Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
6 January 2025
Two Men Convicted of Unlawfully Video Recording Inside Social Security OfficesRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Following a bench trial, United States Magistrate Judge Embry J. Kidd has found Joshua Joseph Gray (45, New Smyrna Beach) and George Douglas Metz (51, Belleview) guilty of unlawfully video recording and failing to comply with official signs and directives inside multiple Social Security field offices. Gray and Metz were each sentenced to pay a $3,000 fine and serve six months’ probation. Gray and Metz were charged by an Information on November 28, 2023.
According to evidence presented at trial, on various dates between November 2022 and January 2023, Gray and Metz each entered three different Social Security field offices in Central Florida while video recording. Gray and Metz continued to video record despite being informed by official signage and Social Security representatives that video recording is prohibited in Social Security offices without prior permission. Gray and Metz were informed that the video recording rules serve to protect the privacy of customers who come to Social Security offices to conduct business and exchange personal information. Gray and Metz subsequently posted their video recordings, which depicted members of the public and Social Security representatives conducting business, on their public YouTube channels, where Gray and Metz were paid for their videos and solicited donations.
This case was investigated by the Federal Protective Service and the Social Security Administration - Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Del Mastro.
Two Indian Chemical Companies and a Senior Executive Indicted for Distributing Fentanyl Precursor ChemicalsRead the Press Release
BROOKLYN, NY - Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, two indictments were unsealed charging India-based companies Raxuter Chemicals and Athos Chemicals Pvt. Ltd. (Athos Chemicals) and Bhavesh Lathiya, a founder and senior executive of Raxuter Chemicals, with criminal conspiracies to distribute and import fentanyl precursor chemicals to the United States. Lathiya was arrested on January 4, 2025 in New York City and arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Marutollo. Lathiya was ordered detained pending trial.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Merrick B. Garland, United States Attorney General and Alejandro N. Mayorkas, Department of Homeland Security Secretary, announced the arrest and indictments.
“Our efforts to disrupt the global fentanyl supply chain are being fought on many fronts, and as alleged in these indictments, by charging two chemical companies based in India and a company executive with knowingly distributing the chemical building blocks of fentanyl,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “My Office will vigorously prosecute those pushers of poison, here and abroad, who are responsible for fueling our nation’s opioid epidemic without any regard for the extreme harm they are causing.”
Mr. Peace thanked the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, Homeland Security Investigations, New York and United States Customs and Border Protection, New York Field Office, for their invaluable assistance.
“The Justice Department is targeting every link in fentanyl trafficking supply chains that span countries and continents and too often end in tragedy in the United States,” stated Attorney General Garland. “We allege these companies, and a company founder and senior executive who is now in custody, conspired to distribute and import fentanyl precursor chemicals from India to the United States and Mexico. We made a promise that the Justice Department would never forget the victims of the fentanyl epidemic, and that we would never stop working to hold accountable those who bear responsibility for it — that is what we have done, and that is what we will continue to do.”“Much of our nation’s illicit fentanyl crisis can be traced to bad actors overseas who knowingly and illegally traffic precursor chemicals to North America, where cartels refine them into deadly narcotics and wreak immeasurable heartbreak and destruction on so many American communities,” stated DHS Secretary Mayorkas. “The Department of Homeland Security, alongside our federal partners, will continue to take the fight against fentanyl directly to alleged foreign precursor chemical exporters like the companies and the individual indicted today – because the best way to stop illicit fentanyl from killing Americans and devastating communities is by preventing it from being manufactured in the first place.”
Fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, is the deadliest drug threat currently facing the United States. It is a highly addictive synthetic opioid that is approximately 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Fentanyl is designated as a Schedule II controlled substance while various precursors that can be used to produce fentanyl are included on the controlled substance schedules List I and List II.
Raxuter Chemicals and Lathiya are charged with conspiracy to distribute and import a listed chemical, distribution and importation of a listed chemical knowing it would be used to manufacture fentanyl, smuggling and other related offenses. Athos Chemicals is charged with similar offenses, including conspiracy to distribute and import a listed chemical and distribution and importation of a listed chemical.
As alleged in the indictments and court filings, the defendants supplied precursor chemicals to the United States and Mexico, among other places, knowing they would be used to manufacture fentanyl. They also sent their chemical products to the United States and Mexico using international mail and package carriers. The chemicals distributed by the defendants included all the materials necessary to manufacture fentanyl via the most common methods or pathways. To prevent detection and interception of chemical products at the borders, the defendants employed deceptive and fraudulent practices, such as mislabeling packages, falsifying customs forms, and making false declarations at border crossings.
For example, on or about June 29, 2024, a package shipped by Raxuter Chemicals was delivered to an address in the Eastern District of New York. The package had a false manifest that listed its contents as Vitamin C. In truth, the contents were a List I chemical, 1-boc-4-piperidone, an unlawfully imported fentanyl precursor.
On or about October 2, 2024 and October 15, 2024, Lathiya appeared on a video call to discuss sale of fentanyl precursor chemicals with an HSI undercover officer. After being told by the undercover officer that his “clients in Mexico were very happy with the quality of what you sent me” and with “the yield they got of the final product,” Lathiya agreed to sell 20 kilograms 1-boc-4-piperidone, which is a List I chemical used in fentanyl synthesis. Lathiya also proposed mislabeling the chemical as an antacid. The undercover officer replied and asked if it would be easier to ship the product to Mexico, stating “This is a very controversial product … Because like you said it’s banned and in Mexico I think it could be easier but there’s so much pressure on them because of fentanyl.” On or about November 23, 2024, Raxuter Chemicals and Lathiya shipped approximately 20 kilograms of 1-boc-4-piperidone to the Eastern District of New York. The package was mislabeled as an antacid.
In addition, on or about February 20, 2024, Athos Chemicals agreed to sell 100 kilograms of 1-boc-4-piperidone to a known drug trafficker in Mexico who was making fentanyl in association with a drug trafficking organization.
Mexican drug trafficking organizations, including but not limited to the Sinaloa Cartel, have increasingly availed themselves of the fentanyl precursors developed and distributed by companies like the defendants. The chemicals provided by the defendant companies have enabled such cartels and other drug trafficking organizations to produce fentanyl in clandestine laboratories in Mexico on a massive scale for subsequent distribution in the United States and elsewhere.
The charges in the indictments are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of all the charges, Lathiya faces up to 53 years in prison.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Adam Amir, William P. Campos and Chand Edwards-Balfour are in charge of the prosecution with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Samuel Ronchetti.
The Defendants:
BHAVESH ranCHHODBHAI LATHIYA (also known as “Bhavesh Patel” and “Bhavesh Bhai”)
Age: 36
Surat, Gujarat, IndiaRAXUTER CHEMICALS
Surat, Gujarat, IndiaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-525 (PKC)
ATHOS CHEMICALS PVT. LTD.
Surat, Gujarat, IndiaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-526 (RPK)
Two Indian Chemical Companies and a Senior Executive Indicted for Distributing Fentanyl Precursor ChemicalsRead the Press Release
Two indictments were unsealed today and Saturday charging India-based companies Raxuter Chemicals and Athos Chemicals Pvt. Ltd. (Athos Chemicals) and Bhavesh Lathiya, a founder and senior executive of Raxuter Chemicals, with criminal conspiracies to distribute and import fentanyl precursor chemicals to the United States. Lathiya was arrested on Jan. 4, in New York City and arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Marutollo for the Eastern District of New York. Lathiya was ordered detained pending trial.
“The Justice Department is targeting every link in fentanyl trafficking supply chains that span countries and continents and too often end in tragedy in the United States,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We allege these companies, and a company founder and senior executive who is now in custody, conspired to distribute and import fentanyl precursor chemicals from India to the United States and Mexico. We made a promise that the Justice Department would never forget the victims of the fentanyl epidemic, and that we would never stop working to hold accountable those who bear responsibility for it — that is what we have done, and that is what we will continue to do.”
“Much of our nation’s illicit fentanyl crisis can be traced to bad actors overseas who knowingly and illegally traffic precursor chemicals to North America, where cartels refine them into deadly narcotics and wreak immeasurable heartbreak and destruction on so many American communities,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “The Department of Homeland Security, alongside our federal partners, will continue to take the fight against fentanyl directly to alleged foreign precursor chemical exporters like the companies and the individual indicted today — because the best way to stop illicit fentanyl from killing Americans and devastating communities is by preventing it from being manufactured in the first place.”
“Our efforts to disrupt the global fentanyl supply chain are being fought on many fronts, and as alleged in these indictments, by charging two chemical companies based in India and a company executive with knowingly distributing the chemical building blocks of fentanyl,” stated U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “My office will vigorously prosecute those pushers of poison, here and abroad, who are responsible for fueling our nation’s opioid epidemic without any regard for the extreme harm they are causing.”
Fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, is the deadliest drug threat currently facing the United States. It is a highly addictive synthetic opioid that is approximately 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Fentanyl is designated as a Schedule II controlled substance while various precursors that can be used to produce fentanyl are included on the controlled substance schedules List I and List II.
Raxuter Chemicals and Lathiya are charged with conspiracy to distribute and import a listed chemical, distribution and importation of a listed chemical knowing it would be used to manufacture fentanyl, smuggling, and other related offenses. Athos Chemicals is charged with similar offenses, including conspiracy to distribute and import a listed chemical and distribution and importation of a listed chemical.
As alleged in the indictments and court filings, the defendants supplied precursor chemicals to the United States and Mexico, among other places, knowing they would be used to manufacture fentanyl. They also sent their chemical products to the United States and Mexico using international mail and package carriers. The chemicals distributed by the defendants included all the materials necessary to manufacture fentanyl via the most common methods or pathways. To prevent detection and interception of chemical products at the borders, the defendants employed deceptive and fraudulent practices, such as mislabeling packages, falsifying customs forms, and making false declarations at border crossings.
For example, on or about June 29, 2024, a package shipped by Raxuter Chemicals was delivered to an address in the Eastern District of New York. The package had a false manifest that listed its contents as Vitamin C. In truth, the contents were a List I chemical, 1-boc-4-piperidone, an unlawfully imported fentanyl precursor.
On or about Oct. 2, 2024, and Oct 15, 2024, Lathiya appeared on a video call to discuss sale of fentanyl precursor chemicals with an Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) undercover officer. After being told by the undercover officer that his “clients in Mexico were very happy with the quality of what you sent me” and with “the yield they got of the final product,” Lathiya agreed to sell 20 kilograms 1-boc-4-piperidone, which is a List I chemical used in fentanyl synthesis. Lathiya also proposed mislabeling the chemical as an antacid. The undercover officer replied and asked if it would be easier to ship the product to Mexico, stating “This is a very controversial product … Because like you said it’s banned and in Mexico I think it could be easier but there’s so much pressure on them because of fentanyl.” On or about Nov. 23, 2024, Raxuter Chemicals and Lathiya shipped approximately 20 kilograms of 1-boc-4-piperidone to the Eastern District of New York. The package was mislabeled as an antacid.
In addition, on or about Feb. 20, 2024, Athos Chemicals agreed to sell 100 kilograms of 1-boc-4-piperidone to a known drug trafficker in Mexico who was making fentanyl in association with a drug trafficking organization.
Mexican drug trafficking organizations, including but not limited to the Sinaloa Cartel, have increasingly availed themselves of the fentanyl precursors developed and distributed by companies like the defendants. The chemicals provided by the defendant companies have enabled such cartels and other drug trafficking organizations to produce fentanyl in clandestine laboratories in Mexico on a massive scale for subsequent distribution in the United States and elsewhere.
If convicted, Lathiya faces a maximum penalty of 53 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
HSI New York investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s New York Field Office provided assistance.
HSI New York investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s New York Field Office provided assistance.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
athos_chemicals_indictment.pdf 24-cr-525_bhavesh_lathiya_et_al_indictment.pdfTexas Syndicate gang member “Diablo” sentenced for third federal drug chargeRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 58-year-old Corpus Christi resident has been sentenced to a total of 200 months in prison for meth trafficking and two supervised release violations, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Tony Maldonado aka Diablo pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute meth Feb. 1, 2024.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has now ordered Maldonado to serve 188 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release for this offense. At the hearing, the court heard Maldonado was on supervised release for two other federal drug cases, one from 2000 involving meth and one from 2013 for possession with intent to distribute heroin, when he was once again arrested for distributing narcotics. The court also heard that Maldonado was a long-time member of the Texas Syndicate prison gang.
Following this sentencing, Judge Morales considered the two supervised release violations. He was ultimately sentenced to 50 and 24 months for the 2000 and 2013 cases, respectively. The court ordered the 50-month-term to be served concurrently and 12 of the 24 months to run consecutively to the current sentence for a total of 200 months in federal prison.
In handing down the sentences, Judge Morales noted Maldonado’s extensive criminal history and that there must be consequences for violating his supervised release.
In mid-2023, law enforcement discovered Maldonado was distributing narcotics from his elderly parent’s home. After several months of investigation, authorities obtained a federal search warrant which they executed Aug. 29, 2023, at which time they seized 83.86 grams of heroin, 39.34 grams of meth and jail letters confirming his active status in the Texas Syndicate prison gang.
Maldonado will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of the FBI, Corpus Christi Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barbara J. De Pena and Brittany Jensen prosecuted the case.
Tampa Bay Area Doctor Charged with Producing Child Sexual Abuse Materials and Enticing Minors to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the indictment and arrest of Stephen Andrew Leedy (59, St. Petersburg) on three counts of production of child sexual abuse material and two counts of coercing or enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity. If convicted on all counts, Leedy faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.
According to the indictment and court documents, Leedy, a palliative care doctor in the Tampa Bay area, utilized the username “maximumuncle#9112” to sexually exploit and victimize approximately ten minors online. In online conversations and video chats, Leedy instructed the minors to produce sexually explicit images of themselves and directed them to cut, choke, and hang themselves. In November 2022, Minor Victim 1 was discovered deceased, having hanged herself in front of her phone in a manner consistent with instructions Leedy had previously provided her.
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 Pasco Sheriff’s Office and the FBI – Tampa Office, with assistance from St. Petersburg Police Department, FBI – Atlanta Office, and the Holly Springs Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Abigail K. King and Ilyssa M. Spergel.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Summerset Woman Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal Prison for Multistate Sexual Exploitation of MinorsRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Summerset, South Dakota, woman convicted of seven federal criminal offenses, including Enticement to Travel for Illegal Sexual Activity, Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Activity, Possession of Child Pornography, Obstruction of Justice, Tampering with a Witness, and Transfer of Obscene Material to a Minor. The sentencing took place on January 3, 2025.
Emily Nicole Yeary, 26, was sentenced to a total of 40 years in federal prison, which will be followed by five years of supervised release. She will pay a $700 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and $3,000 in restitution to one of her victims. Another victim’s family will make a later restitution request. Yeary will also pay restitution to the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force for forensic examinations of Yeary’s phone and other devices.
“This is among the most heinous cases of child exploitation our office has prosecuted,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “The lengths to which Emily Yeary went to groom and then manipulate these young girls is reprehensible, and the use of these minor victims as pawns in a game of sexual abuse and terror is unforgivable. Yeary earned herself every month of today’s federal sentence. Let us all be grateful for the expertise of DCI’s Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce and the coordinated efforts of law enforcement agencies throughout South Dakota and other jurisdictions. Law enforcement’s thorough investigation exposed Yeary’s criminal activity and allowed the U.S. Attorney’s Office to seek justice in federal court.”
“I commend the State Trooper, the Division of Criminal Investigation, and South Dakota law enforcement for working with law enforcement across state lines to protect a young victim and hold a serious offender accountable. Human trafficking and its young victims remain a national concern that we unfortunately are not immune from in South Dakota,” said South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley.
In July of 2022, a federal grand jury charged Yeary with multiple crimes arising out of her criminal conduct with minors, including Attempted Exploitation of a Minor, Transportation of a Minor with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity, Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet, and Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Activity. The multistate investigation revealed Yeary offended against multiple victims, all of whom were minors from Mississippi, Kentucky, Florida, and Missouri. Yeary pleaded guilty to seven federal offenses on November 1, 2024.
On June 25, 2022, Yeary was arrested by the South Dakota Highway Patrol after being pulled over for speeding. Yeary had a 14-year-old female in her vehicle who had been reported missing from Mississippi. When Yeary bonded out of jail days later, she immediately contacted the same minor, spray painted her truck to avoid detection, and returned to Mississippi, where Yeary removed the child from her home a second time and took her to Kansas.
The investigation revealed that Yeary routinely presented herself to be an underage male named “Riley” and used Tik Tok and other cell phone apps to obtain access to minor females. Over the course of three years, Yeary traveled to multiple states to meet her victims and convince them to run away with her. Yeary crossed state lines intending to engage in sex with her victims, and then took her victims across state lines with similar intentions. Yeary sexually abused at least one of her victims, using a prosthetic penis, after giving alcohol to the minor. Yeary possessed sexually explicit photos of another minor female from Kentucky, with whom Yeary had an illegal sexual relationship with and to whom Yeary sent sexually explicit photos of a prosthetic penis. Yeary had another illegal relationship with a minor from Missouri, whom Yeary hid from police in a college fraternity house. After Yeary was arrested in Rapid City, and while she was in custody at the Pennington County Jail, she attempted to persuade one of her victims not to testify against her and used the same victim to try to persuade the Missouri victim to similarly not cooperate with the prosecution.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The investigation was led by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation and Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Instrumental to the investigation were the Simpson County Mississippi Sheriff’s Office, South Dakota Highway Patrol, Galena Kansas Police Department, Santa Rosa County Florida Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Marshals Service, Rankin County Mississippi Sheriff’s Office, Mississippi Bureau of Investigations, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Knox County Missouri Sheriff’s Office, Kirksville Missouri Police Department, Hannibal Missouri Police Department, U.S. Postal Inspector’s Service, Cherokee County Kansas Sheriff’s Office, and the Quapaw Nation Marshal Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case.
Yeary was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
St. Elmo Man Admits to Shooting Rifle at Federal Agents Serving a WarrantRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A St. Elmo man pleaded guilty in federal court Friday to several assault and firearms charges after he opened fire on federal law enforcement agents who went to serve an arrest warrant at his residence in Fayette County.
