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Monday 4 November 2024
Former U.S. Capitol Police Officer Sentenced for Federal Civil Rights Violation Related to Vehicular Crash Involving a MotorcyclistRead the Press Release
A former U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) Officer was sentenced today to 21 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, related to a vehicular crash involving a motorist in Washington, D.C.
Thomas Smith, 47, pleaded guilty on Oct. 18, 2023, to deprivation of rights under color of law.
“This defendant recklessly pursued two motorcyclists, struck one of them with his car, left the victim unconscious on the asphalt, fled the scene and then switched out his cruiser and filed no report in an attempt to cover up his violent misconduct,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Endangering community members in this manner and disregarding the law violates the victims’ civil rights and erodes trust by those the police are sworn to protect and serve. The Justice Department will aggressively prosecute officials who engage in abuses of their authority, including federal law enforcement officers.”
“Thomas Smith abused his position of trust by engaging in a dangerous pursuit that could have been deadly – and made matters worse by obstructing the investigation into the collision he caused,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “Most police officers uphold the oath they took upon becoming officers, but when police officers break that oath and violate the public trust they must be held accountable.”
"Smith's actions violated his oath to protect and serve our communities and uphold the Constitution," said David Sundberg, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office. "Today's sentence demonstrates the FBI's commitment to hold accountable those who misuse their power and deny the public their civil liberties."
According to court documents, on the evening of June 20, 2020, Smith was on duty conducting security checks at the homes of members of Congress in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., when he began pursuing two individuals riding motorized cycles. While following the motorcyclists closely, but without his emergency lights on, Smith’s USCP cruiser struck one of the motorcyclists at the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and M Street, Northwest. The crash knocked the cyclist into the air before he hit the asphalt roadway.
As the victim lay in the intersection unconscious, Smith drove his cruiser around the victim and left the scene of the collision. Smith did not notify anyone of the collision, take any action to seek medical assistance for the victim or ensure that no further harm came to the victim as he lay on the road. Hours after the collision, Smith falsified several USCP records related to the incident and lied to his superior officers about being involved in the crash.
The FBI and USCP investigated the case, with assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department.
Trial Attorney Sanjay Patel of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Visser for the District of Columbia prosecuted the case.
Former Mexico City Resident Who Oversaw International Drug Money Laundering Conspiracy Sentenced to More Than 7 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The lead defendant in a criminal case who oversaw a money laundering conspiracy that moved millions of dollars in narcotics-related funds from the United States to international drug trafficking organizations was sentenced today to 87 months in federal prison.
Daniel Shaun Zilke, 49, a.k.a. “The Englishman,” most recently a resident of Mexico City, was sentenced by United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner, who also ordered him to pay $150,000 in restitution to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and fined him $50,000.
Zilke pleaded guilty in December 2023 to conspiracy to aid and abet drug distribution, conspiracy to launder money, and obstruction of an official government proceeding for stealing and attempting to cover up the theft of $150,000 in DEA undercover funds. Zilke has been in federal custody since May 2023.
Federal prosecutors have secured two other convictions in this case. Gustavo Adolfo Aldana-Martinez, 58, of Pico Rivera, is serving a four-year prison sentence and was fined $25,000 after a jury in December 2023 found him guilty of money laundering conspiracy to conceal drug proceeds. Jeffrey Mark Thompson, 63, of Dallas, Texas, pleaded guilty in November 2023 to conspiracy to aid and abet drug distribution, money laundering conspiracy, and concealment money laundering of drug trafficking proceeds and is awaiting sentencing when he will face up to life imprisonment.
Beginning in 2015 and continuing until approximately February 2020, Zilke laundered money on behalf of drug trafficking organizations. According to court documents, the investigation into Zilke’s operation started in late 2015 when an undercover DEA agent posing as a money launderer contacted Zilke. When he pleaded guilty, Zilke admitted telling the undercover “he had a client in Europe who needed hundreds of millions of dollars moved to Mexico, and that he could use the bank account of a charity in Dallas, Texas to assist in laundering the money.”
The undercover agent agreed to assist Zilke by allowing him to use bank accounts associated with cash-intensive businesses. Subsequently, Zilke and his associates arranged numerous pickups of large sums of cash from drug traffickers in cities all over the country, funds that were deposited at Zilke’s direction into various bank accounts, including one controlled by Aldana-Martinez and another in the name of a purported charity, Peace Through Water Foundation.
Zilke and other co-conspirators each earned a commission that was a percentage of the amount laundered through their respective accounts, according to court documents.
During the investigation, Zilke approached the DEA in 2019 and offered his cooperation to expose the money laundering organization. After being made a cooperator and agreeing to always be truthful, Zilke received $200,000 in official government funds to be delivered to defendant Thompson. The intent was for Thompson to launder the money through his bank accounts and return the money to DEA undercover accounts. However, approximately two weeks after the cash delivery, Zilke returned to Thompson’s residence and took back $150,000 without telling the DEA agents. After this theft of government funds, he repeatedly lied to the agents about the money and made excuses for why it was taking so long to receive the wire transfers for the full $200,000.
DEA Seattle and DEA San Ysidro investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Julie J. Shemitz of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section is prosecuting this case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Former Coffeewood Prison Guard Sentenced to 40 Years on Child Exploitation, Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – A former prison officer at Coffeewood Correctional Center in Mitchells, Virginia, was sentenced recently to 40 years in federal prison on a series of federal charges related to child sexual exploitation and child pornography.
Davey Jonathan Sisk, 30, of Culpeper, Virginia, pled guilty in June to two counts of sexually exploiting and attempting to sexually exploit a child as well as one count of receiving child pornography.
According to court documents, Sisk used the social media application “Telegram” to engage another individual, Anna Layher, to create videos and photos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and then send to him. These videos and photos involved victims as young as three years old. Anna Layher, who was prosecuted in the Eastern District of Virginia for her role in sexually exploiting these victims, also received a 40-year sentence in September 2024.
In addition, from 2021 through 2022, a 12-year-old minor living in Texas engaged in sexual intercourse with another minor child and then sold videos and images of these sexual encounters on the internet through various social media applications, including Snapchat. Sisk admitted to using the Snapchat username “JAKESMOOT2021” and to paying over $450 through Cash App to the 12-year-old minor in exchange for multiple sexually explicit images and videos.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations in Harrisonburg, VA and Washington, D.C. investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sally J. Sullivan prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Florida Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Passport Card Fraud, Bank Fraud, Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that on November 1, 2024, defendant Scott Jamie Ashness, 44, most recently of Stuart, Florida, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 48 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Ashness previously pleaded guilty to bank fraud, passport fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
According to court records, in September and October of 2023, Ashness entered fifteen different bank branches in Vermont, New York, and New Hampshire and pretended to be a total of eight different individuals in order to withdraw U.S. currency from those individuals’ accounts. On twelve of those fifteen occasions, Ashness was successful and walked out of the banks with the cash that he requested. In total, Ashness stole $80,150 from other individuals’ bank accounts, and he attempted to steal another $22,800. In some instances, Ashness presented to bank employees falsified U.S. passport cards or state driver’s licenses containing others’ biographical information and Ashness’s photograph.
U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest stated: “Fraud and identity theft are among the most serious crimes. They have the potential to cause significant financial harm to individual victims and also undermine the integrity and trust that institutions and individuals rely on every day in the United States. The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to raise awareness about crimes like those committed by the defendant and will work with our federal partners to vigorously investigate and prosecute these types of offenses.” U.S. Attorney Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Diplomatic Security Service’s St. Albans Resident Office. He also thanked the Derry, New Hampshire Police Department, the Vermont State Police, the South Burlington Police Department, the Essex Police Department, the Winooski Police Department, the Burlington Police Department, the Newport Police Department, and the Barre Police Department for their assistance in the investigation.
Special Agent in Charge Matthew O’Brien of the U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Boston Field Office said, “The Diplomatic Security Service is firmly committed to working with the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate allegations related to passports in identity theft crimes. And DSS’s global network of special agents working together to interdict passport crimes is vital to bringing those who commit these crimes to justice.”
The prosecutor was Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Cate. Ashness was represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Steven Barth and Christopher Dall, Esq.
Florida Man Indicted for Posting Threats on the InternetRead the Press Release
An indictment was unsealed charging Nathaniel James Holmes, 51, of Jacksonville, Florida, with four counts of transmitting interstate threats to injury other persons. If convicted on all counts, Holmes faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, on four dates in October, Holmes transmitted threats to injure others, including threats to kill three particular victims, the children of one victim, and Jewish and African American individuals generally. A federal grand jury charged Holmes in a sealed indictment on Oct. 24. He was arrested on Nov. 1, made his initial appearance in court, and ordered detained pending a competency evaluation.
The FBI; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Naval Criminal Investigative Service; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and U.S. Secret Service are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly S. Milliron and Michael J. Coolican for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Jacob Warren of the Justice Department's National Security Division are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Indictment
Final men sent to prison for their roles in international cocaine and drug money conspiracyRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – Two Texans have been sentenced for their roles in distributing and conspiring to distribute cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Guillermo Fernando Rojo, 39, Laredo, and Gilbert Zambrano Saldivar, 45, Dallas, each pleaded guilty March 5 and April 4, respectively.
U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña has now imposed 120-month-terms of imprisonment for both men. They must also serve five years of supervised release following their sentences.
Two others - Omar Acosta, 41, Laredo, and Juan Ambrosio Barrientos-Cano, 34, Austin, were previously sentenced to the same terms of imprisonment.
Between November and December 2021, Acosta and Rojo directed another individual to travel from Laredo to Austin to retrieve five kilograms of cocaine and $9,000 in cash from Barrientos-Cano. He was to deliver the cocaine to their courier in Dallas and the money to the two men.
The cocaine had an approximate street value of $81,150.
In Dallas, he actually delivered bundles of sham cocaine to Saldivar, who was also acting on instructions from the two men and reported the bundles had been successfully delivered. Authorities intercepted the delivery and arrested Saldivar.
Several days later, Rojo contacted the individual to make payment arrangements for picking up cocaine from Barrientos-Cano and delivering the drugs to Saldivar. Law enforcement arrested the remaining three co-conspirators who confessed to their roles in the crime.
The investigation revealed previous incidents where co-conspirators delivered multikilogram quantities of cocaine from the Laredo border to major cities in Texas, Illinois, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri and Mississippi.
The co-conspirators also collected several hundred thousand dollars of drug proceeds and delivered it to Acosta and Rojo to fund the organization’s operations in the United States and Mexico.
Additionally, truck drivers smuggled cocaine bundles from Mexico and delivered them to Acosta, Rojo or to couriers who the men recruited, gave orders to and paid.
Acosta and Rojo transported approximately $280,000 in cash proceeds three weeks before their arrest and occasionally delivered up to $500,000 to Mexico in single smuggling episodes.
The investigation also revealed Mexican organizers paid Acosta and Rojo 5% of money collections from outside Texas and 2% of proceeds collected within Texas.
Rojo was permitted to remain on bond while Saldivar will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Marshals Service and police departments in Laredo and Austin.
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose Angel Moreno prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose Homero Ramirez handled the sentencings.
Fifth Member of Bakersfield Drug Ring SentencedRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Jorge Calderon-Campos, aka Americano, 42, a Mexican national residing in Bakersfield, was sentenced today to eight years and one month in prison by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston for his involvement in a drug distribution operation in Bakersfield and for unlawfully possessing animals for the purpose of cockfighting, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on March 30, 2021, Calderon supplied 26 pounds of methamphetamine to co-defendants Mark Garcia, 24, of Lamont, and Alberto Gomez-Santiago, 38, a Mexican national. On April 7, 2021, Calderon was involved in a 60-pound methamphetamine transaction with co-defendants Byron Adilio Alfaro-Sandoval, 47, of Bakersfield; Francisco Javier Torres Mora, aka Johnathan Benjamin Torres, 31, a Mexican national; and Alberto Gomez-Santiago, 39, a Mexican national. In addition, on Jan. 27, 2022, Calderon obtained more than 2 pounds of heroin from co-defendant Jose Angel Beltran-Chaidez, 68, a Mexican national, after Calderon negotiated for the drug with Beltran’s brother and co-defendant Antonio Beltran-Chaidez, 54, also a Mexican national. Each of these drug transactions occurred in Bakersfield.
In addition, between Jan. 16 and April 26, 2022, Calderon knowingly possessed fighting birds for the purpose of having them participate in an animal fighting venture, in violation of the Animal Welfare Act. During a search of his residence on April 26, 2022, law enforcement officers found numerous hens for breeding gamecocks and fighting roosters, various cockfighting implements, including razors and spurs, and six cockfighting trophies, including several with plates inscribed with “Team Amkno” (shorthand for “Team Americano”). At another property where Horacio Ortega-Martinez, 38, a Mexican national, resided and where Calderon maintained drugs and some of his fighting birds, officers found approximately 250 fighting roosters, approximately 250 “Mexican slashers” or knives used for cockfighting, training mitts commonly used for training and fighting roosters, and miscellaneous antibiotics, vitamins and supplements that commonly are used for breeding and training roosters for fighting.
This case was the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Secret Service, Bureau of Land Management, Kern County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, California Highway Patrol, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Kern County Sheriff's Office, Kern County Probation Department, and Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.
Six of the defendants in this investigation have entered guilty pleas, including:
- Alberto Gomez-Santiago, who was sentenced to 4 years and 9 months in prison.
- Francisco Javier Torres Mora, who was sentenced to 4 years and 9 months in prison.
- Antonio Beltran-Chaidez, who was sentenced to 3 years and 10 months in prison.
- Horacio Ortega-Martinez, who was sentenced to 1.5 years in prison for a violation of the Animal Welfare Act.
- Jose Beltran-Chaidez, who is scheduled for sentencing on Dec. 2, 2024.
- Mark Garcia, who is scheduled for sentencing on Feb. 3, 2024.
