noel Moore, 30, of Great Falls, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition. If convicted of the most serious crime, Moore faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Moore was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Cascade County Sheriff’s Office and Montana Probation and Parole conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-96.
Appearing in Missoula before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto and pleading not guilty on Nov. 13 was:
Mallory Nehemiah Brown, 43, of Auburn, Washington, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Brown faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Brown was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, FBI, Libby Police Department, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and Montana Probation and Parole conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-49.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
XXX
Homosassa Man Indicted for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Ocala, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging John Hill (40, Homosassa) with possession of child sexual abuse material. If convicted, Hill faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
According to court documents, in February 2024, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received nine cyber tips from a cloud-based storage provider that Hill was involved in the possession of child sex abuse material (CSAM). Search warrants were executed on the storage provider, which revealed multiple images of CSAM had been uploaded to the cloud-based storage from Hill’s cellphone. On September 17, 2024, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Hill’s residence and seized his cellphone. The subsequent examination of Hill’s cellphone revealed multiple images of CSAM involving children as young as six to eight years old.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Citrus County Sheriff's Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Belkis H. Callaos.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Halfway House Employee Arrested for Sexual Assault of Federal InmateRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Former residential halfway house employee, Tristan Cox, 33, of Atlanta, Georgia, made his initial appearance on November 13, 2024, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Justin S. Anand on federal charges of non-consensual sexual contact with a federal inmate in his custody. Cox was released on a $10,000 bond.
“The Department of Justice takes seriously its commitment to keep inmates and detainees safe from harm within its correctional and detention facilities,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “This commitment to humane treatment extends to contract facilities like halfway houses and to contract employees like Cox. He is charged with grievous conduct that undermined the Department’s efforts and injured someone in our custody.”
“Residential Reentry Centers, or halfway houses, are intended to provide a safe, structured, supervised environment for inmates who are nearing the end of their sentences to help them transition back into society,” said Eric R. Fehlman, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Southeast Region. “Inmates should never experience assault of any kind at the hands of employees working in custodial settings.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges, and other information presented in court: The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) contracts with various non-governmental organizations to operate Residential Reentry Centers (RRCs), also known as halfway houses, to aid inmates nearing their release date from federal incarceration.
The Department of Justice’s Office of Inspector General received a complaint alleging that Cox, a BOP contract employee working at the Atlanta RRC as a Residence Monitor, sexually assaulted an inmate resident who was under Cox’s care and custody in April 2024. The inmate resident alleged that Cox sexually assaulted him in a supply room during Cox’s overnight shift. DNA evidence tested by the FBI corroborated the inmate resident’s account.
Any sexual contact between a BOP employee and a BOP inmate is a criminal offense prohibited under the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003.
Members of the public are reminded that a criminal complaint and arrest warrant contain only charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at a trial.
This case is being investigated by the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bret R. Hobson and Brent Alan Gray are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Former Veterans Affairs Police Officer Sentenced to 1 Year in Federal Prison for Beating Victim Approximately 45 Times with BatonRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former police officer with the Veterans Affairs Police Department (VAPD) was sentenced today to 12 months in federal prison for violating a victim’s civil rights by using a department-issued baton to illegally strike a man approximately 45 times in 41 seconds at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center.
Juan Anthony Carrillo, 46, of Alhambra, was sentenced by United States District Judge Wesley L. Hsu.
At today’s hearing, Judge Hsu said, “Officers owe a special duty and have a special obligation to keep the trust of the citizens they police.”
Carrillo pleaded guilty on July 26 to one misdemeanor count of deprivation of rights under color of law and specifically, for using excessive force as a law enforcement officer. The 12-month prison sentence is the statutorily maximum available sentence for this offense.
At around 4 a.m. on January 16, 2022, the 34-year-old victim – identified in court documents as “R.V.” – was detained by another VAPD officer on the grounds of the Medical Center. Carrillo arrived to assist the other officer and proceeded to beat R.V. with a VAPD-issued baton up to 45 times in approximately 41 seconds while R.V. screamed in pain. Most, if not all, of the baton strikes were delivered while the other officer was on top of the victim, who was unarmed.
Carrillo was approximately 60 pounds heavier than R.V. and the second officer was approximately 8 inches taller and approximately 85 pounds heavier than the victim.
As a result of the beating, the victim sustained injuries that included cuts on both legs and a broken bone on his right foot.
The FBI, the VA’s Office of Inspector General, and the VA’s Office of Security and Law Enforcement are conducting the investigation in this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Susan S. Har and Michael J. Morse of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section prosecuted this case.
Former Marianas High School Teacher Sentenced to 156 Months in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
Saipan, CNMI – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announces that on November 13, 2024, David Matthew Frahm, age 47, from Iowa, was sentenced to 156 months imprisonment in the U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands (NMI) for Possession of Child Pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252(a)(5) (B) and (b)(2) and Engaging in Illicit Sexual Conduct in Foreign Places, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2423(c) and (f). The Court also ordered Frahm to serve an additional five years of supervised release and pay a $200 mandatory assessment fee. The Court deferred a hearing on restitution until December 19, 2024.
