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Thursday 14 November 2024
Council Bluffs Man Sentenced to 84 Months for Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Council Bluffs man was sentenced today to 84 months in federal prison for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
According to public court documents, in 2023, Carlos Garcia Garcia, 41, distributed large quantities of methamphetamine in the Council Bluffs area. Drug proceeds seized during the investigation totaled $58,700, which was forfeited by the investigating agency.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Garcia Garcia will be required to serve a four-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Convicted Sex Offender on State Probation Is Sentenced to More Than 21 Years for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Joseph Franklin Jordan, 53 of Charlotte, was sentenced to 262 months in prison today for distribution of child pornography, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Upon his release from prison, Jordan will be subject to a lifetime of supervised release and must register as a sex offender. U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell also ordered Jordan to pay $19,000 in assessments and restitution.
Cardell T. Morant, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, Eddie M. Buffaloe, Jr., Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Public Safety (NC DPS), and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
“Protecting our children from sexual predators like Jordan is a top priority and one of the most urgent challenges we face today,” said U.S. Attorney King. “My office is committed to working hand-in-hand with our law enforcement partners at every level to identify child predators and bring them to justice.”
According to filed documents and statements made in court, in November 2022, an HSI undercover agent (UC) was in an online chat group where its users distributed child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Court records show that the UC began to exchange direct messages with a user later identified as Jordan, about the defendant engaging in illicit sexual acts with a young child the UC purported to have access to. Over the course of the communications, Jordan began to make plans to meet with the UC to have sex with the child. Law enforcement identified the user as Jordan, who was on supervised probation with the State of North Carolina for a sex offender conviction.
On December 2, 2022, HSI agents assisted by NC DPS probation officers conducted a search of Jordan’s residence. Four electronic devices were seized and forensically examined. The examination revealed that the devices contained more than 28,000 images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including infants and toddlers. Jordan had also distributed child pornography to others. In addition, law enforcement located online messages in which Jordan discussed his desire to sexually abuse children and to make child pornography. In some of the chats, Jordan also made statements about having previous sexual encounters with children as young as three years old, and shared details about those purported encounters using extremely graphic and vulgar language.
On March 21, 2024, Jordan pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography. At today’s sentencing hearing, the Court sentenced Jordan to a 262-month sentence due, in part, to the nature and circumstances of Jordan’s offense.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King commended HSI, NC DPS, and CMPD for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick J. Miller of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to More Than 19 Years for Possessing A Firearm and Receiving Child Sex Abuse ImagesRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Robert Leroy Badders, Jr. (34, Lake Mary) to 19 years and 7 months years in federal prison for receiving child sex abuse images and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The court also ordered Badders to forfeit two firearms, assorted ammunition, and his smart phone device seized on the date of his arrest. Additionally, Badders agreed to abandon the remainder of electronic devices seized by the FBI in this case. Badders entered a guilty plea on June 6, 2024.
According to court documents, an undercover FBI agent discovered an Internet Protocol (IP) address that was sharing files containing child sex abuse material. The FBI traced the IP address and the file-sharing account to Badders and his residence in Lake Mary, Florida. During the search of Badders’s residence, the FBI located two loaded firearms in Badders’s backpack. Badders admitted to the FBI agents that he was the owner of the firearms and knew he could not possess them since he was a convicted felon. Badders had been convicted of at least two felonies prior to this incident. As such, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
Further, during the search of Badders’s residence, the FBI found his smart phone device and multiple microSD cards, all of which collectively contained hundreds of files child sex abuse material.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Sartoian.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Additionally, 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.
Convicted Dark Web Drug Dealer Sentenced to 360 Months’ ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Oluwole Adegboruwa, 54, of Las Vegas, Nevada, the main defendant and mastermind in a multi-million dollar dark web drug trafficking operation was sentenced to 30 years of imprisonment. He was also ordered supervised release for life and the forfeiture of over $20 million, which is among the largest forfeitures holding a defendant financially accountable for his crimes in the history of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah.
The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Jill N. Parish, comes after a jury found Adegboruwa and his co-defendant Enrique Isong, 49, of Los Angeles, California, guilty in May 2024 of multiple federal crimes, including conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and money laundering (see prior press release here). On October 23, 2024, Isong was sentenced to ten years of imprisonment and three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, evidence presented at trial, and statements made at Adegboruwa’s sentencing hearing, from October 2016 through May 2019, Adegboruwa, sold more than 300,000 oxycodone pills on dark web marketplaces to customers throughout the United States. The jury found that Adegboruwa organized and supervised a continuing criminal enterprise that earned approximately $9,112,471 in drug proceeds. The jury found that Adegboruwa was unquestionably in charge of the illicit narcotics operation. Each member of his enterprise served in different capacities. Some were tasked with locating and procuring pharmacy grade pills that were then re-sold through various dark web marketplaces. Others were involved in packaging the pills and/or shipping them to customers. At trial, Adegboruwa admitted that he controlled sales on the dark web markets and the monetary accounts, including the cryptocurrency accounts through which the enterprise received the bulk of its profits. Adegboruwa also admitted he was the one who decided to start his online dark web drug sales operation.
“Protecting the community from illicit drugs and dismantling drug trafficking operations is a priority for my office and our law enforcement partners,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah. “We will continue to prosecute and seek justice for these crimes.”
“This case further demonstrates that true anonymity on the dark web is a myth,” said U.S. Postal Inspection Services State Phoenix Division Inspector in Charge Glen Henderson. “U.S. Postal Inspectors remain steadfast in their commitment to dismantling drug trafficking operations, ensuring the safety of USPS customers and employees alike.”
“Adegboruwa's criminal drug enterprise was complex, sophisticated, and generated millions of dollars in profits concealed in cryptocurrency transactions. This sentencing is a stark reminder that the DEA is relentless in the pursuit of justice, and that drug traffickers cannot hide their illicit activities even in the secretive expanses of the dark web,” said DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Pullen.
“Money laundering continues to be a top investigative priority for IRS-CI,” said Special Agent in Charge Carissa Messick for IRS Criminal Investigation’s Phoenix Field Office. “The forfeiture amount in this case alone highlights the magnitude of the investigation conducted by IRS-CI special agents, its impact on our community, and IRS-CI’s relentless commitment to uncovering illegal schemes by following the money.”
The case was investigated jointly by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
Assistant United States Attorneys Thaddeus J. May, Jennifer E. Gully, and Stewart M. Young of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf.
Columbus man sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for role in conspiracy involving drugs mailed from ArizonaRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ontario M. Yarbrough, 26, of Columbus, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 135 months in prison for his involvement in a narcotics conspiracy involving kilogram quantities of drugs being mailed from Arizona to Columbus.
According to court documents, from April until October 2023, Yarbrough received and accepted at least five packages of narcotics. In addition to receiving five packages himself, Yarbrough tracked on the USPS website nine additional packages which were sent from Arizona to Columbus. Yarbrough maintained a property on South Burgess Avenue in Columbus where he received the drugs, re-packaged them and distributed them. One intercepted package contained approximately half a kilogram of fentanyl.
When a search warrant was executed at his home, agents discovered fentanyl, cocaine and firearms.
The defendant was charged by criminal complaint and arrested in October 2023. Yarbrough pleaded guilty in May 2024 to conspiring to distribute and possessing with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Pittsburgh Division, announced the sentence imposed on Nov. 12 by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorney Damoun Delaviz is representing the United States in this case.
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Colorado Recidivist Sex Offender Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Crimes Against ChildrenRead the Press Release
A Colorado man was sentenced yesterday to 35 years in prison and a lifetime term of supervised release for his distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and involvement with a dark-web website dedicated to CSAM.
According to court documents, while still on parole for a 2013 Colorado conviction for sexual exploitation of a child, registered sex offender Christopher Carl Meier, 41, of Denver, became a member of a dark-web website dedicated to CSAM depicting boys and the discussion of the sexual abuse of minor boys. On July 9, Meier pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute CSAM and five counts of distribution of CSAM. Meier was a member of the website for more than 18 months and made more than 600 posts on the website. On this website, Meier advertised and distributed images and videos depicting minor boys engaged in sexual conduct. He made statements on the website admitting that he produced this material by tricking the boys into thinking that they were interacting online with a girl their own age and enticing them to disrobe and engage in sex acts on webcam. The FBI is aware of at least 65 victims of Meier’s conduct.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Kirsch for the District of Colorado; Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; and Special Agent in Charge Mark D. Michalek of the FBI Denver Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Child Exploitation Operational Unit and Denver Field Office investigated the case.
Acting Deputy Chief Kyle Reynolds of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alecia L. Riewerts for the District of Colorado prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Colorado Recidivist Sex Offender Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Crimes Against ChildrenRead the Press Release
DENVER – A Colorado man was sentenced yesterday to 35 years in prison and a lifetime term of supervised release for his distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and involvement with a dark-web website dedicated to CSAM.
According to court documents, while still on parole for a 2013 Colorado conviction for sexual exploitation of a child, registered sex offender Christopher Carl Meier, 41, of Denver, became a member of a dark-web website dedicated to CSAM depicting boys and the discussion of the sexual abuse of minor boys. On July 9, Meier pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute CSAM and five counts of distribution of CSAM. Meier was a member of the website for more than 18 months and made more than 600 posts on the website. On this website, Meier advertised and distributed images and videos depicting minor boys engaged in sexual conduct. He made statements on the website admitting that he produced this material by tricking the boys into thinking that they were interacting online with a girl their own age, and by enticing them to disrobe and engage in sex acts on webcam. The FBI is aware of at least 65 victims of Meier’s conduct.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Kirsch for the District of Colorado; Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; and Special Agent in Charge Mark D. Michalek of the FBI Denver Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Child Exploitation Operational Unit and Denver Field Office investigated the case.
Acting Deputy Chief Kyle Reynolds of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alecia L. Riewerts for the District of Colorado prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Charlotte Man Is Sentenced to Prison for Robbing A Convenience Store at GunpointRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Jonah Terrell Bryant, 29, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to seven years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for the armed robbery of a local convenience store, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and information presented at court hearings, on August 18, 2022, at approximately 6:19 a.m., CMPD officers were dispatched to an armed robbery call at the Circle K convenience store located at 10000 N. Tryon Street, in Charlotte. The store clerk had called 911 to report the crime. When CMPD officers arrived at the scene, they spoke with the store clerk who said that the robber had walked up to the counter and asked to buy a cigar. When the store clerk put the cigar on the counter and rang up the sale, the robber pointed a firearm at the clerk and demanded money. The store clerk told the robber that he didn’t have access to the safe. The robber then ordered the store clerk to open the drawer and proceeded to come around the counter and grab the money that was in the register.
