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Friday 1 November 2024
Texas Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – LEONEL GONZALEZ (“GONZALEZ”), age 41, a resident of Houston, Texas, was sentenced by United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo to one hundred twenty months imprisonment, five years of supervised release, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, five hundred (500) grams or more of amixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(A) and 846, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, on five occasions between May 25, 2020, and July 2, 2020, GONZALEZ distributed kilogram quantities of methamphetamine to a methamphetamine customer who then redistributed the drugs within the Eastern District of Louisiana.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones of the Narcotics Unit.
Ten indicted in multi-county drug trafficking operationRead the Press Release
NOTE: Edited to remove one defendant.
SAVANNAH, GA: Ten defendants face multiple drug trafficking charges after the unsealing of a federal indictment alleging a regional conspiracy to distribute large amounts of multiple illegal drugs.
The defendants all face a primary charge of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, Oxycodone, and Marijuana, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. That charge carries upon conviction a statutory penalty of up to life in prison, along with substantial financial penalties, followed by a period of supervised release upon completion of any prison term.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“This drug trafficking investigation required significant coordination from multiple federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to identify and interrupt the conspiracy,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “We commend the hard work of our law enforcement partners in protecting our community.”
The newly unsealed indictment in USA v. Johnson, et al., describes a drug trafficking conspiracy operating throughout Bulloch, Chatham, and Liberty counties. Multiple law enforcement agencies, coordinated through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, identified the key members of the conspiracy and conducted multiple searches of homes, vehicles, and “trap houses” in which drugs were stored, and during those searches discovered and seized large amounts of drugs along with 11 firearms.
The defendants were charged in the indictment and after it was unsealed have been making their initial appearances in U.S. District Court.
Those charged with conspiracy in USA v. Johnson et al. are:
- William Johnson, a/k/a “G,” a/k/a “Gansta,” 36, of Hinesville, Ga.;
- Keannon Wyckoff, a/k/a “Cuz,” a/k/a “Lank,” a/k/a “Link,” 41, of Statesboro;
- Thomas Blagmon, 40, of Hinesville;
- James Blagmon, a/k/a “G-Man,” 41, of Allenhurst, Ga.;
- Erick Collins, a/k/a “E,” a/k/a “Big E,” 53, of Statesboro;
- Christopher Grant, “a/k/a “Crip,” a/k/a “Scrappy,” 36, of Hinesville;
- Antwuan Byrd, 39, of Midway, Ga.;
- Dederick Bryant, 45, of Ludowici, Ga.;
- Jacob Robinson, a/k/a “Miles,” 48, of Hinesville; and,
- Irma Wyckoff, a/k/a “Auntie,” 60, of Hinesville.
In addition to the conspiracy charge, multiple defendants also face other charges alleging drug possession and distribution, illegal firearms possession, and for maintaining drug-involved premises.
The indictment contains only charges; all defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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.
This case is being prosecuted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Georgia Ports Authority Police, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, the Savannah Police Department, the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, the Hinesville Police Department, the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office, and the Long County Sheriff’s Office, and is being prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Makeia R. Jonese and Assistant U.S. Attorney and OCDETF Coordinator Marcela C. Mateo.
Susubaybayan ng Kagawaran ng Hustisya ang mga Botohan sa 27 mga Estado para sa Pagsunod sa mga Pederal na Batas sa Karapatang BumotoRead the Press Release
Ipinahayag ngayon ng Kagawaran ng Hustisya na pinaplano nitong subaybayan ang pagsunod sa mga pederal na batas sa karapatang bumoto sa 86 mga hurisdiksyon sa 27 mga estado para sa pangkalahatang halalan sa Nob. 5.
Ipinatutupad ng Kagawaran ng Hustisya ang mga pederal na batas sa karapatang bumoto na nagbibigay-proteksiyon sa karapatan ng lahat ng karapat-dapat na mga mamamayang makakuha ng balota. Regular na ipinapadala ng departamento ng mga kawani nito sa mga lugar na kinakailangan upang masubaybayan ang pagsunod sa mga pederal na batas sa karapatang sibil sa mga halalan sa mga komunidad sa buong bansa.
Para sa pangkalahatang halalan, susubaybayan ng departamento ang 86 mga hurisdiksyon para sa pagsunod sa mga pederal na batas sa karapatang bumoto sa Araw ng Halalan, kabilang ang:
- 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;
Pangangasiwaan ng Dibisyon ng mga Karapatang Sibil ng Kagawaran ng Hustisya ang aktibidad. Kabilang sa mga sumusubaybay ang mga tauhan mula sa Dibisyon ng mga Karapatang Sibil, iba pang mga dibisyon ng departamento, mga Opisina ng Abogado ng Estados Unidos at mga pederal na nagmamasid mula sa Opisina ng Pangangasiwa ng mga Tauhan. Sa buong Araw ng Halalan, ang mga tauhan ng dibisyon ay mananatiling nakikipag-ugnayan sa mga opisyal ng estado at lokal na halalan.
Ipinatutupad ng Seksiyon ng Pagboboto ng Dibisyon ng mga Karapatang Sibil ang mga sibil na probisyon ng mga pederal na batas na nagbibigay-proteksiyon sa karapatang bumoto, kabilang ang Batas sa Karapatang Bumoto, Batas sa Pambansang Pagpaparehistro ng Botante, Batas upang Matulungan ang Amerika na Makaboto, Batas sa Pagboboto ng mga Wala sa Lugar ng Botohan na mga Naka-uniporme at mga Mamamayan na nasa Ibang Bansa at ang mga Batas sa Karapatang Sibil. Ipinatutupad ng Seksiyon ng mga Karapatan ng mga May Kapansanan ng dibisyon ang Batas na May Kinalaman sa mga Amerikanong May Kapansanan (Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA) upang masiguro na ang mga taong may kapansanan ay mayroong kumpleto at kapantay na pagkakataong makaboto. Ipinatutupad ng Kriminal na Seksiyon ng dibisyon ang mga pederal na kriminal na batas na kung saan ipinagbabawal ang pananankot ng mga bumoboto at pagpigil ng pagboboto batay sa lahi, kulay, bansang pinanggalingan o relihiyon.
Sa Araw ng Halalan, ang mga tauhan ng Dibisyon ng mga Karapatang Sibil ay buong araw na nakahandang tumanggap ng mga tanong at reklamo mula sa publiko na nauugnay sa mga posibleng paglabag ng mga pederal na batas sa karapatang bumoto. Ang mga pag-uulat ay maaaring gawin sa pamamagitan ng pagpunta sa website ng departamento sa www.civilrights.justice.gov o sa pamamagitan ng pagtawag nang toll-free sa 800-253-3931.
Ang mga indibidwal na may mga tanong o reklamong may kaugnayan sa ADA ay maaaring tumawag sa toll-free na hotline ng impormasyon ng ADA sa 800-514-0301 o sa 833-610-1264 (TTY) o magsumite ng reklamo sa pamamagitan ng pagpunta sa link ng departamento sa website ng ADA sa www.ada.gov.
Ang mga reklamong may kaugnayan sa anumang pagkagambala sa isang lugar ng botohan ay dapat na palaging iulat sa mga opisyal ng lokal na halalan (kabilang ang mga opisyal na naka-base sa lugar ng botohan). Ang mga reklamong kaugnay sa karahasan, mga pagbabanta ng karahasan o pananakot sa isang lugar ng botohan ay dapat na iulat kaagad-agad sa lokal na mga pulis na awtoridad sa pamamagitan ng pagtawag sa 911. Ang mga reklamong ito ay dapat ding iulat sa departamento pagkatapos na makipag-ugnayan sa mga lokal na awtoridad.
Maaaring makakuha ng karagdagang impormasyon tungkol sa pagboboto at halalan, kabilang ang mga documentong nagbibigay-gabay at iba pang mga mapagkukunan sa www.justice.gov/voting. Alamin ang higit pa tungkol sa Batas sa Karapatang Bumoto at iba pang mga pederal na batas sa pagboboto sa www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section.
Stilwell Resident Sentenced for Sexual Abuse in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Joseph Gene Christie, age 18, of Stilwell, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 87 months in prison for one count of Sexual Abuse in Indian Country. Christie will have to register and comply with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act upon release.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, the Cherokee Nation Lighthorse Police, the Stilwell Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On January 5, 2024, Christie was charged in a single-count Felony Information of Sexual Abuse in Indian Country. On January 18, 2024, Christie pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on March 6, 2023, Christie sexually assaulted an individual at a Stilwell residence. The crime occurred in Adair County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable John C. Coughenour, Senior U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Christie will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicole Paladino and Benjamin D. Traster represented the United States.
St. Louis County Woman Accused of $3 Million Home Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis County business owner was indicted by a federal grand jury Wednesday and accused of defrauding Missouri Medicaid out of more than $3 million over more than a decade.
Camille S. Childress, 40, was indicted on four counts of health care fraud. The indictment says Childress owned a home health care company, Inspiring Angels LLC, but concealed her ownership from state officials due to a 2012 criminal conviction. Childress submitted paperwork claiming that someone else owned the company, the indictment says. It also says that Childress submitted or caused to be submitted fraudulent claims to Missouri Medicaid seeking reimbursement for home healthcare services that were never provided. In some cases, the care recipients were in the hospital and could not have received home healthcare, the indictment says. On numerous other occasions, Childress or Inspiring Angels submitted claims when the company did not have any timesheet records or documentation of the services because the services that were the subject of those claims were never provided, the indictment says.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
“The alleged fraudulent enrollment and submission of false claims by this business owner to Medicaid undermines the integrity of the program and diverts essential resources from those who genuinely need assistance,” said Linda T. Hanley, Special Agent in Charge with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue collaborating with the Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit to combat home health care fraud in Medicaid, ensuring the program remains sustainable for those who truly depend on it.”
Each fraud charge carries a potential penalty of up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both prison and a fine.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting the case.
Spa Owner Arrested for Allegedly Performing Thousands of Illegal Counterfeit Injections on Clients for over Three YearsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Stoughton woman has been arrested and charged in connection with smuggling goods into the United States and selling/dispensing counterfeit drugs and devices.