As a convicted sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, Frahm will be required to register in every jurisdiction where he resides, works, and goes to school upon release from prison.
Frahm pled guilty to knowingly possessing a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, discovered during forensic analysis of a laptop computer. He abandoned the computer in March 2019 before his flight from Saipan. The public school-issued computer contained a digital picture from a defunct Ukrainian company that produced child pornography. The company operated under the guise of an artistic modelling studio but was shut down approximately two decades ago for child exploitation.
Shortly after local and federal law enforcement began investigating Frahm for this charge and other conduct, he fled from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) to Malaysia where he lived illegally for four years. While in Malaysia, Frahm violated a law designed to punish U.S. citizens who commit sex crimes while traveling or residing abroad. He did so in February 2024 by using his mobile phone to surreptitiously record an eleven-year-old child after exiting a shower. Friends of the victim contacted U.S. authorities, and with assistance from the Royal Malaysian Police, Frahm was detained pursuant to a warrant issued by the District Court for the NMI. He was then escorted by the FBI back to Saipan. On June 8, 2024, federal authorities formally arrested him after landing on U.S. soil.
After sentencing, the Court granted the Government’s motion to dismiss a third count relating to Frahm’s alleged attempt to take pictures of children using a toilet in March 2019, a condition of the plea agreement.
“Frahm preyed on children in the far corners of the Indo-Pacific region,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “I applaud the work of the FBI in bringing him to justice. This case demonstrates what multi-national partnerships can do to promote public safety. Those who travel outside the United States to exploit children will be held accountable.”
“This sentence sends a clear message that crimes against children will not be tolerated, and that our collective efforts to promote public safety in Hawaii, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands remains steadfast,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Steven Merrill. “We will hold perpetrators accountable for their heinous actions especially when they were entrusted by students and parents alike to serve as role models and not a sexual predator.”
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of CNMI Department of Public Safety and Royal Malaysian Police.
Assistant United States Attorney Eric O’Malley prosecuted the case in the District of the Northern Mariana Islands.
This was a Project Safe Childhood (PSC) case, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, PSC 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 PSC, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Former Federal Employee Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Kidnapping His Wife, Who Was Murdered After Her AbductionRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former federal law enforcement agency employee was sentenced today to 480 months in federal prison for plotting to abduct and kill his estranged wife, who was strangled to death in 2016.
Eddy Reyes, 38, of Covina, was sentenced by United States District Judge Josephine L. Staton, who at today’s hearing called the crime “heinous” and “a product of pure evil.”
Reyes pleaded guilty on April 19 to one count of kidnapping resulting in death.
Reyes was a civilian employee of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the time of his wife’s death and when he was arrested in this case in April 2021. He has been in federal custody since his arrest.
“This defendant carried out a despicable, cold-blooded murder of his own wife and now appropriately faces the consequences,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Our deepest condolences to the victim’s family and our appreciation to the investigators and prosecutors who ensured that justice was done in this case.”
“Mr. Reyes abandoned his commitment to law enforcement and tried to get away with a calculated brutal murder,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Today’s sentence exemplifies a true commitment to law enforcement and finding justice. May it bring solace to Claudia's family in El Salvador.”
Reyes met the victim, Claudia Sanchez Reyes, in El Salvador in 2014. Reyes eventually married the victim and brought her and their son to the United States. Court documents previously filed in this case allege a history of domestic abuse by Reyes against his wife, who obtained temporary restraining orders against him in 2014 and 2016.
By 2016, Reyes suspected his wife was having an affair and he decided to kill her. Reyes then contacted his estranged half-brother – a one-time gang member and gravedigger in El Salvador identified in court documents as “P.O.,” who is now deceased – about killing Claudia Reyes.
On May 6, 2016, Reyes telephoned his wife at her job and told her that he wanted to take her to dinner that night and told her not to take an Uber home, which was her usual practice. At approximately 8 p.m. that night, Reyes drove a rented Hyundai Santa Fe and picked her up from work, after previously lying to her that the vehicle was a gift.
Instead of taking his wife out to dinner, Reyes drove to his mother’s house in Orange, pulled into the garage and closed the door. Once the door was closed, P.O. jumped from the SUV’s cargo area into the back seat and grabbed the victim, who was in the front passenger seat. P.O. punched Claudia Reyes in the face, cutting her lip, then took a seat belt and strangled her. She was 21 years old. Reyes helped P.O. push the victim’s dead body from the front passenger seat into the SUV’s cargo area.
The following day, Reyes drove to the Santa Ana apartment he shared with his wife, turned on her telephone he had turned off the night before, and, posing as his wife, used her phone to send a text message to one of her co-workers saying she would not be in to work that day. P.O., also using the victim’s phone, texted a paralegal working for the victim’s divorce lawyer that stated she no longer needed the lawyer’s services.
P.O. also used Claudia Reyes’ phone to text her mother and, pretending to be the victim, he wrote that she had met another man, was leaving Reyes and their son, that she was about to disconnect the phone, and wishing her a happy Mother’s Day.