Charges are pending against Alfaro-Sandoval, and he is scheduled for trial on Jan. 28, 2025. The charges are only allegations; he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
Federal Jury Convicts Saginaw Man of Assaulting and Strangling Woman on the Isabella Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
BAY CITY – A Saginaw man was convicted by a federal jury in Detroit on Friday for a 2018 assault and strangulation of his then girlfriend on the Isabella Indian Reservation, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Detroit Field Office.
Michael Lee Johnson, 45, was found guilty of several counts arising out of the assault and strangulation of the victim in this case, including unlawful imprisonment, assault of a dating partner by strangulation, assault of a dating partner by suffocation, domestic violence, and numerous instances of witness tampering.
The evidence at trial established that in October and November of 2018, Johnson held the victim against her will, threatened to kill her, and assaulted her numerous times by strangulation, suffocation, and other means, sometimes in front of her children. The evidence also established that after the police arrested Johnson for these crimes, he attempted to improperly influence or prevent the victim from reporting the incident to the police and testifying in court. According to testimony at trial, Johnson contacted the victim over 100 times following his arrest. The crimes occurred on the Isabella Indian Reservation in Mt. Pleasant, the primary land base of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe.
“Johnson’s conduct against this victim was egregious enough in and of itself, but was compounded by the fact that he committed these violent acts in front of innocent children,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison. “We will continue to hold accountable those who persist in perpetrating epidemic levels of violence on America Indian women.”
Johnson’s sentencing is scheduled for February 5, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. before United States District Judge Lin Parker.
The case was investigated by the Saginaw Chippewa Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roy Kranz and Assistant United States Attorney Tim Turkelson.
Essex County Man Indicted for Gunpoint Pharmacy RobberyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was arraigned today on charges related to his role in a December 2023 gunpoint robbery of a pharmacy in Livingston, New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Nariq Petes, 26, of Newark, was charged on Oct. 11, 2024, in a three-count indictment with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, Hobbs Act robbery, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He was arraigned today before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini in Newark federal court, entered a plea of not guilty and was detained,
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Dec. 30, 2023, Petes and a conspirator drove together to a pharmacy and entered the pharmacy wearing black masks. Once inside the pharmacy, Petes brandished a handgun and demanded prescription drugs. Petes and his conspirator took at least six bottles of prescription medication.
The conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and Hobbs Act robbery counts each carry a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gain or loss from the offense. The count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence carries a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison and a maximum potential penalty of life in prison. The sentence on this charge must be consecutive to any other sentence imposed.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado, and members of the Livingston Police Department, under the direction of Police Chief Gary Marshuetz, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Thypin-Bermeo of the OCDETF/Narcotics Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Eagle River man guilty of trafficking firearms from Alaska to CaliforniaRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A federal jury convicted an Eagle River man late last week for trafficking firearms from Alaska to California after a five-day trial.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, from February 2021 to April 2022, Cornelius Smith, 33, bought 28 firearms from gun stores and private parties in Alaska. During that same time period, Smith received around $9,000 total in payments from various Sacramento-based family members and associates. The payments often corresponded to the price Smith paid for the guns.
After five of those firearms were recovered in the Sacramento area, Smith’s frequent firearm purchases were reported to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and an investigation commenced.
In April 2022, ATF agents searched Smith’s home and found empty gun boxes in his room for many of the firearms he purchased in 2021. None of the recently purchased firearms were found in the boxes or in his home.
Through the investigation, law enforcement learned that on June 24, 2021, Smith flew from Anchorage to Sacramento and declared that he was carrying “shooting equipment.” After that flight, the firearms that Smith bought in the days prior began turning up in California, as early as July 4, 2021. Smith made multiple other flights to and from Sacramento thereafter.
Law enforcement recovered 13 of Smith’s 28 firearms in California. Two of the firearms were possessed by Smith’s Sacramento-based relatives, Andrew and Adam Williams. Adam Williams, now deceased, was a felon and therefore prohibited from possessing firearms. None of the firearms have been recovered in Alaska, and 15 are still unaccounted for.
Smith was found guilty on Nov. 1 of one count of engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license and 10 counts of making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm. Smith was found not guilty of one count of transferring a firearm to an out-of-state-resident.
“Straw purchasing firearms – buying a gun with the intent to transfer it to another person illegally – poses a serious risk to our communities,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “We thank our law enforcement partners in Alaska and California for their assistance in this successful investigation and prosecution. We remain committed to combatting firearms trafficking from source states, like Alaska, to areas with higher demand and profit margins.”
“Straw purchasing and trafficking firearms is extremely irresponsible, dangerous and illegal,” said ATF Seattle Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais. “The firearms Mr. Smith purchased were recovered by law enforcement agencies in California, and with 15 still unaccounted for, they still pose a danger to whichever communities they are in right now. This is not a victimless crime.”
The ATF Seattle Field Division and Anchorage Field Office, with assistance from the California Highway Patrol, Sacramento Sheriff’s Office, Sacramento Police Department, San Francisco Police Department, Folsom Police Department, Pittsburg Police Department, Daly City Police Department, Vacaville Police Department and Citrus Heights Police Department, investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Ivers and Ainsley McNerney are prosecuting the case.
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Detroit Man Sentenced for Federal Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Shakur Jones, 25, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to 151 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Jones was the supplier of methamphetamine, cocaine base, and fentanyl for a drug trafficking conspiracy in Monongalia County, West Virginia. The investigation uncovered over a kilogram of methamphetamine in a residence in Morgantown. A photograph of 10 pounds of prepackaged methamphetamine was found on Jones’s phone.
Three other defendants, Nolan Eickleberry, 27, of Morgantown; John Thomas 46, of Morgantown; and Dorian Myles, 26, of Detroit, Michigan, have each admitted to their roles in the drug trafficking conspiracy. Eickleberry was sentenced in August 2024 to 87 months in prison. Thomas and Myles are awaiting sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda Wesley is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated.
Chief U.S. District Court Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Colorado Residents Accused of Destroying Historical Site at National Park Face Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
MOAB, Utah – Two Colorado residents were charged by misdemeanor information today, alleging they trespassed, disrupted, and stole from the historic Cave Springs Cowboy Camp in Canyonlands National Park, located in the District of Utah.
According to court documents, on March 23, 2024, Roxanne McKnight, 39, and Dusty Spencer, 43, of Durango, Colorado, entered a fenced-off area of Canyonlands National Park where they then handled and stole numerous historic artifacts preserved in the Cave Springs Cowboy Camp. This historic camp was protected by fencing and clear warnings prohibiting visitors from entering the area, which McKnight and Spencer disregarded.
McKnight and Spencer are charged with theft of government property, less than one thousand dollars; possessing or distributing cultural or archaeological resources; and walking on or entering archaeological or cultural resource. McKnight and Spencer's initial appearance for the misdemeanor information will be scheduled for a later date at the United States District Court in Moab.
United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by the National Park Service (NPS).
Assistant United States Attorneys Luisa Gough and Tanner Zumwalt of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case.
An information is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Cholo Abdi Abdullah Convicted for Conspiring to Commit 9/11-Style Attack at the Direction of Al ShabaabRead the Press Release
A jury returned a guilty verdict today against Cholo Abdi Abdullah, 34, on all six counts in the indictment, which included conspiring to provide, and providing, material support to a foreign terrorist organization; and conspiring to murder U.S. nationals, commit aircraft piracy, destroy aircraft, and commit transnational acts of terrorism. Abdullah is scheduled to be sentenced on March 10, 2025.
“The jury found that Cholo Abdi Abdullah, an operative of the terrorist organization al Shabaab, conspired to murder Americans in a terrorist attack reminiscent of the September 11 attack on our country,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Today’s conviction ensures that Abdullah will spend decades in prison for his crimes. The Justice Department will never stop working to identify, investigate, and prosecute those who would use heinous acts of violence to harm the American people. It does not matter where terrorists hide, they will not evade the long arm of the law.”
“Today, the jury returned a unanimous verdict holding Cholo Abdi Abdullah responsible for trying to replicate one of history’s most heinous acts of terrorism,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York. “Abdullah trained with al Shabaab for months in Somalia to become a deadly terrorist, and then spent months at flight school preparing to hijack a commercial aircraft to crash it into a building in the United States. Abdullah relentlessly pursued his goals and was on the cusp of getting a commercial pilot license while conducting extensive attack planning, such as how to breach an airplane cockpit door. I commend the tireless work of our federal law enforcement partners and the career national security prosecutors of this office. This effort has been carried forward by generations of agents and prosecutors who never relented in their effort to bring Abdullah to justice and keep this nation safe. Thanks to their work and today’s verdict, Abdullah will now serve a lengthy sentence in federal prison.”
According to the indictment and the evidence presented at trial, Abdullah was an operative for the foreign terrorist organization Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mijahideen, commonly known as “al Shabaab,” based in Somalia. After training with al Shabaab for months with AK-47 assault rifles and explosives at a series of safe houses in Somalia, Abdullah participated in a plot to hijack a commercial aircraft and crash it into a building in the U.S. He spent months at a flight school in the Philippines working toward a commercial pilot license, and researched how to obtain pilot jobs, targets such as the tallest buildings in a major American city, transit visas to the U.S., and how to open a cockpit door from the outside. Abdullah also sent encrypted messages reporting his progress to his al Shabaab handler, including his extensive research on post-September 11 hijackings.
Abdullah conspired to commit this attack on behalf Al Shabaab, which has sworn allegiance to al Qaeda and is responsible for numerous deadly terrorist attacks, including attacks that have claimed American lives. Starting in or about 2019, al Shabaab embarked on a string of terrorist attacks as part of an operation in response to the U.S.’s decision to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, which the group has dubbed “Operation Jerusalem Will Never be Judaized.” In particular, these terrorist attacks perpetrated by al Shabaab included an attack on Jan. 15, 2019, at a hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 21 people, including a U.S. national and survivor of al Qaeda’s September 11 attack on the World Trade Center in New York; a Sept. 30, 2019, attack on a U.S. military facility in Somalia; and a Jan. 5, 2020, attack on another U.S. facility in Kenya, in which three Americans were killed.
Abdullah was convicted on six counts: conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, for which he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, for which he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; conspiring to murder U.S. nationals, for which he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison; conspiring to commit aircraft piracy, for which he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison; conspiring to destroy aircraft, for which he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; and conspiring to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, for which he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.
The FBI New York Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force investigated the case.
The Justice Department also thanks the FBI Legal Attaché Offices in Nairobi, Kenya, and Manila, Philippines; the FBI’s Hudson Valley Resident Agency; the Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division; the U.S. Department of Defense; the Kenyan Directorate of Criminal Investigations, including the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit and the Joint Terrorism Task Force-Kenya; the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in Kenya; the Philippine National Police; the Philippine Department of Justice; the Joint Terrorism Financial Investigations Group-Philippines; and the Philippine Bureau of Immigration, for their assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas S. Bradley and Jonathan L. Bodansky for the Southern District of New York and Trial Attorney John Cella of the National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
Cholo Abdi Abdullah Convicted for Conspiring to Commit 9/11-Style Attack at the Direction of Al ShabaabRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that a jury returned a guilty verdict against CHOLO ABDI ABDULLAH on all six counts in the Indictment, which included conspiring to provide, and providing, material support to a foreign terrorist organization; and conspiring to murder U.S. nationals, commit aircraft piracy, destroy aircraft, and commit transnational acts of terrorism. ABDULLAH is scheduled to be sentenced on March 10, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Today, the jury returned a unanimous verdict holding Cholo Abdi Abdullah responsible for trying to replicate one of history’s most heinous acts of terrorism. Abdullah trained with al Shabaab for months in Somalia to become a deadly terrorist, and then spent months at flight school preparing to hijack a commercial aircraft to crash it into a building in the United States. Abdullah relentlessly pursued his goals and was on the cusp of getting a commercial pilot license while conducting extensive attack planning, such as how to breach an airplane cockpit door. I commend the tireless work of our federal law enforcement partners and the career national security prosecutors of this Office. This effort has been carried forward by generations of agents and prosecutors who never relented in their effort to bring Abdullah to justice and keep this nation safe. Thanks to their work and today’s verdict, Abdullah will now serve a lengthy sentence in federal prison.”
As reflected in the Indictment and the evidence presented at trial:
ABDULLAH was an operative for the foreign terrorist organization Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mijahideen, commonly known as “al Shabaab,” based in Somalia. After training with al Shabaab for months with AK-47 assault rifles and explosives at a series of safe houses in Somalia, ABDULLAH participated in a plot to hijack a commercial aircraft and crash it into a building in the U.S. He spent months at a flight school in the Philippines working toward a commercial pilot license, and researched how to obtain pilot jobs, targets such as the tallest buildings in a major American city, transit visas to the U.S., and how to open a cockpit door from the outside. ABDULLAH also sent encrypted messages reporting his progress to his al Shabaab handler, including his extensive research on post-September 11th hijackings.
ABDULLAH conspired to commit this attack on behalf Al Shabaab, which has sworn allegiance to al Qaeda and is responsible for numerous deadly terrorist attacks, including attacks that have claimed American lives. Starting in or about 2019, al Shabaab embarked on a string of terrorist attacks as part of an operation in response to the U.S.’s decision to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, which the group has dubbed “Operation Jerusalem Will Never be Judaized.” In particular, these terrorist attacks perpetrated by al Shabaab included an attack on January 15, 2019 at a hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 21 people, including a U.S. national and survivor of al Qaeda’s 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center in New York, New York; a September 30, 2019 attack on a U.S. military facility in Somalia; and a January 5, 2020, attack on another U.S. facility in Kenya, in which three Americans were killed.