Rebecca Fadanelli, 38, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of illegally importing merchandise contrary to law, one count of selling or dispensing a counterfeit drug, and one count of selling or dispensing a counterfeit device. Fadanelli was arrested this morning and will appear in federal court in Worcester at 1 p.m. this afternoon.
According to the charging documents, since March 2021, Fadanelli, the owner of Skin Beaute Med Spa with locations in Randolph and South Easton, Mass., has been importing counterfeit Botox, Sculptra and Juvederm from China and Brazil and performing thousands of injections of counterfeit drugs and devices for which she received over $900,000 in client payments. It is alleged that Fadanelli consistently represented to clients and employees that she is a nurse; in fact, Fadanelli is an aesthetician and is not licensed nor certified to dispense or administer prescription drugs or devices. According to payment records, from approximately March 2021 through March 2024, Fadanelli completed approximately 1,631 Botox appointments, totaling $522,869 in client payments, and 1,085 filler appointments, totaling $410,545 in client payments.
“For years, Ms. Fadanelli allegedly put unsuspecting patients at risk by representing herself to be a nurse and then administering thousands of illegal, counterfeit injections. Protecting the people of Massachusetts covers a wide range of conduct and here it involves an individual who ignored safety regulations against bringing unapproved, counterfeit drugs and devices into our country and endangered the health of hundreds of her clients. The type of deception alleged here is illegal, reckless and potentially life-threatening,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Today’s arrest underscores our commitment to protecting the public from fraudulent and dangerous practices in the medical and cosmetic fields."
“Individuals who dispense and administer counterfeit injectable cosmetic drugs or medical devices, such as Botox or Juvederm, put the health of unsuspecting American consumers at significant risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Fernando McMillan, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations New York Field Office. “We will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who choose to subvert the safeguards of the legitimate drug and device regulatory regime and supply chain and jeopardize the public health.”
“Every day, our frontline CBP officers and agriculture specialists work tirelessly to protect the American public from illegal and harmful counterfeit products being smuggled into the United States. This case is a prime example of the collaborative efforts that are taken by our law enforcement community to bring these violators to justice,” said Jennifer De La O, Director of Field Operations for U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Boston.
The charge of importing merchandise contrary to law provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charges of knowingly selling or dispensing a counterfeit drug or counterfeit device each provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
If you or a family member believe you received services involving a counterfeit drug or counterfeit device from Fadanelli and/or Skin Beaute Med Spa between 2021 through and including to the present date, please complete the questionnaire located on the FDA’s website at https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/criminal-investigations/oci-vw-assistance. Information about the status of the case is located on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/victim-and-witness-assistance-program/united-states-v-rebecca-fadanelli.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, FDA OCI SAC McMillan and CBP Field Operations Director De La O made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leslie Wright and Sarah Hoefle of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Lawrence L. Piersol has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet. The sentencing took place on October 30, 2024.
Hunter Hill, age 23, was sentenced to 10 years 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. Upon release from federal prison, Hill must register as a sex offender.
Hill was indicted by a federal grand jury in April of 2024. He pleaded guilty on August 12, 2024.
The conviction stemmed from an incident on March 10, 2024, when Hill, while using his cellular phone and the social media application Taimi, attempted to receive images of child pornography from an undercover agent posing as a 15-year-old female. Hill drove to a park in Sioux Falls to meet with the undercover agent and was subsequently arrested.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case.
Hill was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Schenectady Man Charged with Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Nekie Ricks, age 31, of Schenectady, New York, was ordered detained today following his indictment and arrest for possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and his possession of a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement.
According to the indictment, on August 24, 2022, Ricks possessed cocaine with the intent to distribute it, possessed a pistol in furtherance of that crime, and possessed that firearm even though he was a previously convicted felon. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The charges filed against Ricks carry a prison term of at least 5 years and up to life, a fine of up to $1 million, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 3 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
Ricks was arraigned yesterday in Albany, before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel. Following a detention hearing today, Ricks was ordered detained pending trial.
ATF is investigating the case with assistance from the Schenectady Police Department and New York State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping is prosecuting the case.
Repeat Sex Offender Pleads Guilty in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced today that Michael Natale, age 38 of Laurel, Delaware, pleaded guilty on October 29, 2024, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware to possessing child sexual abuse material. The Honorable Chief U.S. District Judge Colm F. Connolly accepted the plea.
According to court documents, between August 21 – August 24, 2021, Mr. Natale received 12 videos and one image file depicting child pornography, and he sent six video files and one image to another user on the social media platform known as Kik. All of the files contained child pornography. The other user was also arrested by the FBI in Newark, New Jersey.
Mr. Natale will be sentenced on February 27, 2025. Because he has a previous conviction related to child pornography offenses, Natale faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Chief Judge Connolly will determine the sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Weiss stated, “My office takes child exploitation offenses very seriously. Mr. Natale had an opportunity to learn his lesson and conform his behavior to the law after his first conviction. He failed to do so and is now subject to a substantial prison sentence. I commend the FBI’s diligence in apprehending this repeat offender against our most vulnerable community members: children.”
“Every time child pornography is viewed on the internet, it re-victimizes a child,” says FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno. “Today’s guilty plea serves as a reminder that protecting children from predators like Natale is a top priority. The FBI will aggressively pursue anyone who exploits and targets children.”
This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Briana Knox is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching Case No. 1:23-cr-34.
Repeat Offenders Plead Guilty in Separate Drug Trafficking InvestigationsRead the Press Release
ALBANY, Ga. – Two Albany residents, both with lengthy criminal histories in the community, pleaded guilty to federal charges resulting from separate drug trafficking investigations in Southwest Georgia.
Roderick Terrell Ferrell, 37, and Kerry Lamont Davis, 42, each pleaded guilty in separate cases to one count of distribution of cocaine before U.S. District Judge Leslie Gardner on Oct. 30. Due to their criminal histories, both Ferrell and Davis qualify as federal career offenders and each face a maximum of 30 years in prison to be followed by six years of supervised release and a maximum $2,000,000 fine. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled by the Court. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Both defendants have lengthy criminal records and have repeatedly disregarded the law,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “These cases demonstrate how federal, state and local law enforcement are working together to make our communities safer and hold career offenders accountable.”
“The FBI is proud to work with our local law enforcement partners in helping to convict these repeat offenders at the federal level, where they face stiffer penalties and no opportunity for parole,” said Rich Bilson, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent of the FBI Atlanta’s Albany office.
“Our communities remain under attack by career criminals with no regard for the destruction they cause,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “This investigation demonstrates the DEA’s commitment to protecting our community.”
"Our message is clear: individuals with histories of criminal behavior who continue to engage in illegal activities will be met with the full force of the justice system. We are dedicated to working alongside our partners to ensure that those who choose this path face serious consequences," said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Atlanta Field Division.
“Eliminating drug trafficking in our communities requires a united front,” said GBI Director Chris Hosey. “The successful convictions of these repeat offenders are a demonstration of the effectiveness of our collaboration across federal, state and local agencies to hold individuals accountable and ensure safer neighborhoods.”
According to court documents and statements made public in court in the Ferrell case, federal, state and local law enforcement received information from various confidential sources that Terrell was distributing cocaine and was supplied by a metro-Atlanta unnamed co-conspirator. Due to COVID-19’s impact on drug supply at the time, Ferrell was charging $1,400 an ounce for powder cocaine. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at another dealer’s residence, seized cocaine, and discovered that Ferrell had sold at least 18 ounces of powder cocaine. Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) then conducted a controlled buy from Ferrell on Nov. 8, 2021, where Ferrell sold two ounces of powder cocaine for $2,150. In addition, Ferrell reported that he had been pulled over by local law enforcement on Oct. 13, 2022, and was in possession at the time of $30,000 from a recent drug transaction. On Nov. 30, 2023, a patrol officer pulled Ferrell over and found ten pounds of marijuana in ten plastic vacuum-sealed bags in the rear cargo area. Ferrell said he was transporting the drugs to Camilla, Georgia. During the investigation, agents discovered that Ferrell filed only one tax return between tax years 2019 and 2023, in which he claimed a negative income in 2022. DEA conducted a concealment money laundering investigation to look at how Ferrell was dispersing his drug trafficking money. Agents found that between Aug. 2021 and Dec. 2023, Terrell received and moved $383,057 through his and his co-conspirators’ CashApp accounts and bank accounts, despite having no employment or declaring any income on his taxes. Credit card and bank statements also showed that Terrell and his girlfriend used drug proceeds to purchase luxury goods from Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, Saks, Gucci and Balenciaga, as well as took luxury vacations and invested in a business that was never operational. Terrell also has several prior felony convictions including robbery by force, terroristic threats and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute in Dougherty County, Georgia, Superior Court.
According to court documents and statements made public in court in the Davis case, Albany Police Department (APD) officers responded to Ridgemont Road in Albany on March 26, 2023, about a suspicious auto parked in the middle of the road. Officers found Davis asleep in the driver’s seat. After Davis handed the officers his driver’s license, he fled at a high rate of speed and crashed his car. He then attempted to run away, but he was quickly apprehended. Inside the car, APD officers found a semiautomatic pistol, a semiautomatic rifle, a revolver, nearly four kilograms of vacuumed sealed marijuana, a distributable quantity of ecstasy and cocaine, a digital scale, plastic baggies and $25,039. Davis has two prior felony convictions for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute in Dougherty County, Georgia, Superior Court.
The Ferrell case was investigated by the DEA, FBI and GBI.
The Davis case was investigated by the ATF and APD.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Redavid prosecuted the cases for the Government.
Repeat Offender to Spend 15 Years in Federal Prison for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A man who received child pornography over the internet while in a residential facility for a prior child pornography charge was sentenced October 31, 2024, to 15 years in federal prison.
Brady David Salow, age 27, from Vinton, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 25, 2024 guilty plea to one count of receiving child pornography.
