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Thursday 31 October 2024
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy Appoints District Election OfficerRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy has appointed a District Election Officer who will oversee the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming Nov. 5, 2024 general election.
Assistant United States Attorney Lucy Sun has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the District of Massachusetts, responsible for overseeing the handling of election day criminal complaints, threats of violence to election officials or staff and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
“Every citizen must be able to vote without fear, intimidation or interference and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election. Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Levy.
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.
Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act also protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).
The public can direct concerns or complaints of election fraud, threats, intimidation and voting rights concerns during the upcoming election to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston at (833) 634-8669.
In addition, the FBI will have Special Agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 857-386-2000.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can also 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.
In the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
pacity in an emergency."Booker" for High-End Brothel Network Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dedham, Mass., man who served primarily as the “booker” for an interstate prostitution network that operated sophisticated high-end brothels in greater Boston and eastern Virginia pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court in Boston.
Junmyung Lee, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce one or more individuals to travel in interstate or foreign commerce to engage in prostitution; and one count of money laundering conspiracy. U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick scheduled sentencing for Feb. 12, 2025. Junmyung Lee was arrested and charged in November 2023 with co-defendants Han Lee, 42, of Cambridge, Mass. and James Lee, 69, of Torrance, Calif. The defendants were subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2024. Han Lee pleaded guilty on Sept. 27, 2024 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 20, 2024.From at least January 2022 through and including November 2023, Junmyung Lee knowingly conspired with Han Lee and, allegedly, James Lee to operate an interstate prostitution network with multiple brothels in greater Boston and eastern Virginia designed to entice women to travel interstate to engage in prostitution. Junmyung Lee and his alleged co-conspirators also knowingly conspired with one another, and others, to launder the proceeds of the prostitution network by concealing that the money was derived the prostitution conspiracy.
Junmyung Lee was recruited to work for the prostitution network in approximately late 2021 through early 2022, as the business expanded. His main role in the conspiracy was that of the appointment “booker” and assisted with various tasks to maintain the prostitution network. In exchange, Han Lee paid Junmyung Lee $6,000-$8,000 per month.
As “booker,” Junmyung Lee was responsible for vetting sex buyers, booking appointments, as well as communicating directly with vetted customers via at least two cell phones – for Massachusetts and for Virginia, respectively. These brothel cell phones each contained over 2,800 verified customers of the prostitution business. An additional known cell phone containing additional contacts for the Virginia brothel was never recovered. Junmyung Lee also helped transport women to and from the airport, with some women working at the brothel locations on multiple occasions and in multiple states.
The defendants allegedly rented high-end apartments in Massachusetts and Virginia to serve as brothel locations, which they furnished and regularly maintained. In June 2022, Junmyung Lee leased one of the brothel locations in Cambridge, Mass. under his own name. In exchange for the lease, Junmyung Lee received a large cash payment of prostitution proceeds from Han Lee. A portion of the cash payment went towards the purchase of a Corvette.
Additionally, Junmyung Lee collected the cash proceeds from the various brothel locations at the direction of Han Lee. Junmyung Lee would then conceal the proceeds via structured deposits into personal bank accounts. Additionally, it is alleged that the defendants regularly used hundreds of thousands of dollars of the cash proceeds from the prostitution business to purchase money orders (in values under an amount that would trigger reporting and identification requirements) to conceal the source of the funds. These money orders were then used to pay for rent and utilities at the brothel locations.
Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should contact [email protected].
The charge of conspiracy to persuade, induce, entice and coerce one or more individuals to travel in interstate or foreign commerce to engage in prostitution provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $500,000 fine or twice the value of funds laundered, whatever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Cambridge Police Commissioner Christine Elow made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Central District of California and the Eastern District of Virginia; the U.S. Postal Service; and Watertown Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Weinstein of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Raquelle Kaye, of the Asset Recovery Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Wednesday 30 October 2024
Winston County man sentenced to over 15 years for possessing methamphetamine with intent to distributeRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, Miss. – Dennis Vernandale Phillips, 42, was sentenced today to over 15 years in prison for his possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute the controlled substance.
The investigation began when law enforcement purchased over 30 grams of methamphetamine from Phillips using a confidential informant. During a subsequent search of Phillips’ residence in Preston, Mississippi, officers located methamphetamine, two firearms, and other narcotics. In total, Phillips’ conduct involved over a kilogram of methamphetamine that impacted the Choctaw Indian Reservation in Winston, Kemper, and Neshoba counties.
On October 30, Chief U.S. District Court Judge Debra M. Brown sentenced Phillips to 188 months imprisonment followed by a 48-month term of supervised release for possessing the methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
“Meth indiscriminately kills children, men and women and it ravages our communities, including the Choctaw Indian Reservation,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “This prosecution and sentence are the result of outstanding cooperation between our federal law enforcement partners and the tribal police to achieve a straightforward goal – to reduce the supply of illicit drugs while seeing to it that those who poison communities with narcotics are held to account.”
