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Friday 8 November 2024
New Jersey Woman Pleads Guilty to Using Fraudulent Passport CardRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New Jersey woman pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Worcester to using a fraudulent passport card at a Shrewsbury credit union while attempting to withdraw money from a customer’s account.
Elizabeth Clemente, 42, pleaded guilty to one count of forgery or false use of a passport. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for Feb. 6, 2025. In June 2024, Clemente was indicted by a federal grand jury.
On Nov. 7, 2023, police responded to a credit union in Shrewsbury where employees reported that Clemente attempted to withdraw money by impersonating a real credit union account holder, “Person #1.” While speaking with law enforcement, Clemente first identified herself “Heather.” When pressed for further identification information, Clemente provided the name of “Person #1,” however Clemente could not remember her date of birth or address. When further questioned, Clemente handed law enforcement a fraudulent U.S. Passport Card. The passport card bore Person #1’s name and actual date of birth but contained Clemente’s photograph.
The charge of forgery or false use of a passport provides for a maximum sentence of 10 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.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Matthew O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office; and Shrewsbury Police Chief Kevin Anderson made the announcement today. Assistant United States Attorney Danial E. Bennett of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
Multistate Gun Trafficker and Crips Gang Member Sentenced to 11 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – Jakil Deandre Bond, 28, of Williamston, was sentenced to 141 months in prison for engaging in illegal firearm trafficking and drug distribution. Bond, a validated gang member, organized the purchase of firearms through co-defendants and straw purchasers Malik Jaree Bazemore and Ti’quiran Rodgers, who is also a validated gang member.
“We are targeting the violent gangs and reckless gunrunners fueling violence in our cities,” said U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. “This gun trafficker formed an iron pipeline of firepower from North Carolina to Washington, D.C., where shootings fueled further gang violence. Gun traffickers and straw purchasers are on notice – you are on the pathway to federal prison.”
“Firearms trafficking and straw purchasing is a critical issue that puts too many firearms in the hands of prohibited individuals,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims. “Our priority is fighting violent gun crime, and when we can find and stop the individuals responsible for illegal firearms purchases, we can better protect our communities and communities across the country.”
“The Greenville Police Department works seamlessly with local, state, and federal partners to ensure that all crimes are fully investigated and prosecuted whether they occur solely in the city limits of Greenville or in instances such as this case where it extends far beyond our jurisdiction,” stated Greenville Police Chief Ted Sauls.
According to court records and evidence presented in court, from 2019 to November 2021, Bond, Bazemore, Rodgers, and Barron Nathaniel Shaw conspired to traffic over 50 firearms from North Carolina to Washington, D.C., and other East Coast areas. Bazemore and Rodgers, both residents of North Carolina, purchased firearms from federally licensed dealers in North Carolina and then transferred the firearms to Bond, Shaw, and others. Bazemore and Rodgers falsely stated that they were purchasing the firearms for personal use on multiple firearm transaction records.
An investigation was launched by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) in September 2019 after the D.C. Metro Police (MPD) recovered several firearms at crime scenes and shootings that were traced back to purchases made in North Carolina. Multiple firearms were found at crime scenes in Washington D.C., Maryland, and in North Carolina, as well as in the possession of validated gang members. The investigation revealed that Bond, a validated member of the Rollin 40’s set of the Crips street gang, organized the purchase of firearms from Bazemore and Rodgers. He then introduced them to Shaw and other contacts in D.C. to expand their straw purchasing operation. Bond and Shaw reimbursed Bazemore and Rodgers for the purchase price of the firearms while compensating them for conducting the transactions.
On January 24, 2023, ATF agents went to Bond’s apartment in Greenville, to serve him with a federal arrest warrant in connection with the gun trafficking conspiracy. As they knocked on the front door, Bond was observed exiting the rear of the residence and placing items on the back porch. Agents searched the apartment and recovered 731 grams of cocaine, 33 grams of cocaine base, 64 grams of fentanyl, three firearms, assorted ammunition, and other drug paraphernalia items.
Barron Shaw was sentenced to 48 months on September 8, 2023, for engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license.
Malik Bazemore was sentenced to 24 months on September 18, 2024, for engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license and knowingly making a materially false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer.
Ti’quiran Rodgers was sentenced to 24 months on October 11, 2024, for engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license and knowingly making a materially false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer.
Michael F. Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The ATF, the Greenville Police Department, the Windsor Police Department, the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office, and the MPD investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leonard Champaign 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. 4:22-CR-00088-FL.
Mt. Pleasant Man Sentenced to over 33 Years in Prison for Murder and Assault with the Intent to Murder on the Isabella ReservationRead the Press Release
Bay City, MI –A Mount Pleasant man was sentenced to over 33 years in prison for murder and other assaultive crimes, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Johnathan Ashford, 39, was sentenced by United States District Judge Thomas L. Ludington to 400 months’ imprisonment, after having pleaded guilty to murder, assault with intent to murder, and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence on July 16, 2024.
The evidence established that after having an argument with his significant other, Ashford retrieved a 9mm Taurus handgun and shot his significant other multiple times, killing her. Several of the bullets Ashford fired struck a 6-month-old child who his significant other was holding in her arms when he shot her. The baby suffered life threatening injuries, but survived. Both victims are Indians, and the incident occurred on the Isabella Reservation within Indian country in the Eastern District of Michigan.
“The violent actions of this defendant are appalling as he took the life of a young woman and seriously injured a 6-month old child,” said United States Attorney Ison. “Our office has an unwavering commitment to holding accountable those who perpetuate violence in our tribal communities.”
The case was investigated by the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Police, the Mount Pleasant Police Department, Isabella County Sheriff’s Department, Michigan State Police, Saginaw City Police, Buena Vista Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roy Kranz.
Monroe City, Missouri, Man Sentenced to Twenty Years’ Imprisonment for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. –Phillip C. Mayfield, 35, who lived in both Monroe City, Missouri, and Quincy, Illinois, was sentenced on November 7, 2024, to twenty years in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine, to be followed by five years of supervised release.
Mayfield was indicted in June 2023 and convicted after a jury trial in June 2024. Over three days of trial testimony, the government presented evidence to establish that Mayfield sold over fifty grams of methamphetamine to another individual in a grocery store parking lot in Quincy in February 2023 and then made a second sale of over fifty grams of methamphetamine in an apartment parking lot in Quincy in March 2023.
At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Colleen R. Lawless, the government established that Mayfield was on bond in five separate state felony cases at the time he made the drug sales. During the hearing, Judge Lawless noted that Mayfield had a very significant criminal history which included two prior drug trafficking convictions. Judge Lawless also commented that Mayfield was motivated to commit his crimes because he liked the lifestyle of being a drug dealer and the financial means it provided him.
Mayfield remains in the custody of the United States Marshal Service where he has been since his arrest on June 20, 2023. The statutory penalties for distribution of methamphetamine are not less than ten years’ and up to a life term of imprisonment; at least five years and up to a life term of supervised release; and up to a $10,000,000 fine.
The Illinois State Police West Central Illinois Task Force investigated the case, along with the Drug Enforcement Administration, Springfield Resident Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah E. Seberger and Matthew Z. Weir represented the government in the prosecution.
The case against Mayfield 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.
Mexican man sent to prison for using fake Union Pacific trucks to smuggle migrantsRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – Another individual has been sentenced for his role in a Laredo human smuggling conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Jesus Aleman-Serrano, 34, Mexican citizen illegally residing in Laredo, and Laredo pleaded guilty May 8.
U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña has now imposed a 24-month term of imprisonment for Aleman-Serrano. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. In handing down the prison terms, Judge Saldaña noted the intricacy and level of sophistication involved and the danger the migrants faced.
Two others – Laredo residents Edison Alfredo Escalante, 23, Clarissa Villarreal, 29, previously received sentences of 18 months in prison and time served, respectively. All were also ordered to serve a three-year term of supervised release.
“Moving 11 individuals in dangerously cramped conditions inside a vehicle not only reflects the callousness of these operations but underscores the serious risk to life—where even a minor accident could have led to a tragic outcome,” said Hamdani. “Our efforts, including uncovering two stash houses used by the smuggling organization, send a clear message: we will continue to disrupt and dismantle these dangerous networks to protect lives and uphold the law.”
On Feb. 26, law enforcement observed a work truck displaying Union Pacific decals attempting to bypass the Interstate Highway 35 checkpoint north of Laredo.
Authorities later determined that this vehicle was not registered to Union Pacific; instead, the human smuggling organization had used decals to make it appear legitimate.
Law enforcement stopped the truck and identified Escalante as the driver. Upon further inspection, authorities found eight undocumented individuals concealed under a makeshift compartment in the bed of the truck.
Authorities found the compartment, hidden beneath a metal grate, which had plywood and a 102-pound generator resting on top.
Law enforcement used a crow bar to free three additional females from another small, locked hidden compartment within the vehicle. In total, authorities found 11 undocumented individuals from Mexico and Honduras trapped inside the truck.
Escalante initially told law enforcement he worked for Union Pacific and claimed that people in Mexico forced him to commit the crime.
However, evidence from Escalante’s cell phone revealed his connections to Cartel del Noreste and showed his participation in planning the smuggling event and purchasing the Union Pacific decals.
Later, Escalante admitted to smuggling another group of 10 migrants to San Antonio for the same organization.
Further investigation revealed the location where the undocumented individuals were harbored prior to Escalante transporting them. Authorities obtained a search warrant for a home on the 3600 block of Cancun Loop in Laredo and began surveillance later that day.
Law enforcement observed Aleman Serrano transport two individuals from the Cancun Street address to another apartment on Ligarde Street in a Ford Expedition. They approached the apartment and contacted the owner, who authorities identified as Villarreal.
Villarreal admitted Aleman Serrano hired her to “take care” of the people and that she knew they were undocumented.
Law enforcement later executed the search warrant at the Cancun Street address, where Aleman Serrano was identified as one of the owners. The evidence revealed this address was used as a stash house to harbor undocumented individuals.
Authorities recovered handwritten ledgers documenting the dates the migrants arrived, the number of days they stayed and how much was being charged.
Both Escalante and Aleman Serrano will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations, Border Patrol and the Laredo Police Department conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
This sentencing is also the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). Attorney General Merrick B. Garland established JTFA in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to combat the rise in prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. The initiative was expanded to Colombia and Panama to combat human smuggling in the Darién in June 2024. JTFA comprises detailees from U.S. attorneys’ offices along the southwest border including the Southern District of California, districts of Arizona and New Mexico and the Western and Southern Districts of Texas. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, and supported by the Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training; Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section; Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; Office of Enforcement Operations; Office of International Affairs; and the Violent Crime and Racketeering Section. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in over 325 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers and significant facilitators of human smuggling, more than 270 U.S. convictions, more than 210 significant jail sentences imposed and forfeitures of substantial assets.
Assistant U.S. Attorney and JTFA detailee Jennifer Day prosecuted this case.
Methuen Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Methuen man pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Santos Guzman, 55, pleaded guilty to illegal reentry before U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper who scheduled sentencing for Feb. 12, 2025. Guzman was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2021.
Guzman is a citizen of the Dominican Republic who entered the United States at an unknown date and unknown location and thereafter was convicted in 2019 of two state drug trafficking crimes. In November 2019, Guzman was ordered removed from the United States and on Jan. 7, 2020, he was deported to the Dominican Republic. Thereafter, at an unknown time and place, he reentered the United States. In November 2021, Guzman was arrested on a new state drug trafficking offense. A copy of his fingerprint from his removal document was compared to his fingerprint taken in connection with his November 2021 arrest and they were identical to each other.
The charge illegal reentry provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Todd M. Lyons, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations; and Methuen Police Chief Scott J. McNamara made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges After Robbing Two Montgomery Convenience StoresRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Ala. – On November 8, 2024, Jalen Lamarcus Gunn, a 21-year-old man from Montgomery, Alabama, pleaded guilty to federal robbery and firearm charges, announced Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson.
According to his plea agreement and other court records, on April 27, 2024, Gunn entered a convenience store on Wares Ferry Road in Montgomery and leapt over the counter. Gunn then pointed a firearm at the clerk and demanded money from the register be placed in a plastic bag. Gunn then fled the store with approximately $3,000. Just two days later, on April 29th, Gunn robbed a convenience store on Perry Hill Road in a similar fashion, again pointing a handgun at the clerk and demanding money. This time, Gunn made away with $2,500 and multiple packs of cigarettes. During his plea hearing, Gunn pleaded guilty to two counts of interference with interstate commerce by robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a federal crime of violence.
A sentencing hearing will be scheduled in the coming months. At that hearing, Gunn faces a sentence of seven years to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Montgomery Police Department investigated this case, with Assistant United States Attorney Christopher P. Moore prosecuting.
Latimer County Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Teresa Louise Lightfoot, age 51, of Wilburton, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
The Indictment alleged that on September 28, 2023, Lightfoot knowingly possessed a semiautomatic pistol after having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Latimer County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Lightfoot will remain in the custody of the United States Marshal Service pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.
Lake County Man Indicted for Receiving Child Sex Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Bryce Fleetwood (26, Clermont) with two counts of receipt of child sex abuse material (CSAM). If convicted, Fleetwood faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count, including a 5-year minimum term of imprisonment. Fleetwood is currently in custody pending the resolution of this case.
According to the indictment and evidence presented in court, on May 11 and November 15, 2022, Fleetwood, using an online social media messaging application, received CSAM depicting young children.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Kansas Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Brandon L. Hutchinson, age 39, of Wichita, Kansas, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, after having pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Hutchinson to 240 months’ imprisonment. Hutchinson also forfeited $ $2,033.37 seized in the investigation. There is no parole in the federal system. After Hutchinson’s release he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
On July 16, 2023, law enforcement received an anonymous tip that a fugitive was staying with Hutchinson at a Columbus motel and that he was in possession of controlled substances. Columbus police officers went to the motel where they confirmed that Hutchinson was currently renting a room.