In a plea agreement, Salow admitted that he was convicted of four counts of possession of a depiction of a minor in a sex act in Dubuque County in 2019. As a condition of his sentence in that case, he was residing at a residential facility in Vinton in 2023. Per the rules of the facility, Salow was not permitted to have access to a phone or a computer. Beginning in the summer of 2023, however, Salow repeatedly persuaded an employee at the facility to loan him her cellular phone under the pretense that he was going to use it for either looking up photos of celebrities or to listen to music. By at least August 2023, Salow began receiving and downloading child pornography to the employee’s phone without the employee’s knowledge, saving downloaded images to a hidden folder on the phone. In October 2023, a fellow resident alerted staff that Salow had been using a phone, and the staff member turned over her phone for examination. A forensic examination of the phone revealed child pornography, and Salow admitted that he had downloaded child pornography to the phone. Information presented at the sentencing hearing showed that authorities seized multiple notebooks authored by Salow containing lists of what he termed “sex jobs,” “child sex locations,” and “kid sex opportunities.”
At the sentencing hearing, the Judge noted that Salow was “highly likely to reoffend” based on his history of possessing child pornography, his history of sexually abusing another individual, and the “clever” and “calculated” manner in which he committed this crime.
Salow was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Salow was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make $9,000 in restitution. He must also serve a 35-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Salow is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Chatham.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23‑CR‑00089.
Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to a Total of 82 Years for Third Conviction for Sex Crimes Against a ChildRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Jarrod Sanford, 43, was sentenced to 82 years’ imprisonment after a federal jury convicted him of production of child pornography, possession of child pornography, and committing a felony sex offense against a minor while required to register as a sex offender. Reagan Fondren, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee announced the sentence today.
This is Sanford’s third conviction for sex offenses against children. He had previously been convicted of sexual battery in Crockett County, TN, for his participation in the rape of a fifteen-year-old child and of transporting an individual for prostitution in federal court in the Central District of Illinois for the sex trafficking of another fifteen-year-old child.
Because of those earlier convictions, Sanford was required to register as a sex offender in the State of Tennessee and to comply with the requirements of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). In addition, Sanford was placed on lifetime federal supervised release. Sanford committed these new crimes despite those protections.
According to information presented during Sanford’s July trial, on November 19, 2023, deputies with the Tipton County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report that Sanford had raped a 13-year-old child. Sanford’s DNA matched DNA samples taken from the child victim. While investigating the rape, TCSO deputies recovered a phone from Sanford’s residence. Agents with the FBI Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force were able to bypass the phone’s encryption and discovered photographs that Sanford had taken between July and November of 2023 showing himself raping the same child.
A federal grand jury indicted Sanford for the child pornography and registry offenses in February 2024. On July 25, after a four-day trial, federal jurors convicted Sanford as charged.
On October 31, United States District Judge Thomas L. Parker sentenced Sanford to 70 years for the child pornography offenses, a mandatory consecutive ten years for the SORNA violation, and an additional two years for violation of his supervised release, for a total of 82 years’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fondren said, “Jarrod Sanford is a sexual predator whose monstrous crimes caused immeasurable harm to the girls upon whom he preyed. We must all come together to combat this kind of abuse that plagues the very foundation of our society. This prosecution, achieved through the collaborative work between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and multiple law enforcement partners, is essential to bringing justice to the survivor of his depraved acts and holding Sanford accountable for his actions. Today’s sentence should send a message to child predators everywhere: Our children deserve better, and you will suffer severe consequences if you harm them.”
“The victimization of children tears at the fabric of our community,” said Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico of the FBI Tennessee, Memphis Resident Agency. “This sentence will protect other children from harm by this predator and should serve as a warning to like-minded individuals who are considering engaging in similar reprehensible behavior. The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to target, catch, and bring to justice those who victimize our most vulnerable.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Probation Office for the Western District of Tennessee, and the Tipton County Sheriff’s Office.
Acting United States Attorney Reagan Fondren thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Lynn Crum and Lauren Delery, who prosecuted this case, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated the case.
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For more information, please contact the media relations team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to over 19 Years’ ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – A registered sex offender from Missouri was recently sentenced to prison. Reagan Fondren, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.
According to the information presented in court, Jayson Lance Luther, 32, met a minor child residing in Dyersburg, TN at a holiday event in December 2022. Luther and the minor child exchanged phone numbers and, shortly thereafter, began texting one another. In January 2023, the minor child’s parent uncovered the messages and reported it to the police. The investigation revealed over 1,200 pages of messages between Luther and the minor child. Many of the texts were sexually explicit.
On August 13, 2024, Luther pled guilty to knowingly enticing a minor to engage in any sexual activity for which a person can be charged. United States District Court Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Luther to 235 months in federal prison followed by 10 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
“We are committed to protecting all citizens of this District, but most importantly the young and vulnerable,” said Acting United States Attorney Fondren. “This sentence is a reflection of the seriousness of this offense, and we will continue to work to ensure that dangerous perpetrators see justice.”
Danny H. Goodman, Jr., District Attorney General for the Twenty-Ninth Judicial District of Tennessee, who assigned Andrew Hays as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney to the Western District, stated, “The partnership that the Twenty-Ninth Judicial District of Tennessee has established with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee has been invaluable for the citizens of our district. This case is a perfect example of this collaboration of teams which allows us to remove dangerous individuals from our communities to keep our citizens and children safe.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Dyersburg Police Department.
Acting United States Attorney Reagan Fondren thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Hays for the Western District of Tennessee, who prosecuted the case, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated the case.
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For more information, please contact the media relations team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Readout of Director Rachel Rossi’s Trip to Northern CaliforniaRead the Press Release
Director Rachel Rossi of the Office for Access to Justice traveled to San Francisco to deliver the keynote address at the Pathways to Justice Conference, a statewide legal services conference held every three years. The engagement included meetings on access to justice issues and initiatives happening in Northern California.
Opening the visit, Director Rossi participated in a listening session hosted by the California Community Justice Workers Working Group, a group of legal aid and access to justice leaders aiming to leverage professional support from nonlawyers to support legal service providers in delivering legal assistance to underserved and marginalized communities. Director Rossi delivered brief opening remarks and then heard from working group members on its proposed recommendations for a community justice worker program in California. The presentation was followed by a discussion with legal aid leaders from across California.
Tuesday morning, Director Rossi delivered the keynote address for the Pathways to Justice Conference convened by the State Bar of California, the Legal Aid Association of California and the California Judicial Council. The conference convenes nonprofit legal service providers, private bar pro bono volunteers and staff from court departments and self-help centers from across the state to discuss access to justice topics. In her remarks, Director Rossi highlighted Office for Access to Justice initiatives and focused on the need to foster collaboration between state, local and federal access to justice stakeholders.
Following the keynote, Director Rossi met with leadership from the Legal Aid Association of California, a statewide membership organization of over 100 legal aid providers. In the meeting, Director Rossi listened to the most pressing issues facing California’s legal aid community and discussed support for efforts to increase interagency collaboration at the state level in the pursuit of access to justice.
That afternoon, Director Rossi attended a roundtable discussion with Bay Area public defense chiefs and leadership, including from San Francisco, Alameda, Santa Clara, Contra Costa, Sonoma, Solano and Marin County, California offices. Director Rossi shared information about Access to Justice Office resources including the Public Defense Resource Hub and the Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable federal funding digital resource. The discussion included the challenges confronting public defense professionals in Northern California such as lack of resources, caseload and workload challenges, recruitment and retention concerns and the unique resource needs for specialized and effective youth defense representation. The roundtable also touched on best practices and innovative public defense strategies spearheaded across bay area offices, including their advocacy and policy work, creative recruitment strategies and holistic representation models.
Director Rossi then met with Prisoner Legal Services to discuss their work providing civil legal assistance to individuals incarcerated locally. She highlighted the pilot program launched by the Office for Access to Justice in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, which similarly provides civil legal services to adults in federal custody, including through the first medical-legal partnership in a federal prison in the United States. They discussed future collaboration and sharing of best practices.
Director Rossi also met with the Federal Public Defender for the Northern District of California to discuss implementation of the Report and Recommendations Concerning Access to Counsel at the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Pretrial Facilities, unique issues facing Criminal Justice Act panel attorneys, and other issues facing federal defenders in the district. Closing the trip, Director Rossi met with U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey for the Northern District of California.
Director Rossi delivered the keynote address for the 2024 Pathways to Justice Conference in San Francisco. Director Rossi and Bay Area public defense chiefs and leadership. Director Rossi and Office for Access to Justice staff met with representatives from Prisoner Legal Services.Rapid City Woman Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of FentanylRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on October 28, 2024.
Kaylonie Goff, 30, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Goff was also ordered to pay $5,013.18 in restitution to the family of an overdose victim.
Goff was indicted for Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death and two counts of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in September of 2023. She pleaded guilty on August 13, 2024.
The conviction stems from Goff and others distributing large quantities of fentanyl and heroin in the Rapid City area between 2021 and 2023. A pill Goff sold led to the overdose death of another person. In sentencing Goff, Judge Theeler focused on the deadly risks of distributing fentanyl and the fact every time Goff sold fentanyl, she was putting others at risk. The judge further found Goff’s significant role in the conspiracy and her attempts to obstruct the investigation justified a sentence of 25 years in prison.
This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team, which is a local drug task force comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.
Goff was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Prior Felon Sentenced to 128 Months in Federal Prison for Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEEE, FLORIDA – Durrell Marquis Lee, 36, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced to 128 months in federal prison, after previously pleading guilty to multiple counts of distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine, and for violation of his federal supervised release for a 2016 federal firearms conviction. Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentence.
“Methamphetamine distribution is a scourge on large and small communities of our district,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “With our dedicated law enforcement partners, we are committed to identifying and aggressively prosecuting those who threaten our citizens’ health and safety by distributing such addictive, controlled substances. This sentence acknowledges the defendant’s continued criminal conduct and sends a straightforward message that there are real and severe consequences for federal drug offenses.”
Court documents reflect that Lee, despite being released from federal prison in July 2021, along with others was actively receiving and distributing pound quantities of high-purity methamphetamine in the Northern District of Florida and elsewhere. Investigation revealed that over the course of several weeks during May 2023, Lee sold smaller quantities of high-purity methamphetamine in three targeted drug operations of Lee and others associated with him. The investigation led to a May 25, 2023, law enforcement operation during which FHP Troopers attempted to conduct a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Lee, the sole occupant, who was thought to be in possession of additional illegal narcotics. After initially stopping for the Trooper, Lee fled from Troopers who attempted to give chase. Shortly thereafter and several miles away, officers located Lee’s abandoned vehicle; inside investigators discovered several ounces of cocaine, “crack” cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, MDMA, Alpha-PVP, drug paraphernalia, and almost $3,000 in U.S. currency. Lee was located and arrested later that evening in Tom Brown Park in Tallahassee during which arrest officers were confronted by a female who fired upon officers, who returned fire. No connection between Lee and the female could be determined.