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ABDULLAH, 34, was convicted on six counts: conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison; providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison; conspiring to murder U.S. nationals, which carries a maximum term of life in prison; conspiring to commit aircraft piracy, which carries a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison and a maximum term of life in prison; conspiring to destroy aircraft, which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison; and conspiring to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (“FBI”) New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which principally consists of agents from the FBI and detectives from the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”). Mr. Williams also thanked the FBI Legal Attaché Offices in Nairobi, Kenya, and Manila, Philippines; the FBI’s Hudson Valley Resident Agency; the New York State Police; the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division; the Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division; the U.S. Department of Defense; the Kenyan Directorate of Criminal Investigations, including the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit and the Joint Terrorism Task Force-Kenya; the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in Kenya; the Philippine National Police; the Philippine Department of Justice; the Joint Terrorism Financial Investigations Group-Philippines; and the Philippine Bureau of Immigration, for their assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas S. Bradley and Jonathan L. Bodansky are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from paralegal specialist Sabrina Jim Munoz and trial attorney John Cella of the Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division.
Carver Man Pleads Guilty to Oxycodone ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Carver man pleaded guilty on Oct. 31, 2024, to his involvement in an oxycodone conspiracy.
Michael Atwood, 37, pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone pills. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for March 2025. Campbell was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2023 along with five co-conspirators.
Between approximately November 2023 and June 2023, Atwood obtained oxycodone pills from co-defendant John Campbell that he redistributed to others. The amount of oxycodone pills that the defendant obtained from Campbell ranged from hundreds to more than a thousand at a time. On July 12, 2023, during a search of Atwood’s residence approximately $63,000 in cash was seized.
Campbell pleaded guilty in September 2024 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 15, 2025.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone pills provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division, made the announcement. Special assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service; Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office; and the Barnstable, Dennis, Bourne, Mashpee, Yarmouth, Sandwich and Falmouth Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Mulcahy, and Samuel R. Feldman of the Criminal Division and Alexandra Amrhein of the Asset Forfeiture Unit are 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 at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Carjacker Sentenced to 10 Years for Stealing the Scooter of an Uber Eats Driver in SoutheastRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Larry Fisher, 31, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for the carjacking of an Uber Eats delivery driver on February 27, 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Fisher pleaded guilty on August 30, 2024, to carjacking in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia before the Honorable Andrea Hertzfeld.
According to the government’s evidence, with which Fisher agreed, on February 27, 2024, Fisher and another individual approached the victim at the McDonald’s located at 1539 Pennsylvania Ave, SE, Washington, DC, while the victim was on his motorized scooter. Fisher pulled a hard, black object out of his waistband and ordered the victim off his motorized scooter. Fisher then struck the victim on his helmet with the hard object before pushing him off his motorized scooter. Fisher’s accomplice then fled the scene on the victim’s motorized scooter while Fisher walked away from the scene.
Surveillance footage captured both Fisher and his accomplice removing the victim from his motorized scooter. Specifically, surveillance captured Fisher pulling the hard, black object, which appeared to be a firearm, from his waistband and striking the victim with it. After this incident, Fisher was seen placing the object back in his waistband and walking away from the scene.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief. Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Katerina Qesari, who prosecuted the case.
Butler County man sentenced to more than 16 years in prison for narcotics conspiracy involving at least 11 kilograms of fentanyl & cocaineRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Butler County man was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 200 months in prison followed by 20 years of supervised release for conspiring to traffic at least 11 kilograms of narcotics.
In February 2024, Senior U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett found Eric Jason Clark, 42, of Fairfield, guilty of participating in a narcotics conspiracy. Judge Barrett announced the verdict following a bench trial.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Clark was dealing multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine and fentanyl in Cincinnati and had criminal contacts in the Los Angeles area.
In May 2021, The DEA received intelligence that Clark had expressed interest in purchasing 10 kilograms of cocaine from a source in Los Angeles for $33,000 per kilogram. Later that month, Clark met locally with a confidential source to arrange a drug transaction after being contacted by an undercover agent. Clark told the source he wanted to obtain a shipment of fentanyl, calling it “China.”
During his arrest in August 2021, Clark had five kilograms of fentanyl and cocaine, more than $204,000 in cash and five cell phones in his car. At his stash house – a luxury apartment on Freedom Way in Cincinnati – agents found three more kilograms of fentanyl and three more kilograms of cocaine. At the residence in which Clark resided in Fairfield, agents discovered more than $15,000 in cash and two firearms.
Clark was on federal supervised release when he was arrested for the instant offense in August 2021. He was previously sentenced to 15 years in prison for attempting to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, Detroit Division; Ohio State Highway Patrol Superintendent Col. Charles A Jones; and Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa A. Theetge announced the sentence imposed today. Criminal Chief Christy L. Muncy and Assistant United States Attorney David P. Dornette are representing the United States in this case.
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Burlington, Vermont Man Charged with Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office stated that James Plunkett, 39, of Burlington, Vermont, has been charged by criminal complaint with bank robbery.
On November 4, 2024, Plunkett appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle, who ordered Plunkett detained during the pendency of this matter.
According to court records, on the morning of October 26, 2024, Plunkett is alleged to have robbed the M&T Bank on Pine Street in Burlington. Plunkett is alleged to have entered the bank, told the bank tellers that he had a bomb in his fanny pack, and ordered them to give him money. Plunkett did not conceal his face during the robbery. Plunkett received $683.00 in cash and left the area.
Plunkett was identified from the M&T bank robbery video footage after review by law enforcement and community members who knew Plunkett and provided tips to law enforcement.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that Plunkett is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Plunkett faces up to 20 years if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Burlington Police Department, the Winooski Police Department, the South Burlington Police Department, the Vermont State Police’s Northern Vermont Drug Task Force, the Colchester Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Milton Police Department.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Thomas J. Aliberti. Plunkett is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Steven Barth.
Buffalo man pleads guilty to making purchases on illicit online marketplace and cocaine chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Corey Robert Dodge a/k/a Cakesbaylor, 42, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to possessing 15 or more unauthorized access devices with intent to defraud and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, which carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who is handling the cases, stated that since August 2018, the FBI has been investigating an illicit online marketplace known as Genesis Market, whose operators compile stolen data, such as computer and mobile device identifiers, email addresses, usernames, and passwords, from malware-infected computers around the globe and package it for sale on the market. Purchases made through Genesis Market are conducted using virtual currency, such as bitcoin.
Between March 26, 2020, and May 30, 2021, Dodge purchased 14 packages on Genesis Market, that included stolen account credentials. The stolen credentials included accounts for Paypal, Tracfone, eBay, Amazon, FedEx, Etsy, Walmart, Chase, Venmo, and eTrade. In addition, on April 3, 2023, the FBI executed a search warrant at Dodge’s residence to search for evidence related to his use of Genesis Marketplace. During the search, the FBI also found and seized quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, MDMA, ketamine, and drug paraphernalia.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 29, 2025, before Judge Sinatra.
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Brooklyn, New York Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Narcotics Distribution CaseRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on November 4, 2024, Quentin Dingle, 39, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced by United States District Judge William K. Sessions III to a term of 60 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Dingle previously pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute.
According to court records, law enforcement in Burlington learned that Dingle was selling cocaine base in the early spring of 2023. Law enforcement conducted five separate controlled purchases from Dingle over the next several months. Then, on September 26, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant on two storage units which Dingle controlled. In the storage units, law enforcement found 35.4 grams of fentanyl, 7.7 grams of cocaine base, 3.5 grams of fentanyl laced with xylazine, 2.58 grams of p-fluorofentanyl, other evidence of narcotics distribution, and a Beretta .380 caliber handgun.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Burlington Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan A. Ophardt and Joshua L. Banker. Dingle was represented by William A. Vasiliou, Esq.
Brooklyn, New York Man Sentenced to 52 Months Incarceration for Drug Distribution in Winooski, VermontRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on November 4, 2024, Dwayne Walcott (a/k/a “Moo”) of Brooklyn, New York was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 52 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Walcott previously pleaded guilty to distribution of cocaine base.
According to court records, on August 9, 2023, Walcott sold cocaine base to another person inside of a residence in Winooski, Vermont. During that drug transaction, Walcott cooked cocaine from powder into cocaine base on a stove inside of the house. Investigators executed a federal search and seizure warrant at the residence on October 31, 2023 and found cocaine base, drug paraphernalia, and a shotgun inside of the residence. Walcott was arrested pursuant to a federal arrest warrant on December 19, 2023 in a hotel room in Williston, Vermont. From inside of the hotel room, law enforcement located over $8,000 in cash and drug paraphernalia.
Walcott’s co-defendant, Justin Bolio, pleaded guilty to drug and firearm charges for his role in the offenses and was sentenced to time served by Chief Judge Reiss on September 16, 2024.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, the Winooski Police Department, the Chittenden County Sheriff’s Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Stendig. Walcott was represented by Natasha Sen, Esq.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Blackhawk Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for More Than 26 Years for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Court Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Blackhawk, South Dakota, man, convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
Darin Wherley, age 38, was sentenced on November 1, 2024, to 26 years and eight months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Wherley was indicted by a federal grand jury in November of 2023, and pleaded guilty on June 12, 2024.
Wherley’s conviction stemmed from his involvement in a large-scale methamphetamine distribution operation in western South Dakota. During this conspiracy Wherley would supply thousands of dollars to Mark Bond to purchase large amounts of methamphetamine from his Colorado sources, Richard Glover and Teresa Goodroad. Once the drugs were in South Dakota, it would be distributed by various individuals. Between 15 and 45 kilograms of methamphetamine was distributed during the course of this criminal enterprise.
“Darin Wherley was involved in a drug conspiracy that brought nearly 100 pounds of methamphetamine into western South Dakota, including into the Pine Ridge Reservation,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “His 26-year sentence and the sentences handed down to his co-conspirators reflect not only the seriousness of the crimes committed, but also the persistence of the Badlands Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force to locate, investigate, and hold accountable those who peddle illicit substances in our South Dakota communities.”
Glover, Goodroad, Bond, and others part of this conspiracy were sentenced earlier this summer. Glover and Goodroad both received sentences of 17 years and six months in prison and Bond received a sentence of 26 years and eight months in prison.
This case was investigated by the Badlands Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, which is comprised of agents from the FBI, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement, Martin Police Department, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
Wherley was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following his sentencing.
Bellair Man Indicted for Covid Loan Fraud Using Deceased Former Business Partner’s IdentityRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Stephen L. Gurba (68, Belleair) with wire fraud, making a false statement to a financial institution, and aggravated identity theft. If convicted, Gurba faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count of wire fraud (2 counts), 30 years in prison on the false statement count, and a 2-year mandatory term of imprisonment on the aggravated identity theft counts (2 counts). The indictment also notifies Gurba that the United States intends to forfeit approximately $1.2 million, which is alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offenses.
According to court documents, between March and June 2020, Gurba submitted false and fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications and supporting documentation on behalf of Big Red Express Trucking, LLC and Zenith Express, LLC. To obtain approval and funding for the Big Red and Zenith EIDL loans, Gurba fraudulently assumed the identity of his former business partner who passed away in 2019, listed his former business partner’s name, signature, and other means of identification on the EIDL loan applications certifying under criminal penalty that the applications were true and correct. Gurba also used his deceased business partner’s name and forged his signature on the EIDL loan authorization agreements and loan notes he submitted to the Small Business Administration (SBA). During post-loan related communications with the SBA, Gurba continued to impersonate his deceased business partner. As a result of his fraudulent scheme, Gurba induced the SBA to approve and fund the Big Red and Zenith EIDL loans.
Additionally, Gurba applied for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan on behalf a Big Red from an SBA authorized financial institution. Gurba certified and signed under criminal penalty that all the PPP loan proceeds would be spent on payroll, mortgages, rent, or other SBA authorized expenses. In reality, Gurba used the majority of the PPP proceeds to enrich himself, family members, payoff unrelated business debts, and other impermissible expenses. As a result of Gurba’s false statement, the financial institution approved and funded a $955,448.75 PPP loan to Big Red.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General and the Small Business Association – Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department's response to the pandemic, please visit Justice.gov/Coronavirus and Justice.gov/Coronavirus/CombatingFraud.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice's National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.
Bellair Man Indicted for COVID Loan Fraud Using Deceased Former Business Partner’s IdentityRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Stephen L. Gurba (68, Belleair) with wire fraud, making a false statement to a financial institution, and aggravated identity theft. If convicted, Gurba faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count of wire fraud (2 counts), 30 years in prison on the false statement count, and a 2-year mandatory term of imprisonment on the aggravated identity theft counts (2 counts). The indictment also notifies Gurba that the United States intends to forfeit approximately $1.2 million, which is alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offenses.
According to court documents, between March and June 2020, Gurba submitted false and fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications and supporting documentation on behalf of Big Red Express Trucking, LLC and Zenith Express, LLC. To obtain approval and funding for the Big Red and Zenith EIDL loans, Gurba fraudulently assumed the identity of his former business partner who passed away in 2019, listed his former business partner’s name, signature, and other means of identification on the EIDL loan applications certifying under criminal penalty that the applications were true and correct. Gurba also used his deceased business partner’s name and forged his signature on the EIDL loan authorization agreements and loan notes he submitted to the Small Business Administration (SBA). During post-loan related communications with the SBA, Gurba continued to impersonate his deceased business partner. As a result of his fraudulent scheme, Gurba induced the SBA to approve and fund the Big Red and Zenith EIDL loans.
Additionally, Gurba applied for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan on behalf a Big Red from an SBA authorized financial institution. Gurba certified and signed under criminal penalty that all the PPP loan proceeds would be spent on payroll, mortgages, rent, or other SBA authorized expenses. In reality, Gurba used the majority of the PPP proceeds to enrich himself, family members, payoff unrelated business debts, and other impermissible expenses. As a result of Gurba’s false statement, the financial institution approved and funded a $955,448.75 PPP loan to Big Red.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General and the Small Business Association – Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department's response to the pandemic, please visit Justice.gov/Coronavirus and Justice.gov/Coronavirus/CombatingFraud.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice's National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.
Arizona Man Sentenced in Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Daniel Raymundo Alvillar, age 46, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced on November 4, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Alvillar to 78 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Alvillar is released from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
On January 12, 2023, a Nebraska State Trooper in marked patrol unit and parked on Interstate 80 in Hamilton County, observed a vehicle without a front license plate. As the Trooper proceeded to drive towards the vehicle, he observed a traffic violation and initiated a traffic stop.