According to filed court documents, during the investigation, law enforcement used video surveillance footage to identify Bryant’s white Dodge Charger and a fingerprint recovered from the scene to determine the robber’s identity. CMPD officers arrested Bryant on August 26, 2022, while he was driving the white Dodge Charger. In the front center console of the vehicle, law enforcement found a black 9mm semi-automatic pistol with a round in the chamber and rounds in the attached magazine.
On October 26, 2023, Bryant pleaded guilty to possession and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Bryant is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
The FBI and CMPD investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Kelly of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Career Offender and Methamphetamine Trafficker Is Sentenced to 15 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Dena J. King announced today that Samantha Marie Vono, 34, of Hickory, N.C., was sentenced to 15 years in prison followed by five years under court supervision for trafficking methamphetamine. Vono was classified as a Career Offender as a result of multiple prior drug trafficking convictions for possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it to others.
Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which oversees the Charlotte District Office, and Sheriff Donald G. Brown II of the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office, join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and today’s proceedings, in December 2021, law enforcement officers were conducting a drug investigation in Catawba County. During the investigation, they identified Vono as a local distributor of methamphetamine. The investigation determined that Vono would travel to Charlotte to meet with a narcotics source of supply, and then travel back to Catawba County where she distributed narcotics to other local sellers. Court records show that, on January 25, 2022, officers followed Vono as she travelled to Charlotte. Officers observed Vono meet her supply source at an apartment complex and then travel back to Catawba County. Officers conducted a traffic stop of Vono’s vehicle for a traffic violation and Vono’s multiple outstanding warrants. During a search of the vehicle, law enforcement located 160 grams of methamphetamine inside the vehicle.
According to court records, while Vono was released on bond pending sentencing, and confined to her apartment on home detention with electronic monitoring, Vono set up a robbery in her apartment with three other co-conspirators where a victim was shot. Two of Vono’s young children were home at the time of the robbery turned shooting. After the incident, court records show that Vono was encountered by the police while attempting to clean up the bloody crime scene. Later, Vono also attempted to obstruct the police investigation.
On June 14, 2023, Vono pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. She is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
U.S. Attorney King thanked the DEA and the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Kent of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Canadian National Convicted by Jury for Drug and Gun Charges after Interstate PursuitRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that a federal jury in Lincoln, Nebraska, returned a guilty verdict on November 13, 2024, against John Francis, age 23, of Canada, for one count of possession with intent to distribute MDMA and one count of carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. The verdict subjects Francis to a potential prison term of up to life and a minimum of five years on the firearm count. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis presided over the trial and set sentencing for February 6, 2025.
On March 4, 2023, a Saline County Sheriff’s Deputy performing patrol and drug interdiction duties on I-80 westbound initiated a traffic stop of a 2023 Chevy Tahoe. Instead of slowing, the Tahoe accelerated, resulting in a 30-minute pursuit over three counties for approximately 50 miles, at sustained speeds of over 100 mph. More county Sheriff’s Deputies and the Nebraska State Patrol were called in to assist with the stop due to the excessive speed of the fleeing Tahoe.
Officers had to deploy three sets of spike strips (tire deflation devices) across the interstate. The spike strips ultimately caused three of the four tires on the Tahoe to fail and caused the Tahoe to come to rest in the middle of the passing lane on the interstate. Francis emerged from the Tahoe with his hands in the air and immediately laid down on his chest in the median.
The driver and only occupant of the vehicle was eventually identified as John Francis, although another person’s Canadian driver’s license was found in the Tahoe. Francis had a loaded handgun in the cupholder and a duffle bag on the passenger seat. The duffle bag contained approximately 6.65 pounds of 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in crystalline form. Officers also found over $6,000 and other indicators of drug trafficking on Francis and in the Tahoe.
This case was investigated by the Saline County Sheriff’s Office, Seward County Sheriff’s Office, York County Sheriff’s Office, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, the Nebraska State Patrol, and the Lincoln Police Department.
Bristol Man Sentenced to 54 Months in Prison for Assaulting Officer with a Knife Outside Federal Courthouse in PhiladelphiaRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Anthony Lombardo, 46, of Bristol, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Nitza I. Quiñones Alejandro to 54 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for assault on a federal officer.
On the morning of January 17, 2023, Lombardo drove to the James A. Byrne U.S. Courthouse at 7th & Market Streets in Philadelphia, where he brandished a large kitchen knife and approached a court security officer who was patrolling the exterior of the building. After Lombardo ignored the officer’s request to drop the knife, the officer discharged his firearm, striking Lombardo.
While first responders administered aid to Lombardo, they discovered another kitchen knife hidden in his shirtsleeve and makeshift body armor attached to his chest and midsection.
Lombardo was thereafter charged by federal complaint and remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals once he was released from the hospital in February 2023. At the time of his arrest, Lombardo was on state supervision following a conviction for aggravated assault on a police officer in 2006.
On April 9, 2024, Lombardo was charged by information with assault on a federal officer. On May 6, Lombardo waived prosecution by indictment and entered a plea of guilty.
“Twice now, Anthony Lombardo has targeted police and security officers with violence,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Whatever your goals or grievances, if you try to harm someone working to protect a federal courthouse or facility, rest assured that my office and our partners will work to hold you fully accountable.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and the United States Marshals Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin Ashenfelter.
Brazilian Resident Pleads Guilty for Role in Fraudulent Tax Refund SchemeRead the Press Release
A South Carolina man currently residing in Brazil pleaded guilty earlier this week in federal court in San Francisco to conspiracy to submit a false claim.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Robert Xan Paul, 45, of Sao Paulo, Brazil, conspired with others to defraud the United States by preparing and submitting to the IRS a fraudulent income tax return that claimed a nearly $600,000 refund, which the IRS paid. Paul was a client of O.I.D. Process, a business owned by his co-conspirators that helped others prepare and file individual federal income tax returns that claimed fictitious Original Issue Discount interest income and federal tax withholdings, resulting in fraudulent claims for tax refunds.
To support his refund claim, Paul created fraudulent IRS forms from financial institutions where he had accounts. Those forms falsely indicated that the financial institutions had withheld federal income tax on his behalf.
In total, Paul caused a tax loss to the IRS of $595,110.
Paul pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to submit false claims. He is set to be sentenced on Jan. 21, 2025. Paul faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised of release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick D. Robbins for the Northern District of California made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney J. Parker Gochenour of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Pitman for the Northern District of California are prosecuting the case.
Box Elder woman admits lying to buy two firearms later used in a double homicideRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Box Elder woman admitted on Nov. 13 to lying on a form to buy two firearms that were later used in a double homicide, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
The defendant, Airian Mariah Russette, 30, pleaded guilty to false statement during a firearms transaction. Russette faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The court set sentencing for March 19, 2025. Russette was released pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that on March 27, Russette purchased two pistols from North 40 Outfitters, a federal firearms licensee in Havre, and immediately traveled back to Box Elder, where she traded the firearms to an individual in exchange for four oxycodone pills. The individual had contacted Russette prior to the purchase by text message and asked Russette to buy the two guns. The two firearms were recovered several hours later by law enforcement after they were used in a double homicide and still in possession of the homicide suspects. During an interview, Russette admitted to lying on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Form 4473 to buy the firearms for someone other than herself, a transaction known as a straw purchase. She further admitted that she traded the firearms for the four pills. Because Russette checked “yes” on the ATF form that she was the actual buyer of the firearms, it influenced North 40 Outfitters into believing that the two pistols could be lawfully sold to Russette and caused the business to do so. The firearms were a .380-caliber semi-automatic pistol and a 9mm semi-automatic pistol.
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, 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.
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Bitfinex Hacker Sentenced in Money Laundering Conspiracy Involving Billions in Stolen CryptocurrencyRead the Press Release
Ilya Lichtenstein was sentenced today to five years in prison for his involvement in a money laundering conspiracy arising from the hack and theft of approximately 120,000 bitcoin from Bitfinex, a global cryptocurrency exchange.
According to court documents, Lichtenstein, 35, hacked into Bitfinex’s network in 2016, using advanced hacking tools and techniques. Once inside the network, Lichtenstein fraudulently authorized more than 2,000 transactions transferring 119,754 bitcoin from Bitfinex to a cryptocurrency wallet in Lichtenstein’s control. Lichtenstein then took steps to cover his tracks by deleting from Bitfinex’s network access credentials and other log files that could have revealed his conduct to law enforcement. Following the hack, Lichtenstein enlisted the help of his wife, Heather Morgan, in laundering the stolen funds.
Lichtenstein, at times with Morgan’s assistance, employed numerous sophisticated laundering techniques, including using fictitious identities to set up online accounts; utilizing computer programs to automate transactions; depositing the stolen funds into accounts at a variety of darknet markets and cryptocurrency exchanges and then withdrawing the funds; converting bitcoin to other forms of cryptocurrency in a practice known as “chain hopping”; depositing a portion of the criminal proceeds into cryptocurrency mixing services; using U.S.-based business accounts to legitimize Lichtenstein’s and Morgan’s banking activity; and exchanging a portion of the stolen funds into gold coins.
On Aug. 3, 2023, Lichtenstein and Morgan both pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. In addition to his term of imprisonment, Lichtenstein was ordered to serve three years of supervised release. Morgan is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 18.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia; Chief Guy Ficco of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran of the FBI’s Cyber Division; Special Agent in Charge Douglas S. DePodesta of the FBI Chicago Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York Field Office made the announcement.
The IRS-CI Washington D.C. Cyber Crimes Unit, FBI Chicago Field Office, FBI Virtual Assets Unit, and HSI New York Field Office are investigating the case, with assistance from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Ansbach Police Department in Germany.
Trial Attorneys Jessica Peck and C. Alden Pelker of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher B. Brown for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jolie Zimmerman, Paralegal Specialists Angela De Falco and Brian Rickers, and Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick, all for the District of Columbia, provided valuable assistance. CCIPS Trial Attorney Christen Gallagher, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica C. Brooks for the District of Columbia, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Southern District of New York, and the HSI Philadelphia Field Office also provided significant assistance.
Consistent with standard practice in criminal forfeiture cases, there will be a formal process pursuant to Rule 32.2 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure for third-party claimants to submit claims for any seized and forfeited property. Additional information is available on the Justice Department’s website for large cases at www.justice.gov/usao-dc/2016-bitfinex-hack.