After a drug detecting canine indicated to the odor of narcotics coming from within the room rented by Hutchinson, officers knocked on the door which was opened by Hutchinson who indicated the fugitive was within. The fugitive was removed and Hutchinson was secured until a search warrant was obtained.
After a warrant was obtained, a search of the room revealed approximately 1700 grams of meth in a bag with men’s clothing, approximately 200 “M 30” fentanyl pill along with suspected fentanyl powder, scales, baggies, a 9 mm Taurus handgun within arm’s reach of the drugs, and approximately $2033.37 in cash, most of which was found on Hutchinson’s person. Lab testing found Hutchinson’s DNA on the gun.
This case was investigated by the Columbus Police Department.
KC Man Sentenced to 26 Years for Heroin Conspiracy, Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for his role in a conspiracy to distribute heroin and of illegally possessing firearms.
Edgar A. Mejia, 49, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays on Thursday, Nov. 7, to 26 years and 10 months in federal prison without parole.
On March 22, 2024, Mejia was found guilty at trial of one count each of conspiracy to distribute heroin and possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
On Oct. 10, 2022, law enforcement officers searched a 2000 Coachman recreational vehicle that belonged to Mejia. At the time of the search, Mejia was in custody in Oklahoma following his arrest for drug trafficking. Investigators in Oklahoma received information that Mejia had additional drugs and firearms hidden in his Coachman RV, and notified local authorities.
Officers located Mejia’s RV parked next to an abandoned residence in the 2300 block of Drury Avenue in Kansas City, Mo. Investigators searched the RV and found, hidden behind a wall in the kitchen, 541 grams of heroin, a Springfield Armory Hellcat 9mm semi-automatic handgun, an American Tactical AR-15-style rifle, and ammunition.
Mejia pleaded guilty to two counts of the indictment prior to trial, then went to trial on the remaining counts of the indictment. Six days prior to his trial, Mejia pleaded guilty to one count of possessing the heroin inside the RV with the intent to distribute it and one count of being a felon in possession of the firearms recovered from the RV.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Mejia has two prior state felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance and prior federal felony convictions for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashleigh A. Ragner and Robert M. Smith and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Jennings. It was investigated by the Jackson County Drug Task Force; the District Attorney’s Task Force for the 13th Judicial District in Ottawa and Delaware Counties, Oklahoma; Wyandotte Nation Tribal Police Department, Wyandotte, Oklahoma; the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
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.
Justice Department Sues Mississippi State Senate for Race DiscriminationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against the Mississippi State Senate for discriminating against a Black former staff attorney in its Legislative Services Office (LSO). The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, alleges that the Senate paid her about half the salary of her white colleagues in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII).
Title VII is a federal statute that prohibits racial discrimination in compensation and other forms of employment discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin or religion.
“Discriminatory employment practices, like paying a Black employee less than their white colleagues for the same work, are not only unfair, they are unlawful,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Black employee at issue in this lawsuit was paid about half the salary of her white colleagues in violation of federal law. This lawsuit makes clear that race-based pay discrimination will not be tolerated in our economy. Our work to eliminate race-based pay disparities is about promoting compliance with the law and promoting equity and fairness for all workers.”
The department alleges in the complaint that the Senate discriminated against Kristie Metcalfe by paying her significantly less than every other LSO attorney, all of whom were white. The complaint further alleges that Ms. Metcalfe and these other attorneys had substantially the same job responsibilities and yet she was paid less than these attorneys throughout her eight-year tenure. The LSO is a non-partisan office that provides legal services, such as drafting bills, for all members of the Senate. In the 34 years prior to Ms. Metcalfe’s hire, the LSO employed only white attorneys.
The complaint alleges the pay gap between Ms. Metcalfe and her white colleagues began when she was hired and was perpetuated in several additional discriminatory pay actions. In 2011, Ms. Metcalfe was paid a starting salary significantly lower than any LSO attorney in over 30 years. Just one month after her hire, every attorney but Ms. Metcalfe was given a substantial raise, further widening the pay gap and leaving her with a salary less than half of what her white colleagues were earning. In the following years, the Senate consistently paid Ms. Metcalfe many times less than her white colleagues. Finally, near the end of Ms. Metcalfe’s tenure, the Senate hired a white attorney with no previous legislative experience and a similar number of years of legal experience as Ms. Metcalfe at a salary significantly higher than Ms. Metcalfe’s. At a meeting with Senate officials responsible for setting LSO salaries, Ms. Metcalfe complained about the pay disparity with the new hire, but the Senate denied her request for comparable pay.
Through this lawsuit, the department is seeking back pay and compensatory damages for Ms. Metcalfe, in addition to injunctive and other appropriate relief.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)’s Jackson Area Office investigated and attempted to resolve Ms. Metcalfe’s charge of discrimination before referring it to the Justice Department for litigation. More information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov.
The full and fair enforcement of Title VII is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division and the Employment Litigation Section is available at www.justice.gov/crt/ and www.justice.gov/crt/employment-litigation-section.
Trial Attorneys Louis Whitsett and Young Choi of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney James Graves III for the Southern District of Mississippi are handling the case.
Justice Department Sues Mississippi State Senate for Race DiscriminationRead the Press Release
The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against the Mississippi State Senate for discriminating against a Black former staff attorney in its Legislative Services Office (LSO). The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, alleges that the Senate paid her about half the salary of her white colleagues in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII).
Title VII is a federal statute that prohibits racial discrimination in compensation and other forms of employment discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin or religion.
“Discriminatory employment practices, like paying a Black employee less than their white colleagues for the same work, are not only unfair, they are unlawful,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Black employee at issue in this lawsuit was paid about half the salary of her white colleagues in violation of federal law. This lawsuit makes clear that race-based pay discrimination will not be tolerated in our economy. Our work to eliminate race-based pay disparities is about promoting compliance with the law and promoting equity and fairness for all workers.”
The department alleges in the complaint that the Senate discriminated against Kristie Metcalfe by paying her significantly less than every other LSO attorney, all of whom were white. The complaint further alleges that Ms. Metcalfe and these other attorneys had substantially the same job responsibilities and yet she was paid less than these attorneys throughout her eight-year tenure. The LSO is a non-partisan office that provides legal services, such as drafting bills, for all members of the Senate. In the 34 years prior to Ms. Metcalfe’s hire, the LSO employed only white attorneys.
The complaint alleges the pay gap between Ms. Metcalfe and her white colleagues began when she was hired and was perpetuated in several additional discriminatory pay actions. In 2011, Ms. Metcalfe was paid a starting salary significantly lower than any LSO attorney in over 30 years. Just one month after her hire, every attorney but Ms. Metcalfe was given a substantial raise, further widening the pay gap and leaving her with a salary less than half of what her white colleagues were earning. In the following years, the Senate consistently paid Ms. Metcalfe many times less than her white colleagues. Finally, near the end of Ms. Metcalfe’s tenure, the Senate hired a white attorney with no previous legislative experience and a similar number of years of legal experience as Ms. Metcalfe at a salary significantly higher than Ms. Metcalfe’s. At a meeting with Senate officials responsible for setting LSO salaries, Ms. Metcalfe complained about the pay disparity with the new hire, but the Senate denied her request for comparable pay.
Through this lawsuit, the department is seeking back pay and compensatory damages for Ms. Metcalfe, in addition to injunctive and other appropriate relief.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)’s Jackson Area Office investigated and attempted to resolve Ms. Metcalfe’s charge of discrimination before referring it to the Justice Department for litigation. More information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov.
The full and fair enforcement of Title VII is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division and the Employment Litigation Section is available at www.justice.gov/crt/ and www.justice.gov/crt/employment-litigation-section.
Trial Attorneys Louis Whitsett and Young Choi of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney James Graves III for the Southern District of Mississippi are handling the case.
Justice Department Announces Murder-For-Hire and Related Charges Against IRGC Asset and Two Local OperativesRead the Press Release
Shakeri Was Tasked by Iranian Regime with Surveilling and Plotting to Assassinate President-Elect Donald J. Trump
Note: View the criminal complaint here.
Farhad Shakeri, 51, of Iran; Carlisle Rivera, also known as Pop, 49, of Brooklyn, New York; and Jonathon Loadholt, 36, of Staten Island, New York, were charged today in a criminal complaint in connection with their alleged involvement in a plot to murder a U.S. citizen of Iranian origin in New York. Rivera was arrested in Brooklyn, New York, and Loadholt was arrested in Staten Island, New York, yesterday. Shakeri remains at large and is believed to reside in Iran. Rivera and Loadholt made their initial appearance in the Southern District of New York yesterday and were ordered detained pending trial.
“There are few actors in the world that pose as grave a threat to the national security of the United States as does Iran,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department has charged an asset of the Iranian regime who was tasked by the regime to direct a network of criminal associates to further Iran’s assassination plots against its targets, including President-elect Donald Trump. We have also charged and arrested two individuals who we allege were recruited as part of that network to silence and kill, on U.S. soil, an American journalist who has been a prominent critic of the regime. We will not stand for the Iranian regime’s attempts to endanger the American people and America’s national security.”
“The charges announced today expose Iran's continued brazen attempts to target U.S. citizens, including President-elect Donald Trump, other government leaders and dissidents who criticize the regime in Tehran,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps — a designated foreign terrorist organization — has been conspiring with criminals and hitmen to target and gun down Americans on U.S. soil and that simply won’t be tolerated. Thanks to the hard work of the FBI, their deadly schemes were disrupted. We're committed to using the full resources of the FBI to protect our citizens from Iran or any other adversary who targets Americans.”
“Actors directed by the Government of Iran continue to target our citizens, including President-elect Trump, on U.S. soil and abroad. This has to stop,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York. “Today’s charges are another message to those who continue in their efforts – we will remain unrelenting in our pursuit of bad actors, no matter where they reside, and will stop at nothing to bring to justice those who harm our safety and security. I want to thank the career prosecutors of this office and our law enforcement partners for their ongoing work in this and related investigations. They are truly the best of the best and work tirelessly to keep our country safe.”
According to the complaint and other public statements and filings, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran (the Government of Iran) is actively targeting nationals of the United States and its allies living in countries around the world for attacks, including assault, kidnapping, and murder, both to repress and silence dissidents critical of the Iranian regime and to take vengeance for the January 2020 death of then-Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Qods Force (IRGC-QF), Qasem Soleimani, who was killed by a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad. The IRGC is an Iranian military and counterintelligence agency under the authority of Iran’s Supreme Leader, comprised of components including an external operations force, the IRGC-QF, and has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. Secretary of State since April 15, 2019. The IRGC has publicly stated its desire to avenge the death of Soleimani, and, among its activities, the IRGC plots and conducts attack operations outside Iran targeting U.S. citizens residing in the United States and abroad.
Shakeri is an IRGC asset residing in Tehran, Iran. Shakeri immigrated to the United States as a child and was deported in or about 2008 after serving 14 years in prison for a robbery conviction. In recent months, Shakeri has used a network of criminal associates he met in prison in the United States to supply the IRGC with operatives to conduct surveillance and assassinations of IRGC targets. Two members of Shakeri’s network are his co-defendants, Loadholt and Rivera. At Shakeri’s instruction, Loadholt and Rivera have spent months surveilling a U.S. citizen of Iranian origin residing in the United States (Victim-1). Victim-1 is an outspoken critic of the Iranian regime and has been the target of multiple prior plots for kidnapping and/or murder directed by the Government of Iran. In exchange for Shakeri’s promise of $100,000, Rivera and Loadholt repeatedly sought to locate Victim-1 for murder.
During their efforts to locate and kill Victim-1, Shakeri, Loadholt, and Rivera shared messages about their progress and photographs relating to their scheme. For example, in or about February 2024, Rivera and Loadholt messaged about an incoming payment from Shakeri, and then traveled to Fairfield University, where Victim-1 was scheduled to appear, and took photographs on campus. In or about April, Shakeri sent Rivera a series of voice notes discussing their efforts to locate and kill Victim-1. In one voice note, Shakeri told Rivera that Victim-1 spent most of her time in particular locations of her home, and told Rivera that “you just gotta have patience … You gotta wait and have patience to catch her either going in the house or coming out, or following her out somewhere and taking care of it. Don’t think about going in. In is a suicide move.” On several occasions over the last several months, consistent with this instruction from Shakeri, Rivera and/or Loadholt have surveilled a location in Brooklyn that they had identified as associated with Victim-1.
In addition, according to statements made by Shakeri in recorded interviews with law enforcement agents, the IRGC has also tasked Shakeri with carrying out other assassinations against U.S. and Israeli citizens located in the United States. In particular, Shakeri has informed law enforcement that he was tasked on Oct. 7, 2024, with providing a plan to kill President-elect Donald J. Trump. During the interview, Shakeri claimed he did not intend to propose a plan to kill Trump within the timeframe set by the IRGC. He also stated he was tasked with surveilling two Jewish American citizens residing in New York City and offered $500,000 by an IRGC official for the murder of either victim. He was also tasked with targeting Israeli tourists in Sri Lanka.
Shakeri, Rivera, and Loadholt have all been charged with murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; and money laundering conspiracy, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Shakeri has also been charged with conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; and conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and sanctions against the Government of Iran, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. If convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI New York Field Office is investigating the case. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection New York Field Office and Drug Enforcement Administration New York Division assisted in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob H. Gutwillig and Michael Lockard and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Isaacson for the Southern District of New York, Trial Attorneys Dmitry Slavin of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, and Christopher Rigali and Leslie Esbrook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Jury Convicts Militia Members of Conspiracy to Murder Border Patrol Officers, Attempted Murder of FBI AgentsRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Two members of the 2nd American Militia have been convicted by a federal trial jury for their roles in a conspiracy to murder U.S. Border Patrol agents and, related to their shooting at FBI agents at the time of their arrest, of attempting to murder federal agents.