"Illegal drug activity is dangerous and has no place in our community," said Chief of Police Lawrence Revell. "We are pleased to see justice served with this sentencing and appreciate the collaborative work by everyone involved in this case. We will continue to conduct thorough investigations into those who seek to endanger our community with such harmful and addictive substances."Lee’s prison sentence will be followed by four years of supervised release.
“Highly addictive and destructive, methamphetamine poses a serious danger to the safety and health of our Florida communities,” said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “We remain committed to working with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to hold those who distribute this deadly poison in our communities accountable for their actions.”
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Tallahassee Police Department, Florida Highway Patrol, and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Eric Mountin prosecuted the case.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html
Porcupine Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Bank FraudRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Porcupine, South Dakota, man convicted of Bank Fraud.
Lyle Dean Misun Tibbits, 31, was sentenced to six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Tibbits was also ordered to pay $22,500 in restitution to Security First Bank.
Investigation showed Tibbits, who was employed as a ranch hand, stole checks from his employer’s checkbook and successfully cashed six of them, for a total loss of $22,500. Tibbits’ seventh attempt to cash a check was reported as fraudulent. Tibbits was captured on bank video footage cashing the checks. In sentencing Tibbits to a custody term, Judge Schreier stated his choice to steal checks from his employer was “reprehensible.” Judge Schreier further required Tibbits to make monthly payments towards the restitution after his release from custody.
This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.
Tibbits was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Piedmont Man Sentenced to over Six Years in Federal Prison on Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Piedmont, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on October 28, 2024.
Sammy Stabber, 55, was sentenced to six years and eight months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Stabber was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in November of 2023. He pleaded guilty on August 13, 2024.
The case originated from a traffic stop in Rapid City in August of 2023. Stabber, the passenger in the car, fled the traffic stop. When he was apprehended, officers learned he had absconded from parole and had been carrying over three ounces of methamphetamine.
In sentencing Stabber, District Judge Theeler noted the seriousness of the crime of distribution of methamphetamine and how much danger it causes in the community.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.
Stabber was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
PDS Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Dartanyan Ricardo Hawkins, 29, of Washington D.C., pleaded guilty today in connection with a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed large quantities of marijuana in the District of Columbia.
The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves; FBI Special Agent David Geist of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division; Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Hawkins, aka “Shitty,” was a member of the Push Dat Shit (PDS) and Jugg Gang (JG) street crews. He pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson to distribution and possession with intent to distribute more than 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of marijuana. Hawkins faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison. A sentencing hearing is set for March 7, 2025.
As part of his plea, Hawkins admitted to possessing a firearm as part of the offense and further admitted to using Instagram to sell marijuana. According to court documents, PDS maintained gang territory in the 3300 – 3500 blocks of Wheeler Road, Southeast and operated an open-air drug market outside a market at 3509 Wheeler Road, Southeast. In August 2018, PDS allied with a neighboring street gang known as Jugg Gang, or “JG,” that included Hawkins. The combined gang also conspired to use, carry, and possess firearms – including machine guns – to protect themselves, their drugs, their cash, and their territory from rival crews with whom PDS had “beefs.”
This plea is part of an ongoing joint investigation which has now resulted in 23 convictions and the seizure of two vehicles, 35 firearms, four machine guns, more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition, approximately 60 pounds of marijuana, 41 grams of cocaine base, dozens of oxycodone pills, and approximately $500,000 in cash.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the ATF’s Washington Field Division, and the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James B. Nelson and Justin F. Song and Paralegal Specialist Melissa Macechko.
Hawkins after his arrest on March 11, 2023, on the 2700 block of Shipleley Terrace, Southeast.
PDS Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Dartanyan Ricardo Hawkins, 29, of Washington D.C., pleaded guilty today in connection with a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed large quantities of marijuana in the District of Columbia.
The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves; FBI Special Agent David Geist of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division; Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Hawkins, aka “Shitty,” was a member of the Push Dat Shit (PDS) and Jugg Gang (JG) street crews. He pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson to distribution and possession with intent to distribute more than 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of marijuana. Hawkins faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison. A sentencing hearing is set for March 7, 2025.
As part of his plea, Hawkins admitted to possessing a firearm as part of the offense and further admitted to using Instagram to sell marijuana. According to court documents, PDS maintained gang territory in the 3300 – 3500 blocks of Wheeler Road, Southeast and operated an open-air drug market outside a market at 3509 Wheeler Road, Southeast. In August 2018, PDS allied with a neighboring street gang known as Jugg Gang, or “JG,” that included Hawkins. The combined gang also conspired to use, carry, and possess firearms – including machine guns – to protect themselves, their drugs, their cash, and their territory from rival crews with whom PDS had “beefs.”
This plea is part of an ongoing joint investigation which has now resulted in 23 convictions and the seizure of two vehicles, 35 firearms, four machine guns, more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition, approximately 60 pounds of marijuana, 41 grams of cocaine base, dozens of oxycodone pills, and approximately $500,000 in cash.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the ATF’s Washington Field Division, and the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James B. Nelson and Justin F. Song and Paralegal Specialist Melissa Macechko.
Hawkins after his arrest on March 11, 2023, on the 2700 block of Shipley Terrace, Southeast.
Owner of Florida Labor-Staffing Companies Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
A Ukrainian national pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to the court documents and statements made in court, between April 2008 and July 2021, Oleksandr Yurchyk and others owned and operated a series of labor-staffing companies in southern Florida, including Paradise Choice LLC, Paradise Choice Cleaning LLC, Tropical City Services LLC and Tropical City Group LLC. Through these staffing companies, Yurchyk and others facilitated the employment of non-resident aliens in the hospitality industry who were not authorized to work in the United States and helped evade the assessment and collection of federal income and employment taxes. Yurchyk and his co-defendants also laundered more than $11 million of proceeds from their scheme.
Yurchyk is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 27, 2025. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the conspiracy to commit money laundering and five years in prison for the conspiracy to defraud the United States. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating the case.
Senior Litigation Counsel Sean Beaty and Trial Attorneys Matthew B. Hicks and Wilson R. Stamm of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Senior Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Clark for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
Owner of Florida Labor-Staffing Companies Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
Defendant Caused a Tax Loss to the United States of more than $9.5M
MIAMI – A Ukrainian national pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to the court documents and statements made in court, between April 2008 and July 2021, Oleksandr Yurchyk and others owned and operated a series of labor-staffing companies in southern Florida, including Paradise Choice LLC, Paradise Choice Cleaning LLC, Tropical City Services LLC and Tropical City Group LLC. Through these staffing companies, Yurchyk and others facilitated the employment of non-resident aliens in the hospitality industry who were not authorized to work in the United States and helped evade the assessment and collection of federal income and employment taxes. Yurchyk and his co-defendants also laundered more than $11 million of proceeds from their scheme.
Yurchyk is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 27, 2025. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the conspiracy to commit money laundering and five years in prison for the conspiracy to defraud the United States. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating the case.
Senior Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Clark for the Southern District of Florida and Sean Beaty and Trial Attorneys Matthew B. Hicks and Wilson R. Stamm of the Justice Department’s Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
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Orlando Man Sentenced to 30 Months for Unlawful Possession of MachinegunsRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos Mendoza has sentenced Marcelo Manuel Maysonet (23, Orlando) to 30 months in federal prison for the possession of unregistered National Firearms Act (NFA) weapons, specifically, a machinegun and 15 machinegun conversion devices. The court also ordered Maysonet to forfeit a Delton INC, DTI-15, 5.56 caliver AR style pistol with an installed machinegun conversion device and 15 additional machinegun conversion devices, which are traceable to proceeds of the offense. Maysonet entered a guilty plea on July 25, 2024.
According to court documents, law enforcement officers from theOrange County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives executed a search warrant at Maysonet’s residence, where they discovered 15 machinegun conversion devices and a 5.56 caliber AR-style pistol with a machinegun conversion device installed. A machinegun conversion device is an illegal conversion device that converts a semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic weapon. Under the National Firearms Act, a machinegun conversion device is classified as a machinegun. None of these items were registered to Maysonet in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kaley Austin-Aronson.
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.
Optometrist Settles Allegations That His Optometry Practices Submitted False Claims Using Incorrect National Provider IdentifiersRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – Dr. Tony Jacob, an optometrist who operated a network of optometry practices in Central Texas, has agreed to pay the United States and the State of Texas $1,055,379.96 to resolve allegations under the Federal False Claims Act and the Texas Health Care Program Fraud Prevention Act. Under the terms of the settlement, the United States will receive $922,071.59 and the State of Texas will receive $133,308.37.
The United States alleged that Dr. Jacob’s optometry practices submitted claims to TRICARE, Medicare, and Medicaid using the National Provider Identifiers (NPIs) of optometrists who did not perform the services billed. An NPI is a unique identification number used by healthcare providers in administrative and financial transactions, including enrolling in Federal healthcare programs and submitting claims for reimbursement. Dr. Jacob’s optometry practices allegedly submitted claims under the wrong NPI in circumstances where the optometrist who rendered services was not credentialed or enrolled in the Federal healthcare program billed.
“Providers who submit inaccurate billing information threaten the integrity of program funds,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that providers do not circumvent rules meant to ensure patients appropriate, quality services from physicians who are actually approved to participate in Federal healthcare programs.”
“The Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the law enforcement arm of the DoD Office of Inspector General, is steadfastly committed to protecting the integrity of the TRICARE Program, which is vital to the health and well-being of our warfighters, retirees, and their families,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryan Settle of DCIS’s Southwest Field Office. “DCIS and our prosecutorial partners will tirelessly pursue and prosecute individuals who seek to enrich themselves by jeopardizing the healthcare of TRICARE beneficiaries and defrauding American taxpayers.”