On May 19, 2016, Reyes drove to a parking lot at Los Angeles International Airport and threw in the trash a backpack containing a blanket and rags that P.O. used to wipe down the seatbelt and interior of the SUV where Claudia Reyes was killed.
Reyes filed a missing person report four days later, but, according to the criminal complaint, when contacted by the police, Reyes refused to answer questions, despite having filed the report, until several days later at his lawyer’s office. The police conducted an investigation that revealed co-workers heard Claudia Reyes fighting with her husband on May 6 soon before he picked her up in the rented SUV, according to the affidavit in support of a criminal complaint, which notes detectives later found a drop of Claudia Reyes’ blood in that vehicle and a cadaver dog indicated that a dead body had been in the SUV.
“U.S. Customs and Border Protection does not tolerate misconduct, on or off duty,” said Todd Siegel, CBP Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), Special Agent in Charge, Los Angeles. “CBP OPR Los Angeles Field Office’s efforts in this case is a testament to CBP’s commitment to preserving the honor of its overwhelmingly professional workforce, and its core values of vigilance, integrity, and service to our country.”
The FBI, the Santa Ana Police Department, and the Orange County Violent Gang Task Force, which is comprised of several federal, state, and local agencies, investigated this matter. Assistance was provided by Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Professional Responsibility, the Irvine Police Department, and the Transnational Anti-Gang Unit of El Salvador.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory W. Staples of the Orange County Office prosecuted this case.
Former Detroit Riverfront Conservancy CFO Pleads Guilty to Embezzling over $40 million from ConservancyRead the Press Release
DETROIT – William A. Smith, 52, the former Chief Financial Officer for the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, pleaded guilty today to federal charges from a years-long scheme to embezzle over $40 million from the Conservancy, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office and Charles Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) Detroit Field Office.
Smith pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. Both counts carry a statutory maximum term of twenty years imprisonment.
According to court documents, William A. Smith, of Northville, was employed as the Chief Financial Officer for the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, Inc. (the Conservancy) from 2011 through May 2024. The Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) organization formed with the mission of developing access to the Detroit riverfront. The Conservancy envisions creation of a continuous Riverwalk from the Ambassador Bridge in the west to Gabriel Richard Park in the east, along with plazas, pavilions, and green spaces. Funding for the Conservancy is provided by both private donors and public grants. In his position as Chief Financial Officer of the Conservancy, Smith enjoyed substantial discretion in overseeing and managing the Conservancy’s financial affairs.
According to the plea agreement, beginning no later than November 2012 and continuing until May 2024, Smith orchestrated a scheme to embezzle millions of dollars in funds belonging to the DRFC. The embezzlement scheme took three principal forms:
- First, Smith diverted Conservancy funds from the organization’s bank accounts to a bank account in the name of “The Joseph Group, Inc.,” an entity owned and controlled by Smith. The Joseph Group was not an approved vendor for the Conservancy and provided no goods or services of any kind to the organization. However, between February 2013 and May 2024, Smith transferred approximately $24.4 million from the Conservancy’s bank accounts to an account in the name of the Joseph Group.
- Second, Smith maintained an American Express account in the name of another of the many entities he owned and controlled, this one called “William Smith & Associates LLC.” There were four American Express credit cards issued on this account. Between November 2012 and May 2024, Smith used approximately $14.9 million in Conservancy funds to pay off purchases made on this account. None of these expenditures were authorized by the Conservancy, which maintained other credit card accounts for Conservancy purchases. Smith used the American Express account to purchase furniture, designer clothing, handbags, lawn care services, airline tickets, and other consumer goods and services for himself and his family.
- Third, Smith used Conservancy funds to purchase cashier’s checks from various financial institutions. These cashier check purchases were unauthorized, and Smith used the cashier’s checks for his own purposes without the knowledge or approval of the Conservancy’s Board of Directors.
Smith engaged in various practices to cover up and sustain this massive fraud scheme. In some instances, Smith falsified bank statements that he provided to the Conservancy’s bookkeeper, altering or deleting unauthorized transfers on the statements in order to keep them off of the Conservancy’s books. In at least one other instance, he took out a line of credit with a financial institution (Citizen’s Bank) on behalf of the Conservancy. Smith claimed to be acting with the authorization of the Conservancy’s Board of Directors in taking out this line of credit. In fact, Smith had no such authority, and the documents he provided Citizen’s Bank purporting to show that he had such authorization were forgeries. Smith used the funds from this line of credit (which eventually totaled $5 million) to infuse monies into the Conservancy’s bank accounts to help cover up his substantial embezzlement from those accounts.
According to plea documents, Smith also took complex steps to disguise the origin of the funds he embezzled from the Conservancy. He routinely transferred the stolen Conservancy monies through elaborate chains of intermediate entities, all with the intent of concealing the source and nature of those funds.
The plea agreement states that the financial losses from Smith’s scheme are difficult to quantify with precision. However, Smith agreed to pay no less than $44.3 million in restitution as a result of his conduct.