Jonathan S. O’Dell, 34, of Warsaw, Mo., and Bryan C. Perry, 39, of Clarksville, Tennessee were found guilty on Thursday, Nov. 7, of conspiracy to murder officers and employees of the United States government. They planned to travel to Texas to shoot at illegal immigrants crossing the United States – Mexico border. They also planned to murder officers and employees of the U.S. Border Patrol who would attempt to stop them.
O’Dell and Perry also were found guilty of a conspiracy to assault federal officers and employees and a conspiracy to injure federal officers and employees. They were found guilty of seven counts of the attempted murder of FBI special agents, seven counts of assaulting FBI special agents with a deadly weapon, three counts of assaulting FBI special agents, 14 counts of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and one count of damaging federal property.
Additionally, O’Dell was found guilty of one count of threatening to injure another person. On the morning of the first day of trial, O’Dell also pleaded guilty to one count of illegally possessing a firearm while subject to a court order of protection, one count of making a false statement to a federal agent, and one count of escaping from custody. O’Dell escaped from the Phelps County Jail in Rolla, Mo., on Sept. 29, 2023, while being detained in this case. He stole a car and fled to Ray County, Mo., where he was recaptured following a high-speed flight from law enforcement on Oct. 1, 2023.
Additionally, Perry was found guilty of two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, one count of possessing body armor by a violent felon, and one count of threatening to injure another person.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Perry has a prior felony conviction for aggravated robbery.
Evidence introduced during the trial indicated that, throughout the summer, and fall of 2022, Perry and O’Dell recruited and attempted to recruit other individuals to join the 2nd American Militia, a group they co-founded. They advertised a recruitment event in Warsaw prior to leaving for the United States – Mexico border.
On Sept. 5, 2022, Perry, bringing at least two stolen firearms, body armor, and gas masks with him, traveled from Tennessee to Warsaw to live with O’Dell. They used O’Dell’s residence as a staging site as they prepared for their trip to the border and collected firearms, paramilitary gear, ammunition, and other supplies.
Perry posted several videos on TikTok in an attempt to recruit other members into their conspiracy. O’Dell and Perry also communicated with several individuals outside the state of Missouri.
On Sept. 12, 2022, Perry posted a video on TikTok in which he discussed illegal immigrants coming into the United States from Mexico. Perry stated that the U.S. Border Patrol was committing treason by allowing these illegal immigrants to enter the United States, and that the penalty for treason was death. Perry posted another video on TikTok the next day in which he stated that he was “ready to go to war against this government.”
On Sept. 22, 2022, Perry posted a video on TikTok in which he stated, “we’re out to shoot to kill” and that “our group is gonna go protect this country.” On Oct. 3, 2022, Perry posted a video on TikTok in which he stated, “we were going out huntin’,” that his group was taking their “full kits,” and that they were leaving for the United States – Mexico border on Oct. 8, 2022.
O’Dell and Perry continued to conduct preparatory steps to further their conspiracy, including continuing to recruit others, attempting to acquire other gear, and practicing shooting at targets with firearms.
On Oct. 7, 2022, the FBI executed a search warrant at O’Dell’s residence. Federal agents approached the property at about 6 a.m. in vehicles with red and blue lights activated. As the FBI approached, an agent utilized a loudspeaker in the lead armored vehicle, the “Bearcat,” to announce they were with the FBI and that they had a search warrant for the residence. Seven agents were inside or behind the Bearcat. The FBI agent began to repeat the announcement, again stating that they were with the FBI, when gunshots were fired from a front window at the lead FBI vehicle. Perry fired 11 shots from his Voodoo Innovations multi-caliber rifle with an AM-15 lower receiver. Several rounds hit the lead FBI vehicle.
Agents responded by deploying flash bangs around the residence. Agents used the Bearcat to conduct a breach of the front door of the residence using an affixed ram. Agents did not return fire and, after the gunshots ceased, the FBI established a perimeter and began communicating with the persons inside the residence to come out.
O’Dell and his girlfriend came out of the residence and surrendered to authorities. Perry eventually came out of the residence. Perry took down an American flag from the front porch of the residence and walked down the steps while waving the flag. After beginning to walk to the agents, Perry then turned around and moved back to the residence. Agents pursued Perry, who began to fight and swing his fists, striking the agents several times and causing injury to at least one agent before he was taken into custody.
Agents then searched the residence and found six firearms, 23 magazines filled with ammunition, 1,770 rounds of various other ammunition, 11 spent casings, two sets of body armor with corresponding plate carrier vests, one handheld radio, two sniper rests, two gas masks, two ballistic helmets, multiple containers of a binary explosive mixture commonly sold as an exploding target, zip ties, and two 2nd American Militia patches. Agents also found two go-bags that contained food, provisions, and other gear.
Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Jefferson City, Mo., deliberated for about two hours and 23 minutes before returning guilty verdicts yesterday to U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes, ending a trial that began Monday, Oct. 28.
Under federal statutes, O’Dell and Perry each are subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, and up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey Clark and Ashley Turner. It was investigated by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Phelps County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Ray County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Caldwell County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Indictment Accuses Mail Carrier of Selling Arrow Key and Stolen ChecksRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A mail carrier was arrested Thursday on an indictment that accuses her of selling a key to U.S. Postal Service mail collection boxes and selling checks stolen from the mail.
Cambria Hopkins, 29, of Florissant, Missouri, was indicted October 30 on one count of conspiracy, one count of unlawful use of a mail key and one count of bribery. After her arrest at the U.S. Post Office in Clayton, she appeared in U.S. District Court in St. Louis and pleaded not guilty.
The indictment says Hopkins was a postal carrier based in Clayton, Missouri on March 20, 2022, when she accepted money from Malik A. Jones for her “arrow key,” which allows access to U.S. Postal Service collection boxes, knowing that Jones was planning on using the key to steal mail. Hopkins also stole mail that came into her possession as a postal carrier, removed checks from that mail and provided those checks to Jones, the indictment says. Jones paid Hopkins in cash, electronically via CashApp and by buying her groceries, the indictment says.
Jones, 27, pleaded guilty October 25 to bank fraud and aggravated identity theft and is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 30, 2025.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
“This indictment represents the hard work and dedication by USPS OIG Special Agents and U.S. Postal Inspectors working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring charges on this significant mail theft investigation,” said Special Agent in Charge Dennus Bishop, U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, Central Area Field Office. “The majority of postal employees are hard-working public servants dedicated to moving mail to its proper destination. The USPS OIG, along with our law enforcement partners, remain committed to safeguarding the U.S. Mail and ensuring the accountability and integrity of U.S. Postal Service employees.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is the federal law enforcement branch of the U.S. Postal Service charged with protecting the nation’s mail system from illegal use. With the collaborative investigative efforts of our law enforcement partners, the Postal Inspection Service investigates and pursues those responsible for committing financial fraud stemming from the theft of mail.” said Inspector in Charge Ruth Mendonça who leads the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which includes the St. Louis Field Office.
The conspiracy charge carries a potential penalty of up to 5 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both prison and a fine. The mail key charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years and the bribery charge is punishable by a maximum prison term of 15 years.
The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General and U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.
Illegal Immigrant Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of Cocaine and Illegal Re-Entry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Jose Albino Ramos Hernandez, 38, a citizen of Mexico, has been sentenced to 60 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and illegal re-entry of removed alien. United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. presided over the sentencing hearing.
According to information presented in court, Hernandez illegally re-entered the United States on numerous occasions after being deported and removed. On March 16, 2011, a Notice and Order of Expedited Removal was entered against him by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and on or about March 18, 2011, he was removed via port of entry in Brownsville, Texas and was prohibited from entering the United States for a period of 5 years. However, on November 1, 2012, Hernandez reentered the United States at or near Laredo, Texas. On April 26, 2013, Hernandez was removed from the United States and was prohibited from entering the United States again for a period of 20 years. A review of Hernandez’s history showed that since 2006, he has illegally entered the United States over seven times.
On September 8, 2022, Hernandez was again found to be in the United States illegally. He was arrested by troopers with the Louisiana State Police in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, as the result of a traffic stop of a vehicle in which he was a passenger. Troopers deployed a K-9 officer to conduct an open-air sniff of the vehicle and the K-9 alerted to the presence of the odor of narcotics emitting from the vehicle. A search of the vehicle revealed approximately one kilogram of cocaine hidden in the rear pocket of the driver’s seat, as well as a Taurus Model PT111 Millennium G2 pistol and a 9mm Polymer 80 Model PF940C pistol inside. Hernandez was charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and illegal re-entry of a removed alien and pleaded guilty to the charges on June 22, 2023.
The case was investigated by U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Louisiana State Police and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney LaDonte A. Murphy.
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Idabel Resident Sentenced for Murder and Federal Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Zachary Carlton Ty Capps, age 29, of Idabel, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 210 months in prison for one count of Second Degree Murder in Indian Country, and 120 months in prison for one count of Using, Carrying, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and In Relation to a Crime of Violence. The sentences are set to be served consecutively for a total of 330 months in prison.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the McCurtain County Sheriff’s Office, and the Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police.
On September 12, 2023, Capps pleaded guilty to the charges. According to investigators, on the evening of November 15, 2022, Capps fatally shot the victim in the head with a .44 caliber revolver. The crimes occurred in McCurtain County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Kenneth J. Gonzales, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Capps will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin D. Traster represented the United States.
Houstonian found guilty of committing armed robberies of Houston-area fast-food restaurantsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A federal jury has convicted a 25-year-old man for interference with commerce by robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Hamdani.
The jury deliberated for two hours and 45 minutes before finding Caleb Pickens guilty following a four-day trial.
Law enforcement began investigating a series of armed robberies at fast-food restaurants, primarily McDonald’s, and convenience stores, which drew attention to Pickens.
Pickens came to the attention of law enforcement between after they began an investigation into a series of armed robberies of fast-food restaurants, mainly McDonald’s, and convenience stores.
HOUSTON – A federal jury has convicted a 25-year-old man for interference with commerce by robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Hamdani.
The jury deliberated for two hours and 45 minutes before finding Caleb Pickens guilty following a four-day trial.
Law enforcement began investigating a series of armed robberies at fast-food restaurants, primarily McDonald’s, and convenience stores which drew attention to Pickens.
In January, Pickens wore either a red Nike sweatshirt or a black hooded jacket while committing a series of armed robberies at McDonald’s locations and brandishing a pistol.
Occasionally, Pickens held the gun to victims’ heads, backs or stomachs, demanding money from the safe. In one incident, he eventually fired his pistol into a microwave oven at a McDonald’s location.
During the robberies, Pickens ordered the manager to hand over the money from the safe before exiting through the restaurant’s back door.
He fled the locations in a stolen black Chevrolet Tahoe that had a broken left rear window, used scissors to start the ignition and drove away.
Law enforcement located the vehicle and started conducting surveillance. On Jan. 23, the Chevy Tahoe arrived at a McDonald’s in Houston where Pickens again committed another armed robbery.
Authorities arrested him on scene. At that time, he was wearing the same Nike sweatshirt and hooded jacket and was in possession of a pistol.
“Going to McDonald’s has become a quintessential part of American life, offering a familiar, convenient spot for families to come together for a meal, where kids feast on Happy Meals searching for hidden toys,” said Hamdani. “Pickens turned that idyllic scene into a violent nightmare when he robbed several locations and pointed his gun at his victims. This verdict will insure that he is taken off Houston’s streets and away from its families for many years to come.”
He has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
U.S. District Judge David Hittner presided over the trial and set sentencing for Feb. 13, 2025. At that time, Pickens faces up to life imprisonment and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
The Houston Police Department’s Violent Crime Task Force and FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jill Stotts and Brian Hrach are prosecuting the case.
Hartford Substance Abuse Counselor Pleads Guilty to Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, and Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced that THELMA “WENDY” EPPS, 59, of Hartford, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to health care fraud.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Epps was a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor (LADC) with an office located at 330 Main Street in Hartford. In April 2013, she enrolled as a participating provider in the Connecticut Medicaid program along with an entity affiliated with Epps called Miracles to Destiny LLC. In July 2018, the Medicaid program suspended Epps from participating as a provider in the program based on a finding of a credible allegation of fraud. Medicaid told Epps that any attempt to circumvent her suspension by submitting claims for services performed by Epps or Miracles to Destiny LLC through other agencies or other billing numbers would result in termination of her provider agreement.
In 2019, Epps entered into an agreement with Dennis Tomczak, a Connecticut LADC who was a participating provider in Medicaid. Epps and Tomczak agreed that Tomczak would bill Medicaid using his Medicaid provider number for psychotherapy counseling services purportedly provided by Epps. These claims falsely represented that Tomczak had personally provided the services. In return for Tomczak billing the services, Epps agreed to pay Tomczak 25 percent of the amount Medicaid paid Tomczak. Between approximately April 2019 and November 2022, Medicaid paid Tomczak $330,547.71 for fraudulent claims for services purportedly provided by Epps that were billed under Tomczak’s provider number.
At some point during their scheme, Tomczak expressed concerns to Epps about the number and frequency of services that Epps told Tomczak she was providing. At about this time, Epps entered into a similar agreement with Shawn Tyson, a LADC in Connecticut, whereby Tyson would use his Medicaid provider number to submit claims to Medicaid for services Epps purportedly provided to Medicaid clients.