The civil settlement resolved a lawsuit filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The qui tam lawsuit is captioned United States and Texas ex rel. Shealy v. Jacob, et al., No. 1:21-CV-1111 (W.D. Tex.).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Parnham negotiated the settlement on behalf of the United States.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
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Omaha Man Sentenced for Possession of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Kevin McWilliams, age 32, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced October 30, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced McWilliams to 130 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After McWilliams’s release from prison, he will begin a 4-year term of supervised release.
On March 14, 2023, Omaha police stopped a vehicle in which McWilliams was the front seat passenger. The driver consented to a search of the vehicle. As McWilliams exited the vehicle, he was clutching his waistband area. When asked why, McWilliams presented a half-empty 200 ml bottle of liqueur. Officers began a search of McWilliams and felt a large bulge near his crotch. The bulge turned out to be a gallon size Ziplock bag with meth weighing approximately 265 grams. Lab testing confirmed 258.6 grams (0.569 pounds) of a substance containing meth.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department.
Ohio Man Sentenced for Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Ohio man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Thiago da Silva Pinheiro, 44, of Cincinnati, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to five years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. On Jan. 12, 2024, Pinheiro pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography.
On Sept. 20, 2022, Pinheiro flew from Ontario, Canada to Boston with an ultimate destination of Brazil. During screening at Logan Airport, customs officers observed CSAM on Pinheiro’s tablet and phone. There were thousands of CSAM files on Pinheiro’s seized electronic devices depicting children as young as two years old.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan C. Cleary and Jessica L. Soto of the Office’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Northern Kentucky Man Pleads Guilty to Extraterritorial Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. – A Walton, Ky., man, Robert Maxwell Werner, 46, pleaded guilty, on Thursday, before U.S. District Judge David Bunning, to a charge of extraterritorial production of child pornography.
According to his plea agreement, Werner is a U.S. citizen who was living in the Philippines from February 2021 through November 2021. During this time, Werner became the customer of a Filipino individual who would sell access to dozens of minor victims for in-person or livestreamed sexual acts. For several months, Werner paid this individual for child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and multiple in‑person meetings with minor boys in the Philippines. Specifically, Werner admitted to engaging in sexually explicit conduct with at least one minor for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of that conduct between July 2021 and November 2021, while in the Philippines. Werner further admitted to transporting that sexually explicit material into the United States.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky announced the guilty plea.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth and Trial Attorney Rachel Rothberg, with the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Department of Justice, are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
Werner is scheduled to appear for sentencing on March 7, 2025. He faces a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing its sentence.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case 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 U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Nigerian Man Sentenced to 26+ Years in Real Estate Phishing / Spoofing SchemeRead the Press Release
A Nigerian man was sentenced today to more than 26 years in prison for conning prospective homeowners and others out of down payments using a “man-in-the-middle” email phishing and spoofing attack, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Kolade Akinwale Ojelade, a 34-year-old Nigerian national living abroad in Leicester, was indicted in February 2023. He was extradited from the U.K. to the U.S. in April 2024 and three months later pleaded guilty to wire fraud affecting a financial institution and aggravated identity theft. He was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor to 292 months on the wire fraud count and 24 months on the identity theft count to run consecutively for a total of 316 months in federal prison. Judge O’Connor also ordered him to pay $3,386,908 in restitution.
“Even the most conscientious among us could get taken in by a man-in-the-middle scam as devious as this one. Luckily, there are steps we can take to protect ourselves, including confirming wiring instructions in person or by phone,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “For the next quarter-century, Mr. Ojelade will be behind bars, no longer able to scam innocent homebuyers. We are proud to hold him accountable for his crimes.”
“Mr. Ojelade callously engaged in a scheme that stole millions of dollars from prospective homeowners and real estate companies. Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of his crimes. Financial crimes can be devastating for individuals and companies because most times those monetary funds are never recovered,” said P.J. O’Brien, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Dallas Division. “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners domestically and internationally to hold individuals accountable for defrauding unsuspecting victims.”
According to court documents, Mr. Ojelade sent phishing emails to real estate businesses, gained unauthorized access to many of their accounts, and monitored their email traffic to determine when large transactions were about to take place. He then intercepted wire payment instructions, changed the information, and resent the emails via spoofed email addresses that mimicked the original senders’ addresses.
Unbeknownst to the victims – including prospective homeowners wiring money to real estate companies and real estate companies wiring money to title companies – the modified wiring instructions directed them to accounts controlled by Mr. Ojelade and his co-conspirators. Once the funds hit the accounts, Mr. Ojelade and his coconspirators withdrew the money or transferred it into other bank accounts.
At Mr. Ojelade’s sentencing hearing, prosecutors noted that the intended loss was more than $100 million and the actual loss was approximately $12 million.
After serving his sentence, Mr. Ojelade will be subject to deportation.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation, with substantial assistance from FBI International Operations at Mission U.K., United Kingdom authorities, and the U.S. Marshals Service. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Mr. Ojelade from the United Kingdom. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Weybrecht is prosecuting the case.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau advises prospective homeowners to confirm wiring instructions – including account numbers – in person or by phone, and instructs anyone who believes they may have fallen victim to a scam to call their banks as soon as possible to ask for a wire recall.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Drug and Firearm ViolationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DONELL LEBANKS (“LEBANKS”), a/k/a “Shorty,” age 39, of New Orleans, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg G. Guidry to 170 months incarceration, five (5) years of supervised release, and payment of a $400 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to Counts 1 through 4 of a superseding bill of information.
Count 1 charged LEBANKS with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B) and, 846. Count 2 charged LEBANKS with possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(D). Count 3 charged LEBANKS with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i). Count 4 charged LEBANKS with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).
According to court records, during 2021, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) New Orleans Gang Task Force (“NOGTF”) investigated suspected drug sales on Touro Street, in New Orleans. Using surveillance, FBI agents observed LEBANKS conducting possible hand-to-hand drug sales. To confirm such drug sales, NOGTF agents made controlled purchases of fentanyl from LEBANKS. On October 25, 2022, NOGTF obtained a search warrant for a residence as well as for LEBANKS’ vehicle. NOGTF members executed the search warrants and detained LEBANKS and detained him so they could effectuate the search warrant. Inside the vehicle, agents recovered a nine-millimeter Glock handgun, with an extended magazine, tucked between the driver’s seat and the center console. Additionally, agents recovered 180.7 grams of marijuana from the front passenger side of the vehicle.
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 track violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the New Orleans Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mike Trummel of the Violent Crimes Unit.
New Jersey Resident Pleads Guilty to Helping Russia’s Defense Sector Evade U.S. Export ControlsRead the Press Release
Vadim Yermolenko, 43, a dual U.S.-Russian national and resident of New Jersey, 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.
“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.”
“The illegal export of sensitive, dual-use technologies in support of Russia’s war effort poses a significant threat to the United States and its allies and must not be tolerated,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The defendant in this case played a key role in exporting U.S. technology that in the hands of our adversaries could pose great danger to our national security. The FBI and its partners will continue to focus on protecting strategic innovation at home and hold accountable anyone who facilitates illegal transfers to hostile nations like Russia.”
“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,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “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.”
“Today’s guilty plea is just the latest in a series of actions taken by the Commerce Department and our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who illegally procure American technology for the Russian war machine,” said Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod. “As this case demonstrates, we are continuing to focus our efforts on dismantling every node of these illicit procurement networks.”
According to court documents, the defendant was affiliated with Serniya Engineering and Sertal LLC, 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 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 U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) levied sanctions and imposed additional export restrictions on Serniya, Sertal, and several individuals and companies used 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 (Rosatom); the Ministry of Defense; the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR); 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 pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and is awaiting sentence. The case against co-defendant Vadim Konoshchenok, a suspected FSB operative, was dismissed after Konoshchenok was removed from the United States as part of a prisoner exchange negotiated between the United States and Russia. Defendant Nikolaos Bogonikolos’ case remains pending. Defendants Boris Livshits, Alexey Ippolitov, Svetlana Skvortsova, and Yevgeniy Grinin remain at large.
The FBI, BIS, and IRS are investigating the case.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and Estonian authorities provided valuable assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Artie McConnell, Andrew D. Reich, and Matthew Skurnik for the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Today’s actions were 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 United States 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.
NDTX Implements New Voluntary Self-Disclosure (VSD) PolicyRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas announces its implementation of a newly revised national policy detailing the circumstances under which a company will be considered to have made a voluntary self-disclosure (VSD) of misconduct to the USAO, announced U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton.
The Department-wide USAO VSD policy, which was initially announced in February 2023—but was expanded with the addition of the M&A Safe Harbor provisions in March 2024—aims to provide transparency and predictability to companies and the defense bar concerning the benefits and potential outcomes in cases where companies voluntarily self-disclose misconduct, fully cooperate, and timely and appropriately remediate.
The goal of the policy is to standardize how voluntary self-disclosures are defined and credited by USAOs nationwide. It is also intended to incentivize companies to maintain effective compliance programs capable of identifying misconduct, to expeditiously and voluntarily disclose and remediate misconduct, and to cooperate fully with the government in corporate criminal investigations.
Under the policy, a company is considered to have made a VSD if it discloses misconduct by employees or agents before that misconduct is publicly reported or otherwise known to the government.[1] A company must also disclose all relevant facts known to the company about the misconduct to the USAO in a timely fashion and before any imminent threat of disclosure or government investigation.[2]
A company that voluntarily self-discloses, as defined in the policy, and fully meets the other requirements of the policy by fully cooperating, timely and appropriately remediating the criminal conduct, and paying appropriate penalties will receive significant benefits. These include that the USAO may choose not to seek a guilty plea, not to impose any criminal penalty and/or not to impose a criminal penalty that is greater than 50% below the low end of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines fine range, and not to seek the imposition of an independent compliance monitor if the company demonstrates that it has implemented and tested an effective compliance program.
The policy identifies three aggravating factors that may warrant a USAO seeking a guilty plea, even if the other requirements of the VSD policy are met. These include if the misconduct poses a grave threat to national security, public health, or the environment; if the misconduct is deeply pervasive throughout the company; or if the misconduct involved current executive management of the company. The presence of an aggravating factor does not necessarily mean that a guilty plea will be required. Instead, the USAO will assess the relevant facts and circumstances to determine the appropriate resolution. If a guilty plea is ultimately required, the company will still receive the other benefits under the VSD policy. The USAO will recommend a criminal penalty of at least a 50% reduction, and up to a 75% reduction, off the low end of the USSG fine range and will not require the appointment of a monitor if the company has implemented and tested an effective compliance program.