“William Smith admitted today to perpetrating a financial crime that is astonishing in its scope and impact,” stated United States Attorney Ison. “Smith stole over $40 million dollars from the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy – a non-profit organization dedicated to creating beautiful public spaces that Detroit’s residents and visitors can use and enjoy. Smith not only betrayed the Conservancy’s trust, but he betrayed the trust of the whole community, all so that he could enjoy the trappings of wealth and comfort. I remain shocked at the scale of the fraud and the harm it has caused, and today’s guilty plea is an important step towards holding Mr. Smith accountable for his outrageous conduct.”
"Mr. Smith’s deceitful actions, which spanned for more than a decade, not only broke the trust of his employer, but the entire community,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “William Smith used his position of authority to financially profit at the expense of his employer. Today’s guilty plea is a direct result of a tireless work of members from the FBI in Detroit. The FBI remains committed to working with our partners to combat these serious white-collar crimes."
“William Smith held a position of trust and authority in the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, an organization created to help revitalize outdoor spaces for all of the Detroit community. Such an extreme breach of that trust, millions of dollars stolen that would have benefitted the city for years to come, is almost unfathomable,” said Charles Miller, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-CI, Detroit Field Office. “IRS-CI’s role in this kind of investigation becomes even more important due to the complex financial transactions that can take time to unravel. With the guilty plea that was announced today, we know our work to hold Mr. Smith accountable for the outright lies and theft from the conservancy will lead to an appropriate consequence.”
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John K. Neal and Robert A. Moran. The case is being investigated by the FBI and IRS-Criminal Investigations.
Former Decatur Oncologist Sentenced for Illegal Opioid PrescribingRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A former oncologist in Decatur has been sentenced for illegally prescribing drugs, including oxycodone and hydrocodone, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Steven L. Hofer.
Judge Madeline H. Haikala sentenced Sammy Fuad Becdach, 58, to 24 months in prison followed by a year of home confinement. Becdach was also ordered to pay a $100,000 fine.
According to the plea agreement, Becdach worked as an oncologist in Decatur, Alabama, including during 2018 through 2021, when the illegal prescribing occurred. In August 2022, the Medical Licensure Commission of Alabama revoked Becdach’s medical license for unprofessional conduct related to his romantic relationship with a woman to whom he had written opioid prescriptions and who later died from a drug overdose. Becdach wrote illegal prescriptions for controlled substances to three individuals who were not his patients. The three filled the prescriptions at Becdach’s request and then gave him the pills they received. Becdach gave some pills to women with whom he was romantically involved. The prescriptions included opioids and benzodiazepines.
The DEA investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney J.B. Ward prosecuted the case.
Florida Man Sentenced to 80 Years for Producing and Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Brett Avery Tipton (42, Rockledge) to 80 years in federal prison for producing and distributing child sexual abuse material. The Court also ordered Tipton to forfeit the device used in the commission of the offense and to register as a sex offender. Tipton had entered a guilty plea on July 24, 2024.
According to court documents, from approximately 2020 through 2021, Tipton groomed a minor victim (who was 12 years old when they met) and, through online gaming and social media platforms, convinced the victim to create pornographic images and videos of himself for Tipton. In return, Tipton sent gifts and food to the victim. Tipton also used the victim to “bait” other children on the internet into creating child sexual abuse material. Further, Tipton groomed a second minor victim and similarly convinced this victim to send pornographic pictures and videos of himself to Tipton in exchange for gifts. At one point, Tipton met the second victim in person and attempted to lure the victim into a public restroom for oral sex.
Lastly, Tipton was also active in online chat groups, where he shared child sexual abuse material and instructed that other members would need to also share material or be removed.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Chang, Robert Sowell, and Courtney Richardson-Jones.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Fentanyl Trafficker Who Distributed Lethally Potent Doses in the District and Maryland Sentenced to 63 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Mynor Josue Fernandez Alfaro, 24, of Dundalk, Maryland, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 63 months in federal prison for participating in a drug trafficking scheme that distributed thousands of doses of lethally potent fentanyl in Washington D.C. and Maryland.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, DEA Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Washington Division, Chief Marcus G. Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Fernandez Alfaro, aka “Mino,” pleaded guilty on June 21, 2024, to an information charging him with conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. In addition to the 63-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Ana C. Reyes ordered Fernandez Alfaro to serve four years of supervised release.
According to court papers, Fernandez admitted that, along with co-defendant Edward Steven Monge, 23, of Beltsville, Maryland, he supplied co-conspirator Jennifer Echeverria Flores with more than 4,500 blue pills that contained varying concentrations fentanyl. Echeverria Flores then sold the pills to an undercover law enforcement officer (UC) in five transactions between February and July 2023 in Washington, DC and Maryland. More than half of those pills contained more than what DEA estimates is a lethal concentration of fentanyl, 2 milligrams per pill.