In November 2019, Epps assisted Tyson with the process of enrolling Tyson as a participating provider in Medicaid. Tyson’s provider application listed the location at which Tyson would provide services as 330 Main Street, Third Floor, in Hartford, the location of the Epps’s and Miracles to Destiny LLC’s office. Once Tyson was enrolled as a Medicaid provider, Tyson provided Epps with his login information to the online portal for submitting claims to Medicaid, which Epps then used to submit claims. For a brief period before Tyson was enrolled as a Medicaid provider, unbeknownst to Tomczak, Epps submitted claims through Tomczak’s provider number for services purportedly provided by Tyson, by representing to Tomczak that she had performed these services. Medicaid paid Tomczak a total of $7,879.40 for these services.
During the scheme involving Epps and Tyson, Tyson would provide Epps the names of Medicaid patients and dates that Tyson purportedly provided psychotherapy counseling services to the patients, and Epps would then bill Medicaid for these services using Tyson’s provider number. Epps would also submit claims using Tyson’s provider number for services she purportedly provided to Medicaid patients. These claims falsely represented that Tyson had personally provided the services to the patients.
Epps and Tyson submitted and caused to be submitted claims for hundreds of thousands of dollars of psychotherapy services that neither Epps nor Tyson had actually provided to Medicaid clients. When Epps warned Tyson that he should not bill Medicaid for having provided psychotherapy to patients on holidays, such as July 4 and Thanksgiving, Tyson would typically change the dates of services and resubmit the list of services to Epps.
Medicaid paid Tyson $663,081.32 for claims that falsely represented that Tyson had personally provided services, or falsely represented that services had been provided when, in fact, they were not provided at all.
Epps has agreed to pay $1,001,058.43 in restitution to the Connecticut Medicaid program.
Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for January 31, at which time Epps faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. She is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing.
Tomczak and Tyson have pleaded guilty to related charges and await sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Connecticut Department of Social Services. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Sheldon and Auditor Susan Spiegel.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Connecticut Chief State’s Attorney’s Office, and Connecticut Attorney General’s Office meet regularly as part of The Medicaid Fraud Working Group. The Working Group also includes representatives from the Connecticut Department of Social Services; the Connecticut Department of Public Health; the Drug Control Division of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection; the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the FBI. The Working Group reviews pending issues and cases, identifies trends that might indicate fraudulent activity, and coordinates efforts for maximum results.
People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.
Four Defendants Sentenced for Attempted Armed Robbery of Dunwoody Jewelry StoreRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Four multi-convicted felons, each of whom was on probation or parole when they joined an interstate robbery crew led by a south Georgia prison inmate, have been sentenced to federal prison for their involvement in the attempted smash-and-grab armed robbery of a Dunwoody, Georgia, jewelry store.
“These defendants posed a significant threat to public safety when they terrorized innocent victims during their crime spree,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “The successful prosecutions of these armed career criminals resulted from the tenacious and collaborative work of our federal and state law enforcement partners who disrupted the defendants’ violent activities and helped to prevent them from targeting other members of our communities.”
“These defendants clearly showed no regard for the law as they continued their crimes even while on parole. All four were willing to put innocent civilians at risk during the commission of these armed robberies and it is fortunate no one was hurt because of their selfish desire for wealth,” said Sean Burke, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Hopefully this federal sentence will send the message that the FBI will not tolerate the behavior of repeat violent offenders.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: In July 2023, FBI special agents began investigating jewelry store robberies throughout the southeastern United States. During the investigation, agents discovered that the robberies were being orchestrated by Deuntria Lyons, who was at the time serving six life sentences at Valdosta State Prison for planning other robberies from behind bars.
In November 2023, the FBI intercepted dozens of telephone conversations and text messages between Lyons and his associates, including Melvin Asbury, Mark Oliver, and Santino Parks. In those communications, Lyons and Oliver discussed the date, location, and other details of Lyons’s plan to rob a jewelry store in Dunwoody, Georgia, including plans for two of the robbers to enter the store armed with handguns while a third accomplice waited in a getaway car.
On December 1, 2023, agents observed three of the robbers park a car near the jewelry store that Lyons discussed in his previous communications. Agents arrested Oliver, Parks, and Jamaury Marshall at the scene, and recovered masks, gloves, trash bags, two sledgehammers, two loaded Glock pistols, and a loaded high-capacity magazine from the vehicle. Shortly thereafter, Georgia State Patrol troopers arrested Asbury in another vehicle.
On December 12, 2023, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina obtained an indictment charging Lyons and a second person with conspiracy to commit robbery and other offenses.
At the time of their arrests, Asbury, Marshall, Parks, and Oliver were all on probation or parole with the state of Georgia following convictions for violent crimes. Asbury was granted parole in 2022 after serving nearly 17 years of a 20-year sentence for armed robbery, kidnapping, aggravated assault, burglary, and weapons-possession offenses. Marshall was on probation after having been imprisoned for burglary, aggravated assault, and weapons-possession offenses. Similarly, Parks was on probation for robbery by force, aggravated battery, and burglary. Oliver was on probation for robbery and acts of violence while in prison.
U.S. District Judge Mark H. Cohen sentenced the defendants as follows:
- Melvin Asbury, 39, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to five years, three months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty on June 20, 2024, to attempted Hobbs Act robbery.
- Jamaury Marshall, 29, of Johns Creek, Georgia, was sentenced to eight years, four months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty on June 7, 2024, to possession of a firearm, which he was prohibited from possessing due to his status as a convicted felon.
- Mark Anthony Oliver, 23, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to five years, three months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty on June 26, 2024, to attempted Hobbs Act robbery.
- Santino Demarco Parks, 29, was sentenced to seven years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty on June 20, 2024, to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, attempted Hobbs Act robbery, and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Theodore S. Hertzberg and Leanne M. Marek prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Former Teacher Who Catfished Students Sentenced to 33 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A former Washington County high school teacher who catfished his students and uploaded sexually explicit content on social media was sentenced to serve 33 years in prison.
Michael Allen Dendy, 33, of Milledgeville, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 400 months in prison to be followed by ten years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell on Nov. 7. In addition, Dendy will have to register as a child sex offender upon release from federal prison. Dendy previously pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography on July 30. There is no parole in the federal system.
“We are committed to holding people like Michael Allen Dendy accountable to the fullest extent of the law for monstrously preying on adolescents, in this case tricking minors to send him explicit images and uploading them online for other predators to view,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “I am thankful for our law enforcement partners who are dedicated to protecting the innocent and bringing child predators to justice.”
“Educators are entrusted with the responsibility to protect and guide our youth, and the actions of this former teacher represent a severe betrayal of that trust. By creating false identities to deceive minors and exploit them in such a harmful way, Dendy caused profound damage to those he was meant to safeguard,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Steven N. Schrank who oversees investigations across Georgia and Alabama. “HSI is dedicated to ensuring justice for the victims and will tirelessly pursue those who prey upon vulnerable members of our community.”
“Michael Allen Dendy will no longer be able to prey on children and he will be an old man when he is released from prison,” said Washington County Sheriff Joel Cochran. “We are resolute in our commitment to safeguarding our children and ensuring that those who prey on them are held accountable. I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all law enforcement officers, prosecutors and support personnel who worked tirelessly on this case. Your dedication and hard work have made our community safer and brought us closer to justice for the victims.”
According to court documents and statements referenced in court, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) received multiple complaints regarding child pornography being posted on the social media platform Discord in Dec. 2022. Deputies were informed that several local high school students had their images posted to the platform under “WACO Confessions” without their knowledge or approval. The investigation found “WACO Confessions” was created by an individual—later determined to be Dendy—under the username “TheOneYouLeftBehind.” The IP address most frequently used to access the account was tracked to Dendy’s residence. Dendy was a teacher at Washington County High School in Sandersville, Georgia, from Aug. 2020 until his arrest by WCSO deputies on Jan. 20, 2023.
Dendy admitted to obtaining nude images of individuals, particularly of underage students at Washington County High School. He confirmed that he would communicate with the students using fake Instagram accounts—posing as a young male and a young female on Instagram—and that he never met with any students in person. Dendy also admitted to creating “WACO Confessions.” Dendy said that he began his catfishing scheme in 2016, when he lived in Mississippi and continued while residing in Maryland and Georgia. Dendy said he was not able to stop despite knowing that what he was doing was wrong. Dendy taught at three schools previously: Griffin High School in Griffin, Georgia, from 2018-2020; St. Charles High School in Waldorf, Maryland, from 2017-2018; and Starkville High School in Starkville, Mississippi, from 2014-2016. Parents and guardians of children who may have encountered Dendy and have concerns related to this investigation can contact the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) tip line at 1-866-347-2423.
A search warrant executed at Dendy’s residence recovered numerous electronic devices containing CSAM and chat conversations between Dendy and several identified victims. Specifically, between Jan. 1, 2023, and Jan. 31, 2023, Dendy persuaded a 16-year-old to engage in sexually explicit conduct, film the conduct and share it through social media. In a separate incident, on Dec. 11, 2022, Dendy uploaded a video to “WACO Confessions” depicting a minor, who was between the ages of 14 and 15, engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by WCSO and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with assistance from the Leesburg Police Department (Virginia), the Charles County Sheriff’s Office (Maryland), and the Middle Judicial Circuit of Georgia District Attorney’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Peach prosecuted the case for the Government.
Former Police Officer Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A former police officer from Pendleton, Oregon was sentenced to federal prison today for possessing child pornography on the Umatilla Indian Reservation.
Cameron Jacob Sheoships, 57, was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release. Sheoships’ sentencing follows a prior guilty plea that included a pattern enhancement for his repeated sexual abuse of a minor beginning in the 1990s.
According to court documents, in August 2022, the FBI received a tip that suspected child pornography had been traced to the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Eastern Oregon. By mid-September 2022, investigators received additional tips associated with Google and Twitter accounts later linked to Sheoships, a former tribal police officer. In May 2023, the FBI executed federal search warrants on Sheoships’ residence and person, and located numerous photos and videos depicting child sexual abuse on Sheoships’ cellphone.
On June 13, 2023, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment charging Sheoships with possessing child pornography and, on April 24, 2024, he pleaded guilty to the single charge.
This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Cassady A. Adams, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at (503) 224-4181 or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former CFO Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Embezzling $2 MillionRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Friday sentenced the former CFO of a St. Louis County, Missouri company to 41 months in prison for embezzling $2 million. Richard D. Zellner was also ordered to repay the money.
Between approximately January 2019 and January 2024, Zellner used his employer’s bank accounts to pay off the balance of his personal credit cards. Zellner repeatedly paid off that balance once he’d incurred thousands of dollars in charges, which typically occurred every few days or couple of weeks. Zellner spent the money on vacations, travel, personal bills and purchases of gold and precious metals. He covered up his thefts by altering company accounting records by creating fake work orders and bills.
Zellner also used the company’s credit cards for personal expenses.
Zellner made a total of over 1,000 unauthorized transactions during his scheme, fraudulently obtaining about $ $2,062,051.
Zellner, 66, of O’Fallon, Missouri, waived grand jury indictment and pleaded guilty in August in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of wire fraud.
The FBI and the Maryland Heights Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow prosecuted the case.
Former Bosnian Combatant Sentenced for Passport FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Winthrop, Mass. man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for fraudulently obtaining a U.S. passport and then using it to enter the United States from Istanbul, Turkey in 2021.
Azem Gigo Zebic, 52, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Denise J. Casper to 18 months of probation, 100 hours of community service and a $2000 fine. In addition, Zebic’s U.S. passport will be surrendered to the government. In June 2023, Zebic pleaded guilty to one count of use of a fraudulently obtained passport.
Zebic was admitted to the United States from Croatia in 1997 after falsely claiming that he had been the subject of persecution by Serb forces during the Bosnian War. Zebic falsely claimed, among other things, that Serb forces had captured, interrogated, beaten him and forced him to pull wounded soldiers from the front lines. Further, once in the United States, Zebic continued to make false statements about his past, including that he had never assisted anyone else enter the country illegally. However, Zebic had, in fact, assisted another alleged Bosnian combatant – Kemal Mrndzic – enter the United States unlawfully by falsely claiming that he was Mrndzic’s half-brother. Mrndzic was convicted in October 2024 by a federal jury in Boston of a 25 year scheme to conceal his persecution of Serb prisoners at the notorious Celebici prison camp, and related crimes. Zebic testified at Mrndzic’s trial.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, New England; Amy Connelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Boston Field Office; Matthew O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office; and Jennifer De La O, Director of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Boston Field Office made the announcement. This matter was investigated with the assistance of the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the United States Interagency Human Rights Violators & War Crimes Center and the United States Citizen and Immigration Service. Assistance was provided by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and the United States Embassies in Sarajevo, Belgrade and Helsinki. The Australian Federal Police, Bosnian and Herzegovinian Ministry of Justice, Serbian Ministry of Justice, law enforcement authorities in Finland and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police all provided valuable assistance. The Cook County (Ill.) Sheriff’s Office and Swampscott (Mass.) Police Department also provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. McNeil and Jason A. Casey of the National Security Unit prosecuted the case.
Ethos Laboratories Agrees to Pay $6.5 Million to Resolve Allegations of Fraudulent BillingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Kentucky-based laboratory, Ethos Laboratories (Ethos), has agreed to pay $6.5 million to resolve allegations that it submitted false claims for payment to Medicare for urine drug testing (UDT) and for its proprietary test for chronic pain, known as the Foundation Pain Index (FPI).