As noted in the March 7, 2024 revisions to the USAO VSD policy, the policy applies to misconduct uncovered in the context of M&A pre- and post-acquisition due diligence. See also JM 9-28.900 (the M&A Policy). An acquiring company that voluntarily discloses misconduct to the USAO pursuant to the M&A Policy and otherwise satisfies the requirements of the USAO VSD policy by fully cooperating, timely and appropriately remediating, and paying any applicable disgorgement/forfeiture and/or victim compensation payments/restitution will receive a presumption of a declination, even if aggravating factors existed as to the acquired company.
In cases where the USAO and another DOJ component are jointly prosecuting a company and/or jointly investigating the misconduct the company voluntarily self-reports pursuant to the VSD, the USAO will coordinate with or, if necessary, obtain approval from the DOJ component responsible—including, as appropriate, taking into consideration the VSD policy specific to that DOJ component—in considering a potential resolution.
Consistent with longstanding DOJ policy, the USAO will evaluate disclosures submitted pursuant to this policy to determine whether or to what extent coordination between the Criminal and Civil Divisions of the USAO is appropriate. See JM 1-12.000. To the extent a disclosure submitted pursuant to the USAO VSD policy involves misconduct that could serve as the basis for False Claims Act (“FCA”) liability, the disclosure will be reviewed in accordance with the Guidelines for Taking Disclosure, Cooperation, and Remediation into Account in False Claims Matters issued by the Fraud Section of the Civil Division of the Department of Justice. See JM 4-4.112.
Since September 2023, the USAO-NDTX has resolved three matters involving potential violations of the False Claims Act based on conduct self-reported to the government. [3] In each of these matters, the government executed a settlement agreement releasing the reporting company from liability under the FCA and crediting the company for self-reporting the conduct consistent with section 4-4.112 of the Justice Manual.
Companies wishing to make a self-disclosure to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas may do so by email to: [email protected].
[1] Regardless of whether a disclosure meets the standards of a VSD, prosecutors will continue to consider a corporation’s pre-indictment conduct, e.g., voluntary disclosure or cooperation, in determining whether to seek an indictment. JM § 9-28.400. Separate from this formal VSD Program, the Department continues to encourage corporations, as part of their compliance programs, to conduct internal investigations and to disclose the relevant facts to the appropriate authorities. See JM § 9-28.900. A corporation’s timely and voluntary disclosure of wrongdoing is among the factors prosecutors should consider in reaching a decision as to the proper treatment of a corporate target in conducting an investigation, determining whether to bring charges, and negotiating plea or other agreements. See JM § 9-28.300. Prosecutors may also consider a corporation’s timely and voluntary disclosure, as an independent factor in evaluating the company’s overall cooperation and the adequacy of the corporation’s compliance program and its management’s commitment to the compliance program. See JM § 9-28.900.
[2] Consistent with the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Corporate Whistleblower Awards Pilot program, companies that voluntarily self-report within 120 days of receiving an internal whistleblower report may still be eligible for benefits under this VSD policy provided the company self-reports prior to the Department of Justice contacting the company.
[3]See Dermatology Management Company to Pay $8.9 Million to Resolve Self-Reported False Claims Act Liability, https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndtx/pr/dermatology-management-company-pay-89-million-resolve-self-reported-false-claims-act (Sept. 13, 2023); Consolidated Nuclear Security Agrees to Pay $18.4 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations of Timecard Fraud, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/consolidated-nuclear-security-agrees-pay-184-million-settle-false-claims-act-allegations (Apr. 23, 2024); North Texas Medical Center Pays $14.2 Million to Resolve Potential False Claims Act Liability for Self-Reported Violations of Medicare Regs, Stark Law, https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndtx/pr/north-texas-medical-center-pays-142-million-resolve-potential-false-claims-act (Nov. 4, 2024).
Money Mule Sentenced to Federal Prison for Laundering Proceeds from Senior Citizens Victimized in A Government-Imposter Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Viraj Patel (29, Sanford) to 3 years and 10 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering. The court also ordered Patel to forfeit $145,000, which is traceable to proceeds of the offense. Patel entered a guilty plea on July 25, 2024.
According to court documents, conspirators placed telephone calls, usually from India, to victims in the United States. The victims were predominantly senior citizens. The conspirators falsely identified themselves as government officials or representatives of financial institutions and told the victims that their identities had been compromised and they needed to pay law enforcement officers, government officials, or financial institutions to fund fraud investigations. Patel’s role was as a mule who picked up money and gold from victims and transported it to co-conspirators. The fraud proceeds were then distributed to other conspirators in the United States.
For instance, in April 2024, co-conspirators called a senior citizen in Pinellas County and falsely impersonated officials with the Federal Reserve. They falsely told the victim that her identity and bank accounts had been compromised and demanded she pay approximately $71,000 to remedy the identity theft. The co-conspirators instructed the victim to provide them with remote access to her computer, through which the conspirators wired $71,000 from the victim’s bank account to a precious metals company for the purchase and delivery of gold bars to the victim’s residence. The victim provided those gold bars to a conspirator in April 2024. The following month, the conspirators made additional false statements to persuade the victim to provide more gold. On May 8, 2024, Patel traveled to the victim’s home and retrieved from the victim a package containing $50,000. Law enforcement arrested Patel with the $50,000.
Investigators determined that between April and May 2024, Patel and his co-conspirators laundered at least $216,000 in fraud proceeds and tried to launder $50,000 in additional proceeds.
“Patel and his co-conspirators preyed on law-abiding citizens by pretending to be government officials,” said Robert Engel, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service Tampa Field Office. “He showed no regard for the law, or those he scammed. This sentence should serve as a warning to potential thieves that they will be caught and prosecuted. The U.S. Secret Service is committed to investigating cases of fraud and to working with our law enforcement partners to pursue justice for victims of financial crime across the country.”
This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Peresie.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with inappropriate agencies and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.
Mission Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine and Failure to Appear in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Failure to Appear. The sentencing took place on August 5, 2024.
Ethan Blue Bird, age 35, was sentenced to three years and 10 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, a $1,000 fine and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Blue Bird was indicted for failure to appear in April of 2023 and later, in January of 2024 for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. He pleaded guilty on May 6, 2024.
From January of 2021 through April of 2023, Blue Bird was involved in a conspiracy with several others in the distribution of methamphetamine on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. As part of the conspiracy, Blue Bird was responsible for distributing over 50 grams of methamphetamine. On April 24, 2022, Blue Bird was found in possession of a firearm. He admitted to law enforcement to being a daily user of methamphetamine. Following his initial indictment, Blue Bird was released on bond conditions. On March 28, 2023, Blue Bird failed to appear for the jury trial previously scheduled relating to the firearm offense.
These cases were investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, and the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan Dilges and Kirk Albertson prosecuted the cases.
Blue Bird was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
McAlester Resident Sentenced for Federal Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Travis Wayne Jones, age 40, of McAlester, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 51 months in prison for illegal possession of a firearm.
The charges arose from investigations by the Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On May 6, 2024, Jones pleaded guilty to one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. According to investigators, on January 11, 2024, deputies with the Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office arrested Jones and found a 9mm firearm on his person. At the time of the arrest, Jones had been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year and was prohibited from possessing firearms.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Jones will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Martin Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Abusive Sexual Contact and Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Martin, South Dakota, man convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact and Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on October 29, 2024.
KT High Elk, also known as KT Burgee, age 30, was sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
High Elk was indicted by a federal grand jury in July of 2022. He pleaded guilty on July 17, 2024.
High Elk and an 18-year-old woman were at a house party on January 15, 2022, in Eagle Butte in the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. When the woman went upstairs, High Elk followed her, then touched her genitalia without her consent. At the time, High Elk was required to register as a sex offender based on a 2014 conviction for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. He was apprehended horseback riding near Snellman, Minnesota, in March of 2024.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.
High Elk was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Marion County Man Sentenced for Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Shawn Allen Burns, 46, of Fairmont, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 96 months in federal prison for the unlawful possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, a vehicle driven by Burns, also known as “Shawn Fain,” was stopped by deputies from the U.S. Marshals Service because he was wanted on a state arrest warrant. The deputies discovered a handgun in the vehicle. Burns is prohibited from having firearms because of prior convictions of breaking and entering, unlawful firearms possession, domestic battery and assault, and drug possession.
Burns will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the United States Marshals investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Marathon County Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Shawn Hignite, Sr., 50, Weston, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 3 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. The prison term will be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Hignite pleaded guilty to this charge on August 1, 2024.
On January 30, 2024, police responded to a domestic incident involving a gunshot. When they arrived, police made contact with Hignite, who initially denied there was a gunshot. Police later obtained a search warrant and located a loaded handgun inside the house and a spent shell casing in the backyard. Hignite later admitted that the gun belonged to him and that he fired it that night. Hignite is legally prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition due to prior felony convictions.
At sentencing, Judge Conley acknowledged the dismal history of Hignite consuming alcohol and committing crimes. He noted that Hignite’s last 30 years have been plagued by poor decision making with either a fascination or compulsion with possessing firearms. Judge Conley expressed disappointment with the pattern of firearms being present in each of Hignite’s prior offenses. He also expressed hope that the sentence would deter Hignite from committing offenses in the future.
The charge against Hignite was the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Everest Metro Police Department, Rothschild Police Department, and Marathon County Sheriff’s Department. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force also investigated the case. The task force consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers (TFOs) from local agencies including the Dane County and Clark County Sheriff’s Offices and the Fitchburg, Madison, Sun Prairie, and La Crosse Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Ayala prosecuted this case.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
Manderson Man Sentenced to over Four Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine in the Pine Ridge ReservationRead 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 Manderson, South Dakota, man, convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
Tyler Laforge, age 45, was sentenced on October 31, 2024, to four years and nine months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
Laforge was indicted by a federal grand jury in June of 2023, and pleaded guilty on June 24, 2024.