The driver was identified as co-defendant Jesus Quinones Dominguez. The passenger was identified as Alvillar. Quinones consented to a vehicle search after informing the Trooper that he had a screwdriver in his pocket. Troopers noticed two screws missing from the plastic cover of the tailgate. The Trooper observed a heat-sealed bag inside the tailgate on the truck. The Trooper then took off the plastic cover and discovered 11 heat sealed bags containing blue pills with the impressions “M30” on them, known as fentanyl pills. In total, 11.28 pounds were recovered. A forensic lab found all representative samples of the pills tested positive for fentanyl, with a total weight of 5,071.9 grams.
Post-arrest, Quinones admitted to the drugs and transportation. He was being paid $4,000 to drive the drugs to Chicago. According to Quinones, he told Alvillar he would split the payment with him.
Alvillar denied knowledge of the drugs but did provide consent to search his cell phone. On his phone, were photographs, both stock and taken by the phone of small blue “M30” pills – same as the pills being transported. The phone had images of marijuana as well as narcotics discussions involving cannabis, “weed,” “20 sack,” and “blues” – a reference to M30 pills.
Alvillar’s co-defendant, Jesus Daniel Dominguez, is scheduled for trial on December 17, 2024.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.
Altoona Man Pleads Guilty to Transporting and Possessing Material Depicting the Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Altoona, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal sex offense laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Kevin Myers, 48, pleaded guilty to Counts Two and Three of the Indictment before United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines on November 1, 2024.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, from in and around December 2020 to in and around December 2021, Myers transported and possessed material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor. The images were produced using materials that were shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce.
Judge Haines scheduled sentencing for March 4, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than five years and up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard Jr. is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Myers.
This case was brought as a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Saturday 2 November 2024
Justice Department to Monitor Voting Compliance in Pawtucket, Providence, and WoonsocketRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha announced today that the Justice Department will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in Pawtucket, Providence, and Woonsocket for the Nov. 5 general election.
The Justice Department enforces federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all eligible citizens to access the ballot. The department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities across the country.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will coordinate the effort. Monitors will include Justice Department personnel, who will contact state and local election officials as needed throughout Election Day.
The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act and Civil Rights Acts. The division’s Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure that persons with disabilities have a full and equal opportunity to vote. The division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter suppression based on race, color, national origin or religion.
On Election Day, Civil Rights Division personnel will be available all day to receive questions and complaints from the public related to possible violations of federal voting rights laws. Reports may be made through the department’s website www.civilrights.justice.gov or by calling toll-free at 800-253-3931. [The U.S. Attorney’s Office will also be available to receive complaints on Election Day at (401) 709-5010.
Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the department’s toll-free ADA information hotline at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or submit a complaint through a link on the department’s ADA website at www.ada.gov.
Complaints related to any disruptions at a polling place should always be reported to local election officials (including officials based in the polling place). Complaints related to violence, threats of violence or intimidation at a polling place should be reported immediately to local police authorities by calling 911. These complaints should also be reported to the department after local authorities have been contacted.
More information about voting and elections, including guidance documents and other resources, is available at www.justice.gov/voting. Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.
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Departamento de Justicia monitoreará el cumplimiento de las votaciones en Pawtucket, Providencia y WoonsocketRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – El Fiscal Federal Zachary Cunha anunció hoy que el Departamento de Justicia monitoreará el cumplimiento con las leyes federales de derechos electorales en Pawtucket, Providence, e Woonsocket en las elecciones generales del 5 de noviembre.
El Departamento de Justicia hace cumplir las leyes federales de derechos electorales que protegen el derecho de acceso a las urnas de todos los ciudadanos. El Departamento envía personal del departamento periódicamente a monitorear elecciones en comunidades a través de todo el país.
La División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia coordinará este esfuerzo conjunto. Los monitores incluirán a personal del Departamento de Justicia, quienes se pondrán en contacto con oficiales electorales estatales y locales según sea necesario.
La Sección de Votación de la División de Derechos Civiles hace cumplir las leyes federales civiles que protegen el derecho al voto, incluyendo la Ley del Derecho al Voto, la Ley Nacional de Inscripción de Votantes, la Ley Ayudemos a Estados Unidos a Votar, la Ley de Votación para los Uniformados y los Ciudadanos en el Extranjero y la Ley de Derechos Civiles. La Sección de Derechos en Razón de Discapacidad de la División hace cumplir la Ley para Estadounidenses con Discapacidades (ADA, por sus siglas en inglés) para asegurar que las personas con discapacidades tengan igualdad de oportunidades de votar plenamente. La Sección Penal de la División hace cumplir las leyes federales penales que prohíben la intimidación de votantes y la supresión del voto por razón de raza, color, origen nacional o religión.
En el Día de las Elecciones, personal de la División de Derechos Civiles estará disponible para recibir preguntas y quejas del público relacionadas a posibles vulneraciones de las leyes federales de derechos electorales. Estos reportes podrán presentarse mediante la página web del Departamento en www.civilrights.justice.gov o por teléfono al número gratuito (800) 253-3931 (disponible en español). La Fiscalía Federal también estará disponible para recibir quejas el Día de las Elecciones al (401) 709-5010.
Las personas que tengan preguntas o quejas relacionadas a la ADA pueden llamar a la línea directa de información sobre la ADA al (800) 514-0301 o (833) 610-1264 (TTY) o someter su queja a través del enlace en la página web del Departamento sobre la ADA en www.ada.gov.
Denuncias relacionadas a disturbios en un lugar de votación siempre deben reportarse a los oficiales electorales locales (incluyendo a los funcionarios con sede en ese lugar de votación). Denuncias relacionadas a violencia, amenazas de violencia o intimidación en un lugar de votación deben reportarse inmediatamente a la policía local llamando al 911. Estas denuncias deben reportarse al Departamento una vez se hayan puesto en contacto con las autoridades locales.
Información adicional sobre la votación y las elecciones, incluyendo documentos guías y otros recursos, está disponible en la página web www.justice.gov/voting. Aprenda más sobre la Ley del Derecho al Voto y otras leyes federales electorales en la página web www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section.
Las quejas sobre posibles violaciones de las leyes federales de derechos electorales se pueden presentar directamente a la División de Derechos Civiles en Washington, DC mediante el formulario de queja en la página web https://civilrights.justice.gov/ o por llamada a 800-253-3931.
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Friday 1 November 2024
법무부, 연방 투표권법 준수를 위한 27개 주 투표 모니터링Read the Press Release
법무부는 11월 5일 총선 시 27개 주 86개 관할 구역에서 연방 투표권법 준수를 모니터링하기 위한 계획을 오늘 발표했습니다.
법무부는 모든 자격 대상 시민의 투표권을 보호하는 연방 투표권법을 시행합니다. 법무부는 전국 지역사회 선거 시 연방 투표권법의 준수를 모니터링하기 위해 정기적으로 직원을 투입합니다.
총선의 경우 법무부에서는 다음을 포함하여 86개 관할 구역에서 선거일 연방 투표권법 준수를 모니터링하게 됩니다:
- Bethel Census Area, Alaska;
- Dillingham Census Area, Alaska;
- Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska;
- North Slope Borough, Alaska;
- Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska;
- Apache County, Arizona;
- Maricopa County, Arizona;
- Pima County, Arizona;
- Yuma County, Arizona;
- San Joaquin County, California;
- Broward County, Florida;
- Miami-Dade County, Florida;
- Orange County, Florida;
- Osceola County, Florida;
- Cobb County, Georgia;
- DeKalb County, Georgia;
- Fulton County, Georgia;
- Gwinnett County, Georgia;
- Macon-Bibb County, Georgia;
- Jefferson County, Kentucky;
- Kenton County, Kentucky;
- City of Everett, Massachusetts;
- City of Fitchburg, Massachusetts;
- City of Leominster, Massachusetts;
- City of Lowell, Massachusetts;
- City of Malden, Massachusetts;
- City of Methuen, Massachusetts;
- City of Quincy, Massachusetts;
- City of Salem, Massachusetts;
- Prince George’s County, Maryland;
- City of Ann Arbor, Michigan;
- City of Detroit, Michigan;
- City of Flint, Michigan;
- City of Grand Rapids, Michigan;
- City of Hamtramck, Michigan;
- City of Warren, Michigan;
- Hennepin County, Minnesota;
- City of Minneapolis, Minnesota;
- Ramsey County, Minnesota;
- Covington County, Mississippi;
- Scott County, Mississippi;
- Warren County, Mississippi;
- City of St. Louis, Missouri;
- Blaine County, Montana;
- Alamance County, North Carolina;
- Mecklenburg County, North Carolina;
- Wake County, North Carolina;
- Bergen County, New Jersey;
- Middlesex County, New Jersey;
- Union County, New Jersey;
- Bernalillo County, New Mexico;
- Cibola County, New Mexico;
- Clark County, Nevada;
- Queens, New York;
- Cuyahoga County, Ohio;
- Portage County, Ohio;
- Allegheny County, Pennsylvania;
- Luzerne County, Pennsylvania;
- Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania;
- City of Pawtucket, Rhode Island;
- City of Providence, Rhode Island;
- City of Woonsocket, Rhode Island;
- Charleston County, South Carolina;
- Bennett County, South Dakota;
- Jackson County, South Dakota;
- Minnehaha County, South Dakota;
- Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota;
- Atascosa County, Texas;
- Bexar County, Texas;
- Dallas County, Texas;
- Frio County, Texas;
- Harris County, Texas;
- Hays County, Texas;
- Palo Pinto County, Texas;
- Waller County, Texas;
- San Juan County, Utah;
- Hanover County, Virginia;
- Henrico County, Virginia;
- Loudoun County, Virginia;
- City of Manassas, Virginia;
- City of Manassas Park, Virginia;
- Prince William County, Virginia;
- Town of Lawrence (Rusk County), Wisconsin;
- City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin;
- Town of Thornapple, Wisconsin; and
- City of Wausau, Wisconsin;
법무부 민권과에서는 해당 활동을 편성하게 됩니다. 모니터 요원으로는 민권과, 다른 부서 분과, 미국 검찰청 직원과 함께 인사청의 연방 참관인이 포함됩니다. 선거일 내내 분과 직원들은 주 및 지역 선거 공무원들과 연락을 유지합니다.
민권과의 선거 부서에서는 투표권법, 전국 유권자 등록법, 미국 투표 지원법, 군인 및 해외 시민 부재자 투표권 및 민권법 등 투표권을 보호하는 연방 법령의 시민 조항을 집행합니다. 민권과의 장애인 권리 부서에서는 장애인이 완전하고 평등한 투표권을 가질 수 있도록 미국 장애인법(Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA)을 집행합니다. 민권과의 형사 부서에서는 인종, 피부색, 국적 또는 종교에 따른 유권자 협박 및 유권자 억압을 금지하는 연방 형사법을 집행합니다.
민권과 직원들은 연방 투표권법의 잠재적 위반과 관련된 대중의 질문과 불만을 접수하고자 선거일 내내 근무합니다. 신고는 법무부 웹사이트, www.civilrights.justice.gov 또는 무료 전화, 800-253-3931로 하실 수 있습니다.
ADA 관련 질문이나 불만이 있는 개인은 무료 전화로 운영되는 법무부 ADA 정보 핫라인, 800-514-0301이나 833-610-1264(TTY)로 전화하거나 법무부 ADA 웹사이트, www.ada.gov 링크를 통해 불만을 제출하시기 바랍니다.
투표소에서 발생하는 모든 방해 행위와 관련된 불만은 지역 선거 공무원(투표소에 기반을 둔 공무원 포함)에게 보고해야 합니다. 투표소에서의 폭력, 폭력에 대한 위협, 협박과 관련된 불만은 911로 전화하여 지역 경찰 당국에 즉시 보고해야 합니다. 이러한 불만은 지역 당국에 연락한 뒤 법무부에도 보고해야 합니다.
지침 문서 및 기타 자원을 포함하여 투표와 선거에 관한 더 자세한 정보는 www.justice.gov/voting에서 이용하실 수 있습니다. www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section에서 투표권법 및 기타 연방 투표 법률에 대해 더 알아보세요.