Bitfinex Hacker Sentenced in Money Laundering Conspiracy Involving Billions in Stolen CryptocurrencyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ilya Lichtenstein, 35, of New York City, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. to 60 months in federal prison for his involvement in a money laundering conspiracy arising from the hack and theft of approximately 120,000 bitcoin from Bitfinex, a global cryptocurrency exchange.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia; Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Chief Guy Ficco of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran of the FBI’s Cyber Division; FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, of the Chicago Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York Field Office.
According to court documents, Lichtenstein hacked into Bitfinex’s network in 2016, using advanced hacking tools and techniques. Once inside the network, Lichtenstein fraudulently authorized more than 2,000 transactions transferring 119,754 bitcoin from Bitfinex to a cryptocurrency wallet in Lichtenstein’s control. Lichtenstein then took steps to cover his tracks by deleting from Bitfinex’s network access credentials and other log files that could have revealed his conduct to law enforcement. Following the hack, Lichtenstein enlisted the help of his wife, Heather Morgan, in laundering the stolen funds.
Lichtenstein, at times with Morgan’s assistance, employed numerous sophisticated laundering techniques, including using fictitious identities to set up online accounts; utilizing computer programs to automate transactions; depositing the stolen funds into accounts at a variety of darknet markets and cryptocurrency exchanges and then withdrawing the funds; converting bitcoin to other forms of cryptocurrency in a practice known as “chain hopping;” depositing a portion of the criminal proceeds into cryptocurrency mixing services; using U.S.-based business accounts to legitimize Lichtenstein’s and Morgan’s banking activity; and exchanging a portion of the stolen funds into gold coins.
On Aug. 3, 2023, Lichtenstein and Morgan both pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. In addition to his term of imprisonment, Lichtenstein was ordered to serve three years of supervised release. Morgan is scheduled to be sentenced on November 18.
The IRS-CI Washington D.C. Cyber Crimes Unit; FBI Chicago Field Office; FBI Virtual Assets Unit; and HSI New York Field Office are investigating the case, with assistance from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Ansbach Police Department in Germany.
The matter is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher B. Brown for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorneys Jessica Peck and C. Alden Pelker of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS). Assistant U.S. Attorney Jolie Zimmerman, Paralegal Specialists Angela De Falco and Brian Rickers, and Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick, all for the District of Columbia, provided valuable assistance. CCIPS Trial Attorney Christen Gallagher, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica C. Brooks for the District of Columbia, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Southern District of New York, and the HSI Philadelphia Field Office also provided significant assistance.
Consistent with standard practice in criminal forfeiture cases, there will be a formal process pursuant to Rule 32.2 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure for third-party claimants to submit claims for any seized and forfeited property. Additional information is available on the Justice Department’s website for large cases at www.justice.gov/usao-dc/2016-bitfinex-hack.
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23cr0239
Beretta Bandit Serial Robber SentencedRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Richard Allen Randolph (44, Youngstown, OH) to 106 years and 6 months in federal prison for Hobbs Act robberies, attempted robbery, brandishing a firearm, and discharging a firearm during the commission of the robberies. The court also ordered Randolph to forfeit a Beretta Pico pistol used during the commission of the offenses. Randolph was found guilty by a federal jury on April 19, 2024.
According to evidence at trial, between January 27 and February 26, 2020, Randolph robbed four commercial businesses in Tampa wearing a hooded sweatshirt and facial covering. During each of the robberies, Randolph brandished and threatened the victims with a Beretta Pico pistol and removed cash from the registers. During the attempted robbery on February 26, 2020, Randolph again concealed his identity, entered the store, and threatened the clerk with the firearm. However, the victim’s boyfriend, who was outside the store waiting to take her home, confronted Randolph. Randolph then discharged the pistol twice in the parking lot of the business as the victims fled. Law enforcement recovered the bullet casing from the parking lot and the case remained active and under investigation under the name “Beretta Bandit” as no subject was identified.
In July 2021, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop of an individual who was found to have a Beretta Pico pistol in his car. The individual did not match the description of the robber and told law enforcement that he had purchased the pistol from Randolph, who was a former co-worker. Forensic examiners from the ATF laboratory later determined that the Beretta pistol was the firearm involved in the last robbery committed by Randolph.
During trial, the victims testified about their terror during the robberies committed by Randolph. However, they could not identify Randolph because he was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and a mask. The evidence at trial focused on the recovered Beretta Pico pistol, the testimony of the co-worker, the forensic analyses from the ATF laboratory in Atlanta, and other location data analyses by the FBI.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Maria Guzman and Brooke Padgett.
This case is part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence for occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results.
Beaumont man who brought short-barreled rifle to state fair sentenced to federal prisonRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Beaumont man has been sentenced for federal firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs.
Damon Donte Henry, 19, pleaded guilty to possession of an unregistered firearm and was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Michael J. Truncale on November 13, 2024.
According to information presented in court, Henry smuggled a fully loaded short-barreled AR-15 style rifle into the South Texas State Fair on March 30, 2024. Around 10:30 p.m., Beaumont police on bike patrol at the fair noticed Henry suspiciously carrying a large backpack near one of the rides. When the officers attempted to speak with Henry, he immediately ran away, discarding the backpack. Officers quickly discovered the AR-15-style rifle and a 9mm semi-automatic handgun. After a short chase, Henry was subdued in the fair parking lot. After recovering the firearms, officers found that the rifle was unlawfully modified to be shorter than required by federal law, which mandates that rifles with an overall length less than 26 inches or a barrel less than 16 inches be registered with the ATF. The rifle was also equipped with a large capacity magazine and 26 rounds of ammunition. A federal grand jury indicted Henry on June 5, 2024.
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 Beaumont Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John B. Ross.
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Beaumont man sentenced to federal prison for trafficking fentanylRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Beaumont man has been sentenced to federal prison for possessing fentanyl for distribution in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs.
Harry Francis Lowenthal, 66, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and was sentenced to 50 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on November 12, 2024.
According to information presented in court, Lowenthal was arrested following an investigation into fentanyl distribution. During the arrest, Lowenthal was found in possession of a white powdery substance, and later admitted to possessing cocaine and fentanyl and to selling heroin. During a search of his residence, officers discovered a firearm, $5,000.00 cash, and a small amount of suspected heroin and fentanyl along with indicators of drug trafficking, including plastic baggies, a digital scale and lactose powder commonly used to “bulk up” drugs. A lab analysis of the drugs confirmed that it consisted of approximately 19 grams of a fentanyl/heroin mix.
“Fentanyl, even in small amounts, is a potent synthetic opioid, approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin,” said U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. “Today’s sentence should send a clear message that this Office, working closely with our state and federal law enforcement partners, will continue to prosecute and seek to hold accountable drug dealers who distribute this poison and exploit addictions in the Eastern District of Texas.”
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Beaumont Police Department, and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tommy L. Coleman with assistance from the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office.
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All Six Defendants Sentenced to Prison for El Hipopótamo Restaurant Robbery that Resulted in the Death of 15-year-old MinorRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – The last two defendants in the Hipopótamo Restaurant robbery that resulted on the murder of Jesús Francisco Pérez — a 15-year-old minor who was an employee of the restaurant, were sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Pedro A. Delgado-Hernández.
Basilio Matías-Fajardo was sentenced to 21 years in prison and a supervised release term of five years. Matías-Fajardo, an employee of the El Hipopótamo restaurant, was convicted by a federal jury on August 12, 2024, for conspiracy to interfere with commerce through robbery, aiding and abetting in the interference with commerce through robbery, and aiding and abetting the use, carrying, and discharging of a firearm during and in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Defendant Luis Cabán-Nieves was sentenced to 11 years in prison and a supervised release term of five years for his participation during the robbery.
Yesterday, November 13, 2024, defendant Geofley Jomar Pérez, was sentenced to 31 years and nine months in prison, and a supervised release term of five years; and defendant Edwin Peña-Valdéz was sentenced to eight years and six months in prison, and a supervised release term of three years.
On Tuesday, November 12, 2024, Jospe Jomar Santos-Mercado was sentenced to 24 years and three months in prison, and a supervised release term of five years; and defendant Luis Aulet-Maldonado was sentenced to 26 years and three months in prison, and a supervised release term of five years.
According to court documents, the defendants planned and executed the armed robbery at the restaurant El Hipopótamo, during which three victims were kidnapped and the minor male victim was shot twice and killed.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; and Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI is investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Linet Suárez and Julian Radzinschi of the Violent Crime Division prosecuted the case.
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Wednesday 13 November 2024
Yukon Woman Pleads Guilty to Stealing from NonprofitRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – DEBRA KAYE LYONS, 65, of Yukon, has pleaded guilty to federal program theft, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On October 21, 2024, Lyons was charged by Amended Information with federal program theft. From 2007 to January 2023, Lyons worked for an Oklahoma City nonprofit organization receiving federal funds, where she coordinated the purchase of cell phones and cell phone plans for the nonprofit. According to the Amended Information, from January 13, 2022, through January 13, 2023, through her role with the nonprofit, Lyons used the nonprofit’s corporate account to purchase cell phones, which she then resold for personal financial gain. The Amended Information alleges that the illegally purchased and stolen cell phones led to a loss of at least $5,000 for the nonprofit.
On November 12, 2024, Lyons pleaded guilty, and admitted she stole property from the nonprofit by using its corporate account to purchase cell phones, which she then resold for her own personal financial gain. At sentencing, Lyons faces up to 10 years in federal prison, and a fine of up to $250,000.
This case is the result of an investigation by the United States Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia E. Barry is prosecuting the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Winnebago Man Sentenced for Domestic Assault by an Habitual OffenderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Lawrence S. Bassette, age 40, of Winnebago, Nebraska, was sentenced November 13, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for domestic assault by an habitual offender in Indian Country. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Bassette to 21 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Bassette’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
In December 2022, Bassette assaulted an elderly male victim known to him by punching the victim multiple times with a closed fist. During the ensuing scuffle, an elderly female was also injured. Prior to his assault on the victim in December 2022, Bassette had already been convicted on multiple occasions of domestic violence offenses in federal and tribal courts.