As part of his guilty plea, Fernandez Alfaro admitted that he distributed fentanyl to other redistributors and clients besides Echeverria Flores. Social media posts indicate that Fernandez Alfaro was involved in a lucrative distribution scheme as early as October 2022. Monge advertised the drugs for sale on his social media, while Fernandez Alfaro provided the drugs to customers and coordinated payment through his own CashApp account. Between July 2022 and July 2023, the pair netted more than $150,000 in incoming Cash App transactions, while not otherwise legitimately employed.
Despite this large volume of digital payments, evidence suggests that Fernandez Alfaro and Monge primarily accepted payment for these pills in cash. Fernandez Alfaro’s Instagram account and cell phone contained dozens of photographs of him with significant amounts of cash, boasting of the scheme’s success.
Fernandez Alfaro posted photos to social media accounts where he boasted about his lucrative fentanyl sales.
In addition to his distribution of significant quantities of fentanyl, Fernandez Alfaro, a citizen of El Salvador, used at least four different firearms to protect his supply and profits through intimidation and threats of violence. Many of these firearms appeared to have extended magazines or were military-style rifles.
Co-conspirator Monge was sentenced on May 29, 2024, to 96 months in prison for his role in this scheme.
This investigation 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.
This investigation additionally was an effort of Montgomery County Police under the Maryland Criminal Intelligence Network (MCIN). MCIN was launched in 2017 and provides grant funding and strategic support through the Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services to MCIN member sites to identify, disrupt, and dismantle criminal organizations through inter-agency collaboration and data sharing to make Maryland safer. The Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services (GOCPP) funded this project.
This matter was investigated by the DEA – Washington Division. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Gaelin Bernstein of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Henek, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses section. Valuable assistance was provided by former Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jordan Leiter and Javier Urbina.
24cr119
Federal Jury Convicts Bahamian Citizen of Child Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced today that Chrystano Peder Carmelo Cooper, age 21, of Freeport, Grand Bahama, was found guilty at trial by a federal jury of four counts relating to the production, distribution, receipt, and possession of child sexual abuse materials.
The jury trial began with testimony on November 12, 2024, and concluded on November 14, 2024, with the guilty verdicts.
During the trial, the United States presented evidence that between December of 2022 and February of 2024, Cooper exploited a minor child through the production and sharing of child sexual abuse while attending college in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The guilty verdicts were the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the trial and ordered the completion of a presentence report. The sentencing will be scheduled following completion of the report. Cooper will remain in the custody of the United States Marshal until sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessie K. Pippin and Jessica Bove represented the United States.
Federal Grand Jury in Louisville Indicts Seven for Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, and Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A federal grand jury in Louisville returned an indictment on November 5, 2024, charging six men and one woman with methamphetamine and fentanyl conspiracy and distribution charges. One of the defendants was also charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office, Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department, and Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Jr. of the Kentucky State Police made the announcement.
According to the indictment, 6 defendants are all charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances. Beginning as early as February 22, 2024, and continuing through November 4, 2024, the defendants conspired to possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl. The defendants charged in the first indictment are:
• Avaron Sims, 32, of Long Beach, California
• Julio Contreras, 34, of Long Beach, California
• Patrick Russo, 30, of Corona, California
• Maleek Spalding, 26, of Louisville
• Dominque Farris, 27, of Louisville
• Jaron Blincoe Robinson, 25, of Louisville
• Amanda Foley, 42, of Louisville.
Spalding is also charged with twelve counts of distribution of fentanyl, one count of distribution of methamphetamine, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.Farris is also charged with six counts of distribution of fentanyl and five counts of distribution of methamphetamine.
Robinson is also charged with two counts of distribution of fentanyl.
Foley is also charged with one count of distribution of methamphetamine.
Spalding, Farris, and Robinson made their initial court appearance this week before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. The Court ordered Spalding and Farris detained, and Farris released, pending trial.
Sims made his initial court appearance this week before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The Court ordered Sims released pending trial.
Contreras, Russo, and Foley have not yet been arrested and are considered federal fugitives. Anyone with information regarding their location can contact the FBI Louisville office at 502-263-6000 or tips.fbi.gov.
If convicted, each of the defendants face a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is being investigated by the FBI, LMPD, and KSP, with assistance from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and the Los Angeles, California Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Dahl is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
El Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con una compañía de dotación de personal que resuelve acusaciones de discriminación relacionada con la inmigraciónRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo conciliatorio con Key Fortune, Inc., que opera comercialmente como Express Employment Professionals (Express), una empresa de dotación de personal en Rancho Cucamonga, California. El acuerdo resuelve la determinación del Departamento que Express discriminó a una trabajadora debido a su estatus migratorio al negarse a seguir honrando su documento válido que mostraba su permiso para trabajar en los Estados Unidos. El acuerdo también resuelve la determinación del Departamento que Express se negó a asignarla a un encargo hasta que no presentara un documento específico que mostraba su futuro permiso para trabajar.
«Es ilegal que un empleador requiera un documento específico o que rechace un documento válido que demuestre el permiso de uno para trabajar, debido al estatus migratorio de esa persona», afirmó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «El Departamento se compromete a proteger a los trabajadores de la discriminación relacionada con la inmigración en el proceso de contratación y a eliminar barreras innecesarias para el empleo».