司法部將監督 27 個州的投票是否遵守聯邦投票權利法Read the Press Release
司法部今日宣布，將於 11 月 5 日大選期間監督27 個州 86 個選區的選舉過程，以確保其遵守聯邦投票權利法。
司法部負責執行聯邦投票權利法，保障所有合格選民的投票權利。該部門定期派遣工作人員，對全國範圍內社區的選舉過程是否遵守聯邦民權法律進行監督。
針對本次大選，司法部將在選舉日對 86 個選區的聯邦投票權利法遵守情況進行監督，其中包括：
- Bethel Census Area, Alaska;
- Dillingham Census Area, Alaska;
- Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska;
- North Slope Borough, Alaska;
- Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska;
- Apache County, Arizona;
- Maricopa County, Arizona;
- Pima County, Arizona;
- Yuma County, Arizona;
- San Joaquin County, California;
- Broward County, Florida;
- Miami-Dade County, Florida;
- Orange County, Florida;
- Osceola County, Florida;
- Cobb County, Georgia;
- DeKalb County, Georgia;
- Fulton County, Georgia;
- Gwinnett County, Georgia;
- Macon-Bibb County, Georgia;
- Jefferson County, Kentucky;
- Kenton County, Kentucky;
- City of Everett, Massachusetts;
- City of Fitchburg, Massachusetts;
- City of Leominster, Massachusetts;
- City of Lowell, Massachusetts;
- City of Malden, Massachusetts;
- City of Methuen, Massachusetts;
- City of Quincy, Massachusetts;
- City of Salem, Massachusetts;
- Prince George’s County, Maryland;
- City of Ann Arbor, Michigan;
- City of Detroit, Michigan;
- City of Flint, Michigan;
- City of Grand Rapids, Michigan;
- City of Hamtramck, Michigan;
- City of Warren, Michigan;
- Hennepin County, Minnesota;
- City of Minneapolis, Minnesota;
- Ramsey County, Minnesota;
- Covington County, Mississippi;
- Scott County, Mississippi;
- Warren County, Mississippi;
- City of St. Louis, Missouri;
- Blaine County, Montana;
- Alamance County, North Carolina;
- Mecklenburg County, North Carolina;
- Wake County, North Carolina;
- Bergen County, New Jersey;
- Middlesex County, New Jersey;
- Union County, New Jersey;
- Bernalillo County, New Mexico;
- Cibola County, New Mexico;
- Clark County, Nevada;
- Queens, New York;
- Cuyahoga County, Ohio;
- Portage County, Ohio;
- Allegheny County, Pennsylvania;
- Luzerne County, Pennsylvania;
- Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania;
- City of Pawtucket, Rhode Island;
- City of Providence, Rhode Island;
- City of Woonsocket, Rhode Island;
- Charleston County, South Carolina;
- Bennett County, South Dakota;
- Jackson County, South Dakota;
- Minnehaha County, South Dakota;
- Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota;
- Atascosa County, Texas;
- Bexar County, Texas;
- Dallas County, Texas;
- Frio County, Texas;
- Harris County, Texas;
- Hays County, Texas;
- Palo Pinto County, Texas;
- Waller County, Texas;
- San Juan County, Utah;
- Hanover County, Virginia;
- Henrico County, Virginia;
- Loudoun County, Virginia;
- City of Manassas, Virginia;
- City of Manassas Park, Virginia;
- Prince William County, Virginia;
- Town of Lawrence (Rusk County), Wisconsin;
- City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin;
- Town of Thornapple, Wisconsin; and
- City of Wausau, Wisconsin;
司法部民權司將負責協調此次監督工作。監督團隊由民權司人員、司法部其他部門人員、美國檢察官辦公室人員以及聯邦人事管理局的聯邦觀察員組成。 在選舉日當天，民權司工作人員將與州和地方選舉官員保持溝通。
民權司投票科將負責執行以下聯邦法律中關於保護投票權利的民事條款：《投票權利法案》、《全國選民登記法案》、《協助美國投票法案》、《服役及海外公民缺席投票法案》以及《民權法案》。民權司殘障人士權利科將負責執行《殘障美國人士法案》(Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA)，保障殘障人士享有平等的投票機會。民權司刑事科將負責執行禁止因種族、膚色、國籍或宗教原因恐嚇和壓制選民行為的聯邦刑事法律。
選舉日當天，民權司工作人員將全天候受理公眾關於可能違反聯邦投票權利法的問題和投訴。公眾可透過造訪司法部網站www.civilrights.justice.gov 或撥打免費電話 800-253-3931 進行檢舉。
如果對于 ADA 有任何疑問或想要提出投訴，可致電司法部的免費 ADA 資訊熱線 800-514-0301 或 833-610-1264 (TTY)，或造訪司法部的 ADA 網站 www.ada.gov 提出投訴。
若在投票站遭遇任何干擾，請向當地選舉官員（包括投票站內的工作人員）檢舉。若在投票站遭遇暴力、暴力威脅或恫嚇，請立即致電 911 向當地警方檢舉。在聯絡地方當局後，請同時將這些投訴報告給司法部。
有關投票和選舉的詳細資訊，包括指導文件和其他資源，請造訪 www.justice.gov/voting。慾了解有關《投票權利法案》及其他聯邦投票法的詳細資訊，請造訪 ww.justice.gov/crt/voting-section。
司法部将监督 27 个州的投票是否遵守联邦投票权利法Read the Press Release
司法部今日宣布，将于 11 月 5 日大选期间监督27 个州 86 个选区的选举过程，以确保其遵守联邦投票权利法。
司法部负责执行联邦投票权利法，保障所有合格选民的投票权利。该部门定期派遣工作人员，对全国范围内社区的选举过程是否遵守联邦民权法律进行监督。
针对本次大选，司法部将在选举日对 86 个选区的联邦投票权利法遵守情况进行监督，其中包括：
- Bethel Census Area, Alaska;
- Dillingham Census Area, Alaska;
- Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska;
- North Slope Borough, Alaska;
- Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska;
- Apache County, Arizona;
- Maricopa County, Arizona;
- Pima County, Arizona;
- Yuma County, Arizona;
- San Joaquin County, California;
- Broward County, Florida;
- Miami-Dade County, Florida;
- Orange County, Florida;
- Osceola County, Florida;
- Cobb County, Georgia;
- DeKalb County, Georgia;
- Fulton County, Georgia;
- Gwinnett County, Georgia;
- Macon-Bibb County, Georgia;
- Jefferson County, Kentucky;
- Kenton County, Kentucky;
- City of Everett, Massachusetts;
- City of Fitchburg, Massachusetts;
- City of Leominster, Massachusetts;
- City of Lowell, Massachusetts;
- City of Malden, Massachusetts;
- City of Methuen, Massachusetts;
- City of Quincy, Massachusetts;
- City of Salem, Massachusetts;
- Prince George’s County, Maryland;
- City of Ann Arbor, Michigan;
- City of Detroit, Michigan;
- City of Flint, Michigan;
- City of Grand Rapids, Michigan;
- City of Hamtramck, Michigan;
- City of Warren, Michigan;
- Hennepin County, Minnesota;
- City of Minneapolis, Minnesota;
- Ramsey County, Minnesota;
- Covington County, Mississippi;
- Scott County, Mississippi;
- Warren County, Mississippi;
- City of St. Louis, Missouri;
- Blaine County, Montana;
- Alamance County, North Carolina;
- Mecklenburg County, North Carolina;
- Wake County, North Carolina;
- Bergen County, New Jersey;
- Middlesex County, New Jersey;
- Union County, New Jersey;
- Bernalillo County, New Mexico;
- Cibola County, New Mexico;
- Clark County, Nevada;
- Queens, New York;
- Cuyahoga County, Ohio;
- Portage County, Ohio;
- Allegheny County, Pennsylvania;
- Luzerne County, Pennsylvania;
- Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania;
- City of Pawtucket, Rhode Island;
- City of Providence, Rhode Island;
- City of Woonsocket, Rhode Island;
- Charleston County, South Carolina;
- Bennett County, South Dakota;
- Jackson County, South Dakota;
- Minnehaha County, South Dakota;
- Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota;
- Atascosa County, Texas;
- Bexar County, Texas;
- Dallas County, Texas;
- Frio County, Texas;
- Harris County, Texas;
- Hays County, Texas;
- Palo Pinto County, Texas;
- Waller County, Texas;
- San Juan County, Utah;
- Hanover County, Virginia;
- Henrico County, Virginia;
- Loudoun County, Virginia;
- City of Manassas, Virginia;
- City of Manassas Park, Virginia;
- Prince William County, Virginia;
- Town of Lawrence (Rusk County), Wisconsin;
- City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin;
- Town of Thornapple, Wisconsin; and
- City of Wausau, Wisconsin;
司法部民权司将负责协调此次监督工作。监督团队由民权司人员、司法部其他部门人员、美国检察官办公室人员以及联邦人事管理局的联邦观察员组成。在选举日当天，民权司的工作人员将与州和地方选举官员保持沟通。
民权司投票科将负责执行以下联邦法律中关于保护投票权利的民事条款：《投票权利法案》、《全国选民登记法案》、《协助美国投票法案》、《服役及海外公民缺席投票法案》以及《民权法案》。民权司残疾人士权利科将负责执行《残疾美国人士法案》(Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA)，保障残疾人士享有平等的投票机会。民权司刑事科将负责执行禁止因种族、肤色、国籍或宗教原因恐吓和压制选民行为的联邦刑事法律。
选举日当天，民权司工作人员将全天候受理公众关于可能违反联邦投票权利法的问题和投诉。公众可通过访问司法部网站 www.civilrights.justice.gov 或拨打免费电话 800-253-3931 进行检举。
如果对于 ADA 有任何疑问或想要提出投诉，可致电司法部的免费 ADA 信息热线 800-514-0301 或 833-610-1264 (TTY)，或访问司法部的 ADA 网站 www.ada.gov 提出投诉。
若在投票站遭遇任何干扰，请向当地选举官员（包括投票站内的工作人员）检举。若在投票站遭遇暴力、暴力威胁或恐吓，请立即致电 911 向当地警方检举。在与地方当局取得联系后，请同时将此类事件报告给司法部。
有关投票和选举的更多信息，包括指导文件和其他资源，请访问 www.justice.gov/voting。如需了解有关《投票权利法案》和其他联邦投票法的更多信息，请访问 www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section。
न्याय विभाग द्वारा संघीय मतदान अधिकार कानूनों के अनुपालन के लिए 27 राज्यों में मतदान की निगरानीRead the Press Release
न्याय विभाग ने आज घोषणा की है कि वे 5 नवंबर को होने वाले आम चुनाव के लिए 27 राज्यों के 86 अधिकार-क्षेत्रों में संघीय मतदान अधिकार कानूनों के अनुपालन की निगरानी करने की योजना बना रहे हैं।
न्याय विभाग वे संघीय मतदान अधिकार कानून लागू करता है जो सभी योग्य नागरिकों के मतपत्र तक पहुँच के अधिकारों की रक्षा करते हैं। विभाग नियमित रूप से देश भर के समुदायों में चुनावों में संघीय नागरिक अधिकार कानूनों के अनुपालन की निगरानी के लिए अपने स्टाफ को तैनात करता है।
आम चुनाव के लिए, विभाग चुनाव के दिन 86 अधिकार-क्षेत्रों में संघीय मतदान अधिकार कानूनों के अनुपालन की निगरानी करेगा, जिनमें शामिल हैं:
- Bethel Census Area, Alaska;
- Dillingham Census Area, Alaska;
- Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska;
- North Slope Borough, Alaska;
- Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska;
- Apache County, Arizona;
- Maricopa County, Arizona;
- Pima County, Arizona;
- Yuma County, Arizona;
- San Joaquin County, California;
- Broward County, Florida;
- Miami-Dade County, Florida;
- Orange County, Florida;
- Osceola County, Florida;
- Cobb County, Georgia;
- DeKalb County, Georgia;
- Fulton County, Georgia;
- Gwinnett County, Georgia;
- Macon-Bibb County, Georgia;
- Jefferson County, Kentucky;
- Kenton County, Kentucky;
- City of Everett, Massachusetts;
- City of Fitchburg, Massachusetts;
- City of Leominster, Massachusetts;
- City of Lowell, Massachusetts;
- City of Malden, Massachusetts;
- City of Methuen, Massachusetts;
- City of Quincy, Massachusetts;
- City of Salem, Massachusetts;
- Prince George’s County, Maryland;
- City of Ann Arbor, Michigan;
- City of Detroit, Michigan;
- City of Flint, Michigan;
- City of Grand Rapids, Michigan;
- City of Hamtramck, Michigan;
- City of Warren, Michigan;
- Hennepin County, Minnesota;
- City of Minneapolis, Minnesota;
- Ramsey County, Minnesota;
- Covington County, Mississippi;
- Scott County, Mississippi;
- Warren County, Mississippi;
- City of St. Louis, Missouri;
- Blaine County, Montana;
- Alamance County, North Carolina;
- Mecklenburg County, North Carolina;
- Wake County, North Carolina;
- Bergen County, New Jersey;
- Middlesex County, New Jersey;
- Union County, New Jersey;
- Bernalillo County, New Mexico;
- Cibola County, New Mexico;
- Clark County, Nevada;
- Queens, New York;
- Cuyahoga County, Ohio;
- Portage County, Ohio;
- Allegheny County, Pennsylvania;
- Luzerne County, Pennsylvania;
- Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania;
- City of Pawtucket, Rhode Island;
- City of Providence, Rhode Island;
- City of Woonsocket, Rhode Island;
- Charleston County, South Carolina;
- Bennett County, South Dakota;
- Jackson County, South Dakota;
- Minnehaha County, South Dakota;
- Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota;
- Atascosa County, Texas;
- Bexar County, Texas;
- Dallas County, Texas;
- Frio County, Texas;
- Harris County, Texas;
- Hays County, Texas;
- Palo Pinto County, Texas;
- Waller County, Texas;
- San Juan County, Utah;
- Hanover County, Virginia;
- Henrico County, Virginia;
- Loudoun County, Virginia;
- City of Manassas, Virginia;
- City of Manassas Park, Virginia;
- Prince William County, Virginia;
- Town of Lawrence (Rusk County), Wisconsin;
- City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin;
- Town of Thornapple, Wisconsin; and
- City of Wausau, Wisconsin;
न्याय विभाग का नागरिक अधिकार प्रभाग इस प्रयास का संयोजन करेगा। मॉनिटरों में नागरिक अधिकार प्रभाग, अन्य विभागीय प्रभागों, अमेरिकी अटॉर्नी कार्यालयों के कर्मचारी और कार्मिक प्रबंधन कार्यालय से संघीय पर्यवेक्षक शामिल होंगे। चुनाव के पूरे दिन, प्रभाग के कर्मचारी राज्य और स्थानीय चुनाव अधिकारियों के साथ संपर्क बनाए रखेंगे।
नागरिक अधिकार प्रभाग का मतदान अनुभाग संघीय कानूनों के उन नागरिक प्रावधानों को लागू करता है जो मतदान के अधिकार की रक्षा करते हैं, जिनमें मतदान अधिकार अधिनियम, राष्ट्रीय मतदाता पंजीकरण अधिनियम, मतदान करने में अमेरिका की मदद करें अधिनियम, वर्दीधारी और विदेशी नागरिक अनुपस्थित मतदान अधिनियम और नागरिक अधिकार अधिनियम शामिल हैं। प्रभाग का विकलांगता अधिकार अनुभाग यह सुनिश्चित करने के लिए विकलांग अमेरिकी अधिनियम (Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA) को लागू करता है कि विकलांग व्यक्तियों को वोट देने का पूर्ण और समान अवसर मिले। प्रभाग का आपराधिक अनुभाग संघीय आपराधिक कानूनों को लागू करता है जो जाति, रंग, राष्ट्रीय मूल या धर्म के आधार पर मतदाताओं को डराने-धमकाने और मतदाताओं का दमन करने पर रोक लगाते हैं।
चुनाव के दिन, नागरिक अधिकार प्रभाग के कर्मचारी संघीय मतदान अधिकार कानूनों के संभावित उल्लंघनों से संबंधित जनता के प्रश्न और शिकायतें प्राप्त करने के लिए पूरे दिन उपलब्ध रहेंगे। रिपोर्ट्स विभाग की वेबसाइट www.civilrights.justice.gov के माध्यम से या 800-253-3931 टोल-फ्री नंबर पर कॉल करके बनाई जा सकती हैं।
ADA से संबंधित प्रश्नों या शिकायतों वाले व्यक्ति 800-514-0301 या 833-610-1264 (TTY) पर विभाग की टोल-फ्री ADA सूचना हॉटलाइन पर कॉल कर सकते हैं या www.ada.gov पर विभाग की ADA वेबसाइट पर एक लिंक के माध्यम से शिकायत दर्ज कर सकते हैं।
मतदान स्थल पर किसी भी व्यवधान से संबंधित शिकायतें हमेशा स्थानीय चुनाव अधिकारियों (जिनमें मतदान स्थल पर स्थित अधिकारी शामिल हैं) को दी जानी चाहिए। मतदान स्थल पर हिंसा, हिंसा की धमकियों या डराने-धमकाने से संबंधित शिकायतें, 911 पर कॉल करके स्थानीय पुलिस अधिकारियों को तुरंत रिपोर्ट की जानी चाहिए। स्थानीय अधिकारियों से संपर्क करने के बाद ये शिकायतें विभाग को भी तुरंत रिपोर्ट की जानी चाहिए।
मतदान और चुनाव के बारे में अधिक जानकारी, जिसमें मार्गदर्शन दस्तावेज़ और अन्य संसाधन शामिल हैं, www.justice.gov/voting पर उपलब्ध है। मतदान अधिकार अधिनियम और अन्य संघीय मतदान कानूनों के बारे में अधिक जानकारी के लिए www.justice.gov/crt/voting-sectionपर जाएं।
Wisconsin Sex Offender Sentenced to 45 Years for Enticing and Coercing A Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity and Producing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle has sentenced Mohammad Ali Hemmat (29, Milwaukee) to 45 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity, production of child sexual abuse material, traveling on two occasions from Wisconsin to Florida for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity with a minor, and committing these offenses while required to register as a sex offender in Wisconsin. The court also ordered Hemmat to forfeit electronic devices, which were used in the commission of the offense, and to register as a sex offender. A federal jury found Hemmat guilty in April 2024.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, between April 2022 and March 2023, Hemmat used his cellphone and computer to sexually groom a 12-year-old girl in Florida. Hemmat groomed this child through daily social media video chats, text message conversations, and by sending her cash, gifts, and fast food. Hemmat shared obscene material with this child through social media applications, and he used a social media platform to remote log-in to the child victim’s laptop—which he had purchased for her—to search for sexually explicit topics, images, and videos. The victim subsequently sent child sexual abuse images of herself to Hemmat over the internet.