Dax Baldrige, 47, pleaded guilty to seven counts of assault of a federal officer, two counts of using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
“Serving warrants is a dangerous job for law enforcement officers, but each show up with courage in order to protect our communities from known offenders,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “Fortunately, the officers involved in this incident returned home unharmed, and the defendant will face consequences to the fullest extent of the law.”
On Oct. 17, 2022, task force members with the U.S. Marshals Service attempted to serve an arrest warrant for Baldrige at his residence in Fayette County when he used a rifle to fire multiple shots at the officers.
“This case illuminates the inherently dangerous job our Deputy U.S. Marshals, Task Force Officers, and law enforcement face every day,” said David Davis, U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Illinois. “We are grateful for the support of all the agencies who were involved in this arrest and relieved that no law enforcement personnel were injured. We are pleased that this incident is ultimately concluding with a guilty plea from Baldrige.”
After a 10-hour stand-off with police, Baldrige was taken into custody, and no injuries were reported.
“ATF is grateful for the dedication of our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s office in pushing through this case to bring to justice this individual.” said Special Agent in Charge, Bernard Hansen, ATF, Kansas City Field Division. “As we did in this investigation ATF will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to focus on those that use firearms to facilitate acts of violence in Illinois, and across the country.”
Baldrige’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 9, 2025.
"Being in law enforcement is one of the most dangerous jobs anyone can do and we will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney's Office so that people like Baldrige who attack officers are brought to justice," said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly.
The U.S. Marshal Service Great Lakes Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, the Illinois State Police and the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department contributed to the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Arshi is prosecuting the case.
San Diego Trial Team Plays Critical Role in Landmark DOJ Effort to Prosecute January 6 DefendantsRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Prosecutors and an intelligence analyst from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in San Diego have handled more than 60 cases — including nine trials — in support of the massive Department of Justice effort to hold accountable those who violently disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to certify the results of the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
As of today, the fourth anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol, the Department of Justice has charged more than 1,500 individuals in federal court in the District of Columbia for crimes related to the events of that day. These cases are being prosecuted through a collaboration led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Five prosecutors and an analyst from San Diego were detailed at various times to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., to help them investigate and prosecute these cases.
Each San Diego prosecutor volunteered to join DOJ’s nationwide team and did so with the full support of the United States Attorney’s Office. The Southern District of California, among many other districts across the nation, provided essential assistance to these cases through the time, talents, and experience of federal prosecutors and support staff.
“We are extremely proud of our contribution to this extraordinary investigative and prosecutorial undertaking,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “These cases hold accountable the individuals who battered, ransacked, and brought terror into the seat of our democracy. This collective effort has been vital to fortify the rule of law and serves as a reminder that armed threats, violence, and insurrection are not protected under the ruse of a lawful protest.”
Examples of trials handled by the San Diego-based Assistant U.S. Attorneys over the past three years include:
United States v Michael Bradley – 23-cr-0435-RBW – Michael Bradley of Forsyth, Georgia, who swung his baton at police officers as they attempted to fend off rioters during the breach of the U.S. Capitol, was convicted by a judge on August 28, 2024, of multiple felony and misdemeanor offenses, including civil disorder; assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers with a deadly or dangerous weapon; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon; and engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon. He was sentenced on December 17, 2024, to 60 months in prison for his part in the sweeping violence. For further information please see https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/georgia-man-sentenced-prison-assaulting-law-enforcement-and-other-offenses-during-jan-6
Side-by-side images of Bradley straddling the railing, preparing to swing his baton at the police.United States v. Michael Sparks –21-cr-87-TJK – Michael Sparks of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, the first rioter to enter the Capitol building, was convicted by a federal jury on March 1, 2024, of felony civil disorder; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building. On August 27, 2024, he was sentenced to 53 months in prison. Please see https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/kentucky-man-sentenced-prison-felony-and-misdemeanor-charges-actions-during-jan-6.
Sparks, top center, turns and waves the mob forward as he leads a group of violent rioters past the final police line protecting the U.S. Capitol building, moments before he became the first rioter to breach the building.United States v. Ronald Colton McAbee – 21-cr-0035-RC – Ronald Colton McAbee of Unionville, Tennessee, who assaulted multiple police officers, to include dragging one down a set of stairs in front of the Lower West Terrace Tunnel, was convicted on all counts by a federal jury on October 22, 2023, of inflicting bodily injury on an officer; civil disorder; entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon; disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon; and engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon. He was sentenced on February 29, 2024, to 70 months in prison. Please see https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/defendants/mcabee-ronald-colton.
McAbee (a sheriff’s deputy at the time) was captured on police body-worn camera holding down the victim police officer, before pulling him down the stairs into the mob.United States v. Ryan Samsel, James Grant, Stephen Randolph, Paul Johnson and Jason Blythe – 21-cr-537-JMC – Ryan Samsel, James Grant, Stephen Randolph, Paul Johnson and Jason Blythe were convicted on February 2, 2024, of various felonies, including assaulting a police officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon or while inflicting bodily injury, following a bench trial. Randolf of Harrodsburg, Kentucky; Grant of Cary, North Carolina; Blythe of Fort Worth, Texas; Samsel of Bristol, Pennsylvania; and Johnson of Lanexa, Virginia, were the first to break through a manned barrier and assault officers, one of whom suffered multiple blows to the head that resulted in a concussion and a loss of consciousness. Samsel went on to assault additional officers. On September 20, 2024, all but Samsel were sentenced for their actions on January 6. Randolph was sentenced to eight years; Grant was sentenced to 36 months; Blythe was sentenced to 30 months; Johnson was sentenced to five years of probation. Samsel is scheduled to be sentenced on February 4, 2025. Please see https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/defendants/samsel-ryan and https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/four-men-sentenced-prison-actions-during-jan-6-capitol-breach.
Defendants Grant, Blythe, Johnson, Samsel and Randolph lifting and pushing a barricade into a U.S. Capitol police officer.United States v. Douglas Austin Jensen – 21-cr-6-TJK – Douglas Jensen of Des Moines, Iowa was convicted by a jury on September 23, 2022, of assaulting, resisting, or impeding a law enforcement officer; obstruction of an official proceeding; interfering with a law enforcement officer during a civil disorder; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a dangerous weapon; and disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds with a dangerous weapon. Video of Jensen leading an angry mob chasing a lone U.S. Capitol Police officer up the stairs to the Senate was widely circulated online in the days following the Capitol attack, and Jensen reported to the FBI that he wanted to be the “poster boy” of January 6. He was sentenced on December 16, 2022, to 60 months in prison. Please see https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/iowa-man-sentenced-five-years-felony-charges-related-capitol-breach.
Douglas Jensen led a mob of angry men chasing a lone U.S. Capitol Police officer up the stairs to the hallway directly outside the Senate Chamber, then faced off with police officers in the hallway despite their orders to leave, as Senators sheltered in place on the other side of the wall.United States v. Zachary Alam – 21-cr-190-DLF – Zachary Jordan Alam from Centreville, Virginia was convicted by federal jury on Sept. 12, 2023, of multiple felonies, including assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers; assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers using a dangerous weapon; civil disorder; destruction of government property; engaging in physical violence in a restricted building with a deadly or dangerous weapon, and related offenses. Alam roamed the building and antagonized officers at the House Main Doors, then went around to a back entrance to the House Chamber as House members and staffers were still evacuating. There he assaulted officers, punched glass door panels with his fists, and once the officers moved, kicked the doors and completely removed the window panels by smashing them with a helmet. On November 7, 2024, he was sentenced to eight years in prison. Please see https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/virginia-man-sentenced-eight-years-prison-assaulting-law-enforcement-and-other-charges\.
Alam (in fur hat) inciting other rioters, with windows he shattered visible behind him and fleeing Congressmembers and staffers visible behind the doors. Alam using a helmet to smash through window panels of the doors outside the House Chamber.United States v. Jonathan Copeland – 23-cr-224-DLF – On May 8, 2024, Jonathan Copeland of Lima, Ohio, was found guilty after a bench trial of eight crimes, including two counts of felony civil disorder and one count each of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers using a dangerous weapon; entering and remaining in a restricted building or ground with a deadly and dangerous weapon; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly and dangerous weapon; and engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or ground with a deadly and dangerous weapon. Copeland helped push a barricade into U.S. Capitol Police Officers at the Peace Circle, worked with others to use a massive metal Trump sign as a battering ram to push past the police line at the West Front of the Capitol, and was involved in an altercation with a cameraman. Copeland yelled at the cameraman and shoved him several times, and then a group of rioters attacked the photographer and pushed him off a ledge. On December 2, 2024, Copeland was sentenced to almost 6 years in prison. Please see https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/ohio-man-sentenced-prison-assaulting-law-enforcement-trump-billboard-and-other-offenses.
Copeland, in the green bandana, pushing a Trump billboard into the police.United States v. Joshua Black – 21-cr-127-AJB – Joshua Black of Leeds, Alabama, was found guilty following a bench trial on January 13, 2023, of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon; unlawful possession of a dangerous weapon on Capitol grounds or buildings; entering and remaining on the floor of Congress; and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building. As he approached the Capitol building from the West side, Black was part of a violent mob of rioters fighting the police; he was struck by a non-lethal round that wounded his face and caused bleeding. Despite this clear warning to retreat, Black entered the Capitol building and the Senate chamber armed with a knife. On May 16, 2023, he was sentenced to 22 months in prison. Please see https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/alabama-man-found-sentenced-felony-and-misdemeanor-charges-related-capitol-breach.
Joshua Black sat on the floor of the Senate Chamber as rioters took over the Dias, shortly after Senators had been evacuated from the Chamber.*All photos were obtained by the government and admitted as evidence for various trials.
Roxbury Man Pleads Guilty to Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Heath Street Gang member/associate pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to drug conspiracy charges.
Charles Bomman, 34, of Roxbury, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for April 10, 2025. Bomman was charged and arrested in February 2024, along with over 40 alleged Heath Street Gang members/associates, who were charged with racketeering conspiracy, drug trafficking, firearms and financial fraud charges.
From 2021 through 2024, Bomman participated in a conspiracy to distribute various controlled substances, in particular, powdered cocaine, cocaine base (crack) and fentanyl.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. The investigation was supported by the Boston Housing Authority Police Department and Massachusetts State Police. Valuable assistance was provided by the Quincy Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Crowley and Sarah Hoefle of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit are prosecuting the case.
Pittsburgh Couple Sentenced for Obstructing Law Enforcement During Campus ProtestRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A husband and wife from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, have been sentenced in federal court for their convictions of obstructing law enforcement during a 2023 public gathering and protest, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan imposed the sentences on Brian DiPippa, 37, and his wife Krystal DiPippa, 42, sentencing Brian to five years in prison and Krystal to three years of probation. The DiPippas also were ordered to jointly pay restitution to the University of Pittsburgh in the amount of $1,400, along with $47,284 to a University of Pittsburgh Police officer for financial damages the officer suffered from injuries caused by the DiPippas’s actions.
According to information presented to the Court, the DiPippas participated in an April 2023 protest on the University of Pittsburgh campus, during which Brian ignited and dropped two homemade incendiary smoke devices in and around a line of people waiting to enter a building for a scheduled event featuring guest speakers. When university police officers gathered and formed a barrier to prevent protesters from entering the rear of the building, Brian, concealed by Krystal, ignited and threw a large explosive firework into the group of officers, causing a loud explosion and injuries to several officers.
“The DiPippas conspired to injure law enforcement officers and cause chaos at a college campus protest,” said U.S. Attorney Olshan. “They attacked brave men and women who were trying to maintain order and protect the attendees. Today’s sentencings—and particularly the years of incarceration imposed on Brian DiPippa—should serve as a deterrent for anyone who would consider engaging in such outrageous and dangerous conduct in the future.”
“The individuals sentenced today deployed explosive devices that injured police officers who were working to maintain order and protect public safety,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek. “These sentencings send a clear message that the FBI and our partners will use all available tools to bring to justice those who seek to injure, maim, or attack law enforcement officers. The FBI and our Joint Terrorism Task Force partners across the country stand committed to our mission of protecting the American people and upholding the Constitution.”
Assistant United States Attorney Shaun E. Sweeney prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Federal Bureau of Investigation Joint Terrorism Task Force, of which the University of Pittsburgh Police is a member; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Pittsburgh Bureau of Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of the DiPippas.
Phenix City Man Sentenced to over Seven Years in Federal Prison for COVID-19 Loan SchemeRead the Press Release
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – On January 6, 2025, a federal judge ordered that 39-year-old Kyle Nathan Carlisle, a resident of Phenix City, Alabama, receive a sentence of 92 months in prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud and money laundering charges related to loans received through the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, announced Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson. Following his prison sentence, Carlisle will be on supervised release for three years. Federal inmates are not eligible for parole.
The CARES Act is a federal law enacted in March 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act established the EIDL program, which was directly administered by the Small Business Administration. This financial assistance program was designed to help eligible small businesses by giving them working capital to make regular payments for operating expenses such as payroll, rent or mortgage expenses, utilities, or business debt.
According to his plea agreement and other court records, between July 2020 and April 2021, Carlisle applied for 23 EIDL loans online, many of which were duplicates. Five of the loans were ultimately funded. Carlisle made multiple false statements and misrepresentations in his applications, including the businesses’ revenue, the number of employees, and that he had no felony convictions in the last five years. Records indicate he had two 2016 felony convictions in Russell County, Alabama. Carlisle further admitted to submitting forged documents with the applications including fake or altered business licenses. As a result of his scheme, Carlisle received approximately $600,000 for four separate applications. Part of the funding was recovered before it cleared Carlisle’s accounts. The total amount sought in the scheme was $3,470,832. Carlisle was also convicted of money laundering for using the illegal proceeds to purchase a vehicle, among other unauthorized personal expenses.
In addition to the prison sentence, the judge ordered that Carlisle pay the Small Business Administration $547,846.54 in restitution. Carlisle was also ordered to forfeit the same amount to the United States government.
“Kyle Carlisle fabricated lies and forged documents in a scheme to divert taxpayer money for his own self-enrichment,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Davidson. “The EIDL program was intended to provide relief to actual struggling businesses during a pandemic that created an enormous economic burden on the entire country. My office remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who engage in activities that threaten the integrity of government programs.”
The FBI Mobile Field Office investigated this case, with assistance from the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General and the Alabama Department of Labor. Assistant United States Attorney J. Patrick Lamb prosecuted the case.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Part-Time Actor from O.C. Sentenced to over 8 Years in Prison for Soliciting Investors for Shell Companies Peddling Bogus COVID CureRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – An Orange County man and part-time actor was sentenced today to 98 months in federal prison for soliciting investors in companies that marketed what in fact were a bogus cure and treatment for COVID-19 during the pandemic’s early days.
Keith Lawrence Middlebrook, 57, of Huntington Beach, was sentenced by United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer, who also fined him $25,000 and ordered him immediately remanded to federal custody to begin serving his prison sentence.
At the conclusion of a three-day trial in May 2024, a jury found Middlebrook guilty of 11 counts of wire fraud.
In March 2020, Middlebrook solicited potential investors in California, Nevada, New York, Texas, and Colorado via text messages, videos and statements posted on YouTube and Instagram about his purported cure for COVID-19. Middlebrook called this so-called cure “QC20,” and he also marketed a purported COVID treatment, which he called “QP20.”
Middlebrook claimed to have personally developed a “patent-pending” cure and a treatment to prevent coronavirus infection. Middlebrook fraudulently solicited investments in various companies with a series of false promises. These fraudulent claims included miraculous results from the prevention product and the cure, risk-free and 100 percent guaranteed “enormous returns” on investments,” and that former Los Angeles Lakers point guard Earvin “Magic” Johnson was a director and officer of Middlebrook’s company. He induced victims to invest their money by promising them enormous returns. Judge Fischer based Middlebrook’s sentence in part on finding that he obstructed justice by his lying on the witness stand when he testified about his purported relationship and business dealings with Johnson.
To bolster these claims, Middlebrook lied that a party in Dubai had offered to purchase his companies for $10 billion, and this offer would secure the victim-investors’ investments in the companies. He also lied that he had secured funding from seven investors who had each already invested between $750,000 and $1 million.
The FBI arrested Middlebrook in this case in March 2020 after Middlebrook delivered pills – purportedly the treatment that prevents coronavirus infection – to an undercover agent who was posing as an investor.
The FBI investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kenneth R. Carbajal of the Violent and Organized Crime Section and Joseph S. Guzman of the General Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.
Orleans Parish Man Indicted for Firearm and Narcotics ViolationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – MELCOLM DOLLIOLE (“DOLLIOLE”), age 39, of New Orleans, Louisiana was charged on January 3, 2025, by a federal grand jury in an eight-count superseding indictment, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. Count 1 charged him with distribution of cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C). Count 2 charged him with distribution of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(C) and Title 18, United States Code, Section 2. Count 6 charged him with possession with the intent to distribute controlled dangerous substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(C), and 841(b)(2). Count 7 charged him with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i). Finally, Count 8 charged him with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).
According to the superseding indictment, on November 18, 2024, New Orleans police officers and federal agents arrested DOLLIOLE for violations of the Federal Controlled Substances Act while he was in possession of firearms. Further investigation determined that DOLLIOLE was prohibited from possessing firearms due to his prior felony conviction(s).
If convicted, DOLLIOLE faces up to 20 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000, at least 3 years of supervised release for Counts 1, 2, and 6; a mandatory minimum of 5 years up to life of imprisonment to run consecutive to Count 6, up to a $250,000 fine, and at least 5 years of supervised release for Count 7; and up to 15 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release for Count 8. DOLLIOLE also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee as to all five counts.
United States Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
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.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the New Orleans Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Troy L. Bell of the Violent Crimes Unit.
* * *
North Dakota Woman Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm While a FelonRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Bismarck, North Dakota, woman convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on January 3, 2025.
Summer Rae Trotter, 34, was sentenced to two 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.