This case was prosecuted in federal court because the offense was a felony and occurred on the Winnebago Indian Reservation in Nebraska.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Wilmerding Felon Charged with Cocaine Trafficking and Firearm ViolationsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Wilmerding, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal narcotics and firearms laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
The two-count Indictment named Monte Blair, 51, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on or about October 16, 2024, Blair possessed with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, as well as ammunition as a convicted felon. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
The law provides for a maximum sentence of not less than five years and up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $5 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Ball is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Penn Hills Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Whitley County Man Sentenced for Threatening a Federal Law Enforcement AgentRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. – A Woodbine, Ky., man, William H. Nantz, 66, was sentenced to 63 months in prison on Friday, by U.S. District Judge Robert Wier, for retaliation against a witness. This is his second conviction involving threats to a federal law enforcement agent.
On March 21, 2019, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Daniel Nantz with methamphetamine trafficking. Then, on July 24, 2019, a superseding indictment added charges against Daniel Nantz, including murder with the intent to obstruct justice related to his drug trafficking. William Nantz is the father of Daniel Nantz.
Thereafter, on October 2, 2021, William Nantz made a threat against the lead case agent investigating his son’s murder case, to one of the agent’s neighbors. Ultimately, the elder Nantz pled guilty to retaliation against a witness for this initial threat; and as part of his sentencing on that initial charge, the agent submitted a victim impact statement, describing the impact the threat had on he and his family. On October 11, 2022, the elder Nantz was sentenced to 70 months in prison. The day after his sentence was imposed on that initial charge, October 12, 2022, Nantz again threatened the agent, during a recorded video jail call. This time he threatened to sexually assault and murder the agent. In the recorded call, the elder Nantz referenced his agitation with the content of the victim impact statement. And, in conversations that followed the call Nantz reinforced his threats, referencing his desire to “take care of” the agent upon his release from prison. Nantz eventually pled guilty to this second threat as well.
Nantz’s 63 months sentence for this second threat will run consecutively with his previous sentence of 70 months for the first threat. Under federal law, Nantz must serve 85 percent of his prison sentences. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
“The brazen disregard for the victims and the law in this case is nothing short of appalling,” said Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Just a day after receiving an initial federal prison sentence, the defendant issued more threats. This case reminds us of the dangers and sacrifices law enforcement personnel face, on a daily basis, while protecting and serving our communities. Fortunately, it now also serves as a warning to those who issue such threats: you face significant prison sentences for your conduct.”
“This case highlights the dangers our public officials face every day,” stated ATF Special Agent in Charge Shawn Morrow of the Louisville Division. “Law enforcement, and our judicial system, must never waiver even when threatened with violence or facing danger. The ATF London office and the entire investigative team should be commended for their work seeking justice for Ms. Johnson, and for not being deterred by William Nantz’s persistent threats. We’re thankful for our investigative partners and for the United States Attorney’s Office for ensuring William Nantz was held accountable.”
United States Attorney Shier and ATF SAC Morrow, jointly announced the sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by the ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Parman is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
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Ukrainian National Involved in Scheme to Export Dual-Use High Precision Jig Grinder to Russia Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
STANISLAV ROMANYUK, 39, a citizen of Ukraine last residing in Estonia, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 33 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a scheme to violate United States export laws and regulations by attempting to smuggle a dual-use export-controlled item to Russia.
U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery; Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New England; Acting Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tambrini of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement, Boston Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Robert Fuller of the FBI New Haven Division; and Special Agent in Charge Harry T. Chavis, Jr. of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, made the announcement.
According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in 2018, Romanyuk, who operated Estonia-based BY Trade OÜ, conspired with Vadims Ananics and Eriks Mamonovs, both citizens of Latvia who operated CNC Weld, a Latvia-based corporation, and with individuals in Russia and a Russian company, to violate U.S. export laws and regulations to smuggle a 500 Series CPWZ Precision Jig Grinder that was manufactured in Connecticut to Russia.
A jig grinder is a high-precision grinding machine system that does not require a license to export to European Union countries, but does require a license for export and reexport to Russia because of its potential application in nuclear proliferation and defense programs. Romanyuk and his co-conspirators knew that the jig grinder could not be exported from the U.S. to Russia, and they did not apply for, receive, or possess a license of authorization from the U.S. Department of Commerce to export or reexport the jig grinder to Russia, as required by the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 and the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”), which restrict the export of items that could make a significant contribution to the military potential of other nations or that could be detrimental to U.S. foreign policy and national security.
In April 2019, Romanyuk brokered the sale of the jig grinder from By Trade OÜ to a Russian company using funds wired to it from the Russian company to purchase the jig grinder from Sapphire Universal, LLP, a company in Latvia. Sapphire Universal, which Romanyuk knew was in the business of obtaining dual use items from the U.S. for sale in Russia, used CNC Weld as the claimed recipient and end-user of the jig grinder because no license was required to export the jig grinder to Latvia from the U.S. In August 2019, to finalize the purchase of the jig grinder, Ananics and others traveled to Bridgeport, Connecticut, where Ananics informed the sellers that the jig grinder was being purchased for the benefit of CNC Weld. In September 2021, Romanyuk provided a false statement to Estonian authorities about the jig grinder transaction in order to cover up his involvement in this scheme.
U.S. authorities, working with Latvian authorities, intercepted the jig grinder in Riga, Latvia, before it was to be shipped to Russia. Approximately $826,000 in funds involved in the purchase of the jig grinder were subsequently forfeited, and a substantial portion of the forfeited funds were transferred to Estonia to provide aid to Ukraine.
Romanyuk was arrested on June 13, 2022, in Latvia. On May 23, 2024, he pleaded guilty to international money laundering conspiracy. He has been detained since his arrest.
Ananics and Mamonovs pleaded guilty to related charges.
This investigation is being conducted by HSI field offices in New Haven and the Hague, Netherlands; the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement in Boston and Portland, Oregon; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The Prosecutor-General’s Office of the Republic of Latvia, the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Estonia, Latvian Tax and Customs Police, Estonian Tax and Customs Board, and the Latvian State Police have assisted the investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Konstantin Lantsman, Stephanie Levick, and Daniel George of the District of Connecticut, and Trial Attorney Brendan Geary of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs has provided valuable assistance.
The investigation was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls, and economic countermeasures that the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2, 2022, and under the leadership of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.
This case is being prosecuted through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program and is being supported by OCDETF’s International Organized Crime Intelligence and Operations Center (IOC-2). OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Ukrainian National Involved in Scheme to Export Dual-Use High Precision Jig Grinder to Russia Sentenced to 33 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
Stanislav Romanyuk, 39, a citizen of Ukraine last residing in Estonia, was sentenced today to 33 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a scheme to violate U.S. export laws and regulations by attempting to smuggle a dual-use export-controlled item to Russia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in 2018, Romanyuk, who operated Estonia-based BY Trade OÜ, conspired with Vadims Ananics and Eriks Mamonovs, both citizens of Latvia who operated the Latvia-based corporation CNC Weld. Romanyuk, Ananics, and Mamonovs violated U.S. export laws and regulations with individuals in Russia and a Russian company to smuggle to Russia a 500 Series CPWZ Precision Jig Grinder that was manufactured in Connecticut.
A jig grinder is a high-precision grinding machine system that does not require a license to export to European Union countries, but does require a license for export and reexport to Russia because of its potential application in nuclear proliferation and defense programs. Romanyuk and his co-conspirators knew that the jig grinder could not be exported from the United States to Russia, and they did not apply for, receive, or possess a license of authorization from the U.S. Department of Commerce to export or reexport the jig grinder to Russia, as required by the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 and the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), which restrict the export of items that could make a significant contribution to the military potential of other nations or that could be detrimental to U.S. foreign policy and national security.
In April 2019, Romanyuk brokered the sale of the jig grinder from By Trade OÜ to a Russian company using funds wired to it from the Russian company to purchase the jig grinder from Sapphire Universal LLP, a company in Latvia. Sapphire Universal, which Romanyuk knew was in the business of obtaining dual-use items from the United States for sale in Russia, used CNC Weld as the claimed recipient and end-user of the jig grinder because no license was required to export the jig grinder to Latvia from the United States. In August 2019, to finalize the purchase of the jig grinder, Ananics and others traveled to Bridgeport, Connecticut, where Ananics informed the sellers that the jig grinder was being purchased for the benefit of CNC Weld. In September 2021, Romanyuk provided a false statement to Estonian authorities about the jig grinder transaction in order to cover up his involvement in this scheme.
U.S. authorities, working with Latvian authorities, intercepted the jig grinder in Riga, Latvia, before it was to be shipped to Russia. Approximately $826,000 in funds involved in the purchase of the jig grinder were subsequently forfeited, and a substantial portion of the forfeited funds were transferred to Estonia to provide aid to Ukraine.
Romanyuk was arrested on June 13, 2022, in Estonia. On May 23, he pleaded guilty to international money laundering conspiracy. He has been detained since his arrest. Ananics and Mamonovs pleaded guilty to related charges.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod of the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security, Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch, and U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery for the District of Connecticut, Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement.
The Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) Field Offices in New Haven and the Hague, Netherlands; HSI Counter Proliferation Mission Center; U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement in Boston and Portland, Oregon; FBI; and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation investigated the case. The Prosecutor-General’s Office of the Republic of Latvia, the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Estonia, Latvian Tax and Customs Police, Estonian Tax and Customs Board, and the Latvian State Police assisted in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Konstantin Lantsman, Stephanie Levick, and Daniel George for the District of Connecticut and Trial Attorney Brendan Geary of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance.
This case is being prosecuted through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program and is being supported by OCDETF’s International Organized Crime Intelligence and Operations Center (IOC-2). OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about OCDETF can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The investigation was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls, and economic countermeasures that the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2, 2022, and under the leadership of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.
Two Maryland Men Charged with Conspiracy to Commit Odometer Tampering and Securities FraudRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Jerry John Mathins, age 50, of Laurel, Maryland, and Braysean Owens, age 23, of Baltimore, Maryland, with conspiracy to commit odometer tampering and three counts of securities fraud.
The indictment alleges that, along with other known and unknown co-conspirators, Owens purchased used vehicles with high mileages at auction and altered the titles of those vehicles to reflect a significantly lower odometer reading. Then, Owens and Mathins caused the odometers of those vehicles to be falsely lowered, consistent with the altered titles. Finally, on behalf of B-City Auto & Detailing, a Rosedale, Maryland vehicle dealership, Owens and others, sold hundreds of these vehicles to unsuspecting buyers. These buyers paid, in some instances, thousands of dollars more than they would have if they knew the true mileage of these vehicles.