In February 2023, Hemmat drove from Wisconsin to Florida for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity with the child. In March 2023, Hemmat drove to Florida a second time for the same purpose, but law enforcement was alerted to his presence by the victim. Although Hemmat attempted to return to Wisconsin without detection, law enforcement officers apprehended him in Indiana. Evidence presented at trial also showed that Hemmat had engaged similar tactics in grooming a13-year-old child in the United Kingdom to send him sexually explicit images of herself. At the time Hemmat committed these offenses, he had a prior conviction for an offense involving a minor, requiring him to register as a sex offender in Wisconsin.
“The crime of sexually exploiting a child's vulnerability through manipulation and bribery demanded a severe consequence, and this 45-year sentence is evidence of justice served,” said Homeland Security Investigations Tampa Assistant Special Agent in Charge Micah McCombs. “Alongside our national and international law enforcement partners with the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, Jasper (Indiana) County Sheriff’s Office, the Sussex County (United Kingdom) Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service, this sentencing demonstrates a united front against such predatory behavior, and reflects our collective commitment to protect vulnerable individuals in our society.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Jasper (Indiana) County Sheriff’s Office, the Sussex County (United Kingdom) Police Department, and the United States Marshals Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ilyssa M. Spergel and Risha Asokan.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Wichita Man Sentenced After Trial Conviction for Sex Trafficking and Witness TamperingRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge John F. Heil, III, sentenced Byron Cordell Thomas, 37, of Wichita, Kansas, to 360 months imprisonment, followed by 12 years of supervised release.
In August of 2023, a jury found Thomas guilty of being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition, two counts of Witness Tampering by Corrupt Persuasion, four counts of Transporting an Individual for Prostitution, and two counts of Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, or Coercion.
Beginning in 2019 through December 2022, Thomas engaged in the recruitment of young, vulnerable victims to work under his direction as prostitutes. He targeted the victim's financial hardship or addiction issues and sold a dream of a safe or sober environment solely to lure them in. Thomas would transport the victims across state lines, train them to avoid the police, and how to recruit others for him. He kept complete control of the money earned with physical violence or physiological coercion.
Thomas will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
Homeland Security Investigations – Tulsa and Kansas offices, the Tulsa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth Elmore and Shakema Onias prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about PSN, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
West Chester Man Sentenced for Abusive Sexual Contact on an AircraftRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Edward Decker, 46, of West Chester, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Nitza I. Quiñones Alejandro to six months’ imprisonment, one year of supervised release, and $4,000 in restitution for abusive sexual contact on an aircraft.
The defendant pleaded guilty to that offense in May of this year.
On July 29, 2022, while on board an American Airlines flight from San Diego, California, to Philadelphia, Decker intentionally touched the thigh and breast of a minor while she was sleeping. The victim woke up from her sleep on this overnight flight to find Decker, who was seated in her row, with his hands and face under her clothes and on her body.
“Edward Decker’s actions on that plane are profoundly disturbing,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “There’s no excuse for touching anyone in a sexual manner without their consent — let alone a sleeping underage stranger. The victim in this case has shown remarkable courage throughout this entire process. My office and the FBI will continue to seek justice for victims of crimes within our jurisdiction, whether committed on the street or on a flight thousands of feet above.”
“Every person has an expectation of and, indeed, the right to fly on a U.S. aircraft without being abusively sexually contacted,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Our office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to ensure both that victims of such crimes are supported and that those who commit such crimes are held accountable. We also thank our partners at the Philadelphia International Airport for their assistance in this case.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Josh A. Davison.
Waunakee Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Possessing Methamphetamine Intended for DistributionRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Larry D. Williamson 36, Waunakee, Wisconsin was sentenced yesterday by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 12 years in federal prison for possessing 500 or more grams of methamphetamine intended for distribution. Williamson pleaded guilty to this charge on June 18, 2024. The prison term will be followed by 8 years of supervised release.
On the evening of February 8, 2024, Williamson and his codefendant Corvalis Stewart landed a rented Cessna 172 aircraft at the Middleton Municipal Airport, in Middleton, Wisconsin. Williamson was a private pilot who had rented the aircraft to fly to Phoenix, Arizona, to pick up drugs. Stewart was the passenger.
Federal and state law enforcement received information about the flight and about Williamson and Stewart’s suspicious behavior in Arizona. Law enforcement tracked the aircraft as it returned to Middleton and landed at approximately 10:55 p.m. Williamson and Stewart got out of the airplane and walked to the parking lot. Stewart was carrying three bags which he put in the back of his vehicle. Law enforcement detained the men and searched the bags.
Two of the bags contained 19 pounds of methamphetamine, and in one were travel receipts from a recent trip that Williamson took. The third bag contained approximately 200,000 fentanyl pills known on the street as M30’s, which are counterfeit Oxycodone pills. This was the largest fentanyl seizure in Dane County, with an estimated street value of $2,000,000.
“This was a brazen effort to introduce a large quantity of methamphetamine and thousands of deadly fentanyl pills into our Dane County community,” said Timothy M. O’Shea, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin. “I commend our federal and state law enforcement partners for their coordinated efforts to quickly identify the suspicious flight and apprehend the individuals involved.”
“The sentencing of these drug traffickers is a decisive victory in our fight against organized crime. Their brazen attempts to evade justice by crossing state lines in an airplane only highlight their disregard for the law. This outcome underscores our unwavering commitment to dismantle such networks,” said HSI Chicago Special Agent in Charge Sean Fitzgerald. “The success of this operation was made possible through the tireless efforts and cooperation of local law enforcement agencies. Together, we have shown that no matter the lengths criminals go to escape justice, they will be held accountable."
At sentencing, Judge Peterson characterized the amount of fentanyl involved in the case as staggering. Noting the large quantity and the especially dangerous nature of fentanyl, Judge Peterson determined that a significant sentence was warranted. Judge Peterson also found that Williamson was an active courier who solicited drug trips to make more money.
Williamson’s co-defendant, Corvalis Stewart, pleaded guilty on September 11, 2024, to possessing 400 or more grams of fentanyl intended for distribution. He is scheduled to be sentenced on December 4, 2024, and faces a minimum of 10 years in prison.
The charges against Williamson and Stewart were the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, Dane County Narcotics Task Force, and the Middleton Police Department, with the assistance of the Air Marine Operations Center in Riverside, California. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan prosecuted this case.
Waterloo Cocaine Dealer and Fraudster Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A Waterloo man who distributed a significant amount of cocaine and obtained a fraudulent loan was sentenced October 30, 2024, to twenty years in federal prison.
Parrish Austin, age 40, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 13, 2024 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and one count of wire fraud.
Information disclosed at Austin’s sentencing hearing and previous related hearings showed that, beginning in late 2019 or early 2020, and continuing until October 5, 2022, Austin began distributing kilograms of cocaine every few months to Justin Cole in Waterloo. Cole then worked with Tavarious Glasper, Chris Roby, and others to redistribute the cocaine. In total, Austin was responsible for distributing at least ten kilograms of cocaine.
Information disclosed at Austin’s plea and sentencing hearings also showed that, in May 2021, Austin fraudulently obtained into his bank account a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan in the amount of $18,322 after a false and fraudulent PPP loan application was submitted with Austin’s signature. In October 2021, after Austin had received the fraudulent PPP loan into his bank account, Austin applied for and obtained forgiveness of the PPP loan.
Austin was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Austin was sentenced to 240 months’ imprisonment, and he was ordered to pay $18,322 in restitution. He must also serve a five‑year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Twelve other individuals from Waterloo previously pled guilty to their involvement in the drug trafficking organization and/or PPP fraud:
- Kiesha Ann Morman was sentenced to 5 years’ probation and ordered to pay $19,835 in restitution on March 6, 2024, after she pled guilty to one count of PPP‑related wire fraud.
- Tavarious Glasper was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment on March 11, 2024, after he pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
- Chris Lee Roby was sentenced to 49 months’ imprisonment on March 12, 2024, after he pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
- Justin A. Cole was sentenced to 195 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay $20,832 in restitution on March 13, 2024, after he had pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and one count of PPP‑related wire fraud.
- Sheila Renee Cole was sentenced to 2 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay $19,583 in restitution on April 10, 2024, after she plead guilty to one count of PPP‑related wire fraud.
- Shalla Scherrice Cole was sentenced to 7 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay $20,415 in restitution on April 19, 2024, after she pled guilty to one count of PPP‑related wire fraud.
- Tia Lynette Cole‑Sykes was sentenced to 5 years’ probation and ordered to pay $19,790 in restitution on May 1, 2024, after she pled guilty to one count of PPP‑related wire fraud.
- Orenthal James Jones was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay $20,832 in restitution on May 13, 2024, after he pled guilty to one count of PPP‑related wire fraud.
- Allure Shapree Roby was sentenced to 2 weeks’ imprisonment and ordered to pay $20,832 in restitution on June 20, 2024, after she pled guilty to one count of PPP‑related wire fraud.
- Ida Made Roby was sentenced to 3 years’ probation and ordered to pay $20,833 in restitution on July 2, 2024, after she pled guilty to one count of PPP‑related wire fraud.
- Stacy Antwanette Cole was sentenced to 5 years’ probation and ordered to pay $20,332 in restitution on July 19, 2024, after she pled guilty to one count of PPP‑related wire fraud.
- Reid Jonathan Geerts was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay $19,166 in restitution on September 3, 2024, after he pled guilty to one count of PPP‑related wire fraud.
Austin is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Hudson and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Department of Homeland Security Investigations; the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force consisting of the Waterloo Police Department, Cedar Falls Police Department, Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Department, Evansdale Police Department, Waverly Police Department, Hudson Police Department, La Porte City Police Department, and the Bremer County Sheriff’s Department; the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; and the Iowa State Patrol.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23‑CR‑02057‑CJW.
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Washington Resident Pleads Guilty to Pandemic Loan FraudRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Washington, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of wire fraud, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Walter Holt III, 35, pleaded guilty to two counts before Senior United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on or about March 12 and May 27, 2021, Holt prepared and submitted falsified Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) COVID-19 relief loan applications for Charleroi, Pennsylvania, borrowers, for which he took a fee.
Judge Fischer scheduled sentencing for January 31, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Holt.
U.S. and Russian National Pleads Guilty to Helping Russia's Defense Sector Evade U.S. Export ControlsRead the Press Release
Earlier today in federal court in Brooklyn, Vadim Yermolenko, a national of both the U.S. and Russia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and conspiracy to defraud the United States for his role in a transnational procurement and money laundering network that sought to acquire sensitive dual-use electronics for Russian military and intelligence services. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Hector Gonzalez. When sentenced, Yermolenko faces up to 30 years in prison.
Merrick B. Garland, United States Attorney General, Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), Jonathan Carson, Special Agent in Charge, New York Field Office of the Office of Export Enforcement, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), US Department of Commerce (DOC), and Thomas M. Fattorusso, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI) announced the plea.