Trotter was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in December 2023. She pleaded guilty on October 23, 2024.
The case stemmed from a Rapid City Police Department officer finding Trotter in possession of a firearm in Rapid City. Trotter is federally prohibited from owning and possessing firearms because she has previous felony convictions.
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.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.
Trotter was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Nigerian Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for Money Laundering and Passport Fraud ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Nigerian man, formerly of Massachusetts, was sentenced today for his role in separate schemes to launder criminal proceeds from fraud and obtaining a United States passport through false statements.
Chukwunonso Obiora, 37, was sentenced by United States District Judge Indira Talwani to 11 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Obiora was also ordered to pay $3,326,014.14 in restitution and forfeiture. In June 2024, Obiora pleaded guilty to one count of passport fraud conspiracy and one count of money laundering conspiracy. Obiora was arrested on a criminal complaint in October 2023 in Atlanta, Ga. and was ordered held pending trial. He was indicted in January 2024.
Between at least as early as March 2021 and May 2023, Obiora and several co-conspirators agreed to receive and withdraw the proceeds of business email compromises (BECs) from bank accounts that they controlled, and to direct those funds to other co-conspirators, in exchange for a cut of the criminal proceeds. BECs are a type of fraud scheme that targets companies that make regular business payments by wire. Cybercriminals use email to impersonate trusted parties to the payments in order to trick the victim companies into sending money to bank accounts controlled by participants in the scheme.
The defendant’s money laundering conspiracy, of which he admitted to being a leader and organizer, involved obtaining individual victims’ means of identification and to create fake driver’s licenses, incorporate businesses and open bank accounts in the victims’ names; providing the bank accounts to co-conspirators involved in the BEC schemes as accounts to which victims could be tricked into sending wires; withdrawing money quickly from the bank accounts once the wire transfers arrived, before victim companies learned that they had been tricked into sending money; and depositing the proceeds into other accounts, and wiring BEC scheme proceeds to the defendant and others in Nigeria, China and elsewhere.
The defendant and his co-conspirators took steps to conceal the existence of the conspiracy, including by forging business invoices and writing false memos on checks to suggest that the BEC scheme proceeds deposited into Destination Accounts were legitimate business revenues; and by making false statements to banks regarding the nature of the BEC scheme proceeds that were deposited into Destination Accounts.
The defendant and his U.S.-based co-conspirators shared at least as much as 40 percent of the deposited BEC scheme proceeds as payment for their roles in the conspiracy. In just two-plus years, the defendant and his co-conspirators engaged in at least $6.5 million in financial transactions involving the proceeds of BEC schemes.
After immigration authorities removed the defendant from the United States in December 2021, he agreed with a close relative who is an American citizen to obtain a U.S. passport in the relative’s name, which the defendant could use to re-enter the United States illegally. The relative reported his passport lost or stolen and, in May 2023, applied for a new passport at a U.S. Post Office in Watertown, Mass. The sworn application had the relative’s name on it, but a picture of the defendant. The relative sent the issued passport to the defendant, who, in October 2023, used the passport to travel from Nigeria to Detroit, Mich., where the defendant presented himself as his relative at the U.S. border.
United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Criminal Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth B. Kosto, Chief of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit, prosecuted the case.
New Haven Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Loaded Handgun While on Federal Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KENNETH STURDIVANT, 39, of New Haven, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 17, 2014, Sturdivant was sentenced in Bridgeport federal court to 120 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release for his involvement in a gang-related narcotics distribution ring. He was released from prison in December 2020.
On November 16, 2023, while on federal supervised release, Sturdivant discarded a loaded Smith & Wesson handgun and a distribution quantity of packaged fentanyl laced with xylazine near Congress Avenue after evading a New Haven Police traffic stop and abandoning his vehicle. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
At sentencing, which is not scheduled, Sturdivant faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years, and an additional penalty for violating the conditions of his supervised release. He is released on a $150,000 bond pending sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the New Haven Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie T. Levick.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.
Motel Shooter Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Marcus Thomas, a previously convicted felon, has been sentenced to federal prison for possession of a firearm and ammunition.
“Thomas was released from state prison only a few days before he illegally obtained a firearm and indiscriminately shot through a motel window, endangering the lives of others within the community,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Thanks to the efforts of our law enforcement partners, violent repeat offenders like Thomas who risk the lives of others, will be brought to justice to face the consequences of their actions.”
“Thomas is a dangerous felon who resumed his criminal activity shortly after being released from prison,” said FBI Atlanta Acting Special Agent in Charge Sean Burke. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to do everything possible to ensure criminals are brought to justice.”
“The reckless and dangerous actions of Marcus Thomas put innocent lives at risk, and this case exemplifies the Atlanta Police Department’s unwavering commitment to working with our federal partners to remove violent offenders from our streets,” said Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum.
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: On July 1, 2022, Atlanta Police Department (APD) officers responded to a report of shots fired at a Travel Inn located on Forest Hills Drive in Atlanta, Georgia. Two witnesses at the location informed APD officers that they saw an individual—later identified as Marcus Thomas—with a firearm outside his motel room. The witnesses said that they saw Thomas enter his room and then heard gunshots coming from his vicinity.
As APD officers approached the room, they observed damage to the window consistent with gunshots. Thomas was ordered out of the room and was detained. APD officers then searched the room and found a firearm magazine and multiple rounds of ammunition on the floor of the bathroom, as well as shell casings from spent ammunition on the floor near one of the beds in the room. A few days later, APD officers recovered the firearm used in the shooting, which was hidden inside a fitted sheet tucked into the mattress of one of the beds in the room.
FBI special agents investigated the shooting and discovered that Thomas recently served a sentence for aggravated assault and was released from prison four days prior to the shooting. Thomas was also previously convicted of multiple other felonies, including terroristic threats, possession of cocaine, and theft by receiving stolen property.
Marcus Thomas, 39, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Geraghty to three years, one month in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Thomas was convicted of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, after he pleaded guilty on August 28, 2024.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Atlanta Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bethany L. Rupert and Thomas M. Forsyth, III prosecuted 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.
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.
Mercer County Man Charged with Illegally Possessing Firearms, Fentanyl, and CocaineRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Mercer County, New Jersey, man was arrested and charged with illegally possessing firearms and possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Jose Colon-Matos, 33, of Trenton, is charged by complaint with one count of being a previously convicted felon in possession of two firearms, one count of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, one count of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, and one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He made his initial appearance on January 6, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni in Trenton federal court and was detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for January 10, 2025.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On May 15, 2024, following an investigation into narcotics activity in Hamilton Township in Mercer County, law enforcement officers conducted a court-ordered search of an apartment used by Colon-Matos during which they recovered from a safe in the apartment two loaded firearms, including one with an obliterated serial number, distribution quantities of suspected fentanyl and cocaine, and approximately $9,000.00 in United States currency. The narcotics were subsequently tested by the New Jersey State Police forensic laboratory, which returned positive results for fentanyl and cocaine.
The charge of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm carries a potential maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other sentence imposed, and a maximum potential penalty of life imprisonment, and a fine of $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Brian Driscoll in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the Hamilton Township Police Division, under the direction of Chief Kenneth R. DeBoskey, and the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, for their assistance in the investigation.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Garelick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defense counsel: Andrea G. Aldana, Assistant Federal Public Defender, Office of the Federal Public Defender.
colon_matos.complaint.pdfMassachusetts Business Owner Sentenced to Prison for Million Dollar Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Hanson man was sentenced on Jan. 3, 2025, for a tax fraud scheme in which he willfully failed to pay employment taxes for his two businesses.
Kenneth Marston, 67, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani to six months in prison, to be followed by 18 months of supervised release, with the first six months served on home detention. Marston was also ordered to pay $101,791 in restitution. In October 2024, Marston pleaded guilty to one count of failure to collect and pay over employment taxes.
From 2015 through 2018, Marston owned and operated two businesses: Bowmar Steel Industries, Inc., which engaged in steel fabrication, and Teleconstructors, Inc., which provided installation services on cellular phone towers. During that time, Marston falsely treated his employees as if they were independent contractors and, in turn, failed to withhold employment taxes on over $3.8 million in combined wages. As a result, Marston avoided reporting and paying $1 million in employment taxes owed to the Internal Revenue Service.
United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney James R. Drabick of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit and Trial Attorney Mark McDonald of the Justice Department’s Tax Division prosecuted the case.
Mapleton, Iowa, Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Gregory William Douglas McCormick, age 22, from Mapleton, Iowa, pled guilty on January 6, 2025, to one count of possession of child pornography in federal court in Sioux City.
In a plea agreement, McCormick admitted that knowingly received, distributed, and possessed child pornography. In his initial interview with police, McCormick admitted there would be child pornography on his current cell phone as well as two older cell phones. McCormick not only possessed child pornography, but he also distributed images and videos of child pornography to others on the social media platform Kik. During a forensic search of his cell phones and Kik account, McCormick possessed a total of 120 images and 7 videos of child pornography. The videos and images included infants and toddlers as well as sadistic and masochistic conduct.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. McCormick was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the guilty plea and will remain in custody pending sentencing. McCormick faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 5 years to life of supervised release following any imprisonment.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
The case was investigated by Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Cyber Crime Bureau and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-4047. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Manderson Man Indicted and Detained for Felony Murder and ArsonRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal grand jury has indicted a Manderson, South Dakota, man for First Degree Murder, Attempted Murder, and Arson.
Reno Rondeau, age 51, was indicted in December of 2024. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta L. Wollmann on January 3, 2025, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The mandatory penalty upon conviction for first degree murder is life in custody and up to a $250,000 fine and a $100 payment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The charges relate to Rondeau intentionally setting fire to and burning his brother’s residence near Manderson in October 2024. When he set the fire, Rondeau knew the home was occupied by his brother and his brother’s friend, who perished in the fire. Rondeau’s brother suffered burn injuries but escaped the flames. The residence was completely destroyed in the fire.
The charges are merely accusations and Rondeau is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
This matter is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court.
The investigation is being conducted by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox is prosecuting the case.
Rondeau was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Man Sentenced for Insider Trading SchemeRead the Press Release
A California man was sentenced today to two years in prison for his role in an insider trading scheme that netted more than $650,000 in illicit profits.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between 2012 and 2013, Shahriyar Bolandian, 36, of the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, received material non-public information about two upcoming corporate acquisitions from his childhood friend, who was an investment banking analyst at J.P. Morgan Securities LLC. Bolandian then used the inside information to trade in advance of the public announcements of Integrated Device Technology Inc.’s April 2012 planned acquisition of PLX Technology Inc., and Salesforce.com Inc.’s June 2013 acquisition of ExactTarget Inc. As a result of his illegal trades, Bolandian personally made over $340,000, which he used, among other things, to cover previous trading losses and repay loans to family and friends.
In April 2024, a federal jury convicted Bolandian of six counts of insider trading.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brent S. Wible, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California; and Assistant Director in Charge Akil Davis of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Los Angeles Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Della Sentilles of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Ali Moghaddas and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Roach for the Central District of California prosecuted the case.
Lynn Man Pleads Guilty to Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lynn man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to possession of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
Jansyel Hernandez, 22, pleaded guilty to an Indictment charging one count of possession of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Hernandez and codefendant Juan Ramos were charged by criminal complaint in May 2023. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for April 17, 2025.
In April 2023, an apartment in Lynn was identified as being fraudulently rented under a fictitious name. It was determined that the listed tenant did not exist and that the premises was being utilized as a hub for drug distribution and packaging. On May 2, 2023, a search was executed at the premises where Hernandez and Ramos were discovered in the residence. Hernandez and Ramos both fled by way of the balcony and were apprehended a short distance away. At the time of the search, Ramos was on pretrial release for an unrelated domestic violence offense and wearing a court-ordered GPS bracelet. Review of the records for the GPS bracelet showed that Ramos travelled frequently to the apartment.
During a search of the apartment approximately 1200 grams of fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine were located. In addition to the controlled substances, 30 pounds of cutting agent, blenders, scales and other paraphernalia used in the distribution and packaging of drugs were also located. A .38 caliber Taurus revolver was located in the apartment as well. In a subsequent search of Ramos’ vehicle that was parked outside the apartment, an additional 200 grams of fentanyl and a .40 caliber Glock pistol was discovered in a hidden compartment under the driver’s seat.
In October 2023 Ramos pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 90 months in federal prison.
The charge of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi S. Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Essex County District Attorney, Paul F. Tucker made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
Justice Department Reaches Agreement with the City of Minneapolis and Minneapolis Police Department to Reform City’s and Police Department’s Unconstitutional and Unlawful PracticesRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS — The Justice Department announced today that it has entered into a court enforceable agreement with the City of Minneapolis and Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) to resolve the Department’s findings that the city and MPD engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that violates the First, Fourth, and 14th Amendments of the Constitution as well as the Americans with Disabilities Act and other federal anti-discrimination laws.
The consent decree, filed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota and subject to court approval, sets forth the roadmap to reform within the city and MPD. The decree’s requirements focus on preventing excessive force; stopping racially discriminatory policing; improving officers’ interactions with youth; protecting the public’s First Amendment rights; preventing discrimination against people with behavioral health disabilities; promoting well-being of officers and employees; and enhancing officers’ supervision and accountability. The decree calls for the appointment of the Effective Law Enforcement For All team as an independent monitor to assess whether the requirements of the decree are being implemented. The independent monitor will report publicly on the city’s implementation efforts on a regular basis.
“This agreement places the City of the Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Police Department on a path toward achieving the significant reforms, lawful policing, and appropriate emergency response services that the residents of Minneapolis deserve,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “As I said last summer when I announced the findings of this investigation – George Floyd should be alive today. This agreement is an important step toward ensuring that meaningful, durable reform is achieved in Minneapolis.”
“The people of Minneapolis deserve constitutional policing, bias-free public safety efforts, and effective emergency response services,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The consent decree we unveil today marks a new chapter for Minneapolis, a city still healing following the tragic death of George Floyd. Through this consent decree, the City and the Minneapolis Police Department have committed to instituting reforms that will make Minneapolis a model law enforcement agency that respects everyone’s civil and constitutional rights. We look forward to working collaboratively with city officials, the Minneapolis Police Department, and the people of Minneapolis to usher in a new era of change and transformation.”
“This agreement calls for focused, measurable, and detailed reforms that reflect input from the community and a shared goal of positive transformation to benefit the City, the police, and the citizens of Minneapolis,” said Civil Chief and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ana Voss for the District of Minnesota.
Under the consent decree, the City of Minneapolis and MPD will implement comprehensive reforms to:
• Use de-escalation to minimize the need to use force and increase the likelihood of voluntary compliance; resolve incidents without force where possible; use force proportional to the threat; and adopt use of force policies, training, and review systems that provide sufficient guidance and develop necessary skills;
• Enforce the law fairly and impartially, providing equal protection of the law for all people in Minneapolis and barring racial discrimination in enforcement;
• Respect the First Amendment rights of all persons;
• Maintain an emergency response system that respects the rights of people with behavioral health disabilities;
• Investigate allegations of employee misconduct fully, fairly, and efficiently; predicate investigative findings on the appropriate standard of proof and document them in writing, and hold officers who commit misconduct accountable pursuant to a disciplinary system that is fair, consistent, and provides due process;
• Approach youth in a manner that is developmentally appropriate, age-appropriate, and trauma-informed; and
• Provide confidential mental health wellness services to all MPD officers and other groups of public safety personnel.
The Justice Department announced its findings in June 2023, following a thorough investigation into the City of Minneapolis and MPD. The Department found that it had reasonable cause to believe that MPD: uses excessive force, including unjustified deadly force and unreasonable use of tasers; unlawfully discriminates against Black people and Native American people in its enforcement activities; violates the rights of people engaged in protected speech; and — together with the city — discriminates against people with behavioral health disabilities when responding to calls for assistance. The Department concluded that persistent deficiencies in policy, training, supervision, and accountability contribute to the unlawful conduct.
The Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota conducted the investigation, with the assistance of law enforcement professionals, pursuant to the pattern or practice provision of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. Since January 2021, the Special Litigation Section has opened 12 investigations into law enforcement agencies. The section is enforcing 15 agreements with law enforcement agencies and two post-judgment orders. Additionally, on Dec. 12, 2024, the Department and Louisville, Kentucky, Metro Government filed a joint motion in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky to enter a consent decree intended to resolve the Justice Department’s findings that Louisville Metro and the Louisville Metro Police Department engage in a pattern or practice of violations of the Constitution and federal law. That motion remains pending court approval.
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available at www.justice.gov/crt. Additional information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota is available at www.justice.gov/usao-mn.
Information specific to the Civil Rights Division’s police reform work can be found at www.justice.gov/crt/conduct-law-enforcement-agencies.
The Justice Department will hold a virtual community meeting at 7:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday, Jan. 14. Members of the public are encouraged to attend to learn more about the consent decree.
View the consent decree fact sheet here.
Justice Department Reaches Agreement with the City of Minneapolis and Minneapolis Police Department to Reform City’s and Police Department’s Unconstitutional and Unlawful PracticesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has entered into a court enforceable agreement with the City of Minneapolis and Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) to resolve the Department’s findings that the city and MPD engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that violates the First, Fourth, and 14th Amendments of the Constitution as well as the Americans with Disabilities Act and other federal anti-discrimination laws.
The consent decree, filed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota and subject to court approval, sets forth the roadmap to reform within the city and MPD. The decree’s requirements focus on preventing excessive force; stopping racially discriminatory policing; improving officers’ interactions with youth; protecting the public’s First Amendment rights; preventing discrimination against people with behavioral health disabilities; promoting well-being of officers and employees; and enhancing officers’ supervision and accountability. The decree calls for the appointment of the Effective Law Enforcement For All team as an independent monitor to assess whether the requirements of the decree are being implemented. The independent monitor will report publicly on the city’s implementation efforts on a regular basis.
“This agreement places the City of the Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Police Department on a path toward achieving the significant reforms, lawful policing, and appropriate emergency response services that the residents of Minneapolis deserve,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “As I said last summer when I announced the findings of this investigation — George Floyd should be alive today. This agreement is an important step toward ensuring that meaningful, durable reform is achieved in Minneapolis.”