Después de llevar a cabo una investigación basada en una queja, la Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados (IER, por sus siglas en inglés) de la División de Derechos Civiles concluyó que Express discriminó ilegalmente a una trabajadora por su estatus migratoria cuando se negó a seguir honrando su documentación válida actual que indicaba que se le permitía trabajar en los Estados Unidos. En concreto, el Departamento determinó que Express rechazó el Documento de Autorización para Trabajar (EAD) de la trabajadora, que todavía era válida y que no vencería hasta dentro de dos meses adicionales. Express le indicó a la trabajadora que no le asignaría un encargo hasta que no presentara un nuevo EAD. En virtud de la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad (INA, por sus siglas en inglés), los empleadores no pueden solicitar documentación específica ni rechazar documentación válida que demuestre el permiso de alguien para trabajar debido a su estatus migratorio.
En virtud de los términos del acuerdo, Express pagará sanciones civiles a los Estados Unidos y le ofrecerá pagos retroactivos a la trabajadora afectada. Por otra parte, el acuerdo también requiere que la compañía capacite a su personal en cuanto a los requisitos antidiscriminatorios de la INA, que revise sus políticas de empleo y que se someta a la supervisión por parte del Departamento.
La IER es responsable de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. Entre otras cosas, la ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía y nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión, prácticas documentales injustas y represalias e intimidación.
El sitio web de la IER dispone de información sobre cómo los empleadores pueden evitar la discriminación ilícita al verificar el permiso para trabajar de un trabajador. Aprenda más sobre el trabajo de la IER y cómo conseguir ayuda mediante este vídeo corto. Aquellos aspirantes o empleados que creen haber sido discriminados por motivos de su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido, reclutamiento o verificación de la elegibilidad para trabajar (Formulario I-9 e E-Verify) o sujetos a represalias pueden presentar una denuncia. El público también puede llamar a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); llamar a la línea directa de la IER para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); inscribirse a un seminario en línea gratuito o visualizar una presentación a la carta; enviar un correo electrónico a [email protected]; o visitar los sitios web de la IER en inglés y español. Inscríbase para recibir actualizaciones por correo electrónico desde la IER.
Easton Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that John R. Young, 47, of Easton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl to 360 months of imprisonment and lifetime supervised release, with victim restitution to be determined at a later date, for production of child pornography. Young was also ordered to forfeit various electronic devices.
According to court documents, the FBI had been investigating a site on the dark web dedicated to child pornography. The investigation identified Young as a user of the website who had posted child pornography there.
On October 17, 2023, FBI and other law enforcement agents executed a federal search warrant at Young’s residence and seized various electronic devices. Young’s devices were found to contain thousands of images of child pornography, including one that Young had produced and posted to the website. Young admitted to law enforcement that he was a user of the dark web site and that he produced the image of child pornography found on the website, which involved a child under 10 years old. Young also admitted that he possessed other images of child pornography on his devices. Finally, Young admitted using a secret video recording device disguised to look like a pen to attempt to produce additional child pornography.
On October 17, 2023, the FBI arrested Young, and in June of this year, he pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography.
“Not only was John Young a prolific collector of child pornography, he sexually exploited a child to produce such an image and shared it with other predators,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “His actions are unconscionable. My office and the FBI are working every day to find and bring to justice anyone victimizing children by creating or trading these horrible images of sexual abuse.”
“Children are among the most vulnerable members of our community, and sexual exploitation of them is one of the most devious crimes the FBI investigates,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “This sentence is testament to the dedication of the Allentown Resident Agency and our partners at the U.S. Attorney's Office in the pursuit of justice for these victims.”
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 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 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 projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia's Allentown Resident Agency and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John J. Boscia and Kyle Reynolds of the Department of Justice Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.
East Chicago Man Sentenced to 70 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Tommy Lee Tyner, Jr., 41 years old, of East Chicago, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Tyner was sentenced to 70 months in prison followed by 1 year of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, officers responded to a call on June 11, 2022, regarding a male pointing a gun at an individual in Hammond, Indiana. Upon their arrival at the scene, officers observed Tyner exiting a vehicle that contained a firearm. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for the vehicle and recovered a loaded 9 millimeter pistol. Tyner’s criminal history revealed that he had prior 2012 federal felony convictions for conspiracy to commit robbery affecting interstate commerce, attempted robbery affecting interstate commerce, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and as such he is prohibited from possessing the firearm and ammunition in this case.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force and the Hammond Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David J. Nozick.
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.
Distributor of ANOM Hardened Encrypted Devices Sentenced to 63 Months in Prison for Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Osemah Elhassen of Sydney, Australia, was sentenced in federal court today to 63 months in prison for participating in a worldwide conspiracy to distribute hardened encrypted communication devices to criminal syndicates to facilitate drug trafficking and other crimes.
Elhassen was one of 17 defendants indicted in San Diego in 2021 in connection with Operation Trojan Shield, an international law enforcement effort in which the FBI secretly operated an encrypted messaging network used by criminals, leading to the arrests of hundreds worldwide.