The indictment was announced by Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Baltimore Field Office, and Deputy Administrator Sophie Shulman of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office prioritizes protecting consumers from deceptive practices,” said U.S. Attorney Barron. “We will investigate and hold accountable those who fraudulently obtain individuals’ hard-earned money, including through odometer fraud, as alleged in this case.”
“This was an elaborate scheme that targeted hundreds of unsuspecting car buyers who trusted they were purchasing cars with accurate mileage. Our thorough investigation illustrates how Mathins and Owens deceived these buyers to illegally line their own pockets,” says FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno. “This case exemplifies the FBI’s commitment to vigorously pursue criminals who orchestrate fraud schemes and bring them to justice.”
“Odometer fraud is a serious and costly crime, and NHTSA is dedicated to protecting American car buyers from these deceptive and dangerous practices,” NHTSA Deputy Administrator Sophie Shulman said. “The agency will continue to educate the public on how to detect odometer fraud and will keep working with the FBI and U.S. Attorneys’ offices to investigate and prosecute these cases.”
If convicted, Owens faces up to 10 years in prison for each securities fraud count and Mathins faces up to 5 years in prison for the conspiracy to commit odometer tampering count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration with the assistance of the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration and the Baltimore County Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adeyemi Adenrele and Michael Hanlon.
NHTSA estimates that odometer fraud in the United States costs consumers more than $1 billion annually. NHTSA encourages the public to report odometer fraud by calling its Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236.
More information on odometer fraud is available at https://www.nhtsa.gov/vehicle-safety/odometer-fraud, and tips on detecting and avoiding odometer fraud are available at www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nvs/pdf/811284.pdf.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two Gang Members Charged with Armed Carjacking in Garden CityRead the Press Release
Earlier today, Abdoul Azika and Jaquell Blackwell were arrested in connection with a complaint charging them with armed carjacking. The defendants were arraigned this afternoon at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn before United States Magistrate Judge Taryn A. Merkl on the complaint and ordered detained.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) announced the charges.
“For more than a year, Azika and Blackwell terrorized and traumatized innocent members of our community through a pattern of violent, armed carjackings,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “My Office, together with our law enforcement partners, will continue to work diligently to protect our communities from such violence.”
Mr. Peace thanked the Garden City Police Department, the Nassau County Police Department and the New York City Police Department for their assistance in the investigation.
“Abdoul Azika and Jaquell Blackwell, two Blood Hounds Brims gang members, allegedly demonstrated a pattern of violence and intimidation by forcing residents to surrender their vehicles at weapon-point. This alleged series of armed robberies incites fear and jeopardizes public safety. The FBI will continue to apprehend gang members who utilize violence to embolden their criminal activities and terrorize our communities,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Dennehy.
As alleged in court filings, Azika and Blackwell were members of the violent “5zzly” crew of the Bronx-based Blood Hounds Brims gang that has engaged in a string of armed carjackings and robberies across New York City and Long Island. One such incident, as charged in the complaint, took place in the early morning hours of March 19, 2023, when Azika and Blackwell snuck up on and opened the doors of a vehicle parked in a residential neighborhood in Garden City, pointed a knife and a gun at the driver’s face, and told him to “get the f*** out of the car,” before driving off with the vehicle.
The charges in the complaint are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum of 15 years’ imprisonment.
Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca M. Schuman and Kamil R. Ammari are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Rachel Friedman.
The Defendants:
ABDOUL AZIKA
Age: 20
Bronx, New YorkJAQUELL BLACKWELL
Age: 19
Bronx, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-MJ-598
Two Former Employees of New Jersey Mortgage Lending Business Indicted for Roles in Mortgage Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Two men were arraigned today on charges related to their roles in a large-scale mortgage fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Christopher J. Gallo, 44, of Old Tappan, New Jersey, and Mehmet Ali Elmas, 32, a U.S. citizen who resided in Turkey until the time of his arrest, were indicted by a federal grand jury on Oct. 24, 2024, on one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, eight counts of bank fraud, eight counts of false statements to a financial institution; and one count of aggravated identity theft. They appeared today before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti in Newark federal court and each pleaded not guilty.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Gallo and Elmas were previously employed by a New Jersey-based, privately owned licensed residential mortgage lending business. Gallo was a senior loan officer and Elmas was a mortgage loan officer and Gallo’s assistant. From 2018 through October 2023, Gallo and Elmas used their positions to conspire and engage in a fraudulent scheme to falsify loan origination documents sent to mortgage lenders in New Jersey and elsewhere, including their former employer, to fraudulently obtain mortgage loans. Gallo and Elmas routinely mislead mortgage lenders about the intended use of properties to fraudulently secure lower mortgage interest rates. Gallo and Elmas often submitted loan applications falsely stating that the listed borrowers were the primary residents of certain proprieties when, in fact, those properties were intended to be used as rental or investment properties. By fraudulently misleading lenders about the true intended use of the properties, Gallo and Elmas secured and profited from mortgage loans that were approved at lower interest rates.
The conspiracy also included falsifying property records, including building safety and financial information of prospective borrowers to facilitate mortgage loan approval. Between 2018 through October 2023, Gallo originated more than approximately $3 billion in loans.
The charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and false statements to a financial institution each carry a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. The aggravated identity theft charge carries an additional consecutive mandatory minimum term of two years in prison and a maximum fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado, and special agents of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Robert Manchak, with the investigation leading to the indictment.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shontae D. Gray of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
galloelmas.indictment.pdfTwo Chicago Residents Sentenced for Sex Trafficking a MinorRead the Press Release
A Chicago man was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for sex trafficking a minor victim and distributing child sexual abuse material. His co-defendant, a Chicago woman, was sentenced previously to 19 years in prison for conspiracy to sex traffic the minor.
According to court documents, in April 2022, Geremy Glass, 35, and Markita Tidwell, 25, sex trafficked a minor whom they met in Chicago. Glass posted online advertisements, set the prices, and communicated with potential commercial sex purchasers. Tidwell provided transportation and registered hotel rooms for the arranged sexual encounters. Both defendants received a portion of the proceeds. In mid-May 2022, Tidwell and Glass transported the minor victim to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where the defendants forced the minor to engage in as many as 15 commercial sex encounters in a day. During the trafficking, when the victim attempted to stop or take breaks, Glass was physically violent with her, including dragging her out of the house and slamming her face into a car window. In communicating with commercial sex purchasers, Glass sent sexually explicit images of the victim more than 50 times. Law enforcement received a call from hotel staff in Tuscaloosa stating that there was a young woman who appeared to be abused, which led to the recovery of the minor victim and the arrest of Glass and Tidwell.
On Sept. 26, Glass pleaded guilty to one count of sex trafficking a minor by force, fraud, or coercion and one count of distribution of child pornography. Glass’s term of imprisonment will be followed by a lifetime term of supervised release. On June 27, Tidwell pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to sex traffic a minor. Tidwell’s term of imprisonment will be followed by 20 years of supervised release.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama; and Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples of the FBI Birmingham Field Office made the announcement.
FBI Birmingham’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case along with FBI Chicago, FBI Milwaukee, the West Alabama Human Trafficking Task Force, the University of Alabama Police Department, Tuscaloosa Police Department, and Northport Police Department.
Trial Attorney Gwendelynn Bills of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Leann White for the Northern District of Alabama prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Two Charlotte Men Are Sentenced to Prison for Bank Robbery and Third Defendant Has Pleaded GuiltyRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Two Charlotte men were sentenced to prison today on bank robbery charges, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Sherrod Davidson, Jr., 33, was sentenced to 139 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Rashad Jackson, 44, was sentenced to 84 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. A third individual, Dominique Duggins, 33, has pleaded guilty for his role in the robbery and is awaiting sentencing.
Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and court proceedings, on September 9, 2020, two Garda World Cash Services employees were servicing a Bank of America ATM machine in Charlotte. Davidson, Jackson, and Duggins were sitting in a parked vehicle on a hill overlooking the ATM. Duggins and Davidson exited the vehicle while Jackson stayed behind as the getaway driver. Surveillance video recovered during the investigation shows Duggins approach the first employee who was standing at the ATM machine servicing it. Duggins put a gun to the employee’s back and forced him to the ground, while Davidson approached the Garda van where the other employee was refilling the ATM cassettes with cash. Davidson pointed a gun at the second employee and grabbed multiple bags of cash. Duggins and Davidson returned to the getaway vehicle and fled the scene. Over the course of the investigation, Duggins was identified as one of the three suspects. Duggins had worked from June to July 2020 at Garda World Cash Services before he was fired. Investigators later identified Davidson and Jackson as the other two accomplices.
On April 29, 2022, Duggins pleaded guilty to bank robbery. On June 28, 2024, Davidson pleaded guilty to bank robbery and aiding and abetting, and Jackson pleaded guilty to possession and brandishing of a firearm during a crime of violence.
Davidson and Jackson are in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. A sentencing date for Duggins has not been set.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI and CMPD for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Boykin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte 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.
Three Drug Traffickers Each Sentenced to Ten or More Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
BOISE – Today, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced the results of three separate drug distribution cases in southern Idaho.
“These defendants are facing the consequences of engaging in drug trafficking in Idaho,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “Anyone else thinking of trafficking drugs in Idaho should pay attention. Our strong law enforcement partnerships will continue to detect drug trafficking in Idaho and our prosecutors will continue to ensure that justice is served.”
- Washington Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to 14.5 Years in Federal Prison
In one case, Zechariah Scott Chadwick, 37, of Poulsbo, Washington, was sentenced on November 6, 2024, to 14.5 years in federal prison for possessing fentanyl and methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it to others.
According to court records, on January 17, 2024, Chadwick was driving on US Highway 93 through Twin Falls County when he lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a snowbank. When deputies arrived to assist, they observed signs that Chadwick was under the influence of a drug. After observing drug paraphernalia, deputies searched his vehicle and located four large tightly wrapped packages containing a total of 2.73 pounds of blue fentanyl pills marked M/30. Deputies also found six brown packages containing a total of 8.81 pounds of methamphetamine. In addition to the drugs, deputies found a loaded .40 caliber handgun. The investigation revealed that Chadwick had left Las Vegas and was taking these drugs to Washington when he was arrested in Idaho.
Chadwick’s criminal history includes state crimes involving theft and violence. In 2016 he was convicted of a felony drive-by shooting in Washington for which he served 78 months in a Washington prison. Chadwick was also convicted of a felony residential burglary in 2023.
Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Chadwick to serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit thanked the Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Office, the Twin Falls County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration for their collaboration in this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Booker prosecuted this case.