“The people of Minneapolis deserve constitutional policing, bias-free public safety efforts, and effective emergency response services,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The consent decree we unveil today marks a new chapter for Minneapolis, a city still healing following the tragic death of George Floyd. Through this consent decree, the City and the Minneapolis Police Department have committed to instituting reforms that will make Minneapolis a model law enforcement agency that respects everyone’s civil and constitutional rights. We look forward to working collaboratively with city officials, the Minneapolis Police Department, and the people of Minneapolis to usher in a new era of change and transformation.”
“This agreement calls for focused, measurable, and detailed reforms that reflect input from the community and a shared goal of positive transformation to benefit the City, the police, and the citizens of Minneapolis,” said Civil Chief and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ana Voss for the District of Minnesota.
Under the consent decree, the City of Minneapolis and MPD will implement comprehensive reforms to:
- Use de-escalation to minimize the need to use force and increase the likelihood of voluntary compliance; resolve incidents without force where possible; use force proportional to the threat; and adopt use of force policies, training, and review systems that provide sufficient guidance and develop necessary skills;
- Enforce the law fairly and impartially, providing equal protection of the law for all people in Minneapolis and barring racial discrimination in enforcement;
- Respect the First Amendment rights of all persons;
- Maintain an emergency response system that respects the rights of people with behavioral health disabilities;
- Investigate allegations of employee misconduct fully, fairly, and efficiently; predicate investigative findings on the appropriate standard of proof and document them in writing, and hold officers who commit misconduct accountable pursuant to a disciplinary system that is fair, consistent, and provides due process;
- Approach youth in a manner that is developmentally appropriate, age-appropriate, and trauma-informed; and
- Provide confidential mental health wellness services to all MPD officers and other groups of public safety personnel.
The Justice Department announced its findings in June 2023, following a thorough investigation into the City of Minneapolis and MPD. The Department found that it had reasonable cause to believe that MPD: uses excessive force, including unjustified deadly force and unreasonable use of tasers; unlawfully discriminates against Black people and Native American people in its enforcement activities; violates the rights of people engaged in protected speech; and — together with the city — discriminates against people with behavioral health disabilities when responding to calls for assistance. The Department concluded that persistent deficiencies in policy, training, supervision, and accountability contribute to the unlawful conduct.
The Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota conducted the investigation, with the assistance of law enforcement professionals, pursuant to the pattern or practice provision of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. Since January 2021, the Special Litigation Section has opened 12 investigations into law enforcement agencies. The section is enforcing 15 agreements with law enforcement agencies and two post-judgment orders. Additionally, on Dec. 12, 2024, the Department and Louisville, Kentucky, Metro Government filed a joint motion in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky to enter a consent decree intended to resolve the Justice Department’s findings that Louisville Metro and the Louisville Metro Police Department engage in a pattern or practice of violations of the Constitution and federal law. That motion remains pending court approval.
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available at www.justice.gov/crt. Additional information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota is available at www.justice.gov/usao-mn.
Information specific to the Civil Rights Division’s police reform work can be found at www.justice.gov/crt/conduct-law-enforcement-agencies.
The Justice Department will hold a virtual community meeting at 7:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday, Jan. 14. Members of the public are encouraged to attend to learn more about the consent decree.
View the consent decree fact sheet here.
Justice Department Announces Distribution of over $1B to Compensate Victims of State Sponsored TerrorismRead the Press Release
On Dec. 30, 2024, Special Master Mary Patrice Brown authorized payments from the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund (the Fund) totaling $1.035 billion to nearly 19,000 victims of state‑sponsored terrorism.
In the first week of January, the Fund issued over $766 million to approximately 14,700 claimants and will continue issuing payments on a rolling basis.
“This year, the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund has authorized a distribution of over $1 billion in compensation to support victims of state-sponsored terrorism — bringing the total authorized to date to over $7 billion,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brent S. Wible, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division — through its Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, which administers the Fund — is tireless in its pursuit of justice for victims of state sponsored terrorism.”
“Although the amount distributed is significant, no amount of money can fully compensate those devastated by acts of international terrorism for their tremendous loss and trauma,” said Special Master Brown. “As many victims have shared, it is not about the monetary compensation, it is about justice. The dedicated team at the department has remained steadfast in the pursuit of justice for these victims.”
The Fund was established by Congress and is administered by the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, under the leadership of the Special Master. The Fund has previously allocated more than $6 billion for thousands of victims of state-sponsored terrorism and their families in four rounds of distributions and one round of lump sum catch-up payments. The distribution announced today brings total authorized distributions to over $7 billion. Apart from an initial appropriation of approximately $1 billion from Congress and additional congressional appropriations for lump sum catch-up payments, funds available for distributions result from certain Justice Department prosecutions and cases and other U.S. government enforcement actions.
In 2024, the Fund accepted more than 4,500 newly eligible claimants, bringing the total number of eligible claimants to more than 20,000. Amounts outstanding and unpaid on these claims exceed $120 billion. Claims are anticipated to grow in the coming years as more victims of state-sponsored terrorism apply to the Fund. While the amount of funds available is not sufficient to compensate the victims’ claims in full, this compensation provides some measure of justice for victims of state‑sponsored terrorism.
More information about the Fund’s compensation to victims of state‑sponsored terrorism is available on the Fund website at www.usvsst.com, including application materials, frequently asked questions, and publications.
Honduran National Indicted for Misuse of Social Security NumberRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on December 19, 2024, MARIA DINORA PORTILLO-ALFARO (“PORTILLO-ALFARO”), age 36, of Honduras, was indicted for misuse of a social security number in order to obtain employment, in violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 408(a)(7)(B).
According to the indictment, on or about December 10, 2022, in the Eastern District of Louisiana, the defendant, PORTILLO-ALFARO, willfully, and with intent to deceive, did falsely represent a Social Security account number that was not assigned to her for the purpose of obtaining and maintaining employment.
If convicted, PORTILLO-ALFARO faces up to five years imprisonment, up to 3 years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Removal Office, Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Mary Katherine Kaufman of the General Crimes Unit in in charge of the prosecution.
Georgia Man Sentenced for Illegal Transfer of FirearmsRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Devon Newsome, age 32, of Forrest Park, Georgia, was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for unlawfully transferring firearms to a New York resident.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Field Division; and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement.
When he pled guilty, Newsome admitted that on May 21, 2023, he delivered 29 firearms to a New York resident in Georgia, including stolen firearms and a handgun equipped with a machinegun conversion device. Those firearms were then transported from Georgia to a property on Western Avenue in Albany. Newsome knew the firearms were destined for New York and knew that neither he nor the person for whom the guns were destined were licensed importers, manufacturers, dealers, or collectors of firearms. On May 23, 2023, law enforcement searched the Western Avenue property and found 34 firearms, including the firearms that Newsome had transferred.
United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci also imposed a 3-year term of supervised release following Newsome’s imprisonment.
The following defendants have also been charged in connection with this investigation:
- Anthony Luizzi pled guilty to drug and gun crimes in connection with his trafficking of large amounts of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine, and his possession of more than 30 firearms, including drugs and guns found at the Western Avenue property. Luizzi was sentenced to 210 months in prison and a $10,000 fine on October 1, 2024.
- Brandon Bartley was sentenced on September 24, 2024, to 180 months in prison and to pay a $5,000 fine, for drug and gun crimes related to his possession of drugs and guns at the Western Avenue property.
- Jabree Jones was charged with a violation of the terms of his federal supervised release on May 23, 2023, based on violations of federal gun and drug trafficking laws, and has been detained pending the resolution of the supervised release violation petition. A final revocation hearing is currently scheduled for January 29, 2025. The violations against Jones are merely accusations. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Another suspect in the investigation, Anthony Zaremski, was fatally shot during the execution of a federal search warrant on May 23, 2023, at Zaremski’s apartment in Clifton Park, New York, after Zaremski opened fire and wounded two officers.
The DEA and the ATF are investigating the case, with assistance from the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office, the United States Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG), the Rotterdam Police Department, and the Henry County Police Department in Georgia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping is prosecuting the case.
Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting A Veterans Affairs Police OfficerRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jeffrey A. Sager (55) has pleaded guilty to assaulting a Veterans Affairs (VA) police officer. Sager faces a maximum penalty of eight years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.
According to court documents, on February 13, 2024, Sager entered the Lake City VA Medical Center in Lake City, Florida. Sager immediately locked himself inside a triage room and began berating a nurse who was inside the room with him. The nurse hit a silent panic alarm and VA police responded to the scene. Sager continuously refused officers’ orders to open the triage room door. Officers were able to get inside the triage room and Sager took off running down the hallway of the medical center. An officer was able to catch up to Sager, who resisted the officer and they both fell to the floor. In an effort to escape, Sager kicked the officer in the shoulder, dislocating her shoulder and causing a fracture. Other officers arrived and took Sager into custody.
This case was investigated by the Lake City VA police and Osceola National Forest Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brenna Falzetta.
Felon Sentenced to over Six Years for Multi-State Retail Theft SchemesRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A New York man was sentenced to 81 total months in federal prison for his role in two separate retail theft schemes that affected over 75 retail store locations in at least nine states causing a collective loss of over $250,000.
According to court documents, 33-year-old Christopher Greene-Jackson and 48-year-old codefendant Jason Thomas Macaulay were involved in conspiracy to fraudulently obtain gift cards from retail stores, in seven states including retail stores in Mobile and Bay Minette, Alabama.
From February 2021 through April 2021, Greene-Jackson and Macaulay fraudulently obtained personal operator identification numbers and passwords belonging to retail store employees. Greene-Jackson and Macaulay collected blank gift cards from the store racks. Using the stolen credentials, Greene-Jackson and Macaulay conducted purported gift card transactions at unoccupied point-of-sale terminals. While logged into the terminals using stolen credentials belonging to real employees, Greene-Jackson and Macaulay activated the blank gift cards they had taken from the store racks and loaded funds onto the gift cards. Greene-Jackson and Macaulay stole cash from the point-of-sale terminal drawer and left the stores with fraudulently loaded gift cards and stolen cash. These gift card and cash thefts occurred at over 60 retail locations, resulting in a loss of approximately $59,000.
In September 2024, Greene-Jackson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory consecutive two-year sentence of imprisonment. Codefendant Macaulay previously pleaded guilty in April 2024 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering for his role in the scheme and was sentenced to 69 total months in federal prison. Greene-Jackson and Macaulay were both ordered to pay approximately $59,000 in restitution to the victim retailer, representing the total amount of fraudulently loaded gift cards and stolen cash.
During the investigation and prosecution of the gift card scheme, federal law enforcement identified Greene-Jackson conducting a separate, retail scheme as part of an organized theft group affecting sporting goods retail stores. According to court documents, between July 2023 and March 2024, Greene-Jackson conspired with others to steal golf clubs and golf bags from multiple sporting goods stores in at least five states. The thefts were primarily carried out by conspirators who entered the stores during normal operating hours, grabbed golf clubs and bags, and ran out of the retail stores with thousands of dollars’ worth of golf equipment. Greene-Jackson retrieved the stolen golf equipment from the thieves. Greene-Jackson shipped the stolen golf equipment to an innocent third-party online retailer in the business of buying and selling used golf equipment. The online retailer purchased the equipment from Greene-Jackson until the online retailer realized that the merchandise had been stolen. The total value of golf equipment stolen during the conspiracy was nearly $200,000 affecting at least ten sporting goods stores in multiple states.In August 2024, Greene-Jackson was charged in the Northern District of Georgia for conspiracy to transport stolen property in interstate commerce. The case was transferred to the Southern District of Alabama where Greene-Jackson was facing charges for the separate gift card scheme. Greene-Jackson pleaded guilty to the golf merchandise conspiracy charge at the same time he pleaded guilty to charges in the gift card scheme.
On December 20, 2024, Greene-Jackson was sentenced in both cases in the Southern District of Alabama. Greene-Jackson, who had been previously convicted of multiple felony offenses involving fraud, forgery, and theft was sentenced to a total of 81 months in federal prison and ordered to pay over $250,000 in restitution to victims for his roles in both cases.
The gift card theft scheme was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of Walmart Global Investigations and local law enforcement partners. The golf merchandise theft scheme was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations based in Atlanta, Georgia with the assistance of the affected retailers and local law enforcement partners.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin D. Kopf of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama and Kelly K. Connors of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia prosecuted the cases on behalf of the United States.
El Departamento de Justicia celebra un acuerdo con la Ciudad de Minneapolis y el Departamento de Policía de Minneapolis para reformar las prácticas inconstitucionales e ilegales de la Ciudad y el Departamento de PolicíaRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha celebrado un acuerdo ejecutable judicialmente con la ciudad de Minneapolis y el Departamento de Policía de Minneapolis (MPD, por sus siglas en inglés) para resolver las conclusiones del Departamento en cuanto a que la ciudad y el MPD participaron en un patrón o práctica de conductas que violan la Primera, Cuarta y Decimocuarta Enmiendas a la Constitución, así como la Ley de Estadounidenses con Discapacidades y otras leyes federales antidiscriminatorias.
La orden de consentimiento, presentada hoy en el Tribunal de Distrito de los EE. UU. para el Distrito de Minnesota y sujeto a la aprobación del tribunal, establece el mapa de la reforma dentro de la ciudad y del MPD. Los requisitos de la orden se enfocan en prevenir el uso excesivo de la fuerza; detener las prácticas policiales racialmente discriminatorias; mejorar la interacción de los agentes con los jóvenes; proteger los derechos del público en virtud de la Primera Enmienda; prevenir la discriminación contra personas con discapacidades de salud del comportamiento; fomentar el bienestar de los agentes y empleados; y mejorar la supervisión y el rendimiento de cuentas de los agentes. La orden pide el nombramiento del Equipo de Aplicación Efectiva de la Ley para Todos como un observador independiente para evaluar si los requisitos de la orden están siendo implementados. El observador independiente reportará públicamente de forma regular sobre los esfuerzos de implementación de la ciudad.
“Este acuerdo coloca a la ciudad de Minneapolis y al Departamento de Policía de Minneapolis en capacidad de realizar reformas significativas, prácticas policiales lícitas y servicios de respuesta de emergencia apropiados que se merecen los residentes de Minneapolis”, afirmó el fiscal general Merrick B. Garland. “Como dije el verano pasado cuando anuncié los resultados de esta investigación, George Floyd debería estar vivo hoy. Este acuerdo es un paso importante para garantizar una reforma significativa y duradera en Minneapolis”.
“Los ciudadanos de Minneapolis merecen prácticas policiales constitucionales, esfuerzos de seguridad púbica sin discriminación y servicios de respuesta de emergencia eficaces”, dijo la fiscal general auxiliar Kristen Clarke de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento. La orden de consentimiento que hacemos pública hoy marca un nuevo capítulo para Minneapolis, una ciudad todavía recuperándose de la trágica muerte de George Floyd. Mediante esta orden de consentimiento, la ciudad y el Departamento de Policía de Minneapolis se han comprometido a instaurar reformas que harán de Minneapolis un modelo de agencia del orden público, que respeta los derechos civiles y constitucionales de todos. Esperamos trabajar en colaboración con los agentes de la ciudad, el Departamento de Policía de Minneapolis y los ciudadanos de Minneapolis para iniciar una nueva era de cambio y transformación”.
“Este acuerdo pide que se hagan reformas que sean enfocadas, medibles y detalladas que reflejen las sugerencias y comentarios de la comunidad y un objetivo compartido de transformación positiva en beneficio de la ciudad, la policía y los ciudadanos de Minneapolis”, afirmó la jefa de Asuntos Civiles y fiscal general auxiliar Ana Voss para el Distrito de Minnesota.
Según la orden de consentimiento, la ciudad de Minneapolis y el MPD implementarán reformas integrales para:
- Utilizar técnicas de desescalamiento a fin de minimizar la necesidad del uso de la fuerza y aumentar la probabilidad de la obediencia voluntaria; resolver los incidentes sin el uso de la fuerza cuando sea posible; utilizar fuerza proporcional a la amenaza; y adoptar políticas de uso de la fuerza, capacitación y sistemas de revisión que den la orientación suficiente y desarrollen las destrezas necesarias;
- Hacer cumplir la ley de manera equitativa e imparcial, brindando igual protección de la ley a todos en Minneapolis sin discriminación racial al momento de hacerlo;
- Respetar los derechos de todas las personas en virtud de la Primera Enmienda;
- Mantener un sistema de repuesta de emergencia que respete los derechos de las personas con discapacidades de salud del comportamiento;
- Investigar alegaciones de mala conducta de los empleados en forma completa, equitativa y eficiente; basar las conclusiones de la investigación en el estándar de prueba adecuado y documentarlas por escrito, y responsabilizar a los agentes que cometan mala conducta de acuerdo con un sistema disciplinario que sea justo, coherente y que proporcione las debidas garantías procesales;
- Aproximarse a los jóvenes de una manera apropiada a la condición de desarrollo y la edad del joven y que tenga en cuenta la posibilidad de trauma; y
- Brindar servicios confidenciales de salud mental a todos los agentes del MPD y otro personal de seguridad pública.
El Departamento de Justicia anunció sus conclusiones en junio de 2023, después de realizar una investigación exhaustiva de la ciudad de Minneapolis y del MPD. El Departamento concluyó que tiene causa razonable para creer que el MPD: utiliza fuerza excesiva (p. ej., fuerza letal injustificada y uso no razonable de pistolas paralizantes); en sus prácticas policiales discrimina en forma ilegal contra personas de raza negra y nativos americanos; viola los derechos de las personas que participan en expresión protegida; y, conjuntamente con la ciudad, discrimina contra personas con discapacidades de salud del comportamiento cuando responden a llamados de asistencia. El Departamento concluyó que las deficiencias persistentes en cuanto a las políticas, la capacitación, la supervisión y la responsabilización contribuyen a la conducta ilegal.