According to the settlement agreement, Ethos admits that between Jan. 1, 2017 and July 15, 2024, Ethos submitted multiple claims for UDT for the same patient, on the same date of service, using the same urine sample. Ethos performed presumptive UDT via a relatively inexpensive test that could quickly yield qualitative results. It also performed definitive UDT via a more complex and expensive method that provided a quantitative result. Ethos performed and billed Medicare for both presumptive and definitive UDT for the same substance regardless of the results of the presumptive UDT and without determining that definitive UDT was necessary. Further, Ethos at times submitted claims for testing done pursuant to blanket UDT orders that were the same for all patients from a particular provider’s practice, without obtaining any individualized determination of medical necessity by the ordering provider. In some instances, these blanket orders included substances with positivity rates below 0.01%.
In addition, per the settlement agreement, Ethos admits that between Nov. 12, 2020, and Oct. 6, 2023, it submitted claims for FPI testing for patients in a provider’s practice without any individualized determination of medical necessity by the ordering provider, and, in some cases, without the provider’s knowledge that Ethos was performing FPI testing. Ethos also submitted claims for FPI testing at high frequencies, including testing some patients multiple times in the same month.
On July 18, 2023, based on information provided by the Department of Justice, Medicare suspended Ethos’s receipt of Medicare payments. Pursuant to that payment suspension, Medicare retained more than $6.5 million of billed claims from Ethos. As part of the settlement agreement, Ethos has agreed to forfeit the $6.5 million to satisfy this settlement. The settlement was reached after the government’s review of Ethos’s financial disclosures concerning its financial condition. In connection with the settlement, Ethos also entered into a five-year corporate integrity agreement with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Health & Human Services, Office of the Inspector General; and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham R. George, Chief of the Civil Division handled the matter.
El Salvadorian National Sentenced for Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that LORENZO ALEXANDER BENITEZ (“BENITEZ”), age 40, a citizen of El Salvador, was sentenced by United States District Judge Susie Morgan on November 7, 2024 to two years of probation, after previously pleading guilty to illegal reentry of a removed alien, a violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
According to court documents, BENITEZ admitted to reentering the United States illegally after previously being deported on July 27, 2018. BENITEZ was encountered by law enforcement on April 29, 2024, while driving on Interstate 610 in New Orleans.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of United States Customs and Border Patrol in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Paul J. Hubbell of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Doctor Convicted of Accepting Kickbacks for Blood, Urine SamplesRead the Press Release
An internal medicine doctor was convicted last week of accepting more than $200,000 in kickbacks for sending patient samples to particular labs, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Dr. Hector Ubaldo, 60, was indicted in September. After a two-day trial, it took a federal jury just 14 minutes to find him guilty of conspiracy to pay and receive healthcare kickbacks and solicitation and receipt of illegal kickbacks.
According to evidence presented at trial, Dr. Ubaldo accepted cash from so-called “marketers” in return for sending patients’ blood and urine samples to particular labs, including R.K. Clinical, which then billed insurance companies and Medicare for running diagnostic tests.
Dr. Ubaldo also entered into sham medical advisory agreements with the labs and marketers, whereby he was supposed to provided advisory services in exchange for a monthly fee. The labs and marketers had no need for these advisory services and Dr. Ubaldo provided no such services. Instead, the medical advisory service agreements served as a fraudulent vehicle to funnel kickback payments to Dr. Ubaldo in exchange for his sending samples to specific labs.
On multiple occasions, one of the marketers met with Dr. Ubaldo at his office and handed over thousands of dollars in cash. Surreptitiously recorded video of the meetings was introduced into evidence in court.
“To tell you the truth, I need the cash,” Dr. Ubaldo told the marketer at one of the meetings.
Dr. Ubaldo later stated, “The minimum I’m willing to [expletive] take on a monthly basis is about $10 grand.”
Over the course of the scheme, Dr. Ubaldo accepted more than $253,000 in bribes. The lab was able to bill insurers roughly $3.4 million as result of their illegal relationship with Dr. Ubaldo.
Dr. Ubaldo now faces up to 15 years in federal prison: five years on the conspiracy count and 10 years on the solicitation and receipt count. Following his conviction, Dr. Ubaldo was taken into custody as he awaits sentencing.
The marketer in question pleaded guilty before trial to one count of conspiracy to pay and receive healthcare kickbacks and now faces up to five years in federal prison. R.K Clinical owner Kelly Nelson, who also pleaded guilty before trial, was sentenced in May to 30 months in federal prison.
In total, the Northern District of Texas has prosecuted more than fifteen doctors, marketers, and lab owners connected to this larger scheme over the last several years.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys P.J. Meitl and Nancy Larson tried the case. U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman presided Dr. Ubaldo’s trial.
Danvers Man Convicted of Money Laundering and Operating Unlicensed Money Transmitting BusinessRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Danvers man has been convicted, following a five-day trial, of money laundering and operating an unlicensed, “no questions asked” money transmitting business that converted more than $1 million in cash to the digital currency Bitcoin, including on behalf of scammers and a drug dealer.
Trung Nguyen, a/k/a “DCS420”, 48, was convicted of one count of conducting an unlicensed money transmitting business and one count of concealment money laundering. The jury also found Nguyen not guilty of a separate count of money laundering. United States District Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for Feb. 12, 2025. Nguyen was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 30, 2023.
“Money laundering is the lifeblood of a wide swath of criminal conduct,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “This defendant’s ‘no questions asked’ money laundering operation allowed a known drug dealer to turn their dirty cash into more deadly meth to pump onto our streets and it allowed scammers to swindle vulnerable victims out of their hard-earned savings. Money launderers may think that Bitcoin is some new frontier for cleaning dirty money anonymously, it is not. Together with our law enforcement partners, we are carefully monitoring these markets and will continue to investigate and prosecute the money launderers who are essential cogs in the illicit drug and fraud trades.”
“Nguyen deliberately set up his money service business to evade banking regulations and to circumvent financial safeguards that prevent illicit proceeds from entering legitimate commerce. Our investigation proved that Nguyen knew he was working with criminals by accepting money from victims of scams and a drug dealer. HSI is a global leader in investigating illicit finance and bringing money launderers like Nguyen to justice,” said HSI New England Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol.
“The guilty verdict of Trung Nguyen demonstrates IRS Criminal Investigation’s commitment to the prosecution of all who choose to not only break the law themselves but also those who assist criminals in facilitating their criminal activities,” said Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office. “Nguyen operated an unlicensed money service businesses and concealed his financial activity in a nominee business bank account in an effort to conceal his bitcoin conversion activity. Through Nguyen’s actions, he allowed criminals to conceal their activity by converting bulk cash into bitcoin, allowing them to easily and covertly integrate their ill-gotten gains into the mainstream financial system.”
Between September 2017 and October 2020, Nguyen owned and operated National Vending, LLC. Through National Vending, Nguyen accepted cash from customers and, in exchange for a fee, sent them Bitcoin in return. Exchangers of virtual currency, including Bitcoin exchangers, are money transmitters under federal law and are subject to federal anti-money laundering (AML) regulations. The regulations required them to register as money service businesses with the Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and to maintain effective AML programs, including by filing Suspicious Activity Reports with FinCEN, and by filing Currency Transaction Reports for Bitcoin-for-cash exchanges of more than $10,000.
Nguyen purposely failed to register National Vending with FinCEN, despite being required to do so. In 10 transactions in 2018, Nguyen accepted a total of $250,000 in cash from an individual who identified himself to Nguyen as a methamphetamine dealer. In 2019 and 2020, Nguyen also accepted approximately $325,000 from a romance scam victim from Kansas City, Mo.; $60,000 from a romance scam victim from Glastonbury, Ct., and $60,000 from a romance scam victim from central Massachusetts—each of whom had been tricked into converting cash into Bitcoin and sending it to con artists overseas. Nguyen failed to file Suspicious Activity Reports or Currency Transaction Reports on any of these transactions, including cash transactions of more than $10,000.
Nguyen concealed his money transmitting business by, among other ways, holding National Vending out to banks, cryptocurrency exchanges, and state authorities as a vending machine business, using encrypted messaging apps to communicate with customers, using technologies that made it more difficult to trace Bitcoin transactions and breaking cash deposits of more than $10,000 into smaller cash deposits over consecutive days or at different branches of the same bank. Nguyen also enrolled in a paid course on concealing his business that recommended Nguyen purport to operate “a business for which cash deposits from around the country make sense” and that he “develop [his] cover story,” “create a list or your suppliers Fictitious of course,” and “Don’t say the word ‘Bitcoin.”
The charge of money laundering provides for a sentence of up to 20 years, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction. The charge of conducting an unlicensed money transmitting business provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy; HSI SAC Krol; IRS SAC Chavis; and Ketty Larco Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth B. Kosto and Benjamin A. Saltzman of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.
DOJ Files Statement of Interest Regarding Unnecessary Segregation of Youth with Mental Health Disabilities in L.A. County and California Foster Care SystemRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The Justice Department today filed a statement of interest in a federal lawsuit alleging the foster care system operated by Los Angeles County and the State of California fails to provide youth with mental health disabilities with sufficient access to housing, behavioral health, and other services and, instead, places them in institutions for care.
In Ocean S., et al., v. Los Angeles County, et al., (C.D. Calif., 23cv06921) the plaintiffs, who are transition-age foster youth, contend that the defendants’ administration of the foster care system unnecessarily segregates youth with mental health disabilities in violation of federal law.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Rehabilitation Act, and the Supreme Court’s decision in Olmstead v. L.C., 527 U.S. 581 (1999) require state and local governments to eliminate unnecessary segregation of persons with disabilities and to administer services to people with disabilities in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs.
The Department of Justice files statements of interest in ongoing court cases to inform the court and the public of its views on certain matters of law.
“Youth with disabilities who do not receive the critical services that they need to thrive in the community often end up in a vicious cycle of institutionalization,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Under the law, people with disabilities deserve to live and receive services in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs, such as in their homes and communities. My office is committed to upholding civil rights for all, including people with disabilities.”
In the Ocean S. lawsuit, the Justice Department’s statement of interest pertains to the “integration mandate” and explains that the ADA bars public entities from placing an individual with a disability at serious risk of needless institutionalization. The statement of interest also clarifies that the plaintiffs can state a serious risk claim without alleging that they seek specific community-based services that exist in an institution. It also states that the plaintiffs do not need to include an appropriateness determination from a treatment professional in their complaint, and that a public entity’s oversight and administration of its service system may be sufficient to allege causation.
Assistant United States Attorney Amy Xu of the Civil Division’s Civil Rights Section and attorneys from the Special Litigation Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division worked on the statement of interest.
Individuals in the seven counties of the Central District of California may file a complaint asserting civil rights violations with the Civil Rights Section, Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office by completing and submitting this form (English) (Spanish) by email to [email protected].
Court Permanently Enjoins Miami Tax Return Preparers, Orders Them to Pay DisgorgementRead the Press Release
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida issued a permanent injunction yesterday against Miami tax return preparer Niclas Pierre, and his tax return preparation business, Niclas Tax and Express Inc. The court also issued a permanent injunction against Elius Bessard and his tax return preparation business, Bessard Immigrations and Tax Services LLC.
The injunctions bar Pierre and Bessard from preparing tax returns, working for or owning a tax preparation business, assisting others to prepare tax returns or transferring a list of customers. The court also ordered Pierre to pay $563,000 and Bessard to pay $208,000 in ill-gotten gains received from their return preparation businesses. Pierre and Bessard each agreed to both the injunction and the order to pay.
The complaint alleged that Pierre and Bessard prepared returns for customers that claimed various false or fabricated deductions and credits, including fabricated residential energy credits, false and fraudulent deductions and inflated business expenses. According to the complaint, Pierre and Bessard each prepared over a thousand tax returns for customers over the past six years.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
Taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers. The IRS also offers guidance on the credentials and qualifications that taxpayers should seek from their return preparer.
In the past decade, the Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
Pierre and Niclas PI.pdf Bessard and Bessard Tax Injunction.pdfColorado Man Sentenced for Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Colorado man was sentenced to two years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $242,210 after pleading guilty to money laundering and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
According to court documents, in 2015, James Matison, the former Restoration Projects Director at WildEarth Guardians, manipulated his co-defendant, Jeffrey Ham, the owner of Timberline Environmental LLC, a WildEarth Guardians contractor, into participating in the scheme by claiming his wife suffered a traumatic brain injury and they were facing financial hardship.
As part of the scheme, Matison created fraudulent invoices from Timberline to WildEarth Guardians, which he approved for payment, causing the non-profit to issue checks to Timberline. Matison deposited these checks into Timberline's account, then transferred the funds to his personal account.
The scheme continued until March 2019 and accumulated a total of $242,210 in fraudulent billings to WildEarth Guardians, with Matison pocketing virtually all the proceeds. When WildEarth Guardians began investigating, Matison asked Ham to create new invoices to cover up the crimes.
Ham pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and was sentenced on October 3, 2024, to serve a term of three years on probation.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and the Department of the Interior (DOI) Office of Inspector General, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Inspector General made the announcement today.
The Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General and the Department of the Interior Office of Inspector General investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy Peña is prosecuting the case.
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Chicago Rapper Lil Durk Charged in Superseding Indictment Alleging Murder-for-Hire Plot to Kill Rival Near Beverly Center Mall in 2022Read the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Grammy Award-winning Chicago rapper has been charged in a superseding federal grand jury indictment alleging he conspired with others to murder a rival rapper, resulting in the shooting death of the rival’s relative that occurred at a gas station near the Beverly Center shopping mall in Los Angeles in August 2022, the Justice Department announced today.
Durk Banks, 32, a.k.a. “Lil Durk,” “Blood,” and “Mustafa Abdul Malak,” of Chicago, is charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of use of interstate facilities to commit murder-for-hire resulting in death, and one count of using, carrying, and discharging firearms and a machine gun and possession of such firearms in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death.