- Boise Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of Methamphetamine
In a separate case, Nathan Gamble, 47, of Boise, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court records, Gamble was part of a drug trafficking organization operating out of eastern Oregon and western Idaho. This drug trafficking organization was responsible for trafficking hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine in Idaho and Oregon. Gamble was identified as a member of the organization after he sold another person three pounds of methamphetamine on November 16, 2023.
Gamble has a criminal history that includes a state conviction for delivery of methamphetamine in Oregon and multiple state convictions for trafficking in methamphetamine in Idaho. Gamble was on state parole for one of his trafficking of methamphetamine convictions while he was distributing the methamphetamine that led to this federal conviction.
U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also ordered Gamble to serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Gamble pleaded guilty to the offense in August 2024.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the collaborative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Nampa Police Department Special Investigations Unit, the Boise Police Department, the Ada County Sheriff’s Office, the Meridian Police Department, the Oregon State Police, and the High Desert Drug Task Force, which led to the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Morse prosecuted this case.
- Mexican National Sentenced to over 10 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Drugs and Unlawfully Possessing Firearms
In a third case, Ivan Cortez-Monarrez, 41, of Sinaloa, Mexico, was sentenced to 123 months and 11 days in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine and unlawfully possessing firearms.
According to court records, the FBI-led Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force began investigating reports that Cortez-Monarrez was working with a Mexican cartel to distribute drugs from Arizona into the Treasure Valley. In the summer of 2023, law enforcement conducted an operation that resulted in obtaining approximately 6 pounds of methamphetamine and three firearms from Cortez-Monarrez. Cortez-Monarrez had previously been removed from the United States in January 2021 but was found illegally living in Idaho at the time he committed the offenses.
Cortez-Monarrez pleaded guilty to the charge in August 2024. During sentencing, U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford noted that Cortez-Monarrez had no connection to Idaho or the United States. She further commented on Cortez-Monarrez dealing drugs at the expense of destroying lives. Because Cortez-Monarrez is a Mexican citizen who was illegally present in the United States, he will be deported after serving his prison sentence.
“Like other drug traffickers, Cortez-Monarrez had no regard for the harm he caused the people of the Treasure Valley,” said Special Agent in Charge Shohini Sinha of the Salt Lake City FBI. “His sentencing is an example of what can be achieved when law enforcement at all levels works together. Illicit drugs have caused too much pain and devastation in our communities, and the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force is actively working to keep Idahoans safe."
“This case highlights the ongoing efforts by Mexican drug cartels to infiltrate communities across the United States and poison our citizens with illicit drugs,” said Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue. “Thankfully, our strong partnerships in the Treasure Valley among our state, local, and federal partners allow us to fight this type of criminality head-on. I’m thankful for the dedicated work of the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force and U.S. Attorney Hurwit’s office for putting this defendant in prison. I’m hopeful it sends a message to other criminals that we will stop at nothing to find you and hold you accountable for your actions.”
U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the work of the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force for its efforts in this case. The Task Force is comprised of federal, state, and local agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Caldwell Police Department, the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, and the Idaho Department of Correction. In addition, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms (ATF) and Explosives and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) assisted in this case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey Manweiler prosecuted this case.
The Special Assistant U.S. Attorney was hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes. The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth.
The High Desert Drug Task Force is a multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force that identifies, disrupts, and dismantles local, multi-state, and international drug trafficking organizations using an intelligence-driven, multi-agency prosecutor-supported approach. They are supported by the Oregon-Idaho High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA).
The Gamble and Cortez-Monarrez prosecutions were part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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Tewksbury Man Pleads Guilty to Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Tewksbury man pleaded guilty yesterday to sex trafficking and the interstate transportation of seven separate victims for the purposes of prostitution.
Jermall Anderson, 45, pleaded guilty to seven counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, one count of coercion and enticement, and one count of interstate transportation for the purpose of prostitution. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for March 12, 2025. Anderson was indicted in August 2023, along with two co-conspirators.
“This case highlights both the horrors of human trafficking and the myriad ways the opioid crisis plagues our communities,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Jermall Anderson exploited his victims’ drug addictions to force these women to sell their bodies many times a day, with Anderson pocketing all the money. He also used physical force and threats of harm to coerce these victims and keep them in line. Our office and are partners are dedicated to fighting on behalf of sex trafficking victims and bringing their traffickers to justice.”
“Anderson and his co-conspirators exploited women in the most inhumane ways possible. He tactically prowled substance abuse rehabilitation facilities to find women with vulnerabilities he could exploit for his own profit. Human traffickers like Anderson and his collaborators are predators who ensnare victims by offering safety only to create a climate of dependence and fear that keeps victims under their control,” said HSI New England Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol. “The survivors of Anderson’s trafficking ring have been through so much and we hope that today’s plea is a positive landmark in their healing.”
From 2012 through 2016, Anderson, along with his alleged co-conspirators, used physical violence, threats and the giving and withholding of heroin and cocaine to force seven different victims to prostitute on their behalf. Anderson and his alleged co-conspirators targeted vulnerable victims, specifically those struggling from drug addiction, homelessness and lack of economic resources. Anderson recruited women struggling with drug addiction directly from detox and drug rehabilitation facilities and forced and coerced them into providing commercial sex for his financial benefit. The defendants are alleged to have trafficked these victims throughout New England, New York and New Jersey.
The charges of sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion each provide for a sentence of at least 15 years and up to life in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of coercion and enticement and interstate transportation for prostitution provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274 or contact [email protected].
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and HSI SAC Krol made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the HSI Office in New Haven, Conn., the Lynn and Tewksbury Police Departments (Mass.) and the Hampden (Conn.) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen W. Hassink and Leah B. Foley of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Tax Attorneys and Insurance Agent Sentenced in Tax Shelter SchemeRead the Press Release
Two tax attorneys and an insurance agent were sentenced today to a combined 16 years in prison for conspiring to defraud the United States and helping clients file false tax returns, based on their promotion and operation of a fraudulent tax shelter.
Michael Elliott Kohn, an attorney, was sentenced to seven years in prison. Catherine Elizabeth Chollet, also an attorney, was sentenced to four years in prison. David Shane Simmons, an insurance agent and broker, was sentenced to five years in prison.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, from 2011 to November 2022, Kohn and Chollet, both of St. Louis, and Simmons, who is based out of Jefferson, North Carolina, promoted, marketed and sold to clients the Gain Elimination Plan, a fraudulent tax scheme.
The defendants designed the plan to conceal clients’ income from the IRS by inflating business expenses through fictitious royalties and management fees. These fictitious fees were paid, on paper, to a limited partnership largely owned by a charity. In reality, Kohn and Chollet fabricated the fees.
Kohn and Chollet advised clients that the plan’s limited partnership was required to obtain insurance on the life of the clients to cover the income that was allocated to the charitable organization. The death benefit was directly tied to the anticipated profitability of the clients’ businesses and how much of the clients’ taxable income was intended to be sheltered.
Simmons earned more than $2.3 million in commissions for selling the insurance policies, splitting the commissions with Kohn and Chollet. Kohn and Chollet received more than $1 million from Simmons. Simmons also filed false personal tax returns that underreported his business income and inflated his business expenses, resulting in a tax loss of more than $480,000.
In total, the defendants caused a tax loss to the IRS of more than $22 million.
In addition to the terms of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell for the Western District of North Carolina ordered each defendant to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $22,515,615 in restitution to the United States.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Dena J. King for the Western District of North Carolina made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Kevin Schneider and Todd Ellinwood of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley for the Western District of North Carolina prosecuted the case.
Tax Attorneys and Insurance Agent Sentenced to Prison in Tax Shelter SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Two tax attorneys and an insurance agent were sentenced today to a combined 16 years in prison for conspiring to defraud the United States and helping clients file false tax returns, based on their promotion and operation of a fraudulent tax shelter, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Michael Elliott Kohn, an attorney, was sentenced to seven years in prison. Catherine Elizabeth Chollet, also an attorney, was sentenced to four years in prison. David Shane Simmons, an insurance agent and broker, was sentenced to five years in prison.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Charlotte Field Office (IRS CI), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
“The defendants are tax professionals that conspired to promote a fraudulent tax scheme based on deceit and fabrications to impede and impair our nation’s tax laws and cheat our tax system,” said U.S. Attorney King. “My office is committed to uncovering schemes that undermine the integrity of our tax system and bringing tax offenders to justice.”
“The use of tax schemes by the defendants were clearly intended to conceal income from the IRS,” said Special Agent in Charge Eakins. “Today’s sentencing reinforces IRS-CI’s commitment to the American taxpayer to identify and help bring to prosecution people who promote illegal schemes designed to avoid the payment of taxes.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, from 2011 to November 2022, Kohn and Chollet, both of St. Louis, and Simmons, who is based out of Jefferson, North Carolina, promoted, marketed and sold to clients the Gain Elimination Plan, a fraudulent tax scheme.
The defendants designed the plan to conceal clients’ income from the IRS by inflating business expenses through fictitious royalties and management fees. These fictitious fees were paid, on paper, to a limited partnership largely owned by a charity. In reality, Kohn and Chollet fabricated the fees.
Kohn and Chollet advised clients that the plan’s limited partnership was required to obtain insurance on the life of the clients to cover the income that was allocated to the charitable organization. The death benefit was directly tied to the anticipated profitability of the clients’ businesses and how much of the clients’ taxable income was intended to be sheltered.
Simmons earned more than $2.3 million in commissions for selling the insurance policies, splitting the commissions with Kohn and Chollet. Kohn and Chollet received more than $1 million from Simmons. Simmons also filed false personal tax returns that underreported his business income and inflated his business expenses, resulting in a tax loss of more than $480,000.
In total, the defendants caused a tax loss to the IRS of more than $22 million.
In addition to the terms of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell for the Western District of North Carolina ordered each defendant to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $22,515,615 in restitution to the United States.
IRS-Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, and Trial Attorneys Kevin Schneider and Todd Ellinwood of the Justice Department’s Tax Division prosecuted the case.
St. Louis Man Sentenced to 46 Months for Preparing false Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Wednesday sentenced a St. Louis, Missouri tax preparer to 46 months in prison for filing false tax returns that caused an estimated tax loss of $2.5 million.
Robert Droege, 59, pleaded guilty in June to four counts of aiding in the preparation of a fraudulent tax return and admitted preparing at least 34 false tax returns in his home office, Bob’s Tax Service, in the 6500 block of Morganford Road in St. Louis.