La Sección de Litigios Especiales de la División de Derechos Civiles y la Fiscalía Federal para el Distrito de Minnesota llevaron a cabo la investigación, con la asistencia de agentes del orden público profesionales, de conformidad con las cláusulas sobre patrones o prácticas de la Ley sobre el Control de Delitos Violentos y Aplicación de la Ley de 1994. Desde enero de 2021, la Sección de Litigios Especiales ha emprendido 12 investigaciones de agencias del orden público. La Sección está haciendo cumplir 15 acuerdos con agencias del orden público y dos órdenes posteriores al fallo. Además, el 12 de diciembre de 2024, el Departamento y el Gobierno Metropolitano de Louisville, Kentucky, presentaron una moción conjunta ante el Tribunal de Distrito de los EE. UU. para el Distrito Oeste de Kentucky para implementar una orden de consentimiento cuyo propósito es resolver las conclusiones del Departamento de Justicia según las cuales el Gobierno Metropolitano de Louisville y el Departamento de Policía Metropolitano de Louisville incurren en un patrón o práctica de violaciones de la Constitución y de la ley federal. Esa moción está pendiente de aprobación por parte del tribunal.
Hay información adicional sobre la División de Derechos Civiles en www.justice.gov/crt. Hay información adicional sobre la Fiscalía Federal para el Distrito de Minnesota en www.justice.gov/usao-mn.
Puede encontrarse información específica sobre el trabajo de reforma de la policía de la División de Derechos Civiles en www.justice.gov/crt/conduct-law-enforcement-agencies.
El Departamento de Justicia llevará a cabo una reunión comunitaria por internet el martes 14 de enero a las 7:00 p.m., Hora del Centro. Animamos al público a asistir y aprender más sobre la orden de consentimiento.
Clare Connors Resigns as United States AttorneyRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – Today, January 6, 2025, Clare E. Connors submitted her resignation to President Joseph R. Biden Jr., and Attorney General Merrick Garland, which will become effective at 11:59 p.m. on January 19, 2025. USA Connors took the oath of office as United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii on January 3, 2022, after being nominated by President Biden on September 28, 2021, and confirmed by the United States Senate on December 7.
“It was a privilege to rejoin this office and to serve Hawaii as the chief federal law enforcement officer,” said USA Connors. “The Department’s mission – to keep the community safe from threats foreign and domestic; protect civil rights; and uphold the rule of law – is critical to our State’s overall wellbeing and I am honored to have worked alongside the committed public servants who will continue to fulfill it.”
As United States Attorney, USA Connors served as the top-ranking federal law enforcement official in the District of Hawaii. She oversaw a staff that included approximately 60 attorneys and support personnel. The office is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes in the district, including crimes related to national security, public corruption, drug trafficking, child exploitation, firearms, and violent crime. The office also initiates affirmative civil actions, defends the United States in civil cases, and collects debts owed to the United States.
During her tenure, USA Connors prioritized public corruption and integrity crimes, and closely collaborated with state and local law enforcement to address organized and violent crime, disrupt large-scale drug activity, and support targeted violence initiatives and mitigation efforts such as Threat Team Hawaii. The office also worked closely with law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute child exploitation crimes as well as to support community efforts through organizations like Weed and Seed Hawaii. USA Connors repeatedly emphasized the important relationship the public has with the federal law enforcement components in Hawaii and encouraged those who witness misconduct, including financial crimes or civil rights violations that could the basis for whistleblower and qui tam actions, to report it to federal authorities.
Burnsville Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Electronics Manufacturer of $1.2 MillionRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Burnsville man has pleaded guilty to wire fraud after defrauding an electronics manufacturing business out of more than $1.2 million, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, between 2019 and 2020, Thomas Thanh Pham, 53, devised a scheme to defraud a California based company of approximately $1.2 million. Pham, who was the CEO of Enterprise Products, LLC, purported to provide consulting and financial services to commercial clients involved in engineering and manufacturing. Pham held himself out as a broker with supposed business relationships with large, well-known companies. As a supposed broker, Pham claimed he could arrange service agreements between an electronic manufacturing services company based in San Jose, California, (identified as Victim A) and his ostensible business affiliates in the electronics and technology sectors.
According to court documents, starting in June 2019, Pham began a series of discussions with Victim A, in which Pham pitched that Enterprise Products could facilitate multi-million-dollar manufacturing and repair contracts between Victim A and large electronics companies. Pham supplied Victim A with bogus documents, including fabricated contracts, correspondence, and business proposals. As part of the scheme, Pham first required Victim A to pay a “deposit bond” in the amount of $1,278,000. Pham’s fraudulent tactics resulted in Victim A agreeing to enter into a contract in September 2019, through which Victim A ostensibly would receive millions of dollars in exchange for repair services. Pham unsuccessfully pitched other phony deals to Victim A that purportedly involved even larger financial contracts deals with other companies.
As part of the scheme and to give the impression that he was fulfilling the fraudulent contract, Pham caused the initial delivery to Victim A in California of approximately 20 samples of electronic devices that supposedly required repairs by Victim A. However, Pham failed to disclose to Victim A that these 20 “sample” devices were, in fact, stolen property. It was additionally part of the scheme that Pham tried to lull Victim A into a false sense of security by offering a series of excuses and promises when Victim A either inquired about its money or demanded a refund. Rather than maintain the money securely in a refundable escrow as promised, Pham fraudulently misappropriated Victim A’s funds for a series of unauthorized uses and transactions.
On Friday, January 3, 2025, Pham pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of wire fraud before Judge Joan N. Ericksen.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew S. Ebert and Rebecca E. Kline are prosecuting the case.
Brentwood Man Sentenced to 2 Years in Federal Prison for Insider Trading Scheme That Netted More Than $650,000 in Illegal GainsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A man from the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles was sentenced today to 24 months in federal prison for his role in an insider trading scheme that netted more than $650,000 in illicit profits.
Shahriyar Bolandian, 36, was sentenced by United States District Judge Terry J. Hatter Jr. to 24 months in federal prison. A forfeiture order will be imposed at a later date.
At the conclusion of a five-day trial, a jury in April 2024 found Bolandian guilty of six counts of insider trading.
“This defendant – now a convicted felon – illegally traded on inside information to enrich himself and others,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “All those who seek to get rich by manipulating the financial markets and taking advantage of others should think again – there will be consequences for this misconduct.”
In 2012 and 2013, Bolandian received material non-public information about two upcoming corporate acquisitions by publicly traded companies. Bolandian then used the inside information to trade in advance of the public announcements of Integrated Device Technology Inc.’s April 2012 planned acquisition of PLX Technology Inc., and Salesforce.com Inc.’s June 2013 acquisition of ExactTarget Inc.
As a result of his illegal trades, Bolandian’s personal share of the scheme’s illicit proceeds was $450,000, which he used, among other things, to cover previous trading losses and repay loans to family and friends.
The United States Securities and Exchange Commission in August 2015 filed a civil complaint against Bolandian and others in connection with the scheme. That litigation remains pending.
Judge Hatter today also sentenced Kevan Sadigh, 37, formerly of Encino and now a Miami resident, to two years of probation and ordered forfeiture in the amount of $36,684 and a money judgment in the amount of $206,525. In a separate, six-day trial, a jury in July 2024 found Sadigh guilty of seven counts of insider trading. Sadigh’s personal share of the illicit proceeds was approximately $200,000.
The Corporate and Securities Fraud Strike Force is designed to expand and prioritize complex corporate and securities fraud investigations, some of which involves corporate executives and other individuals involved in criminal conduct. Members of the Strike Force examine accounting fraud, insider trading, and other matters that directly impact the financial system and trading markets.
The FBI investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew M. Roach of the General Crimes Section and Solomon D. Kim of the Major Frauds Section, and Trial Attorney Della Sentilles of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted this case.
Box Elder woman admits trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl on Rocky Boys Indian Reservation and firearm crimeRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Box Elder woman accused of supplying the Rocky Boys Indian Reservation with large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl from her residence and business and using a firearm during a drug trafficking crime admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Melody Rose Bernard, 50, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and to use of a firearm in the commission of a drug trafficking crime. Bernard faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release on the drug charge and a mandatory minimum of five years to life in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release on the firearm charge.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. Sentencing was set for May 1 in Great Falls. Bernard was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that from October 2023 to May 21, 2024, Bernard trafficked substantial amounts of meth, fentanyl and cocaine to the Rocky Boys Indian Reservation in Hill County. One witness told law enforcement about making four trips for Bernard since November 2023 and estimated transporting 23 pounds of meth, 4,500 fentanyl pills, five ounces of fentanyl powder and three ounces of cocaine for Bernard. The witness further estimated transporting $230,000 for Bernard and watched as Bernard distributed narcotics from her house in Box Elder and from her business, Ziah’s. The witness also admitted that a firearm located in the residence belonged to the witness and that Bernard had given it to the witness for protection.
Law enforcement learned from other individuals that Bernard was selling narcotics out of Ziah’s. One of the individuals described buying fentanyl pills two or three times from Bernard, received 25 to 40 pills each time and was charged $10 to $20 per pill. In an interview with another person, law enforcement learned that Bernard was a source of supply for the Rocky Boys Indian Reservation, dealing from 500 to 1,000 fentanyl pills at a time. Bernard’s common price for a pill was about $40, however, if someone purchased in bulk or if Bernard knew the buyer well, she would sell for as low as $10 to $20 per pill.
On May 21, 2024, law enforcement executed a state search warrant at Bernard’s residence. Both Bernard and a witness were in the house. The witness was located hiding in a bathroom. The agent observed a large amount of meth and cocaine in the bathtub with the water running, and it was apparent to the agent that the witness was attempting to destroy evidence. Law enforcement recovered meth, cocaine and fentanyl pills, approximately $8,800 cash and a firearm.
In addition, on March 27, 2024, co-defendant Airian Mariah Russette purchased two firearms from North 40 Outfitters in Havre and immediately traveled back to Box Elder where she traded the firearms to Bernard in exchange for four oxycodone pills. The two firearms were recovered several hours later after they were used in a double homicide and were still in the possession of the homicide suspects. Russette admitted to lying on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Form 4473 to buy the firearms for someone other than herself, Bernard, a transaction known as a straw purchase. The firearms were a .380-caliber semi-automatic pistol and a 9mm semi-automatic pistol. Russette is pending sentencing for her conviction in the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The ATF, FBI, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Rocky Boy’s Police Department and Hill County Sheriff’s Office, Great Falls Police Department, Cascade County Sheriff’s Office and Havre Police Department conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
XXX
Bothell biopharmaceutical company pays $4 million to resolve allegations it relied on falsified academic papers to obtain federal grantRead the Press Release
Seattle – A Bothell, Washington, pharmaceutical company will pay $4,068,698 to resolve allegations it used falsified academic research to obtain grants from the National Institute of Health (NIH), announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. The research studies in question were into age-related cognitive decline such as Alzheimer’s. However, when the company applied for a federal grant, it failed to notify NIH of allegations that its former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) committed research misconduct when she falsified images from her doctoral dissertation. The allegations were called to the government’s attention through a qui tam lawsuit. The relator will receive a portion of the payment for uncovering the fraud.
“The research into neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease is critical to growing numbers of patients in our community. That research must not be tainted by the misconduct highlighted in this case,” said U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “To its credit, Athira immediately notified NIH of the research misconduct after the full board of directors learned of it. The company’s transparency significantly helped Athira mitigate its damages and demonstrated its resolve towards coming into compliance with the relevant law and regulations.”
“The partnership between the scientific community and the federal government is built on trust and shared values of ethical scientific conduct,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement demonstrates that the Department of Justice will pursue grantees that undermine the integrity of federal funding decisions.”
The settlement resolves allegations that between January 1, 2016, and June 20, 2021, Athira failed to report allegations that its former CEO, Leen Kawas, falsified and manipulated scientific images in her doctoral dissertation and in published research papers that were referenced in several grant applications submitted to NIH, including in a grant that NIH funded in 2019. Specifically, Athira violated its regulatory obligations to disclose the allegations to NIH in grant applications and Research Progress Performance Reports, and to disclose them to the HHS Office of Research Integrity in Small Business Organization Statements, Institutional Assurances, or Annual Reports on Possible Research Misconduct.
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Andrew P. Mallon, Ph.D. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. Mallon will receive $203,434 under today’s settlement. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Andrew Mallon v. Athira Pharma, Inc., No. 2:21-853-RSL (W.D. Wash.).
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, with assistance from the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nickolas Bohl for the Western District of Washington and Trial Attorney Erin Colleran.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Statement on the Fourth Anniversary of the January 6 Attack on the CapitolRead the Press Release
The Justice Department issued the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on the fourth anniversary of the attack on the U.S. Capitol that disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress in the process of affirming the presidential election results:
“On this day, four years ago, police officers were brutally assaulted while bravely defending the United States Capitol. They were punched, tackled, tased, and attacked with chemical agents that burned their eyes and skin. Today, I am thinking of the officers who still bear the scars of that day as well as the loved ones of the five officers who lost their lives in the line of duty as a result of what happened to them on January 6, 2021.
January 6 was a violent attack on the law enforcement officers defending the Capitol, and it was an unprecedented attack on a cornerstone of our system of government — the peaceful transfer of power from one administration to the next.
Over the past four years, our prosecutors, FBI agents, investigators, and analysts have conducted one of the most complex, and most resource-intensive investigations in the Justice Department’s history.
They have analyzed massive amounts of physical and digital data, identified and arrested hundreds of people who took part in unlawful conduct that day, and initiated prosecutions and secured convictions across a wide range of criminal conduct. We have now charged more than 1,500 individuals for crimes that occurred on January 6, as well as in the days and weeks leading up to the attack.
The public servants of the Justice Department have sought to hold accountable those criminally responsible for the January 6 attack on our democracy with unrelenting integrity. They have conducted themselves in a manner that adheres to the rule of law and honors our obligation to protect the civil rights and civil liberties of everyone in this country.
I am proud of them, and I am grateful to them for the work they have done and the sacrifices they have made over the last four years to seek accountability for the January 6 attack on the Capitol.”
Athira Pharma Inc. Agrees to Pay $4M to Settle False Claims Act Allegations Related to Scientific Research MisconductRead the Press Release
Athira Pharma Inc., located in Bothwell, Washington, has agreed to pay $4,068,698 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by failing to report allegations of research misconduct to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Research Integrity in grant applications and grant award progress reports and assurances.
“The partnership between the scientific community and the federal government is built on trust and shared values of ethical scientific conduct,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement demonstrates that the Justice Department will pursue grantees that undermine the integrity of federal funding decisions.”
“The research into neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease is critical to growing numbers of patients in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman for the Western District of Washington. “That research must not be tainted by the misconduct highlighted in this case. To its credit, Athira immediately notified NIH of the research misconduct after the full board of directors learned of it. The company’s transparency significantly helped Athira mitigate its damages and demonstrated its resolve towards coming into compliance with the relevant law and regulations.”
“The failure of Athira to properly disclose allegations of falsified and manipulated scientific images by its former CEO to the NIH undermines public trust in taxpayer-funded research,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven J. Ryan of the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG). “This settlement demonstrates HHS-OIG’s commitment to protecting the integrity of federally funded research.”
The settlement resolves allegations that, between Jan. 1, 2016, and June 20, 2021, Athira failed to report allegations that its former CEO, Leen Kawas, falsified and manipulated scientific images in her doctoral dissertation and in published research papers that were referenced in several grant applications submitted to NIH, including in a grant that NIH funded in 2019. Specifically, Athira violated its regulatory obligations to disclose the allegations to NIH in grant applications and Research Progress Performance Reports, and to disclose them to the HHS Office of Research Integrity in Small Business Organization Statements, Institutional Assurances or Annual Reports on Possible Research Misconduct.
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the FCA by Andrew P. Mallon Ph.D. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. Mallon will receive $203,434 under today’s settlement.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, with assistance from HHS-OIG.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the FCA. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
Trial Attorney Erin Colleran of the Justice Department’s Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Bohl for the Western District of Washington handled the matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
Settlement
Associate of Miles Guo, Yvette Wang, Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Her Role in an over $1 Billion Dollar Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Daniel M. Gitner, Attorney for the United States, Acting under Authority Conferred by 28 U.S.C. § 515, announced today that YVETTE WANG, a/k/a “Yanping,” was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres to 10 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with her managerial role in a sprawling and complex scheme WANG and her co-conspirator, Miles Guo, orchestrated in order to fraudulently solicit investments from thousands of Miles Guo’s online followers in various entities and programs. As part of that scheme, WANG and Guo made false representations to induce victims to invest money in various entities WANG and/or her co-conspirators controlled, including GTV Media Group, Inc. (“GTV”), the Himalaya Farm Alliance, G Club Operations, LLC (“G|CLUBS”), and the Himalaya Exchange. And then WANG and her co-conspirators spent their victims’ money on themselves, purchasing luxurious items such as million-dollar sports cars and a New Jersey mansion.
Attorney for the United States Daniel M. Gitner said: “Yvette Wang worked with Miles Guo to defraud thousands of victims out of more than $1 billion. Today’s sentence is a reminder that there will be serious consequences for this conduct, and that this Office will tirelessly in its work to detect, prosecute, and punish fraud.”
According to the charging documents, public court filings, statements made in court, and evidence admitted at Miles Guo’s trial:
From at least in or about 2018 through at least in or about March 2023, WANG and others conspired to defraud thousands of victims of more than approximately $1.4 billion. Miles Guo was the leader of this complex conspiracy. WANG was Guo’s “Chief of Staff.” In that capacity, WANG played a managerial role in a variety of entities that the Government has alleged were part of the “G Enterprise” – a series of interrelated entities and companies that were used by WANG and her co-conspirators to carry out this billion-dollar fraud scheme. Through her work in the G Enterprise, and as WANG well knew, WANG directed the expenditure of fraud proceeds on luxury items for herself, Miles Guo’s family, and others.
WANG and her co-conspirators’ fraud relied on several interrelated operations: the Rule of Law Charities, GTV Private Placement, the Farm Loan Program, G|CLUBS, the Himalaya Exchange, and A10.