The indictment adds two felony charges against Banks, who previously was charged via criminal complaint in this case.
The four-count superseding indictment, returned late Thursday, adds Banks as the lead defendant to a previous indictment returned October 17 and charging the following defendants in connection with the August 2022 murder:
- Kavon London Grant, 28, a.k.a. “Cuz” and “Vonnie,” of Atlanta;
- Deandre Dontrell Wilson, 33, a.k.a. “DeDe,” of Chicago;
- Keith Jones, 33, a.k.a. “Flacka,” of Gary, Indiana;
- David Brian Lindsey, 33, a.k.a. “Browneyez,” of Addison, Illinois; and
- Asa Houston, 36, a.k.a. “Boogie,” of Chicago.
Banks was arrested on October 17 near Miami International Airport after law enforcement learned that Banks had been booked on multiple international flights. A federal magistrate judge in Miami has ordered him jailed without bond until he is transferred to Los Angeles for arraignment.
All six defendants – none of whom has yet entered a plea to the charges – are expected to be arraigned in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles in the coming weeks.
According to the superseding indictment, in 2010, Banks formed an organization called Only the Family (OTF), which, among other things, produced and sold hip hop music from artists primarily from the Chicago area. OTF also acted as an association-in-fact of individuals who engaged in violence, including murder and assault, at Banks’ direction and to maintain their status in OTF.
Banks feuded with a victim, identified in court documents as “T.B.” The feud stemmed from a November 6, 2020, murder in which an associate of T.B. shot and killed an OTF rapper named Dayvon Bennett, a.k.a. “King Von.” Bennett and Banks were close friends.
In response to Bennett’s murder, Banks allegedly put a bounty on T.B.’s life.
On August 19, 2022, several OTF members and associates used two vehicles and worked in tandem to track, stalk, and attempt to murder T.B. for hours, culminating in a shooting at a gasoline station located near the Beverly Center shopping mall. The co-conspirators used multiple guns, including a machine gun, and fired at least 18 rounds at T.B.’s vehicle, striking and killing a victim identified in court documents as “S.R.,” who was T.B.’s family member who had been traveling with T.B.
Banks allegedly ordered T.B.’s murder and the hitmen used money from Banks and OTF-related finances to carry out the hit. Bank and flight records show that an OTF member and close associate of Banks coordinated and paid for five co-conspirators to travel from Chicago to California on the day before the murder. Around the time the one-way flights were purchased, Banks told the OTF associate booking the flights, “Don’t book no flights under no names involved wit [sic] me.”
The same day the hitmen traveled from Chicago to California, Banks also traveled to California in a private jet with another conspirator, Kavon London Grant, 28, a.k.a. “Cuz” and “Vonnie.” Later that day, Grant allegedly purchased ski masks for the shooters to use to commit the murder and paid – using a credit card in Banks’ name – for the other co-conspirators’ hotel room.
“Mr. Banks is charged with orchestrating a cold-blooded murder that resulted in the death of a rival’s family member,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Not only that, the shooting occurred in the open, at a gas station at a busy intersection, endangering many others in the area. Violent gun crime of this sort is devastating to our community and we will have zero-tolerance for those who perpetrate such callous acts of violence.”
“The apprehension of Mr. Banks as he attempted to leave the United States is once again proof that the FBI and our extraordinary partners at the Los Angeles Police Department have a long reach,” said Akil Davis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. “No excuse can justify this violent act and let me be clear: While you’re going about your life, thinking you ‘got away with it,’ the FBI is piecing together the facts that will serve as your undoing.”
“Cases like these that span multiple states and jurisdictions are complicated and can oftentimes only be resolved through the collaboration of multiple departments,” said Los Angeles Police Chief Dominic Choi. “This arrest is the culmination of the combined efforts of our partners in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and LAPD’s Operation West Bureau Homicide detectives who discovered that Durk D a.k.a. Lil Durk was involved in this heinous murder. The hundreds of hours spent on the investigation included surveillance, authoring numerous search warrants, using forensic technology, and tireless investigative travel and collaboration alongside our federal partners led to this arrest. I am appreciative of the dedication of those involved.”
The other five defendants are in federal custody in Illinois after their initial court appearances in Chicago. They remain charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of use of interstate facilities to commit murder-for-hire resulting in death, and one count of using, carrying and discharging firearms and a machine gun and possession of such firearms in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death. Jones faces an additional count of possession of a machine gun.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted, all the defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
The FBI and the Los Angeles Police Department are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Ian V. Yanniello of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section, Daniel H. Weiner of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section, and Gregory W. Staples of the Orange County Office are prosecuting this case.
Carter County Resident Sentenced for Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announces that Danny Ray Gordon, III, age 33, of Lone Grove, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 77 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Carter County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On May 29, 2024, Gordon pleaded guilty to one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. According to investigators, on December 16, 2023, law enforcement conducting a routine traffic stop discovered Gordon in possession of a .32ACP caliber semi-automatic pistol and several rounds of ammunition. At the time of the stop, Gordon had been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year and was prohibited from possessing firearms.
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 Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the sentencing hearing. Gordon will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States.
Caledonia Man Charged with Sexually Exploiting Four MinorsRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Scott Michael Elam, 41, of Caledonia, was arrested and indicted on seven counts of sexually exploiting a minor.
“We are committed to protecting children from sexual exploitation and holding offenders accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “I am grateful to the Kent County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI for their investigative work as we prepare to make our case.”
According to court documents, Elam is charged with sexually exploiting four different minors. The indictment alleges that Elam recorded himself having sex with one of the minors on two different occasions and directed the other victims to take explicit photos and videos of themselves and then send them to him.
If convicted, Elam faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years in prison for each count.
“The indictment of Scott Elam underscores the FBI's unwavering commitment to protecting children and holding predators accountable,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “The alleged sexual exploitation of four minors by Mr. Elam is appalling, and such behavior will not be tolerated. I am deeply grateful for the relentless efforts of our dedicated team in Michigan, including the West Michigan-based Child Exploitation Task Force (WEBCHEX) and the Kent County Sheriff's Office. Together, we will ensure that those who prey on our most vulnerable are brought to justice and that our communities remain safe from these heinous threats.”
“The Kent County Sheriff's Office is committed to continuing the fight against the exploitation of children through our federal partnerships,” said Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young. “Furthermore, this investigation prompts a reminder to our communities to have courageous conversations with your children about the dangers social media presents.”
The Kent County Sheriff’s Office and FBI are investigating this case, and Assistant United States Attorney Olivia Ghiselli is prosecuting it.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, county prosecutor's offices, the Internet Crimes Against Children task force (ICAC), federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement are working closely together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children. The partners in Project Safe Childhood work to educate local communities about the dangers of online child exploitation, and to teach children how to protect themselves. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. Individuals with information or concerns about possible child exploitation should contact local law enforcement officials.
The charges in an indictment are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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Brevard County Man Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Gerit William Naber (39, Palm Bay) to 11 years and 8 months in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine. Naber entered a guilty plea on June 24, 2024.
According to the plea agreement, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office used a confidential source to conduct two controlled purchases of multiple ounces of methamphetamine from Naber. After a third controlled purchase failed when the confidential source refused to use the drugs with Naber, a search warrant was executed at Naber’s home, resulting in the seizure of over 100 grams of methamphetamine. In total, Naber was responsible for over 320 grams of pure methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman.
Bitcoin Fog Operator Sentenced for Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A dual Russian-Swedish national was sentenced today to 12 years and six months in prison for his operation of the longest-running bitcoin money laundering service on the darknet.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, from 2011 through 2021, Roman Sterlingov, 36, was involved in operating Bitcoin Fog, the darknet’s longest-running cryptocurrency “mixer.” Over the course of its decade-long operation, Bitcoin Fog gained notoriety as a go-to money laundering service for criminals seeking to hide their illicit proceeds from law enforcement and processed transactions involving over 1.2 million bitcoin, valued at approximately $400 million at the time the transactions occurred. The bulk of this cryptocurrency came from darknet marketplaces and was tied to illegal narcotics, computer crimes, identity theft, and child sexual abuse material.
In March 2024, after a one-month trial, a jury found Sterlingov guilty of money laundering conspiracy, money laundering, operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, and money transmission without a license in the District of Columbia.
In addition to his term of imprisonment, Sterlingov was sentenced to pay a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $395,563,025.39, and forfeiture of seized cryptocurrencies and monetary assets valued at approximately $1.76 million. In addition, Sterlingov was ordered to forfeit his interest in the Bitcoin Fog wallet, totaling approximately 1,345 bitcoin and currently valued at more than $103 million.
“Roman Sterlingov ran the longest-running bitcoin money laundering service on the darknet, and today he paid the price,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “In the deepest corners of the internet, he provided a home for criminals of all stripes, from drug traffickers to identity thieves, to store hundreds of millions of dollars in illicit proceeds. Today’s sentence reflects the Department’s determination to dismantle the criminal networks that enable criminal actors to flourish and ensure consequences for the criminals operating them.”
“Roman Sterlingov laundered over $400 million in criminal proceeds through Bitcoin Fog, his cryptocurrency ‘mixing’ service that was open for business to criminals looking to hide dirty money,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Through his illicit money laundering operation, Sterlingov helped criminals launder proceeds of drug trafficking, computer crime, identity theft, and the sexual exploitation of children. Today’s sentencing underscores the Justice Department’s commitment to holding those who facilitate criminal activity fully accountable for their crimes. I am especially proud of the dedicated investigators and prosecutors who worked tirelessly to unmask and prosecute the Bitcoin Fog scheme.”
“As proven at trial, Roman Sterlingov created and used an online tool to process hundreds of millions in illegal transactions, enabling darknet drug dealers and those who sell child sexual abuse material, to operate,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “Today’s sentence sends an unmistakable message: those who help criminals with online payments for their illegal activities will face serious penalties. This prosecution also provides more proof that we have the skilled investigators and talented prosecutors needed to hold those who operate these darknet sites accountable.”
“Clearly, Sterlingov’s attempt to shroud his illicit activities in a cloak of anonymity ultimately failed against the sophisticated collaborative work of our Criminal Investigation special agents and partners,” said Chief Guy Ficco of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). “Today’s significant prison term and hundreds of millions in financial sanctions against the defendant emphasizes the seriousness of this conviction and should serve as a stark notice that this type of criminal activity will not be tolerated.”
“The prosecution of Roman Sterlingov and the sentence imposed today should serve as a warning to cybercriminals,” said Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI. “The FBI will not hesitate to use all tools at its disposal and will leverage our extensive partnerships to disrupt the cybercriminal ecosystem and the individuals who provide the key services that facilitate criminal activity.”
The IRS-CI District of Columbia Cyber Crime Unit and FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and FBI’s Virtual Asset Unit provided invaluable assistance. Additional assistance was provided by Japanese, Swedish, Danish, Romanian, and UK authorities, as well as Europol.
Trial Attorneys Jeff Pearlman 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. Pelker is a member, and Brown is a former member, of CCIPS’ National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team. Former CCIPS Paralegal Specialist Dr. Divya Ramjee and Paralegal Specialist Angela De Falco for the District of Columbia provided valuable assistance.
Antlers Resident Sentenced for Aggravated Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Robert Eric Wadkins, age 43, of Antlers, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 293 months in prison and a life term of supervision upon his release for one count of Aggravated Sexual Abuse in Indian Country.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Choctaw County Sheriff’s Department, and the Pushmataha County Sheriff’s Office.
On January 12, 2023, Wadkins pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on June 5, 2017, Wadkins physically assaulted and sexually assaulted the victim. The crime occurred in Choctaw and Pushmataha Counties, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Wadkins will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney Sarah McAmis represented the United States.
Alleged Serial Armed Robber Arrested at His D.C. HomeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Antonio Kingsbury, 36, of Washington, D.C., was arrested today and charged by criminal complaint with interference with interstate commerce by robbery, brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. Kingsbury is suspected of involvement in at least seventeen armed robberies between January 9, 2024 and November 7, 2024, in the D.C.-Maryland-Virginia area, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office.
According to the complaint, the same masked gunman is believed responsible for 17 armed robberies at various businesses including: multiple Subway restaurants, Starbucks, multiple local DMV restaurants, a Virginia ABC store, a local cell phone store, Chipotle, multiple Popeye’s restaurants, multiple 7-Eleven stores, and a tobacco store.
During a search of the suspect’s home, a gun was recovered along with multiple pieces of clothing used during Kingsbury’s nearly year-long robbery spree. Kingsbury was arrested and will have an initial appearance in District Court on November 12, 2024.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office's Violent Crimes Task Force and the Metropolitan Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the Arlington County Police Department, Bladensburg Police Department, and Prince George’s County Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin F. Song
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Activity in the U.S. Attorney's OfficeRead the Press Release
Federal Land Offenses
Joseph Aita, 62, of Colorado Springs, CO, was sentenced to 7 days in jail for walking off a designated trail or boardwalk in a thermal area within Yellowstone National Park. According to court documents, he entered the protected area of Canary Spring in Mammoth Hot Springs in the north area of the park with co-defendant Celia Aita and 2 minor children. He also pleaded guilty to destroying a mineral resource and for that violation, he was sentenced to five years of probation, with a ban from Yellowstone National Park during that time and a fine of $3,000. He will also pay $60 in mandatory court costs and fees in the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariel Calmes prosecuted this case. U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephanie A. Hambrick imposed the sentence on Oct. 31, in Mammoth, Wyoming.
About the United States Attorney’s Office
The United States Attorney’s Office is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the District of Wyoming, including all criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits brought by or against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. The Office is involved in several programs designed to make our communities safer. They include:
Environmental Justice
The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.