Phillips' drug distribution was a threat to the community,” said Whitney Woodruff, Regional Agent in Charge of the Southeast Region for the Division of Drug Enforcement with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. “He was poisoning Indian Country for his personal gain and now he will pay the price. I am proud of our partnerships with the other law enforcement agencies involved."
The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated the case in partnership with the Choctaw Police Criminal Investigations Division, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Howell Addison prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
West Lafayette Man Sentenced to 27 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Markith Williams, age 39, of West Lafayette, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after a jury found him guilty of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm following a two-day jury trial, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Williams was sentenced to 27 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on January 13, 2022, a traffic stop of Williams’ vehicle in Jasper County, Indiana, led to the recovery of a loaded semi-automatic pistol. Williams’ criminal history revealed that he had 3 prior Illinois felony convictions which included being a felon in possession of a firearm, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, and delivery of cocaine, any one of which prohibited him from possessing the firearm in this case.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Hammond Police Department, and the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Patrick D. Grindlay and Assistant United States Attorney Kristian R. Mukoski.
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.
Weslaco resident sent to prison for importing 101 bricks of methRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 43-year-old man has been sentenced for importing meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Arnulfo Hinojosa Jr. pleaded guilty Aug. 1.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Hinojosa to serve 135 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Hinojosa played an integral role in smuggling illegal narcotics into the United States. In handing down the sentence, the court noted traffickers could not succeed without the willing participation of transporters like Hinojosa.
On April 22, Hinojosa claimed he had no illegal drugs in his vehicle when arriving at the Rio Grande City Port of Entry.
Authorities referred him to secondary inspection where a K-9 alerted to the odor of narcotics. A subsequent search revealed 101 bricks of meth, weighing approximately 140 kilograms and hidden in compartments under the vehicle’s cargo bed.
The meth had an estimated street value of approximately $350,000.
At the time of his plea, Hinojosa admitted he knew he was smuggling narcotics into the United States.
Hinojosa will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodore Parran III prosecuted the case.
Waterville Woman Pleads Guilty to Directing Another to Illegally Purchase a Firearm for HerRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Waterville woman pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to aiding and abetting another individual in making false statements during the purchase of a firearm.
According to court records, after a Glock pistol was recovered following a July 2022 arrest in Salem, Massachusetts, an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) revealed the firearm had been purchased at a federally licensed firearms dealer (FFL) in Fairfield, Maine the prior month. ATF contacted the dealer who provided a copy of the ATF Form 4473 associated with the purchase. The FFL also provided ATF with a 4473 associated with another firearm purchase on June 16, 2022. Further investigation revealed that a second individual, Nikeshia Knight, 25, was involved in this purchase. When interviewed, Knight admitted that she had used a straw purchaser to acquire the firearm because she would not pass a background check, providing the individual with money for the purchase and with fentanyl after it was successfully made. Text messages between Knight and the proxy purchaser confirmed that Knight directed the purchase.
Knight faces a maximum of five years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine to be followed by up to three years of supervised release. She will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The ATF investigated the case.
STRAW PURCHASING: A straw purchase is an illegal firearm purchase where the actual buyer of the gun, being unable to pass the required federal background check or desiring to not have his or her name associated with the transaction, uses a proxy buyer who can pass the required background check to purchase the firearm for him/her.
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Washington Man Pleads Guilty to Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Washington, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Derik Carothers, 29, pleaded guilty to Count Four of the Indictment before Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on or about October 20, 2019, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Carothers possessed numerous firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon. Carothers was previously convicted on November 7, 2013, in the Cambria County Court of Common Pleas of burglary and carrying a firearm without a license, and, on March 20, 2017, of carrying a firearm without a license. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
Judge Gibson scheduled sentencing for March 12, 2025. The law provides for a total sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Carothers.
United States Attorney Leigha Simonton Announces NDTX Election Day ProgramRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Leigha Simonton announced that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Matthew Weybrecht will lead the efforts of the in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election. AUSA Weybrecht has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Northern District of Texas, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
United States Attorney Simonton said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election. Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.
Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).
United States Attorney Simonton stated that: “The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA/DEO Matt Weybrecht will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 817-252-5221.”
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The FBI’s Dallas Field Office can be reached by the public at 972-559-5000.
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.
United States Attorney Simonton said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate. It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”
Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
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United States Attorney Names District Election Officer to Oversee Election Day ComplaintsRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Assistant United States Attorney Daniel Huston will lead the efforts for the District regarding the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election. Huston has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer and, in that capacity, will be responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers and election fraud and will address these violations wherever they occur. Our longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.
“Every citizen must be free to cast his/her vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election,” United States Attorney Smith said. “Moreover, election officials and staff must be allowed to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”
Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying, and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).