Between on or about April 20, 2020, and on or about June 2, 2020, approximately $452 million worth of purported GTV common stock was sold to more than 5,500 investors. Investors participated in the GTV Private Placement based, in part, on the belief that their money would be invested into GTV to develop and grow that business. In early June 2020, as WANG and her co-conspirators agreed, WANG transferred $100 million of funds raised from the GTV Private Placement into a high-risk hedge fund for the benefit of GTV’s parent company and its ultimate beneficial owner, Guo’s son.
On or about July 22, 2020, in a video distributed via social media, WANG’s co-conspirator promoted the Farm Loan Program, which was a purported opportunity to obtain stock in GTV in exchange for a loan. However, no stock was ever provided, and WANG and her co-conspirators misappropriated funds that were raised through the Farm Loan Program. For example, approximately $2.3 million was used to cover maintenance expenses associated with an approximately 145-foot luxury yacht worth approximately $37 million.
From at least in or about October 2020 through at least in or about March 2023, WANG and her co-conspirators fraudulently obtained more than approximately $250 million in victim funds through G|CLUBS. G|CLUBS claimed on its website to be “an exclusive, high-end membership program offering a full spectrum of services” and “a gateway to carefully curated world-class products, services and experiences.” WANG was the de facto CEO of G|CLUBS, and as she well knew, G|CLUBS did not provide anything other than superficial services to its members. Moreover, on the basis of Guo’s statements in online videos, victims sent money to G|CLUBS expecting to receive stock in GTV, G|Fashion, or other entities. But, as WANG well knew, victims never received stock and instead G|CLUBS funds were used—often at WANG’s direction—to purchase, among other things, a 50,000 square foot New Jersey mansion; various furniture and decorative items including, among other items, Chinese and Persian rugs worth approximately $978,000, a $62,000 television, and a $53,000 fireplace log cradle holder; a $900,000 Lamborghini, and a custom-built Bugatti sports car for approximately $4.4 million.
On or about November 1, 2021, WANG’s co-conspirators introduced purported cryptocurrencies called the Himalaya coin and the Himalaya dollar through a fraudulent cryptocurrency exchange called the Himalaya Exchange. These purported cryptocurrencies were fraudulent and designed so that the conspiracy could collect additional money from victims. On or about September 20, 2022, and September 21, 2022, U.S. authorities served judicially-authorized seizure warrants on several domestic banks and subsequently seized approximately $335 million of proceeds from bank accounts held in the names of Himalaya Exchange entities and other entities associated with WANG and her co-conspirators.
Wang was arrested on March 15, 2023, at which time FBI agents located $130,000 of cash in a safe in her apartment.
In connection with the sentencing, Judge Torres said that Wang was an “integral part of the conspiracy and knew what she was doing was illegal.”
* * *
In addition to the prison term, WANG, 45, of New York, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release concurrently on each count. WANG also agreed to pay forfeiture in the amount of $1.4 billion.
Guo was convicted at trial on July 16, 2024. Guo’s sentencing date is pending.
Mr. Gitner praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The case is being handled by the Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit of the Office’s Criminal Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Micah F. Fergenson, Ryan B. Finkel, Justin Horton, and Juliana N. Murray are in charge of the prosecution.
Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 15 Years for Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Antoine Johnson (45, Indialantic), as an Armed Career Criminal, to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Johnson was found guilty on August 8, 2024.
According to the evidence presented at trial, after being stopped for violating a Florida traffic law on May 9, 2023, Johnson was found with a loaded firearm in his waistband. Johnson admitted to law enforcement that he knew he was a convicted felon and should not have been carrying a firearm. In a special finding, the jury found that before being stopped by the police, Johnson had been convicted three different times in Florida, including for robbery and two sales of cocaine.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Palm Bay Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie McNeff.
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.
3 January 2025
Walthill, Nebraska Man Sentenced for Domestic Assault by an Habitual OffenderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Shaquille Moniz, age 31, of Walthill, Nebraska, was sentenced January 3, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for domestic assault by an habitual offender in Indian Country. Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Moniz to 37 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Moniz’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
In April 2024, Moniz assaulted his then-girlfriend resulting in substantial bodily injury. At the time that Moniz committed the assault on his girlfriend, he had already been convicted on multiple occasions of domestic violence offenses in state and tribal courts.
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.
Violent Crime in D.C. Hits 30 Year LowRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Total violent crime for 2024 in the District of Columbia is down 35% from 2023 and is the lowest it has been in over 30 years, according to data collected by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and announced by United States Attorney Matthew M. Graves. A breakdown of the data is available here.
In addition to the overall violent crime reduction, homicides are down 32%; robberies are down 39%; armed carjackings are down 53%; assaults with a dangerous weapon are down 27% when compared with 2023 levels, with the District reporting the fewest assaults with dangerous weapons and burglaries in over 30 years.
“The strategy this Office began to employ shortly after I came into this role has been to work with our law enforcement partners to focus on the drivers of violence - those gangs or crews of people who are dealing drugs, protecting turf, committing carjackings and other robberies, all while armed,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “It takes time to develop these investigations and prosecutions, but this is the fruit of that labor - a reduction in the violent crime - that D.C. is now seeing.”
A central component of this strategy has been targeting those crews who have preyed upon certain neighborhoods in our community, often operating drug trafficking networks in these neighborhoods. These proactive investigations and prosecutions have yielded immediate reductions in violence that have had lasting impact. For instance, an MPD analysis of crime trends in the area around MLK Mellon before and after a crew operating a drug market in that area was arrested revealed that there was a 66% reduction in violent crime in the area when comparing the six months prior to the arrests to the six months after the arrests. Even two years after these arrests, there was a 56% reduction in the number of homicides that occurred after the arrests when compared to the two years before.
Another key component of this proactive approach was implementing in April 2022, Project Safe Neighborhood - a daily review by the Office and our law enforcement partners of every firearms arrest in the District to determine, using objective criteria about the person arrested and the firearm recovered, whether the case should be charged in U.S. District Court or D.C. Superior Court. Since April 2022, the Office has accepted for prosecution in U.S. District Court more than 150 gun offenders under this initiative.
Finally, the Office has continued to do all that it can to hold accountable those who commit violent crimes with firearms and those who illegally possess firearms. And the Office has committed to provide on a quarterly basis data related to these efforts - data that can be found here. This data reflects that in the first half of 2024, the Office was able to charge at the time of arrest more than 90% of arrests for violent crimes committed with guns and nearly 70% of gun possession arrests. The Office continues to investigate many of these arrests even if it does not charge on the day of arrest. Also in the first half of 2024, the Office obtained convictions in approximately 75% of these gun-related cases.
These numbers related to firearms offenses are critical and stand in stark contrast to the overall day-of-arrest charging rate for every arrest in the District of Columbia, which is a significantly less informative metric. The vast majority of arrests in the District of Columbia are for misdemeanor offenses that are often non-violent in nature. For such offenses, the Office has had a longstanding practice of giving great weight to victims’ wishes about whether they want charges brought. For a variety of reasons, a substantial number of victims do not want criminal charges brought for these relatively minor offenses.
In Fiscal Year 2019, the Office expanded into a new section the number of prosecutors devoted to reviewing arrests and examining body-worn camera (BWC) footage - Fiscal Year 2018 was the first Fiscal Year where BWC had been fully deployed for the entire year - to determine whether the BWC footage reflected issues that would later require the Office to dismiss a prosecution or if there were otherwise fatal flaws with the case. This section is called the Early Case Assessment Section (ECAS). The combination of BWC footage and ECAS’s early detection of arrests that, if charged, would later need to be dismissed led to relatively modest decreases in cases charged at the time of arrest in Fiscal Years 2018 and 2019.
The overall day-of-arrest charging rate dropped dramatically in Fiscal Years 2020, 2021, and 2022, as the global pandemic brought the criminal justice system to a halt and the D.C. Department of Forensic Sciences lost its accreditation in 2021.
Our Office, along with our local partners, worked to overcome these challenges and the overall day-of-arrest charging rate in Fiscal Year 2024 of 57% is virtually identical to the 54% day-of-arrest charging rate that the Office reported in Fiscal Year 2019 after forming ECAS. More significantly, though, the Office dismissed far fewer of the cases it charged in Fiscal Year 2024 than it did in Fiscal Year 2018, so more arrests resulted in a prosecutorial outcome in Fiscal Year 2024 than in Fiscal Year 2018. For felonies, in particular, the percentage of cases with a prosecutorial outcome rose from 66% in Fiscal Year 2018 to 85% in Fiscal Year 2024.
There is value in addressing the issues, such as the lack of drug testing, that were preventing our Office from charging, at the time-of-arrest, non-violent misdemeanor offenses. While charging more non-violent offenses can benefit the community and offenders are often sentenced to periods of probation with services that hopefully aid in rehabilitation, these cases typically do not identify and remove violent offenders from the community. As is universally recognized, targeting the relatively limited number of individuals responsible for driving gun violence is the most impactful thing that prosecutors can do to contribute to the kinds of sharp declines in violent crime the District saw in 2024. To that end, multiple proactive investigations are already underway that should further reduce violent crime in 2025.
2024 Violent Crime Outcomes
##
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube
Or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc
USAO’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force Unit Ends 2024 with Notable AchievementsRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – The Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the Northern District of Ohio is responsible for prosecuting criminal organizations whose members violate federal laws in any of the 40 northern counties in the state of Ohio that the district serves.
As an independent component of the U.S. Department of Justice, OCDETF is the largest anti-crime task force in the country. Its mission is to disrupt and dismantle criminal organizations using a nationwide strategy, led by prosecutors, that combines targeting, coordination, intelligence-sharing, and directed resourcing to have the greatest impact in disrupting the operations of organized crime.
The task force approach facilitates coordination among various federal and local agencies to solve crimes, with agents and officers working side-by-side in the same location, led by a federal prosecutor. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to share information and collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle large-scale criminal operations. Such criminal networks include all forms of transnational crime, including but not limited to drug cartels, racketeering organizations, and other groups engaged in illicit activities that present a threat to public safety and national security. They may involve, among other illegal activity, the illegal smuggling and trafficking of narcotics or other controlled substances, weapons, humans, or the illegal concealment or transfer of proceeds derived from such illicit activities in the Northern District of Ohio.
In the Northern District of Ohio, agents and officers from the FBI, DEA, ATF, Homeland Security Investigations, USMS, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service, and USBP investigate OCDETF cases with ties to the District, working with task force officers from numerous local law enforcement agencies, including the Cleveland Division of Police. Prosecutions are led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
“No one group or agency can effectively combat organized crime, and particularly transnational organized crime, while working in a silo. The OCDETF framework allows our federal investigative agents to coordinate with each other and local law enforcement, sharing both resources and intelligence,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “This model allows us to come together and build the best cases possible that put the members of large-scale criminal networks behind bars and bring their criminal operations to a halt.”
Notable operations and cases prosecuted by the OCDETF Unit in 2024 include:
U.S. v. Ojeda-Elenes, et al. – Four individuals, including two individuals with direct connections to the Sinaloa Cartel based in Culiacán, Mexico, were sentenced to prison for a drug conspiracy involving more than 240 pounds of fentanyl and nearly 100 pounds of cocaine.
U.S. v. Mullins, et al. –Twenty-one members and associates of a Cleveland-based, violent street gang known as the Fully Blooded Felons were arrested and charged between December 2023 and November 2024. The defendants are alleged to have committed numerous federal crimes, including Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, kidnapping in aid of racketeering, assault in aid of racketeering, firearms violations, conspiracy, and drug trafficking. To date, three defendants have pled guilty.
U.S. v. Whittaker, et al. – Fifteen people in Lorain County were charged in a 19-count indictment after authorities seized large quantities of fentanyl that included more than 42,000 fentanyl pills.
U.S. v. Bryant, et al. – According to court documents, Brandon Bryant was one of 24 members of a large-scale fentanyl trafficking organization that operated on Cleveland’s eastside between September 2019 and February 2022. He was sentenced to more than 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, distribution of controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and use of a communications facility in furtherance of a drug felony. Bryant was also ordered to serve a lifetime term of supervised release following his release from prison. The other 23 co-defendants have also been convicted and sentenced. Some of the more notable prison sentences for his co-defendants include the following: Devon Fair, 35 years; Ramel Drew, 27 years; and Branea Bryant, 24 years.
U.S. v. Lumbus et al. – Eleven people were charged in an international drug trafficking conspiracy that involved the importation of fentanyl, synthetic opioids, and synthetic cannabinoids into the United States, and the distribution of those drugs in Ohio and other states.
To report crimes, visit https://tips.fbi.gov/home.
USAO Ends 2024 with Notable Achievements to Combat Elder FraudRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – Combatting elder fraud continues to be a top priority for the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the Northern District of Ohio, in 2024 and beyond. The office is responsible for prosecuting federal law violations that occur in any of the 40 northern counties in the state of Ohio which the district serves.
Prosecutors in the USAO’s White Collar Crimes Unit carry out the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiatives, which include a commitment to combatting elder abuse, neglect, financial fraud, and other scams that target our nation’s senior citizens. Elder fraud schemes take a variety of forms that range from small-scale identity thefts to mass mail fraud schemes that steal money and other assets from thousands of elderly victims. Annually, these fraud schemes bilk seniors out of billions of dollars throughout the country.
“Many fraud crimes that target our elderly population involve criminals taking advantage of this group’s trusting nature. Fraudsters falsely claim to be government officials or promise to help with computer issues, persuading victims to provide fraudsters with access to their personal information,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “Our office prioritizes prosecuting those who prey on the elderly members of our communities in an attempt to steal their savings.”
Notable cases in 2024 that involved elder fraud include:
U.S. v. Alahmad - A caregiver forged a power of attorney document and used it to apply for, and receive, credit and debit cards in the name of the victim who was an elderly adult. The victim was in a nursing home rehabilitation facility while the defendant made unauthorized withdrawals and purchases using the victim’s credit and debit cards. Alahmad was sentenced to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution of $46,064.30.
U.S. v. Xie – A Chinese national college student on an F‐1 Visa traveled across the country, worked as a “money mule” who picked up cash from older victims, and then transferred the funds to his handler. Xie was sentenced to 16 months in prison and ordered to pay $188,000 in restitution.
U.S. v. Wehman – The defendant was charged with wire fraud for stealing from his grandfather by using credit cards, debit cards, and a line of credit. He was sentenced to 37 months in prison and ordered to pay $376,069.46 in restitution.
U.S. v. Turnipseede – The defendant defrauded approximately 72 investors out of more than $8.5 million through a Ponzi scheme that promised investors double-digit profits achieved through a purported algorithm designed to generate double-digit returns through various sports wagering businesses. Defendant used investor money to maintain the business, seek new sources of funds, pay off earlier investors, and fund personal expenses. He is scheduled to be sentenced March 3, 2025.
U.S. v. Alexander – The defendant and other involved individuals engaged in a cold‐calling scheme that targeted older investors throughout the United States. They used aggressive and deceptive tactics and promised large returns if the victims participated in wine and whiskey investments. The court sentenced Alexander to three years of probation and ordered him to pay $202,195.58 in restitution.
U.S. v. Mangukia – Defendants were charged in a conspiracy for falsely posing as customer service employees at a company or bank. Co-conspirators contacted a victim and falsely claimed that the victim’s account was at risk or had been compromised by a hacking event or similar computer intrusion. The conspirators directed the victim to make a wire transfer, convert cash to cryptocurrency at a Bitcoin ATM, and withdraw cash to purchase gold coins and bars. Defendants then traveled to Ohio to pick up the gold bars.
U.S. v. Chaudhary – Defendants were charged as part of a conspiracy for falsely posing as customer service employees at a company or bank. Co-conspirators contacted a victim and falsely claimed that the victim’s account was at risk or had been compromised by a hacking event or similar computer intrusion. The conspirators directed the victim to withdraw cash and had a conspirator pick up the cash from the victim's home.
U.S. v. Kai – The defendant approached victims through social media to invest money into cryptocurrency. Victims were instructed to deposit their money through a “service director” affiliated with a cryptocurrency business. The service director informed the victims that deposits were to be made in person and in cash-only transactions. During one of these transactions, Kai was identified as the individual in a vehicle scheduled to take the victims’ money.
Additionally, USAO staff conducted numerous public outreach efforts to educate the community to be aware of elder fraud scams including:
- “Courier and Grandparent Scams,” National Consumer Protection Week Meeting
- “Tops Scams for 2024,” St. Mary of the Woods Senior Living Community, FBI Organized Crime Conference, and Parma Snow Branch Library
- “Elder Fraud Scams and Robocalls,” St. Mary of the Woods Independent Living
- “Elder Fraud and Cold Calling Investment Scams,” AARP Podcast interview
To report crimes, visit https://tips.fbi.gov/home or https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice/financial-exploitation .
Two people from Wichita charged with robbing Kansas banksRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A man and woman from Kansas have been charged through criminal complaint in Wichita on charges related to a series of bank robberies involving a firearm.
According to court documents, Zane Tilcock, 20, of Wichita is charged with three counts of bank robbery. Emily Wise, 18, of Wichita is charged with one count of bank robbery.
Tilcock is accused of brandishing a firearm to rob three banks in December of 2024. He allegedly robbed Intrust Bank on South Webb Road in Wichita on December 11, Emprise Bank on East Harry Street in Wichita on December 16, and Sunflower Bank on North Jefferson Street in Junction City on December 27.
Wise is accused of robbing Emprise Bank in Wichita on December 16, 2024.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Wichita Police Department, Junction City Police Department, and the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kari Burks is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Thompson Falls felon sentenced to more than five years in prison, fined $20,000 for illegal possession of firearms, shortened rifleRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Thompson Falls man with two prior federal felony convictions and other state felonies was sentenced today to five years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for admitting to firearms crimes after law enforcement found numerous guns at his residence, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, James Vernon Day, Jr., 56, pleaded guilty in September 2024 to prohibited person in possession of a firearm and to possession of an unregistered firearm.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided. The court also imposed a $20,000 fine.