“This defendant joins the nearly two dozen other criminals that our Task Force KleptoCapture has brought to justice in American courtrooms over the past two and a half years for enabling Russia’s military aggression,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This defendant admitted to playing a central role in a now-disrupted scheme with Russian intelligence services to smuggle sniper rifle ammunition and U.S. military grade equipment into Russia. The Justice Department will never stop working to aggressively disrupt and prosecute both the criminal networks and the individuals responsible for bolstering the Russian war machine.”
“To facilitate the Russian war machine, the defendant played a critical role in exporting sensitive, dual-use technologies to Russia, facilitating shipping and the movement of millions of dollars through U.S. financial institutions,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This plea highlights my Office and our law enforcement partners continued commitment to use all tools available to prosecute those who unlawfully procure U.S. technology to send to Russia.”
Mr. Peace thanked the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and the Estonian authorities for their valuable assistance.
“As he admitted today, Vadim Yermolenko took part in a conspiracy to evade U.S. sanctions and assist the Russian war machine by unlawfully purchasing and exporting highly sensitive, export controlled electronic components. The FBI is determined to fulfill our mission of protecting the security of our nation. Any individual attempting to evade our national security laws will be held accountable in the criminal justice system,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Dennehy.
“Yermolenko and his illicit network supported Russian intelligence services in attempting to procure sensitive American technology,” said Jonathan Carson, Special Agent in Charge, New York Field Office of the Office of Export Enforcement, Bureau of Industry and Security, US Department of Commerce. “You can add this guilty plea to the list of the many enforcement actions we’ve brought since the start of the Strike Force to target and dismantle Russian procurement networks.”
“Whether it was from misplaced foreign allegiance or pure greed, Yermolenko aided Russia’s military and intelligence agencies in circumventing policies meant to keep the Russian ‘war machine’ in check. Through a sophisticated network of shell companies and bank accounts, he laundered more than twelve million dollars and purchased highly sensitive military equipment for Russia. Law enforcement worked in close collaboration to share information and resources, ensuring that Yermolenko and his associates are no longer in operation, making the world safer,” said Thomas M. Fattorusso, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-CI New York.
As alleged in court documents, the defendant was affiliated with Serniya Engineering (Serniya) and Sertal LLC (Sertal), Moscow-based companies that operate under the direction of Russian intelligence services to procure advanced electronics and sophisticated testing equipment for Russia’s military industrial complex and research and development sector. Serniya and Sertal operated a vast network of shell companies and bank accounts throughout the world, including in the United States, that were used in furtherance of the scheme to conceal the involvement of the Russian government and the true Russian end users of U.S.-origin equipment.
The defendant and his co-conspirators unlawfully purchased and exported highly sensitive, export controlled electronic components, some of which can be used in the development of nuclear and hypersonic weapons, quantum computing, and other military applications. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the DOC BIS levied and imposed additional export restrictions on Serniya, Sertal, and several individuals and companies involved in the scheme, calling them “instrumental to the Russian Federation’s war machine.”
Sertal was licensed to conduct highly sensitive and classified procurement activities by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), Russia’s principal security agency and the main successor agency to the Soviet Union’s KGB. The Serniya network’s Russian clients included State Corporation Rostec, the state-owned defense conglomerate; State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom; the Ministry of Defense; the Foreign Intelligence Service; and various components of the FSB, including the Department of Military Counterintelligence and the Directorate for Scientific and Technological Intelligence, commonly known as “Directorate T.”
To carry out the scheme, the defendant helped set up numerous shell companies and dozens of bank accounts in the U.S. to illicitly move money and export-controlled goods. During the period charged in the indictment, more than $12 million passed through accounts owned or controlled by the defendant. These funds were used in part to purchase sensitive equipment used in radar, surveillance, and military research and development. In one instance, money from one of the defendant’s accounts was used to purchase export-controlled sniper bullets, which were intercepted in Estonia before they could be smuggled into Russia.
Co-defendant Alexey Brayman previously pled guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and is awaiting sentence. On July 29, 2024, Konoshchenok was removed from the United States as part of a prisoner exchange negotiated between the United States and Russia. Defendants Boris Livshits, Alexey Ippolitov, Svetlana Skvortsova, and Yevgeniy Grinin remain at large.
This prosecution is coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture and the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force. Task Force KleptoCapture is an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions, and economic countermeasures that the U.S. has imposed, along with its allies and partners, in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Artie McConnell, Andrew D. Reich, Matthew Skurnik, and Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, are in charge of the prosecution, along with assistance from Litigation Analysts Emma Tavangari and Mary Clare McMahon.
The Defendant:
VADIM YERMOLENKO
AGE: 43
Upper Saddle River, New JerseyOther Defendants:
ALEXEY IPPOLITOV
AGE: 58
Moscow, RussiaYEVGENIY GRININ
age: 46
Moscow, RussiaBORIS LIVSHITS
Age: 54
St. Petersburg, RussiaSVETLANA SKVORTSOVA
AGE: 43
Moscow, RussiaVADIM KONOSHCHENOK
AGE: 50
Tallin, EstoniaALEXEY BRAYMAN
AGE: 37
Merrimack, New HampshireE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-409 (S-3) (HG)
NIKOLAOS BOGONIKOLOS
AGE: 60
Athens, GreeceE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-MJ-412
U.S. Attorney’s Office to Monitor Voting Procedures in Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, and Gwinnett CountiesRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia and the Department of Justice announced plans for voting rights monitoring in Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, and Gwinnett counties for the November 5, 2024, general election.
“Free and fair elections are critical to the democracy of our nation,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Every eligible voter is entitled to cast a ballot without fear of intimidation, interference, or discrimination. Our office will dedicate the necessary resources to ensure that this fundamental right is protected for all voters.”
The Department of Justice enforces federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all eligible citizens to access the ballot. The Department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities all across the country.
The Department’s Civil Rights Division will coordinate the effort. Monitors will include Department personnel, who will contact state and local election officials as needed throughout Election Day.
The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act and Civil Rights Acts. The division’s Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure that persons with disabilities have a full and equal opportunity to vote. The division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter suppression based on race, color, national origin or religion.
On Election Day, Civil Rights Division personnel will be available all day to receive questions and complaints from the public related to possible violations of federal voting rights laws. Reports may be made through the Department’s website www.civilrights.justice.gov or by calling toll-free at 800-253-3931. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will also be available to receive complaints on Election Day at (404) 581-6001.
Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the Department’s toll-free ADA information hotline at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or submit a complaint through a link on the Department’s ADA website at www.ada.gov.
Complaints related to any disruptions at a polling place should always be reported to local election officials (including officials based in the polling place). Complaints related to violence, threats of violence or intimidation at a polling place should be reported immediately to local police authorities by calling 911. These complaints should also be reported to the Department after local authorities have been contacted.
More information about voting and elections, including guidance documents and other resources, is available at www.justice.gov/voting. Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.
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.
U.S. Attorney’s Office and U.S. Justice Department to Monitor Compliance with Federal Voting Rights Laws in New JerseyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey announced today that staff from the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in Union, Bergen, and Middlesex counties for the Nov. 2024, general election.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws, including the Voting Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, in elections in communities across New Jersey and the country. As part of this monitoring efforts, in addition to monitoring in Bergen and Middlesex counties, staff from both offices will be working with federal observers in Union County who will be monitoring election day activities in the county’s polling places under a federal court approved consent decree.
Complaints about voting rights concerns can be directed to the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Election Day Hotline at 888-636-6596 or to the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.
More information about voting and elections, including guidance documents and other resources, is available at www.justice.gov/voting. Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section. Information about the ADA is available on the Justice Department’s ADA website at www.ada.gov. Information about civil rights enforcement at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey is available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/civil-rights-enforcement.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Sentencing of Farmington Woman for Oil and Gas FraudRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Farmington woman was sentenced in federal court after pleading guilty to charges of failing to pay royalties owed to the Jicarilla Apache Nation, the Navajo Nation, and the federal government, as well as for submitting fraudulent oil and gas extraction reports and committing wire fraud.
According to court documents, Teresa McCown, 55, the owner of M&M Production & Operation, Inc. and Shoreline Oil & Gas Company, was responsible for accounting, reporting mineral production, and paying royalties to mineral owners for extracted gas and minerals. To that end, McCown was required to submit monthly Oil Gas Operations Reports (OGOR) and royalty payments to the Department of the Interior's Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) based on the amount and value of oil and gas produced from the leases.
On December 6, 2019, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) received a complaint letter from the Jicarilla Apache Nation alleging M&M and Shoreline’s ongoing failures to report oil and gas extraction volumes and failure to report revenue. ONRR began its investigation into McCown and her companies’ failure to pay royalties and determined that she filed over 400 incorrect reports on leases located within the Jicarilla Apache Nation, the Navajo Nation, and other federal lands. Audits of her company also revealed that she entirely failed to file approximately 1,000 reports for at least 32 leases or agreements. McCown also falsely reported gas extraction amounts and failed to pay due royalties and interest.
Despite receiving multiple notices of noncompliance and civil penalties, McCown took no corrective action. Her false and missing filings, together with accruing penalties, resulted in a loss of over $3.55 million for the tribes and the federal government.
The investigation revealed that McCown committed wire fraud by knowingly submitting inaccurate information through online reporting systems and violating numerous reporting regulations. McCown agreed to ONRR’'s Acceptable Use Policy (AUP), which warned against entering inaccurate or false information into the reporting system. The online system separately warns users that a violation of the AUP may result in criminal prosecution. By continuing to violate policy using the online reporting portal, McCown carried on a scheme to defraud the Navajo Nation, the Jicarilla Nation, and the United States of full amounts due for her companies’ operations.
McCown was sentenced to a time-served prison sentence, three years of supervised release, and is ordered to pay full restitution to the Jicarilla Apache Nation and the Navajo Nation for lost royalties. She was also ordered to pay a $20,000 fine in her personal capacity and is statutorily required to pay $900 in Court-required Special Penalty Assessments.
To meet her financial obligations, McCown was ordered to liquidate her personal property – including two pieces of real estate in Farmington and Rio Arriba Counties, two motor vehicles, and a recreational vehicle, insofar as required to satisfy these financial obligations. During her period of Supervised Release, McCown may not work as a record-keeper or reporter in any industry subject to state or federal reporting or regulatory requirements, including oil and gas companies.
As part of her plea agreement, McCown also agreed not to contest proceedings initiated by the Department of the Interior, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Bureau of Land Management to cancel her oil and gas leases.
Finally, McCown also agreed to formally apologize to the Jicarilla Apache Nation and the Navajo Nation. She apologized at sentencing and appended her apology to the record, saying in part: “I have had time to reflect on my actions and now realize that there are much larger consequences… It has not only harmed the two nations but also the people of those nations. For this I am truly sorry… I apologize to this court, The Jicarilla Apache Nation as well as the BIA-Farmington Office and the Navajo Nation.”
This case was prosecuted pursuant to the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act (FOGRMA) and is the first ever federal prosecution under 30 U.S.C. Section 1720 for violations of 30 U.S.C. Section 1719(d)(1). Section 1719(d)(1) of the FOGRMA imposes civil penalties for knowingly or willfully preparing, maintaining, or submitting false, inaccurate, or misleading reports, notices, affidavits, records, data, or other written information. Section 1720 provides criminal penalties for persons who violate Section 1719.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and the Department of the Interior (DOI) Office of Inspector General made the announcement today.
The Department of the Interior, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Energy Investigations Unit investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Flores prosecuted the case.
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U.S. Attorney's Office, FBI and USMS Target Drug Trafficking Operation Linked to Federal Correctional FacilityRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – This week, the FBI Violent Gangs Task Force and U.S. Marshals Service conducted a coordinated operation to dismantle a significant drug trafficking network linked to the Cibola County Correctional Center in Milan, NM, with the support of the New Mexico State Police. The operation was part of an ongoing investigation into an intergang conspiracy involving both incarcerated and non-incarcerated gang members.
On Wednesday, October 30, 2024, search warrants were executed at 13 identified premises across New Mexico, believed to contain evidence related to multiple federal offenses. The following individuals are among those targeted in this operation:
- Nora Baca - 417 Monte Alto Place NE, Albuquerque, NM
- Estrella Gonzalez - 1812 Del Norte Drive SW, Albuquerque, NM
- Angelo Garcia - 4903 Rincon Road NW, Albuquerque, NM
- Monalisa Vargas - 1333 Columbia Dr. SE, Apt #95, Albuquerque, NM
- Theresa Atencio - 9748 Summer Shower Place NW, Albuquerque, NM
- Johnny Valiterra (aka “Chopper”) - 2331 Menaul Boulevard NE, Albuquerque, NM
- Richard Porras (aka “Deuce”) - 2331 Menaul Boulevard NE, Albuquerque, NM
- Sonia Trinidad - 401 Dunes Court, Apt D, Albuquerque, NM
- Desiree Benavidez - 3 Jose P Sanchez Road, Los Lunas, NM
- Ana Romero - 200 E. Jefferson Avenue, Gallup, NM
- Adolfo Montano - 18 Arroyoito Loop, Seboyeta, NM
- Kimberly Perry and Kelly Perry - 8 Red Mesa Housing, Crownpoint, NM
- Monique Gallegos and David Hicks - 7 Hughes Blvd, Grants, NM
In addition to the operation, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico announced indictments against several individuals connected to the drug trafficking at Cibola County Correctional Center. Two current inmates, Lupe Vargas, 40, and Edward Vallez, 44, along with two co-conspirators, Monalisa Vargas, 38 (Lupe's wife), and Michael Garcia, 46, have been charged with conspiracy and attempting to provide or obtain prohibited objects in a correctional facility. Additionally, a superseding indictment has been filed against Nora Baca, charging her with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Nora Baca, Monalisa Vargas and David Hicks were arrested during the operation. If convicted, Baca faces between 15 years and life in prison and Vargas faces up to 20 years in prison. Michael Garcia remains a fugitive at this time.