Droege prepared returns for clients that contained false or fraudulent information including medical expenses, charitable contributions, personal property rental expenses, non-business bad debt and other deductions. The government alleged that Droege caused a total loss to the Internal Revenue Service of an estimated $2.5 million.
“Return preparer fraud is such an egregious crime because of the trust taxpayers place in those they choose to prepare their tax returns,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge William Steenson, St. Louis Field Office. “We always hope that the possibility of prison time will be a deterrent to those thinking of playing games with the nation’s tax system.”
Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Lane prosecuted the case.
St. Louis Felon Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Committing Two Arsons in 2022Read the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Wednesday sentenced a convicted felon who committed two arsons in St. Louis in 2022 and was caught with two firearms during the resulting investigation to five years in prison.
Vaely Berry, now 52, threw a gasoline-filled bottle on the roof of a supermarket and grill in the 8300 block of North Broadway in St. Louis on July 15, 2022, igniting a fire that damaged the roof. The market’s ceiling suffered water damage. On Dec. 8, 2022, Berry threw two gasoline-filled aluminum bottles on the roof of a liquor store in the 5900 block of Lillian Avenue in St. Louis, damaging the roof. Surveillance video captured Berry in the act.
During the investigation of the fires, a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives special agent conducting a court-approved search of Berry’s home found a revolver and a shotgun. Berry is a convicted felon and is barred from possessing firearms.
Berry, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in August to two arson charges and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Ware prosecuted the case.
Sebring Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Possessing with Intent to Distribute over 8 Kilos of FentanylRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On Nov. 7, Joseph Christopher Copeland, 57, was sentenced to 264 months in federal prison, to be followed by ten years’ supervised release, by U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon, for possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine.
Copeland imported 8.9929 kilograms of fentanyl from Mexico to his residence in Sebring, Fla., using a vehicle with hidden compartments. The Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Highlands County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant on Copeland’s residence, and discovered the fentanyl partially unloaded from the vehicle, along with 111.6 grams of methamphetamine, and two firearms.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of the HSI, Miami Field Office, and Highlands County Sheriff Paul Blackman made the announcement.
HSI Fort Pierce and Highlands County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hudock prosecuted it.
According to the DEA’s National Drug Threat Assessment, synthetic drugs, such as fentanyl, are poisoning our nation. Fentanyl has proven to be a deadly poison that does not discriminate. Its victims include every gender, race, age, and economic background, and its debilitating effects are the same across all demographics. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Even in small doses, fentanyl can be deadly. Just one fentanyl pill can kill, as noted in DEA’s One Pill Can Kill campaign. As little as two milligrams, about the size of 5 grains of salt, can be fatal. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are the most common drugs involved in overdose deaths. Over 150 people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl. The State of Florida has also seen an exponential increase in overdoses associated with fentanyl. In 2022, more than 5,622 people died from overdoses involving fentanyl and fentanyl analogs in Florida.
For more information visit: https://www.fdle.state.fl.us/MEC/Publications-and-Forms/Documents/Drugs-in-Deceased-Persons/2022-Annual-Drug-Report-FINAL-(1).aspx; https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/basics/fentanyl.html#; and https://www.dea.gov/factsheets/fentanyl.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-14017.
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Roseville Man Sentenced to 132 Months for Trafficking Methamphetamine to Houghton and Mackinac CountiesRead the Press Release
Charles Lester Knuckles, Jr. led conspiracy that brought over 500 grams of methamphetamine to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
KALAMAZOO – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Charles Lester Knuckles, Jr., 31, of Roseville, was sentenced to 132 months in federal prison for leading a conspiracy that trafficked over 500 grams of methamphetamine from Detroit to Houghton and Mackinac Counties in December 2022 and January 2023.
“Mr. Knuckles was running a drug pipeline trafficking methamphetamine from the Detroit area to northern Michigan,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “We will continue to collaborate with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners in the U.P. and across the District to hold traffickers accountable and keep illegal drugs off of our streets.”
The Upper Peninsula Substances Enforcement Team (UPSET) and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) introduced a confidential informant into Samantha Short, 30, of Hancock. Short was a methamphetamine user and dealer and knew Knuckles from a prior relationship. On December 14, 2022, the confidential informant and Short called Knuckles to arrange for the sale of four ounces of methamphetamine. On December 16, 2022, Knuckles dispatched Lyric Elizabeth Stevenson, 28, of Harper Woods and David Lee Chatman, Jr., 38, of Inkster to deliver the methamphetamine to Houghton County.
Knuckles negotiated terms for the sale of an additional amount of methamphetamine with the government’s confidential informant. On December 22, 2022, Stevenson and Chatman couriered over eight ounces of methamphetamine from the Detroit area to Houghton County for Knuckles. A third shipment of methamphetamine was arranged on January 7, 2023. This time, Short traveled from Houghton County to Mackinac County to meet Stevenson and Chatman, who were also accompanied by Bernard Desean Harris, 24, of Detroit. Harris accompanied Short on the return trip to Houghton County and were stopped by Michigan State Police. A search of their vehicle yielded 241.6 grams of methamphetamine.
On December 12, 2023, Knuckles, Short, Stevenson, Chatman, and Harris were indicted on methamphetamine conspiracy and other methamphetamine tracking charges by a federal grand jury. Knuckles, Short, Stevenson, and Harris each pled guilty to the methamphetamine conspiracy. On August 13, 2024, Chief U.S. District Judge Hala Y. Jarbou sentenced Short to 41 months in prison and Harris to 46 months in prison. Co-defendant Lyric Elizabeth Stevenson is scheduled for sentencing by U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney on January 21, 2025. Co-defendant David Lee Chatman, Jr. has entered into a pretrial diversion agreement in which his prosecution has been deferred for a period of 12 months provided he successfully abide by a series of conditions set forth by the government and the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Upper Peninsula Substances Enforcement Team, and the Michigan State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel S. Fauson is prosecuting it.
The charges in an indictment are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to Federal Prison for Attempted Enticement of a Minor, Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A registered sex offender has been sentenced to ten years in federal prison, having previously pleaded guilty to charges of attempted inducement of a minor to engage in illicit sexual activity, possession with intent to view child pornography, and attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Mathew Hoard, 40, of Smithfield, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy to 120 months in federal prison to be followed by eight years of federal supervised release.
In July 2020, Hoard began communicating online and by text messaging with a person he believed to be a 14-year-old girl, but who was in fact an undercover Newport Police Department Detective. According to information presented to the court, during those communications, which lasted for more than two months, Hoard sent a sexually explicit image and sexually graphic messages, repeatedly requested that the “girl” send nude pictures of herself to Hoard. He also attempted to arrange a meeting to engage in sex.
In February 2020, while conducting an unrelated investigation, the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force learned from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an individual had uploaded child pornography to a social media platform. Members of the Task Force later determined that the upload came from an IP address utilized by Mathew Hoard. On September 29, 2020, members of the ICAC Task Force executed a court-authorized search of Hoard’s residence and seized a cell phone and a laptop computer. The devices were found to contain videos and images of child pornography. Among the images was an image exchanged between Hoard and the undercover Newport Police Department detective.
In 2011, Hoard was convicted in the State of Rhode Island for possession of child pornography, and as a result of that conviction, he was required to register as a sex offender.
This Project Safe Childhood case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise M. Barton and Julie M. White.
The matter was investigated by the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Newport Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations.
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
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Readout of Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division Quarterly Meeting with State and Local Civil and Human Rights Stakeholders on Veterans RightsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division held its quarterly convening of state and local civil and human rights partners to commemorate Veterans Day and discuss efforts to protect the civil rights of servicemembers and veterans.
“We owe our servicemembers, veterans and their families a deep debt of gratitude for their service to our country,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Through rigorous enforcement of federal civil rights laws, the Justice Department is working hard to ensure that the rights of the brave servicemembers and veterans are safeguarded from discrimination and unfair treatment.”
The Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative, housed in the Civil Rights Division, hosted today’s meeting with state and local civil and human rights partners, including representatives from various State Attorneys’ General offices and state-based civil rights agencies. . During the meeting, attendees celebrated the commitment of veterans and discussed the portability of professional licenses for servicemembers and their spouses; employment protections for servicemembers; outreach efforts by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices; federal, state, and local Veteran Treatment Programs; and federal rights relating to service and assistance animals.
This year, the Justice Department has aggressively defended the rights of servicemembers and veterans. Highlights of our work include:
- Vigorously enforcing the Americans with Disabilities Act on behalf of Veterans and other people with disabilities in Virginia Beach, Virginia, by reaching an agreement with the city to remove accessibility barriers to buildings such as police stations, libraries, technology centers, community centers and places of recreation.
- Securing over $200,000 in compensation and penalties against the City of El Paso, Texas, and its contracted towing companies to resolve allegations that the city and towing companies disposed of over 170 vehicles owned by servicemembers without first obtaining court orders, as required by the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA). Since 2011, the department has obtained over $481 million in monetary relief for over 147,000 servicemembers through its enforcement of the SCRA.
- Enforcing the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), which entitles servicemembers to return to their civilian employment upon completion of their military service with the seniority, status and rate of pay that they would have obtained had they remained continuously employed by their civilian employer. USERRA also prohibits discrimination based on present, past and future military service. In a recent example, the Justice Department sued Oklahoma City Public Schools to protect rights guaranteed to an Air Force Reserve Senior Airman by USERRA. The lawsuit alleges that the Oklahoma City Public Schools violated USERRA when it failed to reinstate the airman in a teacher position upon his return from a military deployment.
- Continuing to expand access to the portability of professional licenses under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. Military spouses previously reported difficulty transferring their professional licenses, such as licenses to practice as a realtor or massage therapist, from one jurisdiction to another, hindering their ability to find jobs when moving due to their spouse’s military orders. A new SCRA provision added by Congress in 2023 helps servicemembers and their spouses use their professional licenses and certificates in certain circumstances when they relocate due to military orders. As a result of our work in this space, at least five states have changed their policies, procedures and websites to comport with the SCRA.
- Developing a fact sheet and training presentation on service and assistance animals to inform people with disabilities of their rights to live and travel with the aid of a service animal or assistance animal.
Learn more about the Servicemember and Veterans Initiative at www.justice.gov/servicemembers.
Pleasants County Man Admits to Sex Offender Registry ChargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Christopher Michael Wickey, age 46, of Saint Marys, West Virginia, admitted today to failing to update his sex offender registration.