The government alleged in court documents that Day previously had been convicted in federal court in Montana in 2004 of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and in 2018 of illegal sale of outfitted mountain lion hunts and was prohibited from possessing firearms. Day also had prior state felony convictions in Montana and Idaho. In December 2023, Sanders County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived at Day’s property to serve a search warrant for stolen vehicle parts. Day confronted deputies but retreated into his residence as the search began. Day told deputies they could not enter his residence. During the search, Day was generally noncompliant with law enforcement’s requests for more than an hour and, in an effort to hide his illicit behavior, Day set fire to his phone.
During the search, deputies located a .44-caliber rifle in a shop building. The shop also had three gun safes that contained gun parts, including a barrel from an assault rifle and a barrel from a shotgun. Deputies also found a freshly killed deer head. Day eventually exited his residence and was arrested. In a search of Day’s residence, deputies located an additional 36 firearms, which were strewn around the house. One of those firearms, found on the kitchen floor, was a .222-caliber rifle that had a barrel of less than 16 inches. Possession of a firearm with a shortened barrel is against federal law. In Day’s vehicle, deputies found a .44-caliber revolver.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Sanders County Sheriff’s Office and Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
XXX
The United States Reaches Proposed Consent Decree to Resolve Claims that Conditions Inside the Fulton County Jail Violate the Constitution and Other Federal LawsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia and the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division announced that the United States has entered into a court-enforceable agreement to resolve the findings that conditions of confinement at the Fulton County Jail violate the 8th and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, Americans with Disabilities Act, and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The United States filed a complaint and a proposed consent decree with Fulton County and the Fulton County Sheriff in federal court.
“Our report from an investigation of Fulton County and the Fulton County Jail concluded that the Constitutional rights of incarcerated persons are being violated,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “The proposed consent decree serves as a cooperative measure to address the grievous pattern of inhumane – and frequently violent – treatment of people in custody, along with the filthy and unsanitary living conditions they endure while awaiting formal charges or trials at the Fulton County Jail. This office is deeply invested in the well-being of all our residents, and we are hopeful that the systemic deficiencies revealed by our report will be remedied through the implementation of the requirements outlined in the decree, along with regular oversight of the progress of Fulton County and the Fulton County Jail, as overseen by an independent monitor.”
“This proposed consent decree is a critical step toward correcting the dangerous and dehumanizing conditions that have persisted in the Fulton County Jail for far too long,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “When the Department announced findings from our investigation of the Fulton County Jail in November, we called on the County and Sheriff’s Office to remedy the troubling pattern of unsanitary living conditions, brutal physical attacks, and other dangerous issues at the Jail. We are encouraged that local officials have agreed to a plan that will begin to address the inhumane, unconstitutional conditions that were reflected in Lashawn Thompson’s horrific death.”
“Our findings regarding the Fulton County Jail identified serious and life-threatening violations of the Constitution and other laws,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. “Detention in the Fulton County Jail amounted to a death sentence for dozens of people who have been murdered or who died as a result of inhumane conditions inside the facility. The proposed consent decree includes strong remedial provisions, an independent monitor and other remedies that make it a model for addressing these kinds of violations in jails and prisons across the nation. If fully implemented, this consent decree and its comprehensive remedies should reduce violence and unnecessary force; increase the quality of medical and mental health care; reduce the use of unnecessary isolation, particularly for people with mental illness and 17-year-old children; and afford children with disabilities the education to which they are entitled. We thank the County and Sheriff for working with the Justice Department on these long overdue reforms.”
The proposed consent decree, which must still be approved by the court, would resolve the United States’ claims that the Jail engages in a pattern or practice of violating the rights of people incarcerated at the facility. Under the proposed consent decree, the Jail will, among other things:
- Develop plans and policies to keep incarcerated people safe from violence;
- Improve supervision and staffing;
- Maintain doors and locks in working order;
- Require staff to abide by constitutional standards when using force;
- Take steps to protect incarcerated people at risk of suicide and to afford incarcerated people adequate medical and mental health care;
- Develop and implement a comprehensive housekeeping plan and pest management system to keep the Jail clean, sanitary, and free of pests;
- Stop use of isolation or restrictive housing of vulnerable people who are at substantial risk of self-harm or other negative mental health outcomes, absent specific and significant protections; and
- Facilitate the provision of adequate special education services to children with disabilities in the Jail.
The proposed consent decree provides for an independent monitor to assess the Jail’s implementation of the decree’s requirements. The monitor will issue public reports on the Jail’s progress every six months and members of the public can share information with the monitor regarding implementation of the decree and Jail conditions.
The United States initiated its investigation of the Fulton County Jail in July 2023. The United States’ investigation proceeded under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), Americans with Disabilities Act, and Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, which prohibits law enforcement officers from engaging in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of rights protected by the Constitution or federal law. These statutes authorize the Attorney General to file a lawsuit in federal court to seek court-ordered remedies to eliminate a pattern or practice of unlawful conduct. The United States provided Fulton County and the Fulton County Sheriff with written notice of its findings, along with the supporting facts for its findings, and the minimum remedial measures necessary to address the violations found. The proposed consent decree seeks to address and resolve those violations.
The case is being handled by Aileen Bell Hughes, Deputy Chief of the Public Integrity & Civil Rights Section, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebeca Ojeda and Rahul Garabadu of the Northern District of Georgia, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Johnson.
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.
Telehealth Company Pays $386,000 to Resolve Allegations of Overbilling for Medicare Telehealth TimeRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky announced today that CompreCare Health LLC, and its affiliates, doing business as Meditelecare LLC, agreed to pay $358,514.00 to resolve allegations that Meditelicare billed Medicare for telehealth psychotherapy sessions that did not meet the minimum time requirements. CompreCare Health is a Connecticut business and provided services in at least 17 states including Kentucky.
“I commend the outstanding effort of the attorneys and investigators who worked on this case on behalf of the United States,” said U.S Attorney Bennett. “Those who bill Medicare for timed services must do so accurately as we take these matters very seriously and will vigorously pursue claims that Medicare is being overcharged.”
The United States alleged that, between January 1, 2017, and November 30, 2022, Meditelecare submitted and caused the submission of claims to Medicare for telehealth psychotherapy sessions that did not meet the minimum time requirements for payments and relied on false time records in support of these same telehealth services. The allegations arose from a whistleblower suit filed in federal court in Bowling Green, Kentucky. United States ex rel. Laura Cole and Tiffany Saylor v. MedOptions of Kentucky, et al., 1:19-cv-171-GNS (WDKY).
The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys A. Matthew Weyand and William F. Campbell. The case was investigated by Auditor Phil Bezehertny and Federal Investigator Cristal Fox from the United States Attorney’s Office, as well as special agents from the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and the Office of Inspector for the Department of Health and Human Services.
###
Rebecca C. Lutzko Announces Resignation from Service as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of OhioRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio Rebecca C. Lutzko announced today that she will step down as the region’s chief federal law enforcement officer, effective 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 3, 2025. Under the Vacancies Reform Act, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol M. Skutnik will become the Acting United States Attorney, effective midnight on Jan. 4, 2025.
Ms. Lutzko was nominated by President Joseph R. Biden on June 7, 2023 and, while pending Senate confirmation, was installed as the interim U.S. Attorney on June 9, 2023, by the United States District Judges for the Northern District of Ohio.
“It has been the single greatest honor of my career to lead the Office and serve the people of northern Ohio as their United States Attorney,” said U.S. Attorney Lutzko. “I thank President Biden, Senators Sherrod Brown and J.D. Vance, Attorney General Merrick Garland, and the Judges of our District Court for giving me that opportunity.”
During her tenure as U.S. Attorney, Ms. Lutzko led an office of approximately 175 prosecutors, civil litigators, and administrative and support personnel in its mission to enforce federal civil and criminal laws, advocate for crime victims, and represent the interests of the United States, its agencies, and their employees in court. In this role, she oversaw prosecutions involving violent crime and organized gang activity, financial crime, national security matters, public corruption, hate crimes and other civil rights violations, drug trafficking organizations, child exploitation, cybercrime, and firearms crimes, among others. On the civil front, she oversaw investigations and the filing of affirmative actions in areas as diverse as protecting the environment, ensuring fair housing, protecting disability rights, and addressing healthcare frauds and controlled substance violations in which the Office recovered tens of millions of dollars in waste, fraud, and abuse. She hired several new civil and criminal Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSA), created the district’s first e-Litigation unit, and implemented numerous internal training, efficiency, and accountability measures.
“I am incredibly proud of the work our office has undertaken and our employees’ collective efforts to do the right thing, the right way, for the right reasons. We have been strategic in the types of cases we have pursued to maximize the positive impact to the communities that we are honored to serve, and we have held ourselves to standards of excellence and integrity in pursuing those cases,” said U.S. Attorney Lutzko. “We have accomplished much in a limited amount of time, despite challenging budgetary constraints. I have dedicated almost 20 years of my career to prosecuting criminals and seeking justice so that life can be better for Ohioans. I am confident that our Office’s many career public servants will continue to uphold the Department of Justice’s norms, making impartial, reasoned, and fair decisions to obtain justice. Credit for our successes during my tenure belongs to them, and to our federal, state, and local law enforcement officers for their unending dedication and redoubled efforts to help our Office combat both violent and non-violent crimes to keep our citizens and their neighborhoods safe and free from financial harm, to allow our citizens to enjoy their civil rights, and to prevent additional crime before it happens.”
The Northern District of Ohio covers the state’s 40 northern counties and is home to more than 5.7 million people. The main office is in Cleveland, with branch offices located in Akron, Toledo, and Youngstown.
Under U.S. Attorney Lutzko’s leadership, the Office has achieved noteworthy success in criminal and civil cases. Even with her focus on strategic case selection emphasizing impact over numbers, the Office remained one of the most productive large U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the nation according to several different metrics. Some of the more notable cases and outreach efforts include the following:
Public Safety & Violent Crime Reduction
U.S. Attorney Lutzko has prioritized combatting violent crime and promoting public safety, encouraging the use of data-driven strategies to identify and focus on the most significant drivers of crime and through purposeful case selection and charging decisions, with the goal of prosecuting cases that will have significant, positive community impact. She and her staff worked closely with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and other law enforcement partners to open a new Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC) in the District in 2024. Located in a single facility, a team of firearm evidence examiners, intelligence analysts, and investigators can now rapidly collect, analyze, and share information about guns used in violent crimes. The CGIC serves as a hub for federal and local law enforcement to investigate and prevent gun violence in the region, utilizing cutting-edge technology and tracing systems to rapidly develop and pursue investigative leads to identify, prosecute, convict, and lock up the bad actors who commit violent crimes and remove “crime guns” from the streets faster, so neither continue to endanger innocent people in neighborhoods throughout Northern Ohio. Notably, violent crime rates have dropped significantly in Northern Ohio this year.
Some other notable investigations and cases include:
- Violent Crime Reduction Operation – After a three-month, violent crime reduction initiative in the summer of 2023, a total of 84 defendants were charged in connection with firearms-trafficking, straw purchasing firearms, narcotics, conspiracy, and other firearms offenses. The investigation was led by the ATF and resulted in the seizure of more than 255 firearms, of which 47 were traced back to other crimes. The seizure also included 17 untraceable firearms, also known as “ghost guns.” Seventy defendants were charged federally and the remaining 14 faced state charges. Sixty of those entered guilty pleas, 49 of which have been sentenced to date. Of the 14 defendants charged in the state, 12 have pled guilty and been convicted and sentenced. Noteworthy prison sentencings for charged federal firearms violations include Darvell Jackson, sentenced to 168 months; Cortez Buggs sentenced to 132 months; Kenneth Smith sentenced to 135 months; Darion Shelton, sentenced to 100 months; and Willie Earl Jackson sentenced to 84 months.
- U.S. v. Mullins, et al. – Twenty-one members and associates of a Cleveland-based, violent street gang known as the Fully Blooded Felons were arrested and charged beginning in December 2023 and continuing into 2024. The defendants are alleged to have committed numerous federal crimes, including Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, kidnapping in aid of racketeering, assault in aid of racketeering, firearms violations, conspiracy, and drug trafficking. As the indictment alleges, the gang styled themselves after a Mafia crime family, conspired to commit numerous violent acts, and operated an open-air illegal drug market in Cleveland’s Cedar Central neighborhood for years.
- U.S. v. McKillips – A Sandusky man was sentenced to 41 months in prison after his guilty plea to interstate communication of threats and unlawful possession of a machine gun. He made multiple online threats to harm or kill law enforcement officers, including by posting a photo of himself aiming a semi-automatic rifle at an officer parked in a police vehicle down the street.
- U.S. v. Sledge, et al. – In October 2024, an Ohio father-son team were indicted for the murder of an on-duty U.S. Postal Service mail carrier. The Office has also separately brought several other indictments and/or obtained convictions for defendants throughout the district who have robbed mail carriers to steal their blue-mailbox keys and mail.
- U.S. v. Matheny – On Oct. 26, 2022, a bank in Lorain, Ohio, was robbed by a man armed with a small silver semi-automatic firearm. The teller reported that the suspect entered, approached the counter, and slid a note under plexiglass indicating that it was robbery, that he had a gun, not to touch the alarm, and to hand over all fifty, hundred, and twenty-dollar bills. When the teller retrieved the cash from her drawer and handed it to him, he walked away with more than $4,000 from the bank. The Lorain Police Department investigated anonymous tips and reviewed surveillance videos. Two days later, Matheny was located and then arrested after a police chase. A bookbag containing a loaded firearm, fentanyl, cocaine, and two cellphones were seized from Matheny. Matheny was convicted on all counts after a five-day trial in April 2024. In August, he was sentenced to 78 months in prison, plus 84 months consecutive for brandishing a firearm in during the course of a robbery, for a total of 162 months.
- U.S. v. Hansen – After he pled guilty to committing three, armed bank robberies in Michigan and Ohio, a Toledo man was sentenced to 348 months in prison and ordered to pay $44,908.73 in restitution. In the Ohio robbery, Hansen aimed a pistol at bank employees and customers and forced them to lie down on the floor. After growing frustrated with the speed at which tellers were retrieving the money he demanded, Hansen grabbed money containers from a bill-dispensing machine and fled with approximately $82,000. Officers apprehended Hansen a short time later.
In addition to bringing criminal prosecutions to combat violent crime, U.S. Attorney Lutzko and USAO staff also engaged in affirmative public outreach activities in an effort to promote public safety. For example, she brought together local community organizations and the Ohio Adult Parole Authority to work with the USAO to identify individuals recently released from state prison who were deemed at high-risk for committing future violent crime, but amenable to making positive change in their lives. That partnership is continuing with a pilot program that pairs those individuals with needed services and hands-on mentors to assist participants in charting a new course for themselves that avoids criminal conduct.
Taking a different tack, under U.S. Attorney Lutzko’s direction, the USAO also led a “Safe Storage” awareness campaign to highlight firearms safety and help prevent accidents, self-harm, theft, and other unauthorized use of firearms. Thus far, the campaign has included public in-person events, public service announcements, and information dissemination. Additional events are scheduled for 2025.
Healthcare Fraud
As chief law enforcement officer in a district with multiple, sophisticated healthcare providers and facilities, U.S. Attorney Lutzko prioritized fighting fraud, waste, and abuse in federal healthcare programs through a combination of robust criminal and civil enforcement efforts. The Office’s notable criminal convictions and sentences and civil settlements and judgments obtained during her tenure include the following:
- U.S. v. Singh – In February 2024, a jury convicted Ankita Singh, M.D., of six counts of healthcare fraud for signing false orders for orthotic braces that patients had never requested and did not need. Although she never saw, examined, or even spoke to these patients, she signed more than 11,000 such prescriptions for approximately 3,000 Medicare beneficiaries, causing the submission of more than $8 million in fraudulent bills to Medicare for devices that were not medically necessary. Singh was sentenced to 26 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $4,470,931.02 in restitution.
- U.S. v. Bailey, et al. – From 2017 through 2020, 21 individuals involved with the healthcare nonprofit entity Eye for Change Youth and Family Services, Inc., conspired and manipulated billing, falsified records, and used the identities of clients without authorization to bill Medicaid. Twenty defendants pled guilty, while one, Eric King, was convicted at trial in August 2023 for his role in the scheme, and for continuing to engage in similar fraudulent conduct at another provider. King and the scheme’s leader, Alfonso Bailey, were each sentenced to 36 months in prison (in Jan. 2024 and June 2023, respectively). The defendants were ordered to pay $4.5 million in restitution, with more than $4.3 million forfeited from Eye for Change and Bailey.
- Investigation of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation – The Cleveland Clinic Foundation agreed to pay $7,600,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting grant applications for health-related-research funding to the National Institutes of Health that contained materially false information.
- U.S. ex rel. White, et al. v. Rite Aid Corp., et al. – Rite Aid Corporation and 10 subsidiaries and affiliates agreed to pay $7.5 million to settle the government’s allegations of filling medically unnecessary prescriptions under the False Claims Act and Controlled Substances Act.
- U.S. ex rel. Rzeszutko v. Elixir Insurance Co., et al. – Three Rite-Aid subsidiaries, Elixir Insurance Company, RX Options LLC, and RX Solutions LLC, agreed to a $101 million settlement that resolved allegations that they violated the False Claims Act when they did not accurately report drug rebates to the Medicare program.
- U.S. v. Gerber, et al. – In August 2024, a federal court permanently enjoined Ohio physician Gregory Gerber, M.D., from prescribing opioids and other controlled substances, and ordered him to pay $4.7 million in a civil case alleging Controlled Substances Act and False Claims Act violations. Gerber also pled guilty to criminal drug-trafficking charges for writing numerous medically unnecessary prescriptions for addictive painkillers, including over 800 illegitimate prescriptions for a drug he was being paid to promote. In March 2024, Gerber was sentenced to 42 months in prison and ordered to pay $861,892.13 in criminal restitution.
Other Fraud Schemes & Public Corruption
In addition to the serious long-term effect that financial crimes may have on individual victims, such crimes undermine the well-being of financial institutions and harm our entire community. Similarly, public corruption undermines the public’s confidence in the public institutions and officials central to our democratic society. Accordingly, during U.S. Attorney Lutzko’s tenure, the Office both criminally prosecuted such crimes and engaged in public outreach to prevent such crimes from occurring in the first place. Lutzko also served as a member of the White Collar Crime Subcommittee of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC).