Project Safe Childhood
Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is a DOJ initiative that combats the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for sexual contact is well-known and serious.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a nationwide commitment to reducing gun and gang crime in America by networking existing local programs that target gun crime and providing these programs with additional tools necessary to be successful.
Victim Witness Assistance
The Victim Witness Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming is dedicated to making sure that victims of federal crimes and their family members are treated with compassion, fairness, and respect.To report a federal crime, go to: https://www.justice.gov/actioncenter/report-crime#trafficking
Thursday 7 November 2024
Wilbur Theatre Enters into Agreement to Ensure Communication AccessibilityRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The United States Attorney’s Office reached an agreement with the Wilbur Theatre in Boston, resolving a complaint that the theatre violated Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by failing to provide a reasonable accommodation to a group of individuals with hearing impairments.
The Wilbur Theatre is a performing arts theater located in the heart of Boston’s theater district. According to the complaint, the Wilbur Theatre failed to provide a group of individuals with hearing impairments an American Sign Language interpreter, or another communication aid or service, for a concert at the Wilbur Theatre. Federal law, including the ADA, prohibits public and private entities from discriminating against individuals with disabilities. The ADA requires places of public accommodation to take necessary steps to ensure that they communicate effectively with people who have communication disabilities.
“It is vital that individuals with communication disabilities have equal access to public accommodations, like theaters and other businesses, and this office will continue to ensure that civil rights are protected” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy.” We encourage individuals who believe that their disabilities have not been accommodated to contact our office to see whether legal action may be warranted.”
This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anuj Khetarpal of the Civil Rights Unit. The Civil Rights Unit was established in 2015 with the mission of enhancing federal civil rights enforcement. The Wilbur Theatre fully cooperated with the United States Attorney’s Office’s investigation.
For more information on the Office’s civil rights efforts, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-ma/civil-rights. For more information on the ADA, please visit www.ADA.gov.
Wewoka Resident Pleads Guilty to Murder and Federal Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Joseph Celdon Mullins, age 22, of Wewoka, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to an Information charging him with Second Degree Murder in Indian Country and Use, Carry, Brandish and Discharge of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.
According to the Information, on June 20, 2023, Mullins intentionally discharged a firearm, unlawfully killing the victim with malice aforethought.
The crimes occurred in Seminole County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charges arose from investigations by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Tribal Police Department, the Seminole Nation Lighthorse Police Department, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, 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. Mullins will remain in the custody of the United States Marshal Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Gross represented the United States.
Western District of Kentucky Men Sentenced for Murder Through the Use of a Firearm During a Crime of ViolenceRead the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY – Freddy Manuel Gonzalez and Xavior Caine Posey were sentenced this week to 40 years and 35 years, respectively, for murder through the use of a firearm during a crime of violence.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division made the announcement.
“I commend the ATF, the local law enforcement agencies who assisted in the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sewell and Weiser for their outstanding work during the investigation and prosecution of this case,” stated U.S. Attorney Bennett. “As a result of the strong working relationships that exist between our law enforcement partners, these violent defendants will now spend decades in federal prison. The fight against violent crime is a top priority of this office and we will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute it wherever it occurs.”
“This senseless act of violence took a man from his family,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Morrow. “I commend ATF Bowling Green Field Office, our partners with the Franklin, KY Police Department, and the prosecution team for working tirelessly to bring these killers to justice. Our thoughts are with Mr. Russell’s loved ones, and we hope this sentence brings some sense of closure to his family and that it sends a very clear message that ATF and our law enforcement partners will always seek justice for violent crimes in Kentucky.”
According to court documents, Freddy Manuel Gonzalez, 40, of Bowling Green, Kentucky was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for murder through use of firearm during crime of violence. Xavior Caine Posey, 26, of Logan County, Kentucky, was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for the same offense.
On December 29 and 30, 2020, Gonzalez and Posey communicated by cell phone to arrange for the murder-for-hire of the victim. Gonzalez provided Posey with a firearm for the murder. On December 30, 2020, in Franklin, Kentucky, Posey shot the victim three times with that firearm and then returned to Bowling Green, Kentucky. Gonzalez later paid Posey for committing the murder.
In a related case, Andy Martin Schmucker, 37, of Beaver Dam, Kentucky, has pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to the crime of murder for hire, and is scheduled for sentencing on December 2, 2024.
There is no parole in the federal system.
The ATF and the Franklin Police Department investigated the case. The Warren County Sheriff’s Office, the Logan County Sheriff’s Office, the Muhlenberg County Sheriff’s Office, the South- Central Kentucky Drug Task Force, the Warren County Drug Task Force, the Kentucky State Police, the Russellville Police Department, the Bowling Green Police Department, and the Simpson County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office assisted in the investigation.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Madison Sewell and David Weiser.
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Website Related to Multi-Billion Dollar Bitfinex Hack EstablishedRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice has established a website to provide any person who claims status as a potential crime victim of the crimes described below to assert any rights under the Crime Victims’ Rights Act (CVRA), 18 U.S.C. § 3771, and with the opportunity to complete a statement to relay information about how they may have been harmed by the charged conduct and/or offenses. For CVRA purposes, the government’s position is that there are no “victims” of the offenses of conviction. The Department is providing this notice out of an abundance of caution.
In August 2016, defendant Ilya Lichtenstein hacked into a virtual currency exchange named Bitfinex and stole approximately 120,000 bitcoin. Following the theft, Defendant Lichtenstein devised a sophisticated plan to launder the stolen funds, involving extensive layering of transactions, cryptocurrency mixers and non-compliant cryptocurrency exchanges, darknet markets, and bank accounts in the U.S., as well as overseas. Defendant Lichtenstein enlisted the assistance of his wife, co-defendant Heather Rhiannon Morgan, to clean the money. Defendant Lichtenstein and Defendant Morgan continued to conspire to launder the funds until February 2022, when federal law enforcement placed them under arrest for being involved in a money laundering conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h), and a conspiracy to defraud the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371.
On August 3, 2023, Defendant Lichtenstein pleaded guilty to one count of Money Laundering Conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h). Defendant Lichtenstein is scheduled to be sentenced on November 14, 2024, at 2:00 p.m., in Courtroom 28A, before Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly. On August 3, 2023, Defendant Morgan pleaded guilty to one count of Money Laundering Conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371 and § 1956(a)(1)(B)(i), and one count of Conspiracy to Defraud the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371. Defendant Morgan is scheduled to be sentenced on November 15, 2024, at 2:00 p.m., in Courtroom 28A, before Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly.
As authorized by the U.S. District Court (link to Oct. 10, 2024 PDF opinion here), the United States provides this notice to the public out of an abundance of caution to solicit and receive information from all persons potentially harmed by the defendants’ conduct, including affected accountholders at Bitfinex. The United States welcomes any statements and arguments from such persons, including statements relevant to the Court’s sentencing of the defendants, such as how they have been impacted by the defendants’ conduct.
If you wish to complete a statement about the impact of the offenses on you and/or to relay information about how you may have been victimized, please send that statement to the United States to be conveyed to the U.S. District Court judge who will make decisions in the case, including by sentencing the defendants. Specifically, please submit a statement by no later than November 13, 2024, via email to [email protected]. As stated above, the sentencings are currently scheduled for November 14 and 15, 2024.
Additional information is available on the Department of Justice’s website for large cases, https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/2016-bitfinex-hack.
23cr0239
U.S. Attorney’s Office and University of Maryland Co Host Cybersecurity Conference Amid Spike in Data-Breach CrimesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Did you know that in 2023, more than 343 million people were victims of a cybercrime? Today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and the University of Maryland hosted a cybersecurity conference to arm business and public sector leaders with vital information to help combat this worldwide issue.
According to Forbes Advisor, in 2023, data breaches increased globally by 72 percent. In response to this alarming trend, cybersecurity experts from government and the private sector educated attendees about emerging threats; best practices; and effective collaboration between federal, state, and local agencies, the private sector, and law enforcement.
“Cybercrime threatens our national security, our public safety, and our financial security,” said
U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron. “While we work to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators of these crimes, law enforcement must also collaborate with the private sector to effectively prevent and disrupt cyber incidents before they happen. The thoughtful discussions inspired by this conference sets the stage for continued collaboration and partnership between the government, business, and public sectors to protect our critical infrastructure. Many thanks to University of Maryland President Darryll J. Pines and our partners at the University for their co-sponsorship of this important conference.”Conference panelists taught attendees how to identify threats and weaknesses, manage a cyber incident, and coordinate with law enforcement. The conference also served as an opportunity for participants to network and continue conversations about enhancing cybersecurity across all sectors of Maryland.
"At the University of Maryland, our students and faculty work across campus to develop and deploy technologies to address the grand challenges of our time. We also recognize the importance of protecting our communities from the growing threat of cybercrime that comes when technologies are used for the wrong reasons," said University of Maryland President Darryll J. Pines. "We are grateful for the opportunity provided by this conference to engage with business and government leaders to tackle these critical issues."
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/cybersecurity.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office and Law Enforcement Partners Hold Financial Crimes Conference to Combat Fraud in UtahRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah in coordination with the Financial Fraud Task Force, comprised of law enforcement throughout the state, hosted the annual Financial Crimes Conference yesterday. Financial institutions also participated in the conference as part of ongoing efforts to curb financial crimes in the Beehive State.
Fraud is on the rise in Utah. In the first two quarters of 2024, fraud cost Utah residents $55.2 million, compared to $36.4 million in 2023, $32.6 million in 2022, and $20.4 million in 2021 during the same two quarters, according to state data by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Additionally, Utah ranks 10 out of 15 states nationwide for imposter scams, according to the FTC. Imposter scams include scammers posing as a government agency, romance scams, a friend or relative with an emergency need for money.
“Working with our federal and state law enforcement partners and agencies, the United States Attorney’s Office has significantly increased the number of financial crime prosecutions in this state,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah. “By prosecuting these cases and advocating for appropriate federal prison sentences, we are sending a clear message that Utah is not the place to conduct fraud schemes and victimize our citizens.”
While the U.S. Attorney’s Office collaborates with financial institutions throughout the year in conjunction with our federal partners, the conference brings all participating entities that handle financial crimes together for a day of collaborating and learning through presentations.
Prosecuting financial crimes is a priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Utah. Financial fraud ranges from phishing scams, identity theft, wire fraud, and cashier’s check fraud to name a few. For example, in January 2024, a defendant was sentenced to 72 months’ imprisonment for her involvement in an online romance scam that cost victims over $6 million. See release here. In February 2024, Salt Lake Trucking Group owners were found guilty in a financial fraud conspiracy that cost FedEx Ground $108 million. See release here. In August 2024, a Utah man was sentenced to 50 months’ imprisonment after defrauding farmers out of $1.2 million.
If you or someone you know is a victim of a financial fraud, report it to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at https://www.ic3.gov/. You may also report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or call the FTC’s consumer Response Center at 877-382-4357.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Concludes Investigation into Fatal Police Shooting of Dalaneo MartinRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced today that there is insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights or District of Columbia charges against a United States Park Police Officer for his role in a March 18, 2023, fatal shooting of Dalaneo Martin, 17.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Metropolitan Police Department’s (MPD) Internal Affair’s Division conducted a comprehensive review of the incident. This included a review of physical evidence, surveillance video footage, body-worn camera footage, audio and visual recordings from an ambulance, witness accounts, autopsy records, and MPD reports.
On March 18, 2023, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Officers received a radio run for a suspicious vehicle parked in the 3400 block of Baker Street, Northeast, a residential block. MPD and United States Park Police Officers responded to the scene and observed a sleeping individual, later identified as Dalaneo Martin, sitting in the driver’s seat of the vehicle. It was determined that the vehicle had affixed to it a license plate belonging to another car, and that its ignition had been punched.
The Officers devised a plan to remove the Mr. Martin from the vehicle. In the course of executing that plan, Mr. Martin woke up, a struggle ensued, and Mr. Martin put the car in drive and accelerated down the street with a United States Park Police Officer in the backseat of the car.
While still in the rear passenger seat of the vehicle, the Officer stated to Mr. Martin, “Stop,” as the vehicle drove eastbound on Baker Street, towards Kenilworth Avenue. As Mr. Martin continued to drive, making a left turn onto the 200 block of Kenilworth Avenue, the Officer again stated, “Stop man, just let me out! Let me out! Stop or I’ll shoot.” After this warning, as the vehicle continued to travel northbound on Kenilworth Avenue, towards 36th Street, the Park Police Officer extended his service pistol forward and held the service pistol with a two handed grip and discharged five rounds from his service pistol at Mr. Martin, striking him.
After Mr. Martin was struck by the Park Police Officer’s discharged rounds, the vehicle continued to travel northbound on 36th Street, then left the road, crossed over the sidewalk, went up an embankment and then crashed into a house on the south side of 36th Street, Northeast. Mr. Martin was pronounced dead on the scene.
After a careful, thorough, and independent review of the evidence, federal prosecutors have found insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the United State Park Police Officer is criminally liable for Mr. Martin’s death.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to investigating allegations of excessive force by law enforcement officers and will continue to devote the resources necessary to ensure that all allegations of serious civil rights violations are investigated fully and completely. MPD’s Internal Affairs Division investigates all police-involved fatalities in the District of Columbia.
U.S. Attorney's Office, DEA and HSI Announce Charges Against Fourteen Individuals in Major Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – This week, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the U.S. Marshal Service, the Las Cruces Police Department, and the Doña Ana Sheriff’s Office, conducted a coordinated operation to dismantle a significant drug trafficking network in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The operation targeted 15 defendants charged with conspiracy to distribute and/or possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, specifically methamphetamine and fentanyl, and six properties in Las Cruces and Anthony, New Mexico, along with one defendant charged with maintaining a drug-involved premises.