According to court records, the platform was known as ANOM. While ANOM’s criminal users unknowingly communicated on the system operated by the FBI, agents catalogued more than 27 million messages between users around the world whose criminal discussions were covertly obtained and reviewed by the FBI. The platform was taken down in June 2021. Please see Operation Trojan Shield in 2021.
Elhassen pleaded guilty in May 2024 to Count 1 of a superseding indictment charging him and the others with a racketeering conspiracy in connection with the ANOM enterprise. A citizen of Australia, Elhassen was a Colombia-based distributor of ANOM devices who was also directly involved in drug trafficking and money laundering.
Elhassen admitted that around November 2019, he became a member of the ANOM enterprise. According to his plea agreement, he admitted to helping accomplish the illegal objectives of that enterprise, including drug trafficking, money laundering, and obstruction of justice offenses. To that end, Elhassen distributed ANOM devices to criminal end-users for over a year and a half, and in doing so, facilitated the importation, exportation, and distribution of at least 15 kilograms of cocaine and the laundering of proceeds from the enterprise’s illegal activities.
According to the government’s sentencing filings, Elhassen’s ANOM messages show significant distribution of ANOM devices in Colombia and other places. His messages also show that Elhassen participated in providing ANOM device support and arranging subscription renewals, among other sales and price-setting activity.
Elhassen was arrested in Colombia in June 2021 and was extradited to the Southern District of California in May 2023. He pleaded guilty in May 2024.
“Despite use of sophisticated technology and extreme measures to conceal the criminal enterprise, Mr. Elhassen could not thwart federal investigators,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “The sentence today demonstrates that even those who go to the greatest lengths to hide will be held to account.”
“Evidence collected during Operation Trojan Shield showed that distributors of ANOM devices, like Mr. Elhassen, were not merely providing a messaging service but enabling and facilitating Transnational Criminal Organizations,” said FBI San Diego Special Agent in Charge, Stacey Moy. “Today’s sentence should send a strong message to the users and distributors of these types of devices. The FBI will continue to collaborate with domestic and international partners on new and innovative strategies to combat the ever-evolving threat posed by transnational criminal organizations.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua C. Mellor, Mikaela L. Weber, and Peter S. Horn. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Judicial Attaché Office in Bogota provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Elhassen. The United States also thanks Colombian law enforcement authorities for their valuable assistance.
Three other defendants in this case have pleaded guilty, including Dragan Nikitovic, aka Dr. Djek; Edwin Harmendra Kumar, aka Edwin Harmendra Valentine; and Miwand Zakhimi, aka Maiwand Zakhimi. They are scheduled to be sentenced in December 2024 and January 2025. A trial for four other defendants is scheduled for March 10, 2025. Eight other defendants in the case are yet to be extradited to the United States, and one is a fugitive.
For further information on investigations and prosecutions of encrypted communication providers, see https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/fbi-s-encrypted-phone-platform-infiltrated-hundreds-criminal-syndicates-result-massive (ANOM), https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/sky-global-executive-and-associate-indicted-providing-encrypted-communication-devices (Sky Global), and https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/chief-executive-communications-company-sentenced-prison-providing-encryption-services (Phantom Secure).
Operation Trojan Shield 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.
DEFENDANT Case Number 21cr1623-JLS-17
Osemah Elhassen Age: 51 Sydney, Australia
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Count 1: Racketeering Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1962(d)
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison, and fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gain or loss
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Drug Enforcement Administration
United States Marshals Service
Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs
Australian Federal Police
Swedish Police Authority
Lithuanian Criminal Police Bureau
National Police of the Netherlands
EUROPOL
Court Sentences Florida Woman to Thirty Three Months Imprisonment for Trafficking FentanylRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – On November 14, 2024, United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer sentenced Christall Doris Peavy of Crestview, Florida, to 33 months imprisonment for Possession with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl.
Documents filed with the Court established that on March 8, 2023 a deputy with the Conecuh County Sheriff’s Office stopped Peavy on Highway 84 for traffic violations. During the traffic stop Peavy admitted to having various drugs in the vehicle and the deputy decided to search the vehicle. The deputy called for a female officer to come to the scene and perform a pat down of the defendant. A female officer from the Evergreen Police Department arrived and when the officer was performing the pat down she noticed a large bulge in the defendant‘s brassiere.
When the female officer tried to retrieve the item causing the bulge Peavy became very combative and started snatching away and officers had to take Peavy into custody. Officers found that the defendant had a large plastic bag containing four smaller baggies with a powdery white substance in her brassiere. The substance was later tested and found to be fentanyl, weighing approximately 132 grams. Peavy possessed the fentanyl with the intent to distribute it.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the Conecuh County Sheriff’s Office and the City of Evergreen Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney George F. May.
Convicted Felon Out on Bond Charged with Possessing a Machine Gun and Drug Trafficking CrimesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE –A federal criminal complaint filed today charges Keandre Lamont Johnson a/k/a Keandre L. Waters, 27, of Nashville with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and unlawful transfer or possession of a machine gun, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Thomas J. Jaworski.