As a result of the operation, 15 firearms, ammunition, fentanyl, methamphetamine, suboxone strips, $6,000 in cash, and 23 cell phones were seized, and six individuals were arrested and charged by federal or state authorities:
- Angelo Garcia was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. If convicted of the current charges, Garcia faces no less than 10 years and up to 45 years in prison.
- Theresa Atencio was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with providing contraband to a prisoner. If convicted of the current charges, Atencio faces up to one year in jail.
At Benavidez’s residence in Los Lunas, three armed felons were located and arrested:
- Raymond Lucero was arrested on federal criminal complaint and charged with being a felon in possession or a firearm and ammunition. If convicted of the current charges, Lucero faces up to 15 years in prison.
- Jacob Gonzales, aka “Trigger,” was arrested on federal criminal complaint and charged with being a felon in possession or a firearm and ammunition. If convicted of the current charges, Gonzales faces up to 15 years in prison.
- Nadine Gonzales was arrested on state criminal complaint and charged with being a felon in possession or a firearm and ammunition.
Jacob Gonzales recently was released from prison after completing a 22-year on a state sentence for felony convictions related to a murder.
In addition, Emmanleen Chavez was arrested at the residence in Grants on a state warrant for attempted murder.
The operation and ongoing investigation are intended to dismantle the criminal enterprises operating within and outside the correctional facility, which have been implicated in the distribution of controlled substances and other illegal activities.
“The Department of Justice protects the safety and dignity of all, including those in federal custody,” said U.S. Attorney Alexander Uballez. “Those who seek to profit from the addiction and vulnerability of detainees not only violate the law but perpetuate a cycle of harm that extends beyond the walls of the jail. That is why we are taking a comprehensive approach—leveraging technology to interdict contraband before it enters the facility, enforcing federal criminal laws against detainees and those who support them on the outside, relying on the cooperation of people motivated to do the right thing, and treating opioid use disorder with medical care for federal detainees while in custody. The Department of Justice will not tolerate the exploitation of addiction for profit in our correctional facilities.”
"This week’s operation demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to continue to dismantle criminal enterprises operating in New Mexico," said Philip Russell, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Division. "The FBI, along with our federal, state, local and tribal partners are determined to bring drug traffickers to justice for crimes committed and damage done to our communities."
“The U.S. Marshals Service is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for prisoners that are under our care,” said U.S. Marshal for the District of New Mexico David O. Barnett, Jr. “The execution of this joint operation is a testament to the unwavering dedication by our Federal, State, and Local partners to combat crime and improve the lives of our New Mexico communities.”
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez, Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, and David Barnett, U.S. Marshal for the District of New Mexico, made the announcement today.
The FBI Albuquerque Division Violent Gang Task Force (VGTF) and United States Marshals Service jointly investigated this case with assistance from the CoreCivic Intelligence Unit and the New Mexico State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Paul Mysliwiec and David Hirsch are prosecuting these cases.
The VGTF is an FBI led task force comprising of agents and officers from the New Mexico State Police, Rio Rancho Police Department, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, and the Albuquerque Police Department.
View the Search Warrant.pdf View the Indictment (Vargas, et al).pdf View the Criminal Complaint (Lucero and Gonzales).pdf View the Criminal Complaint (Atencio).pdf View the Criminal Complaint (Garcia).pdf View the Superseding Indictment (Baca)_0.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 Kenneth L. Parker announces election day program to protect voting rightsRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – United States Attorney Kenneth L. Parker announced today that Deputy Criminal Chief Jessica W. Knight will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election. Deputy Criminal Chief Knight has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Southern District of Ohio, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
United States Attorney Parker said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election. Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.
Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).
Deputy Criminal Chiefs Emily Glatfelter and Brent Tabacchi and Assistant United States Attorney Peter K. Glenn-Applegate are also serving as District Election Officers. To respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, Ms. Knight and Mr. Glenn-Applegate can be reached in Columbus at 614-469-5715. Ms. Glatfelter can be reached in Cincinnati at 513-684-3711. Mr. Tabacchi can be reached in Dayton at 937-225-2910.
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. Please direct allegations of election fraud and other election abuses to the FBI at 1-800-CALL FBI.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.
Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
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U.S. Attorney Announces That Federal Justice Department Will Monitor Federal Voting Rights Compliance in Wisconsin for November 5 ElectionRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, Timothy M. O’Shea, announced today that the Justice Department will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in several areas of the Western District, including the Town of Lawrence, Town of Thornapple, and the City of Wausau.
The Justice Department enforces federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all eligible citizens to access the ballot. The department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities all across the country.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will coordinate the effort. Monitors will include Justice Department personnel, who will contact state and local election officials as needed throughout Election Day.
The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act and Civil Rights Acts. The division’s Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure that persons with disabilities have a full and equal opportunity to vote. The division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter suppression based on race, color, national origin, or religion.
On Election Day, Civil Rights Division personnel will be available all day to receive questions and complaints from the public related to possible violations of federal voting rights laws. Reports may be made through the department’s website www.civilrights.justice.gov or by calling toll-free at 800-253-3931. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will also be available while the polls are open to receive complaints on Election Day at 608-250-5488.
Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the department’s toll-free ADA information hotline at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or submit a complaint through a link on the department’s ADA website at www.ada.gov.
Complaints related to any disruptions at a polling place should always be reported to local election officials (including officials based in the polling place). Complaints related to violence, threats of violence or intimidation at a polling place should be reported immediately to local police authorities by calling 911. These complaints should also be reported to the department after local authorities have been contacted.
More information about voting and elections, including guidance documents and other resources, is available at www.justice.gov/voting. Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.
U.S. Attorney Announces Recent Mail Theft ArrestsRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the filing of three criminal complaints involving the theft of U.S. Mail.
On October 23, 2024, Ryan Anthony Aheran (27, Orlando) was charged with mail theft. According to the criminal complaint, on October 1, 2024, Aheran stole mail from cluster mailboxes in Orlando. During the search of a vehicle later that day that was ultimately found to have been used by Aheran, U.S. Postal Inspectors located more than 1,000 pieces of stolen mail taken from multiple zip codes. In November 2023, Aheran was captured on video surveillance cashing a check for $9,500 that had been stolen from the mail. If convicted, Aheran faces up to five years in federal prison.
On October 24, 2024, Ottis Nicole McCoy, Jr. (19, Sanford) was charged with mail theft. According to the criminal complaint, McCoy, a contract employee with the United States Postal Service (USPS), was tasked to deliver mail to residences in Orlando. Instead, on October 22, 2024, McCoy transported the mail to a wooded lot, where he dumped more than 1,000 pieces of mail. Among the items that McCoy dumped were over 400 pieces of election-related mail, including an election ballot. Following an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), investigators recovered the discarded mail and located video surveillance footage showing McCoy throwing the mail into the wooded lot. If convicted, McCoy faces up to five years in prison.
(Discarded mail recovered by USPIS)
On October 25, 2024, Jaquisha Durant (30, Orlando) was charged with bank fraud. According to the criminal complaint, on April 22 and 23, 2024, Durant obtained debit cards that had been stolen from USPS cluster mailboxes. These debit cards were used to make cash withdrawals from ATMs. If convicted, Durant faces up to 30 years in federal prison.
“The individuals arrested demonstrated no respect for the sanctity of the mail. In this election cycle and every election cycle, the United States Postal Inspection Service is committed to the integrity of election mail and ensuring the safe and secure delivery of election mail,” said Juan A. Vargas, Inspector in Charge, USPIS, Miami Division. “We understand the critical role we play, and we are steadfast in our efforts to secure the delivery of ballot mail and all election mail.”
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
These cases were investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and the Orlando Police Department. They are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Megan Testerman, Richard Varadan, and Diane Hu.
Over the last approximately four years, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District has federally prosecuted more than 50 cases related to theft and/or destruction of mail, obstruction of mail delivery, and robberies of postal carriers (representative cases listed in attachment).
Download Defendant Chart
Two Riverside County Brothers Sentenced to Prison for $2.1 Million Mail Insurance Scam that Defrauded United States Postal ServiceRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Two Temecula brothers were sentenced today to federal prison for defrauding the United States Postal Service (USPS) out of more than $2.1 million by filing thousands of fraudulent Priority Mail insurance claims.
Anwer Fareed Alam, 36, and Yousofzay Fahim Alam, 34, each were sentenced to 27 months in prison by United States District Judge Wesley L. Hsu, who also ordered them to jointly pay $2,135,739 in restitution.
Both Alam brothers pleaded guilty on February 16 to one count of mail fraud.
From October 2016 to May 2019, the Alam brothers purchased from the USPS Priority Mail packages and postages that included $100 in insurance for lost or damaged parcel contents. Anwer Alam wrapped empty packages or packages containing little or no value and then sent them via Priority Mail to fake recipients at fictitious addresses.
Yousofzay Alam then submitted to USPS fraudulent insurance claims via the Postal Service’s website and falsely certified that the packages contained items of higher value than they did and lied that the packages were lost or had been damaged in transit. Yousofzay Alam also included false invoices as well as photographs of goods that were not actually inside the parcels. The Alam brothers used aliases and fake business names to hide the number of false insurance claims they submitted.
Relying on the false information in the fraudulent insurance claim forms, USPS issued checks to the Alam brothers to cover their purported losses up to $100 in value plus the cost of shipping. USPS sent the insurance claim checks by mail to the Alam brothers to various addresses in Temecula, which included their home addresses, their business addresses, and approximately 15 different post office boxes at two different post offices. The brothers then deposited the fraudulently obtained funds into their bank accounts.
For example, in November 2018, the Alam brothers fraudulently caused to be sent in the mail via USPS a $106.59 Priority Mail claim check, which was mailed to a business address in Temecula.
The total loss caused to USPS through this scheme was approximately $2,135,739.
The United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Courtney N. Williams of the Riverside Branch Office prosecuted this case.
Transient from Denver sentenced to 15 years on fentanyl and firearm chargesRead the Press Release
Derek Edward Lanctot, 38, was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison with five years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Oct. 31 in Casper, Wyoming.
According to court documents, on April 15, 2024, the Wyoming Highway Patrol (WHP) stopped a vehicle near mile marker 73 on Interstate 25. The trooper smelled an odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle and requested assistance for a search. The vehicle then fled and led troopers on a high-speed chase where it eventually wrecked, and all four occupants of the vehicle were taken into custody. During a subsequent search of the vehicle a stash book was found in the trunk. A stash book is a lock box designed to look like a book to disguise its contents. Over 600 grams of Fentanyl pills and a small pistol were located inside.
Lanctot was indicted on May 16 and pleaded guilty on Aug. 12. The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and WHP investigated the crime. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy J. Forwood prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Case No. 24-00058
Trafficking of Methamphetamine in the Sabine Parish Area Sends Three Men to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Three north Louisiana men involved in the trafficking of methamphetamine have been sentenced in federal court, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. This case was an Organized Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation which was conducted in the Sabine Parish area. United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote sentenced the three defendants as follows:
Royshun Avair Newton, 38, of Bossier City, Louisiana, was sentenced to 188 months (15 years, 8 months) in prison. Stacy Norvell Perry, Jr., 32, of Many, Louisiana, was sentenced to 97 months in prison. Jessie Kenneth Dewayne Holden, 34, of Many, was sentenced to 72 months in prison. Each defendant will serve 5 years of supervised release following their release from prison.
Evidence introduced in court revealed that beginning in March 2020 and continuing through August 2022, law enforcement agents learned through their investigation into illegal drug trafficking activities in the Many, Louisiana area, that Newton, Perry and Holden were selling methamphetamine to individuals in and around that area. On April 26, 2022, through text messages and the audio and video recordings, agents learned that Holden met an individual and drove with them to a store close to Perry’s residence, got out of the car and walked toward the residence. Holden shortly thereafter returned to the individual’s car with methamphetamine to sell to them.
In addition, on August 16, 2022, law enforcement agents were able to secure information from an individual about the confirmed purchase of methamphetamine from Newton in exchange for cash. Agents learned that Newton was contacted about arranging the sale and the individual went to Newton’s house to make the purchase. When the individual arrived at Newton’s residence, they encountered Perry who was present and sold the methamphetamine. The suspected narcotics from both transactions were sent to the crime lab for analysis and confirmed to be methamphetamine. Newton, Perry, and Holden were charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and each pleaded guilty to the charge.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica D. Cassidy.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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Texas Man Who Diverted Funds from Richmond Company for Personal Use Sentenced to One Year in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Neil Divers was sentenced today to 12 months and one day in federal prison for wire fraud and money laundering. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Jon S. Tigar, U.S. District Judge.
Divers, 66, of Godley, Tex., who previously resided in Chico, Calif., pleaded guilty on July 17, 2024, to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. As described in court documents, in 2015, Divers partially owned and operated Kodiak Precision, Inc. (Kodiak), a machined component manufacturer in Richmond, Calif. According to the plea agreement, based on prior events, in 2016, the other owners of Kodiak imposed certain controls and procedures designed to prevent Divers from taking money from the company without permission from one or more of the other owners. Despite these controls and procedures, in or about July 2016 to about May 2018, Divers devised and executed a scheme to defraud by opening bank accounts in the name of Kodiak on which he was the only signatory without the knowledge or consent of the other owners of Kodiak. Divers admitted that he then caused an employee to instruct certain Kodiak customers to deposit funds owed to Kodiak into those accounts which were named as “Kodiak” accounts but as to which he was the sole authorized signatory.
According to the plea agreement, Divers took and used some of the diverted money to fund his lifestyle and not to benefit the company, including using $38,217.84 from his fraudulent scheme to purchase landscaping services for his home in August 2019.
In addition to the 12 months and one day prison term, Judge Tigar also ordered the defendant to pay restitution in an amount to be determined at a hearing on Jan. 7, 2025, and sentenced him to a three-year period of supervised release. Defendant will begin serving the sentence on Jan. 10, 2025.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Oakland Field Office Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Mosley.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Rees and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Johnson are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Kay Konopaske. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the IRS-CI.