His conviction stemmed from his involvement in a large-scale methamphetamine distribution operation in Rapid City, South Dakota, and in the Pine Ridge Reservation. During this conspiracy Richard Glover and his significant other, Teresa Goodroad, were the source of supply for Mark Bond and Todd Pape in South Dakota. Bond and Pape would make trips to Colorado to pick up pounds of methamphetamine from Goodroad and Glover. Other times Goodroad and Glover would deliver the drugs to Bond and Pape in South Dakota. Once the drugs were in South Dakota they would be distributed by various individuals in the Pine Ridge Reservation, including Laforge, Marlena Pond, Chris Janis, Tessie Laforge, and others. Between 15 and 45 kilograms of methamphetamine were distributed during the course of this criminal enterprise.
Glover, Goodroad, Bond, Pape, Pond, Janis, and Tessie Laforge were sentenced earlier this summer to federal prison as follows:
- Bond received a sentence of 26 years and eight months in federal prison
- Pape received a sentence of 25 years in federal prison
- Glover received a sentence of 17 years and six months in federal prison
- Goodroad received a sentence of 17 years and six months in federal prison
- Pond received a sentence of six years in federal prison
- Janis received a sentence of six years in prison
- Tessie Laforge received a sentence of two years and six 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. Attorneys Meghan N. Dilges and Edward Tarbay prosecuted the case.
Laforge was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following his sentencing.
Manchester Man Sentenced to 83 Months in Federal Prison for Fentanyl Distribution and Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Manchester man was sentenced in federal court for distributing fentanyl and for possessing a firearm as a prohibited person, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Thomas Holland, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Landya McCafferty to 83 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release. On March 28, 2024, Holland pleaded guilty to a superseding information charging him with three counts of drug distribution and one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
“The defendant placed our community in danger by trafficking fentanyl. That danger was magnified by his illegal possession of a firearm,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “The defendant will now serve a lengthy prison sentence, preventing him from endangering others.”
“Drug trafficking, along with the violence that all too often accompanies it, is a serious threat to the safety and security of our communities,” said Acting DEA Special Agent in Charge Stephen Belleau, New England Field Division. “This is unacceptable and will not be allowed to happen. The DEA and our local, state and federal partners are dedicated to bringing to justice those that commit these crimes.”
On three occasions, between August and September 2023, Holland distributed a total of 829 grams of fentanyl to a confidential source. When the Drug Enforcement Administration arrested him for his conduct, he was in possession of a 9 mm handgun. The defendant is a convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Cherniske is prosecuting the case.
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Man who Provided Guns to Shooter of Two Jewish Community Members in California Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Eric Celaya, 30, of Phoenix, was sentenced on Monday by United States District Judge Michael T. Liburdi to eight months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release. On May 15, 2024, Celaya pleaded guilty to making a Material False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm.
On January 19, 2023, Celaya purchased two firearms from a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) in Tempe. Celaya completed the Firearms Transaction Record, known as ATF Form 4473, and stated that he was the actual purchaser. However, Celaya knew he was purchasing the firearms on behalf of Jamie Tran. After Celaya submitted the ATF Form 4473 to the FFL, he purchased and left with the two firearms. Subsequently, Celaya provided the firearms to Tran. On February 15, 2023, and February 16, 2023, Tran used the firearms to shoot two Jewish community members in California, offenses charged as hate crimes in the United States District Court, Central District of California, Case Number 2:23-CR-00098-GW. Celaya had no prior criminal history and there was no evidence to show that Celaya was aware of Tran’s intentions or beliefs.
This case was 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Addison Owen, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-23-01456-PHX-MTL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-149_Celaya# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Madison Man Sentenced to 3 Years for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Tyez D. D. Boyd, 27, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 3 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. The prison term will be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Boyd pleaded guilty to this charge on August 14, 2024.
On November 17, 2022, Madison Police Department officers stopped a vehicle in Madison on suspicion that its occupants were engaged in drug trafficking. Officers had intercepted a phone call earlier in the day between the front seat passenger, Davonte King, and a known fentanyl pill dealer setting up a drug deal. Tyez Boyd was a passenger in the rear seat.
Officers took King out of the vehicle and found he was in possession of fentanyl pills, cocaine, and over $1,000 in cash. Officers also found a loaded Taurus 9mm handgun under the front passenger seat where King had been seated. King is prohibited from legally possessing firearms because of a prior felony conviction.
Officers searched Boyd after he got out of the vehicle and found a loaded Kahr .45 caliber handgun in his pocket. Boyd is prohibited from legally possessing firearms because of multiple prior felony convictions. At the time of the stop, Boyd was on state probation for two cases, one involving a strangulation conviction and one involving a domestic violence conviction. Boyd also had three open criminal cases at the time, each of which involved acts of violence. Boyd had two active warrants for his arrest as well. His state probation has since been revoked and he was sentenced to 18 months in state prison on January 27, 2023.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson said Boyd’s possession of a firearm was dangerous by itself, especially when he was carrying it into a dangerous situation with a drug trafficker. Judge Peterson found Boyd’s case was aggravated by his criminal history, which included instances of domestic violence, as well as his history of noncompliance while on supervision. Finally, Judge Peterson said this crime deserved a 4-year sentence but reduced that sentence for time he had already served on his multiple state revocation sentences.
Co-defendant Davonte King pleaded guilty to possessing fentanyl intended for distribution and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and was sentenced by Judge Peterson on September 5, 2024, to 7 years in federal prison.
The charges against Boyd and King were the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS Criminal Investigations, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, and Dane County Narcotics Task Force. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force also investigated the case. The task force consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers (TFOs) from local agencies including the Dane County and Clark County Sheriff’s Offices and the Fitchburg, Madison, Sun Prairie, and La Crosse Police Departments. The Dane County District Attorney’s Office assisted with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven P. Anderson prosecuted this case.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
Lyft to Pay Civil Penalty to Resolve Allegations of Misleading Drivers About Their Potential EarningsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department, together with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), today announced that Lyft Inc. (Lyft) has agreed to resolve allegations that it made false and misleading statements about how much Lyft drivers would earn. The settlement includes an agreement to pay $2.1 million in civil penalties and a permanent injunction prohibiting such false and misleading earnings claims.
Lyft operates a mobile app ride-hailing platform that connects consumers seeking rides with those who provide rides with their own personal vehicles. Through marketing campaigns and advertisements, Lyft recruits drivers. After a driver is hired, Lyft sets the rates the driver charges and collects a portion of the fare for each ride. In a civil complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, the government alleges that, as early as 2021, Lyft made false and misleading claims in its advertising and marketing regarding potential earnings and incentives to be earned by drivers who signed up to drive for Lyft. Lyft allegedly continued these practices even after it received a Notice of Penalty Offenses in October 2021 that placed the company on notice that false and misleading earnings claims were unlawful.
The complaint alleges that Lyft disseminated advertisements promoting specific hourly amounts that drivers throughout the United States could earn. The company, however, did not disclose that the potential hourly amounts were based on the earnings of the top 20% of its drivers. The complaint also further alleges that Lyft also tried to induce drivers to offer more rides by promoting “earnings guarantees,” which guaranteed that drivers would be paid a set amount if they completed a specific number of rides in a certain time. These guarantees allegedly did not clearly disclose that drivers were paid only the difference between what they otherwise earned for the rides and Lyft’s advertised guaranteed amount, rather than receiving the full guaranteed amount in addition to their regular earnings for the rides.
In the stipulated order entered today by the federal district court, Lyft is required to pay a $2,100,000 civil penalty. The order also enjoins Lyft from making any misrepresentations regarding driver earnings and includes other monitoring and reporting provisions aimed at promoting Lyft’s compliance with the order.
“The Justice Department will vigorously enforce the law to stop companies from misleading Americans about their potential earnings in the gig economy,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to work with the FTC to stop unfair and deceptive marketing practices.”
“Lyft drivers deserve accurate information about how much they will be paid for the work they do,” said Director Samuel Levine of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Our settlement with Lyft bans exaggerated earnings claims and underscores the FTC’s commitment to ensuring gig workers are treated fairly.”
Trial Attorney Paulina Stamatelos and Assistant Director Zachary Dietert of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, Assistant U.S. Attorney Ekta Dharia for the Northern District of California and Abdiel Lewis and Evan Rose of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection handled the matter.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the FTC, visit www.FTC.gov.
Lyft to Pay Civil Penalty to Resolve Allegations of Misleading Drivers About Their Potential EarningsRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – The Justice Department, together with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), today announced that Lyft Inc. (Lyft) has agreed to resolve allegations that it made false and misleading statements about how much Lyft drivers would earn. The settlement includes an agreement to pay $2.1 million in civil penalties and a permanent injunction prohibiting such false and misleading earnings claims.
Lyft operates a mobile app ride-hailing platform that connects consumers seeking rides with those who provide rides with their own personal vehicles. Through marketing campaigns and advertisements, Lyft recruits drivers. After a driver is hired, Lyft sets the rates the driver charges and collects a portion of the fare for each ride. In a civil complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, the government alleges that, as early as 2021, Lyft made false and misleading claims in its advertising and marketing regarding potential earnings and incentives to be earned by drivers who signed up to drive for Lyft. Lyft allegedly continued these practices even after it received a Notice of Penalty Offenses in October 2021 that placed the company on notice that false and misleading earnings claims were unlawful.
The complaint alleges that Lyft disseminated advertisements promoting specific hourly amounts that drivers throughout the United States could earn. The company, however, did not disclose that the potential hourly amounts were based on the earnings of the top 20% of its drivers. The complaint also further alleges that Lyft also tried to induce drivers to offer more rides by promoting “earnings guarantees,” which guaranteed that drivers would be paid a set amount if they completed a specific number of rides in a certain time. These guarantees allegedly did not clearly disclose that drivers were paid only the difference between what they otherwise earned for the rides and Lyft’s advertised guaranteed amount, rather than receiving the full guaranteed amount in addition to their regular earnings for the rides.
In the stipulated order entered today by the federal district court, Lyft is required to pay a $2,100,000 civil penalty. The order also enjoins Lyft from making any misrepresentations regarding driver earnings and includes other monitoring and reporting provisions aimed at promoting Lyft’s compliance with the order.
“The Justice Department will vigorously enforce the law to stop companies from misleading Americans about their potential earnings in the gig economy,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to work with the FTC to stop unfair and deceptive marketing practices.”