According to the complaint, on March 21, 2024, the Metro Nashville Police Department (“MNPD”) Specialized Investigations Division (“SID”) conducted a surveillance operation on South 7th Street, in the James Cayce Housing Projects in Nashville. During the operation, officers saw Johnson, who they knew had an active warrant for his arrest out of Sumner County and arrested him. While searching Johnson once he was arrested, detectives found a Glock, Model: 27, Caliber: .40, pistol, with a “Glock Switch” Machinegun Conversion Device (“MCD”) in his pants. They also found heroin, bags of white powder, oxycodone, plastic baggies, and $400 in cash. Johnson was charged in Davidson County following this arrest.
Johnson has previously been convicted of aggravated burglary and vehicle theft over $1,000, both of which are felonies.
On November 11, 2024, while out on bond from the March 21, 2024, arrest, Johnson was arrested again and charged with Aggravated Assault, Reckless Endangerment, and Felony Firearms offenses stemming from a shooting in East Nashville.
“We remain vigilant so that those on bond will not put others at risk from their release,” said Acting United States Attorney Thomas J. Jaworski. “These federal charges demonstrate again our office’s commitment to protecting the community from those who wreak havoc while illegally possessing firearms.”
If convicted on the federal charges, Johnson faces 37-46 months in federal prison.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Stephens is prosecuting the case.
A federal complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
# # # # #
Computer Programmer Convicted for Helping Run One of the Biggest Illegal Television Show Streaming Services in the United StatesRead the Press Release
After a two-week trial, a federal jury in Las Vegas yesterday convicted a Cuban citizen and U.S. permanent resident for helping operate an illegal streaming service with one of the largest quantities of infringing works. The defendant, who was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement, is the eighth and final defendant to be convicted in the case.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Yoany Vaillant, 43, worked as a computer programmer for Jetflicks, an online, subscription-based service headquartered in Las Vegas that permitted users to stream and, at times, download copyrighted television episodes without the permission of relevant copyright owners. At one point, Jetflicks claimed to have 183,285 different television episodes, far more than Netflix, Hulu, Vudu, Amazon Prime, Disney+, or any other licensed streaming service. At Jetflicks, Vaillant worked directly with Kristopher Dallmann and Jared Jaurequi, who were convicted of criminal copyright offenses by a different jury earlier this year.
According to his resume, Vaillant had 15 years of computer programming experience when he started at Jetflicks and knew 27 computer languages. During the four-and-a-half months that Vaillant worked at Jetflicks he made significant contributions to the operation of the service, including fixing issues affecting the automated downloading, processing, syncing, uploading, and streaming of Jetflicks’ inventory of infringing television episodes.
Evidence at trial showed that Vaillant and his co-conspirators scoured the internet to find infringing television programs from pirate sites around the world — including some of the biggest sites specializing in infringing content such as The Pirate Bay, RARBG, altHUB, and Nzbplanet — using automated software and computer scripts that ran nonstop. Vaillant and his co-conspirators reproduced hundreds of thousands of copyrighted television episodes without authorization and streamed the infringing programs to tens of thousands of paid subscribers located throughout the United States, often providing episodes to subscribers the day after the shows originally aired on television. The vast scale of Jetflicks’ piracy affected every significant copyright owner of a television program in the United States and resulted in millions of dollars of losses to the U.S. television show and streaming industries.
Vaillant was one of eight defendants indicted in the Eastern District of Virginia in 2019 for running Jetflicks. In that case, Vaillant’s co-defendant Darryl Polo, a computer programmer, pleaded guilty to four criminal copyright counts and one money laundering count, which related to Jetflicks as well as another illegal streaming site he operated. Co-defendant Luis Villarino, also a computer programmer, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement at Jetflicks. The court sentenced Polo to four years and nine months in prison and Villarino to one year and one day in prison.
In February 2022, the court transferred the case to the District of Nevada for trial. The court in the District of Nevada subsequently severed Vaillant’s case from the other remaining five defendants — Dallmann, Jaurequi, Douglas Courson, Felipe Garcia, and Peter Huber — and those defendants were tried in Las Vegas last June. Dallmann ran the Jetflicks operation with assistance from Jaurequi and Courson; Garcia was in charge of customer support and helped obtain television show content; and Huber provided computer programming services. A jury found all five defendants guilty of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement, and Dallmann was also found guilty of three additional counts of criminal copyright infringement and two counts of money laundering by concealment. This was the largest internet piracy case by volume of infringed works — and first illegal streaming case — ever to go to trial.
The court will sentence Dallmann, Courson, Garcia, Jaurequi, Huber, and Vaillant on Feb. 3 and 4, 2025. The court will determine any sentences after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada; and Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the FBI Las Vegas Field Office.
Senior Counsel Matthew A. Lamberti, Trial Attorney Michael Christin, and Acting Deputy Chief Christopher S. Merriam of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Oliva for the District of Nevada are prosecuting the case.