Notable efforts and case success in these areas included the following:
- Elder Fraud Outreach – U.S. Attorney Lutzko and her staff engaged in several outreach events to bring awareness to senior citizens about the dangers of financial scams.
- Government Supply Chain and Procurement Fraud Task Force – In 2024, the Office stood up this task force, bringing together white collar crime AUSAs, homeland security investigators, and numerous other federal investigative agencies to address large-scale supply chain and procurement fraud in government contracting, prioritizing fraud in connection with military, law enforcement, and public safety. A first of its kind in this District, the task force will focus on government contractors who provide faulty, counterfeit, or otherwise dangerous products, such as substandard medications or supplies purchased by the Veterans Administration, counterfeit or faulty electronics or software provided to NASA, or similar products supplied to the military.
- U.S. v. Eid – A Perrysburg man was sentenced to 30 months in prison for filing false tax returns and engaging in wire fraud that defrauded educational and government entities. He admitted to falsifying his income for his children to qualify for aid packages to colleges and private schools.
- U.S. v. Page – A Toledo man who described himself as a “social-justice activist” was sentenced to 42 months in prison after a jury convicted him of wire fraud and money laundering. Page defrauded donors of more than $450,000 that they collectively gave to his nonprofit organization, “Black Lives Matter of Greater Atlanta,” based on Page’s false representations about how their money would be spent.
- U.S. v. Khan – In November 2023, a Michigan man was sentenced to 97 months in prison after earlier pleading guilty to bank fraud and attempted tax evasion in connection with a massive check-kiting scheme involving numerous banks. He was also ordered to pay more than $150,000,000 in restitution to the victims of his bank fraud and the IRS, and to serve three years of supervised release once released from prison.
- U.S. v. Pounds – A Toledo-area man was sentenced to 94 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering in a scheme to obtain Small Business Administration (SBA)-financed loans from the Economic Injury Disaster Loans program and the Paycheck Protection Program under false pretenses. He was also ordered to pay $4,239,940.43 in restitution to the SBA.
- Fresh Mark Inc. Investigation – An Ohio meat processing company entered into an agreement with the USAO for a hiring manager’s involvement in an identity theft scheme and making false statements on government forms. Under the terms of the agreement, the company paid more than $3.7 million to the federal Crime Victims Fund in November 2024 and agreed to abide by compliance-reporting requirements for a two-year period.
- U.S. v. Spivak, et al. – A jury convicted two men for conspiring to artificially inflate prices on “penny stocks” being sold to investors. After a trial that proceeded in two stages for over four weeks in August and September 2024, the two were found guilty of conspiracy to commit securities fraud. Spivak was also found guilty of two counts of wire fraud at trial, then pled guilty to four other counts of wire fraud, two counts of securities fraud, and a separate count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud. His codefendant was found guilty of a securities fraud conspiracy and one count of securities fraud in the second stage of trial. Two other defendants also pled guilty.
- U.S. v. Barr – A Pennsylvania man was sentenced to 57 months in prison after pleading guilty to an organized scheme that defrauded the Lucas County Auditor of more than $622,000. From March 2018 through November 2020, he conspired with others to obtain money by pretending to be legitimate vendors with which the county was approved to do business.
- U.S. v. Graham, et al. – Two Ohio men were charged in a bribery scheme in which a municipal prosecutor allegedly agreed to help a criminal defendant with his pending cases in exchange for auto repair work. According to the indictment, Graham was a prosecutor for the Warren Municipal Court. The other defendant had two criminal cases pending in the same court. It is alleged that in October 2019, Graham assisted the codefendant with his criminal cases, and in return, he performed repairs to Graham’s truck.
- U.S. v. Cheney et al. – Six defendants pled guilty and were sentenced to a total of 355 months for a COVID-19 fraud conspiracy. From March 2020 to August 2021, they obtained nearly $3,000,000 in federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits using other people’s identities to apply for benefits in several states. The defendants, all residents of Northeast Ohio, were sentenced to numerous years in prison. Dates for future proceedings for a seventh defendant are yet to be determined.
Civil Rights
U.S. Attorney Lutzko led a comprehensive approach dedicated to protecting the civil rights of Ohioans through criminal and civil enforcement actions, community outreach, and a strong partnership with the Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Rights Division. She also served as a member of the AGAC’s Civil Rights Subcommittee. The Office’s efforts included the following:
- U.S. v. Penny – In January 2024, an Ohio man was sentenced to 18 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for firebombing a church and attempting to burn it down because the church supported the LGBTQ+ community. He was convicted of violating the Church Arson Prevention Act, a hate-crime statute, and of using fire and explosives to commit a felony.
- U.S. v. Durant – In April 2024, a woman was sentenced to two years of probation and fined $2,000 after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of intentionally damaging a reproductive healthcare center and violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. She did so after learning that the clinic offered pregnancy counseling, free pregnancy testing, and ultrasounds, but not abortion services.
- Investigation of Case Western Reserve University – The USAO entered into a settlement with a private Ohio university to resolve Title IX violations. The agreement requires extensive reforms to ensure the University enacts appropriate response protocols for students and employees to report sex discrimination and to provide adequate support to those affected.
- U.S. v. Citizens for a Pro-Life Society, Inc. et al. – A federal lawsuit was filed against two organizations and seven individuals, alleging they violated the FACE Act on two days in June 2021 by physically obstructing entrances to reproductive health facilities.
- U.S. v. Pedaline and TLP LLC – A federal lawsuit was filed against an owner and manager of residential rental properties, in Youngstown, Ohio, for engaging in sexual harassment in violation of the Fair Housing Act. The complaint alleged that Pedaline sexually harassed female tenants at properties that he owned or managed in Youngstown since 2009. Pedaline entered into a consent decree with the USAO and agreed to pay a $10,000 civil penalty and $189,000 to aggrieved persons allegedly harmed by the defendant’s actions.
- Protecting Places of Worship Forum – More than 150 leaders from different faiths attended the “Protecting Places of Worship” forum, sponsored by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, FBI-Cleveland, and the DOJ’s Community Relations Service. U.S. Attorney Lutzko gave opening remarks, and legal and security experts provided information about how to identify, report, and protect against hate crimes.
- Interfaith Council Initiative – The USAO reestablished an interfaith council to bring together members of our area’s diverse faith communities to address issues that are important to them, including the protection of Civil Rights and the freedom to worship without fear. Ms. Lutzko and USAO staff also visited several different houses of worship and faith-community gatherings during her tenure as part of the Office’s continued outreach efforts.
- The USAO partnered with the Beachwood City School District and DOJ’s Community Relations Service to hold a Fall 2024 program under the DOJ’s “United Against Hate” umbrella, wherein representatives from law enforcement, community organizations, and members of the public engaged in a discussion about practical strategies and skills to constructively address and resolve conflicts and to prevent acts of hate.
- Also in connection with the Department’s “United Against Hate” initiative, the USAO sponsored a community engagement program in the Fall of 2023 at The LGBTQ Center in Lakewood. It addressed identifying and reporting hate crimes and related civil rights violations.
- Voting with a Disability – In February 2024, U.S. Attorney Lutzko took part in an online forum to highlight concerns and address issues encountered by voters with disabilities. Advocacy groups and others from throughout the state listened to the presentation and identified areas of concern. This event was held in partnership with the USAO for the Southern District of Ohio.
- Pride in CLE – Ms. Lutzko and USAO staff marched alongside thousands of community members to support diversity, acceptance, and inclusion for all.
Child Exploitation
Under U.S. Attorney Lutzko’s leadership, the Office continued its strong tradition of prosecuting crimes against children, who are among our most vulnerable of victims. Notable case examples include:
- U.S. v. Zacharias – In November 2023, a former priest was sentenced to life in prison after a jury found him guilty of sex trafficking three victims who he first met at a Catholic school in Toledo in 1999. The evidence presented at trial showed that Zacharias used his position of authority as a spiritual leader to groom the boys and grow close with their families before ultimately coercing the victims into engaging in commercial sex acts. Zacharias’s abuse continued for years, assisted by his exploiting his victims’ opioid addictions, which they had developed while taking such drugs to cope with the abuse.
- U.S. v. Patterson – A Canton man was sentenced to 26 years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple charges including sexual exploitation of children, receipt and distribution of visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and possession of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), also referred to as child pornography.
- U.S. v. Walker – After FBI agents received a lead that a sexually explicit picture of a two-year old was likely a child residing in Northeast Ohio, agents identified the child and discovered that she spent time at an in-home daycare in Parma, Ohio, where Walker was often present. After he pled guilty to sexual exploitation and child pornography crimes for sexually abusing the child, filming it on his phone, and distributing those videos, Walker was sentenced to 16 years in prison.
- U.S. v. Deitsch – In February 2024, an Ohio man was sentenced to 17 and a half years in prison after he pled guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor and transportation of a minor across state lines for illicit sexual activity. A month after his release from prison for the abduction of another female, Deitsch traveled to Illinois to pick up a 15-year-old girl who he had met online, then brought her back to Ohio and engaged in sexual activity with her. After serving his prison term, he was also ordered serve 25 years of supervised release.
- U.S. v. Wilcoxon – A Defiance man was sentenced to 30 years in prison in October 2023 after pleading guilty to attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, coercion and enticement of a minor, and receipt and distribution of child sexual abuse materials. According to court documents, he initiated online chats with a purported 13-year-old and sought to meet with her to have sex. A search of his home uncovered more than 11,000 images of child sexual abuse in his possession.
National Security & Cybercrime
National security remained a top priority of all U.S. Attorney’s offices, including the Northern District of Ohio. Further, the Office continued to be a recognized leader in cybercrime investigations and prosecutions, seeking to apprehend and punish criminal actors who hide behind their computer screens to wreak immeasurable damage worldwide. Office achievements under U.S. Attorney Lutzko’s leadership included the following:
- U.S. v. John Doe a.k.a. “Brain” – In August 2024, the Office filed a criminal complaint against a defendant known as “Brain,” believed to be based in Europe and responsible for building a multi-national ransomware organization known as Radar. This complaint sought injunctive relief to prevent additional attacks on victims from occurring and authorized disruption of the ransomware by disabling foreign and domestic domain names, servers, and IP addresses associated with the criminal enterprise. Victims include businesses and organizations located in more than three dozen countries throughout the world, including a trade union and a manufacturing company located in the northern district of Ohio. The FBI estimates monetary losses incurred by individuals and organizations to be in the millions, and the investigation remains open.
- U.S. v. Vidic – A Croatian man living in Parma Heights was sentenced to three years in prison for possessing a green card that he fraudulently obtained by concealing that he had been charged with a war crime in Croatia before immigrating to the United States. He also falsely stated that his only past military service was in the Yugoslav Army from 1988 to 1989, when, in fact, he fought with the Serb Army of Krajina and its predecessors during the civil war in the former Yugoslavia from 1991.
- Trickbot Malware Conspiracy – Russian national Vladimir Dunaev pled guilty in November 2023 to crimes related to developing and deploying worldwide a malicious software program used to launch cyberattacks against American hospitals, schools, and businesses, including 10 in northern Ohio. Dunaev was responsible for causing those Ohio entities $3.4 million in losses based on Trickbot ransomware attacks. He was sentenced to 64 months in prison in January 2024. A co-conspirator pled guilty earlier and was sentenced in June 2023.
Drug Trafficking
U.S. Attorney Lutzko emphasized prosecuting and dismantling multi-level drug-trafficking organizations during her tenure, particularly those with international connections and/or that peddled highly toxic poisons such as fentanyl on our communities streets. The Office had numerous successes combatting the scourge of drug-trafficking, including the following examples:
- U.S. v. Ojeda-Elenes et al. – Four individuals, including two with direct connections to the Sinaloa Cartel based in Culiacán, Mexico, received sentences in 2024 ranging from two and a half years to 19 years in prison for a drug conspiracy involving more than 240 pounds of fentanyl and nearly 100 pounds of cocaine.
- U.S. v. Whittaker, et al. – Fifteen people in Lorain County were charged in a 19-count indictment after authorities seized large quantities of fentanyl that included more than 42,000 thousand fentanyl pills.
- U.S. v. Hovanec, et al. – A woman was sentenced to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple charges, including conspiring to distribute a controlled substance that resulted in the death of her husband (she intentionally injected him with that substance). Her boyfriend and mother were also implicated in the case and sentenced to 18 and 10 years prison, respectively.
- U.S. v. Johnson, et al. – Twenty members of a drug trafficking operation operating in Sandusky, Ohio, were charged in a 63-count indictment and alleged to be responsible for trafficking distribution quantities of controlled substances in the Greater Sandusky area, including fentanyl and fentanyl analogues in both powder and counterfeit pill form, as well as methamphetamine and cocaine.
- U.S. v. May – A man was sentenced to more than 14 and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute drugs and distributing drugs. He was also ordered to serve 15 years of supervised release following imprisonment. According to court documents and court records, he led a drug conspiracy in the Youngstown area that distributed fentanyl, cocaine, cocaine base, and heroin.
- U.S. v. Lumbus, et al. – Eleven people were charged in an international drug trafficking conspiracy that involved the importation of fentanyl, synthetic opioids, and synthetic cannabinoids into the United States, and the distribution of those drugs in Ohio and other states, including in Ohio’s prisons.
U. S. Attorney Lutzko chaired the Office’s Heroin-Opioid Task Force, partnering with local law enforcement entities and service providers to address the opioid epidemic in Cuyahoga County. Under her leadership, the Office recently spearheaded a successful effort to more quickly connect persons who have experienced a recent overdose with community intervention organizations that assist willing participants begin their journey toward sobriety.
Financial Collections/Forfeiture
As U.S. Attorney Lutzko recently noted, “Asset forfeiture is a vital tool” used “to punish criminals and financially deter, disrupt, or dismantle criminal activity and criminal organizations. When we take the assets used to commit, or gained as the result of crime, we deprive criminals of the tools they need to engage in criminal activity and, indeed, their reason for committing such crimes in the first place. Additionally, forfeiting criminal assets allows us to return money lost by victims who were scammed by criminals in deceitful and fraudulent schemes or otherwise harmed by crime.” In FY 2024 alone, the Office forfeited over $7.7 million in criminal assets, with more than $50 million of assets still pending future forfeiture.
In addition, the Office continued its tremendous success collecting debts owed to the government based on false claims, environmental damage, controlled-substance violations, and the like, to return that money to the U.S. taxpayers, and further, recovering money for crime victims to make them whole. In FY 2024, the Office’s Financial Litigation Program collected nearly $28 million in victim restitution and taxpayer recoveries of money improperly taken through fraud, waste, and abuse.
Protecting Our Environment & Animal Welfare
The Office worked closely with the DOJ’s Environmental and Natural Resources Division to protect the environment for our district’s residents. Notable examples include:
U.S. v. Norfolk Southern Railway Co., et al. – The Norfolk Southern Railway Company agreed to a settlement valued at over $310 million to hold it accountable, address, and pay for the environmental damages caused by the Feb. 3, 2023, train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, and fund health monitoring and mental health services for the surrounding communities, and railway safety measures.
U.S. v. Shepherd – A Kenton, Ohio, man was sentenced to probation, community service, a $5,000 fine, and to pay $22,508.60 in restitution after pleading guilty to dumping over 7,000 gallons of hazardous pollutants into the Scioto River, killing over 43,000 fish and contaminating an 18-mile stretch of the river.
U.S. v. Mt. Hope Auction – A civil complaint filed in September against Mt. Hope Auction alleged that it placed animals in serious danger and violated the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). At the time of the complaint’s filing, Mt. Hope had been cited for 69 AWA violations in less than two years, including repeated violations for failing to provide veterinary care to sick or injured animals. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspectors observed a calf unable to stand, with its legs splayed in an abnormal position and other animals that were so emaciated that their ribs, scapula, pelvic bones, and individual vertebrae were visible. Mt. Hope Auction entered into a consent decree with the USAO and agreed not to deal or exhibit AWA-regulated animal without a license and allow the USDA access to ensure compliance. If Mt. Hope Auction obtains a new USDA license within the next three years, it agrees to a two-year probationary period.
Career History
Ms. Lutzko first joined the Office as a career prosecutor in 2005. As an Assistant United States Attorney, she prosecuted complex criminal cases involving a range of federal violations, including money laundering; campaign-finance violations; public corruption; multiple types of fraud schemes, including healthcare, tax, government-program, investment, and corporate frauds; and complex narcotics conspiracies, from illegal “street” drugs to illegal online pharmacy operations and other doctor-involved drug trafficking. She served as Chief of the Criminal Division’s Appeals Unit between January 2017 and June 2023, where she oversaw all briefing and arguments by the Office before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. She also served as Deputy Chief of the Major Fraud and Corruption Unit from 2010 to 2011.
Before becoming an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Ms. Lutzko was an associate at BakerHostetler in Cleveland from 1998 to 2005. She also served as a law clerk from 1997 to 1998 for Judge Alice M. Batchelder of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
Ms. Lutzko graduated cum laude from the Georgetown University Law Center in 1997 where she earned her Juris Doctor degree with distinction. She graduated magna cum laude in 1993 from Boston University where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree.
Pittsburg County Resident Sentenced for Failure to Register as Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Lenard Ray Bond, age 31, of Hartshorne, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 21 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for failing to register as a sex offender.
The charges arose from an investigation by the United States Marshals Service Violent Crime Fugitive Task Force and the LeFlore County Sheriff’s Office.
On May 8, 2024, Bond pleaded guilty to an Indictment of one count of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
On August 8, 2014, Bond was convicted in the State of Oklahoma for Second Degree Rape and required to register as a sex offender. Bond was advised of the requirement to register as a sex offender and to inform law enforcement of any change in residency. According to investigators, between April 14, 2019, and March 15, 2024, Bond repeatedly failed to register as a sex offender despite moving into and living at various residences in and around Indian country within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Bond will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Wittlinger and Jessica Bove represented the United States.