According to court documents, Wickey was living and working in Pleasants County but hadn’t updated his sex offender registration. Wickey is required to register as a sex offender for life because of two prior child molestation convictions in Indiana.
Wickey faces up to 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christie Utt is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The United States Marshals Service investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Okfuskee County Resident Pleads Guilty to Child NeglectRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Joanna Lee Higgins, age 33, of Okemah, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Child Neglect in Indian Country.
The Indictment alleged that between January 1, 2023, and January 31, 2024, Higgins willfully and maliciously failed to provide two children adequate nurturance, food, clothing, shelter, sanitation, hygiene, medical care, and supervision while responsible for their health, safety, and welfare.
The crime occurred in Okfuskee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Muscogee Creek Nation Lighthorse Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Higgins was remanded into the custody of the United States Marshal Service pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Paladino represented the United States.
Ohio Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
AKRON, Ohio – Seth Hoover, age 39, of Republic, Ohio, has been sentenced to 35 years in prison by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams after being found guilty at a jury trial of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
According to court documents, an Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper observed Hoover make a traffic violation on U.S. Route 250 in Ashland County. During the traffic stop, Hoover presented fake identification. A search of his vehicle revealed a loaded pistol, approximately 1.8 kilograms of fentanyl, drug paraphernalia, and items associated with drug trafficking.
The investigation determined the street value of the fentanyl to be approximately $120,000.
This case was investigated by the DEA-Cleveland District Office and the Ohio State Highway Patrol. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Dangelo for the Northern District of Ohio.
Ocean Springs Man Pleads Guilty to Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – An Ocean Springs man pled guilty to production of child pornography.
According to court documents, in January 2023, Eric Jason Fiorentino, 30, caused a minor in another state to produce visual depictions of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Using an internet chat platform for texts and live videos, Fiorentino produced and screen captured the images on his cell phone in Jackson County, Mississippi.
Fiorentino is scheduled to be sentenced on March 12, 2025, at 10:30 a.m., and faces a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Acting Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune of Homeland Security Investigations made the announcement.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with the assistance of the Jackson County and Stone County Sheriff’s Offices and the Hesston, Kansas Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.
North Carolina man pleads guilty to his role in scheme that defrauded hundreds of companies out of millions of dollarsRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Nicholas Scarantino, 30, of North Carolina, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford to conspiracy to commit mail fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard A. Resnick, who is handling the case, stated that Scarantino owned Direct Chemicals in the State of California. Between July and November 2021, he and others mailed thousands of fictitious invoices in the name of Direct Chemicals to victim companies located all over the United States. Approximately 873 victim companies were tricked and defrauded into paying these fictitious invoices, totaling of approximately $861,268.66. Several companies in the Western District of New York were victimized. The companies are located in Henrietta, Lakewood, Brockport, Andover, Rochester, Avon, Tonawanda, and Niagara Falls.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward, Boston Division, and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Thomas M. Fattorusso.
Sentencing is scheduled for March 17, 2025, before Judge Wolford.
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Noble County Man Sentenced to Serve more than Nine Years in Federal Prison after Shooting Woman in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – JUSTIN RANDALL BROWN, 46, of Noble County, has been sentenced to serve 115 months in federal prison for committing assault with a dangerous weapon in Indian Country, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On January 3, 2024, a federal grand jury returned a six-count Indictment against Brown, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, assault resulting in serious bodily injury, kidnapping, and use and discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, all of which took place in Indian Country. According to public record, on October 27, 2023, Brown assaulted a person who visited his property in Noble County. During the violent encounter, Brown beat the victim over the head with the handle of a blade, threatened to kill her friends and family, and shot her in the thigh with a handgun. Following the assault, the victim drove herself to a hospital where she was treated for her injuries.
Public record further reflects that Brown has previous felony convictions, including convictions for assault with a deadly weapon in California, and assault and battery with a deadly weapon in Tulsa County District Court.
This case is in federal court because Brown is a member of the Otoe-Missouria Tribe and the crimes took place within the boundaries of tribal land belonging to the Otoe-Missouria Tribe.
On May 8, 2024, Brown pleaded guilty to Count 2 of the Indictment, and admitted he assaulted the victim with a dangerous weapon—a firearm—while in Indian Country.
At the sentencing hearing on November 12, 2024, U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton sentenced Brown to serve 115 months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and to pay the victim $17,256.43 in restitution. In announcing his sentence, Judge Heaton noted the seriousness of assault committed, Brown’s long criminal history, and the need for the public to be protected from Brown.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Stillwater Police Department, and the Otoe-Missouria Tribal Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bow Bottomly prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a Department of Justice program to reduce violent crime. In October 2017, the Department announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop crime-reduction strategies that incorporate lessons federal law enforcement have learned since the program’s launch in 2001. This case is also part of “Operation 922,” the Western District of Oklahoma’s implementation of PSN, which prioritizes prosecution of federal crimes connected to domestic violence. For more information about PSN, please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok.
Reference is made to public filings for further information.
New York Man Sentenced for Traveling to Louisiana to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct with MinorRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that PETER NEALON (“NEALON”), age 66, from Schenectady, New York, was sentenced today to 60 months in prison by United States District Judge Darrel James Papillion, after previously pleading guilty to interstate travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2423(b). NEALON was also sentenced to 5 years of supervised release and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
According to court documents, beginning on or about July 17, 2023, NEALON met undercover law enforcement personnel posing as a fifteen-year-old female (FM1) on Instagram. Over the next several months, NEALON engaged FM1 in overtly sexual conversations and, on multiple occasions, transmitted images and videos depicting what he claimed to be his erect penis. Beginning in about July 2023, and continuing on multiple occasions until on or about March 27, 2024, NEALON communicated his intention to visit FM1 in Louisiana for the purpose of engaging in sex with FM1, explaining in detail the sex acts he intended to perform.
In February 2024, NEALON used a messaging application to communicate with who he believed to be a fourteen-year-old female who was FM1’s friend (FM2). During
conversations with FM1 and FM2, NEALON expressed an intent and expectation to engage in various forms of sexual contact with FM1 and FM2, individually and collectively.
In March 2024, NEALON discussed the logistics of his trip with FM1 and, on about March 19, 2024, booked flight and hotel reservations from Albany, New York, to New Orleans, Louisiana. NEALON travelled by plane to New Orleans on about March 27, 2024, to his intent to engage in sexual acts with FM1 and FM2.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Briana Williams, of the Narcotics Unit, and Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, were in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Federal Gun Control and Controlled Substances Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – TRAVIS JACKSON (“JACKSON”), age 34, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on November 12, 2024, by United States District Judge Darrel James Papillion, for conspiring to distribute, and possess with the intent to distribute, fentanyl and, being a felon in possession of a gun, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court records, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made several controlled purchases of drugs from JACKSON and his co-defendant. The FBI then conducted wire intercepts of two phones belonging to the co-defendant. During the wiretaps, the FBI heard multiple calls related to drug trafficking, including calls with buyers and larger-scale dealers, as well as calls warning other dealers of police activity. The FBI later executed search warrants, arresting the co-defendant with a gun and fentanyl and, also, arresting JACKSON with a gun. JACKSON’s prior felony convictions prohibited him from possessing a firearm.
Judge Papillion sentenced JACKSON to 60 months imprisonment on each count to run concurrently, 4 years of supervised release on the drug count and 3 years of supervised release on the felon in possession of a firearm count, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $200.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Haller, Senior Litigation Counsel and PSN Coordinator.
New Jersey Man Sentenced for Robbing Lewiston Postal Carriers, Burglarizing Paris and North Monmouth Post OfficesRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: An Orange, New Jersey man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for burglarizing two Maine post offices and robbing at knifepoint two U.S. Postal Service letter carriers.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Winston McLeod, 31, to 57 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. McLeod pleaded guilty on July 23, 2024.
According to court records, during a one-week period in January 2024, McLeod and Lance Funderburk, 31, also from Orange, New Jersey, broke into the Paris and North Monmouth post offices and stole money order printers, mail, computers, post office box keys, and other items. The two men then robbed two Lewiston postal carriers in quick succession on January 20, 2024, threatening to stab each of them with a knife unless they turned over their postal keys.
McLeod and Funderburk were arrested by law enforcement following a traffic stop. A search of the occupants and the vehicle, a white Jeep that matched a vehicle seen in videos from each crime scene, revealed a black butterfly knife, black ski mask, large sums of cash, and several checks determined to have been stolen from the Paris post office. When responding to the Paris location, Postal Inspectors also found two iPhones in the snow directly beneath the broken window used to access the post office. Investigators were able to identify McLeod through a photo of him on the lock screen of one of the phones. Investigators recovered additional stolen items at and near the address where the two men had been staying.
Lance Funderburk pleaded guilty to his role in the crime spree on October 29, 2024, and awaits sentencing. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case, with assistance from FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force and the Rumford, Lewiston, Paris, and Monmouth police departments.
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New Bern Bloods Gang Member Sentenced for Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. - A New Bern man was sentenced to nearly five years in prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. On August 15, 2024, Kevin Martell Johnson a/k/a “Stoney J”, age 28, pled guilty to the charge.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, on March 17, 2023, officers with the New Bern Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in which Johnson was a passenger after it ran a stop sign. The vehicle pulled into the Wells Fargo parking lot, and Johnson fled on foot. As Johnson was fleeing, he dropped a .40 caliber handgun. Officers discovered approximately five grams of crack cocaine stuffed in the trigger guard of the firearm. Johnson was eventually apprehended, and during a search of his person, officers found marijuana and eight oxycodone pills.
Officers swabbed the firearm to obtain a DNA sample from Johnson, which was then sent to the lab for comparison. The lab confirmed that Johnson’s DNA was present on the firearm. Johnson is identified as an active member of the Bloods street gang in New Bern.
“The New Bern Police Department is proud to be part of a partnership dedicated to addressing violent street gangs, felony drug offenses, and other acts of violence. Collaborating with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and other local and state law enforcement agencies, we have combined personnel, technology, and resources to hold offenders accountable for these serious crimes. We remain committed to creating a safe, crime- and drug-free community where everyone can live without fear,” said New Bern Police Chief Patrick Gallagher.
The conviction is a result of the ongoing Violent Crime Action Plan (VCAP) initiative which is a collaborative effort with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, working with the community, to identify and address the most significant drivers of violent crime. VCAP involves focused and strategic enforcement, and interagency coordination and intelligence-led policing.
Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The FBI and New Bern Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Phil Aubart prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-CR-20-FL.