“Lyft drivers deserve accurate information about how much they will be paid for the work they do,” said Director Samuel Levine of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Our settlement with Lyft bans exaggerated earnings claims and underscores the FTC’s commitment to ensuring gig workers are treated fairly.”
Trial Attorney Paulina Stamatelos and Assistant Director Zachary Dietert of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, Assistant U.S. Attorney Ekta Dharia for the Northern District of California, and Abdiel Lewis and Evan Rose of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection handled the matter.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the FTC, visit www.FTC.gov.
Order by Magistrate Judge Peter H Kang
Lafayette Parish Man Guilty of Violating Federal Controlled Substances and Federal Gun Control ActsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that TERRY REED (“REED”), age 54, a resident of Lafayette Parish, pled guilty on October 29, 2024, to violating the Federal Controlled Substances and Federal Gun Control Acts before United States District Judge Brandon Long.
Specifically, REED pled guilty to possession, with intent to distribute, fifty (50) grams or more of methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A) (Count 1); felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) (Count 2); and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c) (Count 3).
On Count 1, REED faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years, up to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000,000, and at least 5 years of supervised release. On Count 2, REED faces up to 15 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised release. On Count 3, REED faces a consecutive mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 5 years, up to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to 5 years of supervised release. As to each individual count, REED also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, on or about February 3, 2024, REED intentionally possessed, with the intent to distribute, (50) grams or more of methamphetamine. Additionally, he possessed a Ruger Model LC9, nine-millimeter pistol, despite being previously convicted of a felony, a fact that prohibits his possession of a firearm. REED used the illegally possessed firearm to further a drug trafficking crime.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Sarver of the Narcotics Unit.
Lab Owner and Marketing Company Owner Both Found Guilty in Multi-Million Dollar Medicare and Medicaid Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – After a seven-week trial, a jury yesterday found defendants Fadel Alshalabi, 57, of Waxhaw, North Carolina, and Samuel Harris, 30, of American Fork, Utah, guilty of conspiracy to violate and violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute, arising out of a multi-million dollar, multi-state Medicare and Medicaid fraud scheme, announced Thomas J. Jaworski, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. Alshalabi was also convicted of money laundering.
Alshalabi was the owner and Chief Executive Officer of a series of laboratories based in Spring Hill, Tennessee, called Crestar Labs, LLC (“Crestar Labs”). Harris was the owner of Flojo Recruiting d/b/a Secure Health, a Utah-based marketing company that contracted with Crestar Labs.
According to the evidence presented at trial, the co-conspirators entered into sham contracts and paid illegal kickbacks in exchange for laboratory genetic tests. This included targeting and recruiting elderly and low-income patients who were federal health care program beneficiaries in order to obtain their genetic material for conducting genetic tests. Marketers, who were not health care professionals, obtained buccal swabs of DNA from patients at senior health fairs, door-to-door marketing, low-income housing and elsewhere. The tests were then approved by purported telemedicine doctors who were paid kickbacks in exchange for signing off on the laboratory orders sent to Crestar Labs. Alshalabi and co-conspirators paid marketers kickbacks for the genetic testing samples and doctor orders. During the conspiracy, Alshalabi and his co-conspirators billed Medicare and Medicaid over $100 million for laboratory tests procured through the payment of these illegal kickbacks.
"Decisions to order health care items and services should not be coerced and influenced by the payment of illegal kickbacks. These defendants' criminal scheme to pay and receive kick-backs corrupts our country's healthcare system and costs the taxpayers millions of dollars that should go to pay for legitimate health care services for the elderly and poor," said Acting U.S. Attorney Thomas J. Jaworski. "I commend our prosecutors and law enforcement partners for their dedication to pursuing justice and protecting our taxpayer funded programs from those who commit fraud for personal gain."
“These defendants disregarded the medical needs of patients and orchestrated a kickback scheme that undermined the integrity of federal health care programs,” said Kelly J. Blackmon, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG and our law enforcement partners will continue to work tirelessly to hold individuals accountable for exploiting federal health care programs.”
“Medicare and Medicaid Fraud Schemes threaten our health care system and our public safety,” said Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “These guilty verdicts demonstrate that the FBI and our law enforcement partners will aggressively fight back to protect the integrity of our federal health care programs.”
Alshalabi and Harris will be sentenced on March 5 and 6, 2025. At sentencing, Alshalabi and Harris each face up to 10 years in prison on the counts of violating the Anti-Kickback Statute and up to 5 years in prison on conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute. Alshalabi also faces up to 10 years in prison on the money laundering counts. The defendants were acquitted on separate counts of health care fraud.
Six co-defendants previously pled guilty before trial, including Edward D. Klapp of Jupiter, Florida, the former Vice President of Sales for Crestar Labs; Melissa L. Chastain of Belton, South Carolina, the owner and Chief Executive Officer of Genetix LLC, a South Carolina marketing company that contracted with Crestar Labs; Roger Allison of Greenville, South Carolina, the President of Genetix; Dakota White of Easley, South Carolina, the former Director of Client Services and Vice President of Operations for Crestar Labs; Robert Alan Richardson of Silver Spring, Maryland, a principal of Maryland based Freedom Medical Labs, LLC, a marketing company that contracted with Crestar Labs; and Edward Burch of Rockville, Maryland, also a principal of Freedom Medical Labs, LLC. Each pled guilty to one count of violating the Anti-Kickback Statute and one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. They all face up to 10 years in prison on the conspiracy to commit health care fraud and up to 5 years on the conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute. They will be sentenced at a later date to be set by the court.
Two other co-conspirators part of the same scheme were separately charged and convicted. Elizabeth H. Turner, of Glenview, Kentucky, the owner of Advanced Tele-Genetic Counseling, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to offer, pay, solicit, and receive illegal kickbacks and to defraud the Medicare and Medicaid programs. She will be sentenced on January 6, 2025, and faces up to 5 years in prison. Dr. Benjamin Toh, of Chicago, Illinois, was convicted in September 2023, of conspiracy to violate the federal Anti-Kickback Statute after a two-week jury trial. He is scheduled to be sentenced on January 7, 2025 and faces up to 5 years in prison.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Nashville Field Office, with the assistance of state partners including the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and the Georgia Attorney General’s Office, Georgia Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah K. Bogni and Robert S. Levine prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael C. Tackeff provided assistance.
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King County woman, son, and sister, indicted for allegedly defrauding Veterans Affairs benefit programsRead the Press Release
Seattle – A King County woman, her son, and her sister have been indicted by the federal grand jury on an 18-count indictment charging conspiracy, theft of government property, health care fraud and making false statements, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Kelly M. Lee-Carroll, 57, and her sister, Katoya F. Grant, 40, are summoned to appear for arraignment on the indictment November 7, Lee-Carroll’s son Robert H. Nelson III, 27, is currently in state custody and the government has requested that he be moved to federal custody for arraignment on November 7, 2024, as well.
According to the indictment, between July 2012 and October 2024, Lee-Carroll claimed to be disabled to such a degree that she needed full time care for daily living. She claimed to be bedridden with paralysis in one leg and arm. She repeatedly represented that she needed a wheelchair to leave home. The indictment alleges that Lee-Carroll repeatedly lied to the VA about her condition and her ability to care for herself. The investigation revealed that Lee-Carroll did not require the use of a wheelchair outside her home and that she had use of both hands.
Lee-Carroll designated her sister and son as her caregivers so that they were paid for the hours they represented they cared for Lee-Carroll. However, the investigation revealed that on some of the occasions they claimed to be caring for Lee-Carroll, she was traveling to Las Vegas, Tennessee, or internationally to Mexico or Jamaica, without her caregivers. On other occasions when they claimed to be caring for Lee-Carroll, they were clocked in at other jobs such as driving a truck or working as an administrative assistant.
The indictment alleges that the scheme resulted in fraudulent payments from VA programs of over $1.1 million.
According to the indictment, Lee-Carroll served in the Army for three months in 1986, and then joined the Army Reserves from 1986-1994. Lee-Carrol claimed a service-related disability in 2012 and received caregiver funding in 2013.
All three defendants are charged with Conspiracy to commit theft of government property. Lee-Carroll is charged with seven counts of theft of government property and Nelson and grant are each charged with two counts of theft of government property. Lee-Carroll is charged with seven counts of health care fraud. Grant and Nelson are each charged with two counts of health care fraud. Finally, Lee-Carroll is charged with three counts of making a false statement.
Conspiracy to commit theft of government property is punishable by up to five years in prison. Theft of government property and health care fraud are punishable by up to ten years in prison. Making a false statement is punishable by up to five years in prison.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case was investigated by the Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yunah Chung.
lee-carroll_indictment.pdfJustice Department to monitor compliance in AlaskaRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – United States Attorney S. Lane Tucker announced today that the Justice Department will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in five Alaska jurisdictions for the Nov. 5 general election.
The jurisdictions to be monitored are:
- Bethel Census Area
- Dillingham Census Area
- Kusilvak Census Area
- North Slope Borough
- Northwest Arctic Borough
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.
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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Justice Department to Monitor Polls in Arizona for Compliance with Federal Voting Rights LawsRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – United States Attorney Gary M. Restaino announced today that the Justice Department will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in Apache County, Maricopa County, Pima County, and Yuma County for the November 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 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.
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.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-150_DOJ Election Monitoring
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Justice Department to Monitor Polls in 27 States for Compliance with Federal Voting Rights LawsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it plans to monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in 86 jurisdictions in 27 states 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 all across the country.
For the general election, the department will monitor for compliance with federal voting rights laws on Election Day in 86 jurisdictions, including:
- 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.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will coordinate the effort. Monitors will include personnel from the Civil Rights Division, other department divisions, U.S. Attorney’s Offices and federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management. Throughout Election Day, division personnel will maintain contact with state and local election officials.
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.
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.
Justice Department to Monitor Compliance with Federal Voting Rights Laws in Cuyahoga and Portage CountiesRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND - United States Attorney Rebecca Lutzko announced that the Justice Department will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in Cuyahoga and Portage Counties 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 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.
U.S. Attorney’s Office personnel will also be available to receive complaints on Election Day at 216-338-4479 or 419-215-5444 to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns or fraudulent election activity.
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.