The defendants include Armando Conrad Gonzales, a.k.a. "Forty," 43, Leticia Maria Rodriguez, 41, Jessica Juel Henderson, a.k.a. "JJ," 45, Veronica Levario, 39, Richard Regan Beserra, 47, Daniel Roberto Herrera, a.k.a. "Fat Boy," 33, Ernesto Salas Flores, 63, Beatriz Adriana Gonzalez, a.k.a. Beatriz Adriana Herrera-Gonzalez, 46, Sylvia Ann Parra, 52, Amanda Lea Weinrich, 38, Phillip Andrew Estell, a.k.a. "Flip," 43, D'Anna Michelle Chavez, 47, Bruce Martin King, 68, Angel Flores, 45, and Kenneth Eric Yeager, 44, all of Las Cruces, New Mexico, and Antonio Valles, a.k.a. "Tony," 49, of Canutillo, TX,.
According to court documents, 14 of the defendants conspired to distribute controlled substances, specifically methamphetamine and fentanyl, and one of the defendants maintained a residence which he allowed to be used for drug distribution and use. The investigation revealed multiple instances of drug sales and transportation among the defendants, including:
- March 9, 2023: Beserra transported 182 fentanyl pills, 3.2 grams of methamphetamine, and a firearm in Anthony, New Mexico. He was stopped by law enforcement, who seized the items.
- April 4, 2024: Levario and Herrera were travelling to sell 40 fentanyl pills and was stopped by law enforcement while delivering them, resulting in the seizure of 202 fentanyl pills and 30.9 net grams of pure methamphetamine in Levario’s purse.
- April 16, 2024: Henderson sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant for $1,800.
- April 25, 2024: Gonzales delivered methamphetamine to Henderson, who sold the drugs to an undercover agent for $1,800.
- May 10, 2024: Henderson sold 105.62 net grams of fentanyl for $1,200 and a 20-gauge shotgun for $300 to an undercover agent.
On November 6, 2024, HSI and DEA, with support from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshal Service, the Las Cruces Police Department, the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, New Mexico State Police, Texas Department of Public Safety and the New Mexico National Guard, executed search warrants at six properties associated with the drug trafficking conspiracy:
- 5301 Bell Road SW, Las Cruces, New Mexico 88012: central hub for A. Gonzales and drug distribution point.
- 3115 El Camino Real, Space 82, Las Cruces, New Mexico 88007: A. Gonzales’s mother’s house and drug distribution point.
- 5266 Ralls Road, Las Cruces, New Mexico 88012: primary location for B. Gonzalez and E. Flores’ drug transactions.
- 2826 Ox Cart Court, Las Cruces, New Mexico 88007: primary location for Herrera, used for storing stolen property and drug distribution.
- 1954 Lyon Place, Las Cruces, New Mexico 88001: residence of Kenneth Yeager and Beserra’s brother, used for drug distribution, purchase, and consumption, as well as location of a reported overdose death.
- 2775 Night Owl Lane, Anthony, New Mexico 88021: residence of Valles and drug distribution point.
During the investigative phase of the operation, agents seized 1,315.2 net grams of pure methamphetamine, 394.5 net grams of fentanyl pills (approximately 4,000 fentanyl pills), and three firearms. During the search and arrest operations this week, authorities seized additional substantial quantities of illegal substances, including 842 grams of fentanyl, 1,118 grams of methamphetamine, 285 grams of cocaine, 36 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, 400 grams of marijuana, and 96 grams of hydrocodone. The search and arrest operation also resulted in the seizure of 13 firearms and $2,200 in US currency. The operation resulted in 24 arrests, with 16 individuals facing federal charges, and 8 facing state charges.
“As federal prosecutors, we are known for leading investigations into international drug cartels and major drug trafficking organizations. But in order for those organizations to make their money, local networks of drug traffickers must peddle their poison to the streets,” said U.S. Attorney Alexander Uballez. “When those local networks trade in death and violence, through overdose and firearms, we will focus the substantial weight of the federal government on dismantling their operations.”
“If drug traffickers think they can come set up shop in Southern New Mexico, they are mistaken,” said Special Agent in Charge Towanda R. Thorne-James. “This operation is just one example of how the DEA will partner with other law enforcement to put them out of business and bring them to justice.”
“Any investigative effort that curbs the flow of fentanyl, methamphetamine and other lethal drugs into our communities is a victory and saves lives,” said Acting Special Agent on Charge Jason T. Stevens. “HSI is a key player in a unified effort to ensure public safety by capturing and prosecuting drug traffickers and anyone else who belongs to transnational criminal organizations.”
If convicted, Weinrich, Parra, Estell, and Yeager face up to 20 years in prison. Herrera and Chavez face a minimum of 5 years and a maximum of 20 years in prison. A. Gonzalez, Rodriguez, Valles, Levario, Beserra, E. Flores, B. Gonzalez, King and A. Flores each face a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison. Henderson faces a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of life in prison.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez, Towanda R. Thorne-James, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration El Paso Division and Jason T. Stevens, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso, made the announcement today.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations jointly investigated this case with assistance from the U.S. Marshal Service, the Las Cruces Police Department, the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, New Mexico State Police, Texas Department of Public Safety, and the New Mexico National Guard. Assistant United States Attorneys Kirk Williams, and Renee Camacho are prosecuting these cases.
This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The task force initiatives are also part of the New Mexico High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program (HIDTA), a federal grant program that supports law enforcement efforts to combat the drug threat in the state.
View the Indictment (Gonzales et al).pdf View the Criminal Complaint (Yeager).pdf View the Criminal Complaint (Flores).pdfAn indictment or criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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U.S. Attorney Announces Murder-For-Hire and Related Charges Against IRGC Asset and Two Local OperativesRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Merrick B. Garland, the Attorney General of the United States, Christopher A. Wray, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI New York Field Office, and David Sundberg, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, announced today the filing of murder-for-hire and related charges against FARHAD SHAKERI, CARLISLE RIVERA, a/k/a “Pop,” and JONATHAN LOADHOLT in connection with their involvement in a plot to murder a U.S. citizen of Iranian origin in New York. RIVERA was arrested in Brooklyn, New York yesterday. SHAKERI remains at large and is believed to reside in Iran. RIVERA and LOADHOLT were presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jennifer Willis in the Southern District of New York yesterday and ordered detained pending trial.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Actors directed by the Government of Iran continue to target our citizens, including President-elect Trump, on U.S. soil and abroad. This has to stop. Today’s charges are another message to those who continue in their efforts – we will remain unrelenting in our pursuit of bad actors, no matter where they reside, and will stop at nothing to bring to justice those who harm our safety and security. I want to thank the career prosecutors of this Office and our law enforcement partners for their ongoing work in this and related investigations. They are truly the best of the best and work tirelessly to keep our country safe.”
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said: “There are few actors in the world that pose as grave a threat to the national security of the United States as does Iran. The Justice Department has charged an asset of the Iranian regime who was tasked by the regime to direct a network of criminal associates to further Iran’s assassination plots against its targets, including President-elect Donald J. Trump. We have also charged and arrested two individuals who we allege were recruited as part of that network to silence and kill, on U.S. soil, an American journalist who has been a prominent critic of the regime. We will not stand for the Iranian regime’s attempts to endanger the American people and America’s national security.”
FBI Director Christopher A. Wray said: “The charges announced today expose Iran’s continued brazen attempts to target U.S. citizens, including President-elect Donald J. Trump, other government leaders, and dissidents who criticize the regime in Tehran. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – a designated foreign terrorist organization – has been conspiring with criminals and hitmen to target and gun down Americans on U.S. soil and that simply won’t be tolerated. Thanks to the hard work of the FBI, their deadly schemes were disrupted. We’re committed to using the full resources of the FBI to protect our citizens from Iran or any other adversary who targets Americans.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge James E. Dennehy said: “These individuals allegedly plotted to murder an American citizen – on our soil – at the direction of a foreign terrorist organization, the IRGC. This case is an example of yet another flagrant attempt by the Government of Iran, not merely to silence those who speak out against them, but to take the lives of American citizens exercising their constitutionally protected rights here in this country. As we remain unwavering in our mission to protect the American people, the FBI will continue to aggressively pursue justice against anyone attempting to use violence to violate our freedoms and way of life.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg said: “The charges announced today further demonstrate the IRGC's continued campaign to silence and kill Americans who criticize the Iranian regime. Through collaboration with FBI New York's Joint Terrorism Task Force and federal prosecutors at the Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, we have successfully disrupted the defendants’ alleged plots to fulfill Iran’s goals of permanently eliminating voices of opposition. We vow to continue to work with our partners to stop IRGC operatives and associates who seek to harm our citizens on our soil.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint charging the defendants and other public statements and filings:[1]
The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran (the “Government of Iran”) is actively targeting nationals of the United States and its allies living in countries around the world for attacks, including assault, kidnapping, and murder, both to repress and silence dissidents critical of the Iranian regime and to take vengeance for the January 2020 death of then-Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (“IRGC”) Qods Force (“IRGC-QF”), Qasem Soleimani, who was killed by a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad. The IRGC is an Iranian military and counterintelligence agency under the authority of Iran’s Supreme Leader, comprised of components including an external operations force, the IRGC-QF, and has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. Secretary of State since April 15, 2019. The IRGC has publicly stated its desire to avenge the death of Soleimani, and, among its activities, the IRGC plots and conducts attack operations outside Iran targeting U.S. citizens residing in the United States and abroad.
SHAKERI is an IRGC asset residing in Tehran, Iran. SHAKERI immigrated to the United States as a child and was deported in or about 2008 after serving 14 years in prison for a robbery conviction. In recent months, SHAKERI has used a network of criminal associates he met in prison in the United States to supply the IRGC with operatives to conduct surveillance and assassinations of IRGC targets. Two members of SHAKERI’s network are his co-defendants, LOADHOLT and RIVERA. At SHAKERI’s instruction, LOADHOLT and RIVERA have spent months surveilling a U.S. citizen of Iranian origin residing in the United States (“Victim-1”). Victim-1 is an outspoken critic of the Iranian regime and has been the target of multiple prior plots for kidnapping and/or murder directed by the Government of Iran. In exchange for SHAKERI’s promise of $100,000, RIVERA and LOADHOLT repeatedly sought to locate Victim-1 for murder.
During their efforts to locate and kill Victim-1, SHAKERI, LOADHOLT, and RIVERA shared messages about their progress and photographs relating to their scheme. For example, in or about February 2024, RIVERA and LOADHOLT messaged about an incoming payment from SHAKERI, and then traveled to Fairfield University, where Victim-1 was scheduled to appear, and took photographs on campus. In or about April 2024, SHAKERI sent RIVERA a series of voice notes discussing their efforts to locate and kill Victim-1. In one voice note, SHAKERI told RIVERA that Victim-1 spent most of her time in particular locations of her home, and told RIVERA that “you just gotta have patience . . . You gotta wait and have patience to catch her either going in the house or coming out, or following her out somewhere and taking care of it. Don’t think about going in. In is a suicide move.” On several occasions over the last several months, consistent with this instruction from SHAKERI, RIVERA and/or LOADHOLT have surveilled a location in Brooklyn that they had identified as associated with Victim-1.
In addition, according to statements made by Shakeri in recorded interviews with law enforcement agents, the IRGC has also tasked Shakeri with carrying out other assassinations against U.S. and Israeli citizens located in the United States. In particular, Shakeri has informed law enforcement that he was tasked on October 7, 2024, with providing a plan to kill President-elect Donald J. Trump. During the interview, Shakeri claimed he did not intend to propose a plan to kill Trump within the timeframe set by the IRGC. He also stated he was tasked with surveilling two Jewish American citizens residing in New York City and offered $500,000 by an IRGC official for the murder of either victim. He was also tasked with targeting Israeli tourists in Sri Lanka.
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SHAKERI, 51, of Iran, RIVERA, 49, of Brooklyn, New York, and LOADHOLT, 36, of Staten Island, New York, have all been charged with murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; and money laundering conspiracy, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
SHAKERI has also been charged with conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; and conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and sanctions against the Government of Iran, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be imposed by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which principally consists of agents and analysts from the FBI and detectives from the New York City Police Department, and the FBI Washington Field Office. Mr. Williams also thanked the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, U.S. Customs and Border Protection New York Field Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration New York Division, and the New York State Police.
This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob Gutwillig and Michael Lockard, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Isaacson are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from National Security Division Trial Attorneys Dmitry Slavin of the Counterterrorism Section, and Christopher Rigali and Leslie Esbrook of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
The charges in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Two Accused Drug Dealers Indicted After Allegedly Possessing 40,000 Fentanyl Pills in Salt Lake CityRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment charging two Arizona residents with a federal drug crime after they allegedly possessed 40,000 fentanyl pills at a hotel in Salt Lake City.
Dominic Jared Arias Aceves, 22, of Arizona, and Cristo Alexander Urias Salazar 32, a foreign national living in Arizona, were initially charged by complaint on October 23, 2024, in the District of Utah.
According to court documents, in October 2024, the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force, began a criminal investigation of Aceves and Salazar, and other members of a drug trafficking organization suspected of distributing large quantities of narcotics in the District of Utah. On October 21, 2024, agents obtained and executed a search warrant for a hotel room in Salt Lake City where Salazar and Aceves were believed to be staying. During the investigation, agents seized 3,952 grams of field-tested positive fentanyl, 3.19 grams of field-tested positive methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia. Agents estimated the amount of fentanyl at approximately 40,000 fentanyl pills. Aceves and Salazar were taken into custody.
Aceves and Salazar are charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute. Their initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for November 8, 2024, at 1:30 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force (WMDTF).
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting 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 athttps://www.justice.gov/ocdetf.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.