“The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy,” United States Attorney Smith said. “We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, Huston will be on duty in this District while the polls are open and can be reached by the public at 340-773-3920.” The FBI will also have special agents available in each field office to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day and can be reached by the public at 340-777-3363. 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 found at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by calling 800-253-3931.“Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate,” United States Attorney Smith said. “It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.” Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. The Virgin Islands Police Department has primary jurisdiction over polling places and can react sooner in an emergency.
U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago Announces Telephone Hotline to Report Voting Rights Complaints on Election DayRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, today announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office will operate a telephone hotline on Election Day (Nov. 5, 2024) to receive complaints related to the voting process.
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing a local point of contact for the public to report possible federal election law violations.
“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination, and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Pasqual. “Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”
Assistant U.S. Attorneys and other staff will monitor the hotline. The hotline numbers, staffed on Election Day only, are (312) 469-6157 and (312) 469-6158. The Office’s Election Day Program will be supervised by Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan DeMarco.
In addition, the FBI Chicago Field Office will have Special Agents and staff available on Election Day to receive allegations of election fraud or other election-related complaints. The phone number for the FBI Chicago Field Office is (312) 421-6700.
Complaints can also be made to the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C. by phone at (800) 253-3931 or online at https://civilrights.justice.gov/.
Federal laws protect the rights of voters to mark their own ballot or be assisted by a person of their choice. Federal laws protect against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes. Violations of federal election laws could result in prison time and monetary fines.
In the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, voters are advised to call 911 before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over such incidents at polling sites and will almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
For information about the location and hours of polling sites, Illinois residents are advised to contact the Illinois State Board of Elections by logging on to www.elections.il.gov or by calling (312) 814-6440.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Highlights Efforts to Protect the Right to Vote, Prosecute Election Fraud, and Secure ElectionsRead the Press Release
FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. – Consistent with longstanding Justice Department practices, U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe is highlighting the office’s efforts to ensure all qualified voters have the opportunity to cast their ballots free of discrimination, intimidation, or criminal activity in the election process, and to ensure elections are secure against foreign malign interference.
“The Justice Department prioritizes ensuring fair elections, and our success will depend on the assistance we receive from the American electorate,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “It’s critical for those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud to make that information available to the Department of Justice.”
U.S. Attorney Crowe designated Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Reed to lead the efforts in southern Illinois for the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming Nov. 5 general election.
AUSA Reed serves as the District Election Officer for the Southern District of Illinois, and in that capacity, is responsible for overseeing the handling of election day complaints for voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.
Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted due to a disability or inability to read or write in English.
AUSA Reed will be on duty while the polls are open and will be responsible for responding to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud and directing them to the appropriate authorities. He can be reached by calling (618) 977-3332.
In addition, the FBI has agents available throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. You can reach the FBI by dialing 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).
Concerns for 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.
Report crimes of violence or intimidation by calling 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
U.S. Attorney Recognizes 20th Anniversary of the Crime Victims’ Rights ActRead the Press Release
Springfield, Ill. – On October 30, 2004, the federal Crime Victims’ Rights Act (CVRA) was passed, providing crime victims participatory rights in the federal criminal justice system. Please join U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris in taking a moment to reflect on the 20th anniversary of this landmark legislation.
Prior to the CVRA, there were no requirements to inform a victim of court proceedings, and families would be left out of the process. The families of murder victims Scott Campbell, Stephanie Roper, Wendy Preston, and Nila Lynn experienced this exclusion, ultimately influencing the creation of CVRA. Federal crime victims are now afforded substantive rights and there are mechanisms in place to enforce those rights.
RIGHTS OF CRIME VICTIMS.--A crime victim has the following rights:
(1) The right to be reasonably protected from the accused.
(2) The right to reasonable, accurate, and timely notice of any public court proceeding, or any parole proceeding, involving the crime or of any release or escape of the accused.
(3) The right not to be excluded from any such public court proceeding, unless the court, after receiving clear and convincing evidence, determines that testimony by the victim would be materially altered if the victim heard other testimony at that proceeding.
(4) The right to be reasonably heard at any public proceeding in the district court involving release, plea, sentencing, or any parole proceeding.
(5) The reasonable right to confer with the attorney for the Government in the case.
(6) The right to full and timely restitution as provided in law.
(7) The right to proceedings free from unreasonable delay.
(8) The right to be treated with fairness and with respect for the victim's dignity and privacy.
(9) The right to be informed in a timely manner of any plea bargain or deferred prosecution agreement.
(10) The right to be informed of the rights under this section and the services described in section 503(c) of the Victims' Rights and Restitution Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 10607(c)) and provided contact information for the Office of the Victims' Rights Ombudsman of the Department of Justice.In the Central District of Illinois prosecutions often include violent crime, child exploitation, elder fraud, and other forms of fraud. In July, 2024 the family of a murder victim participated in the trial proceedings that resulted in the conviction Kevin Marshall of Carjacking Resulting in Death and Murder; in August, 2024 several victims testified in the trial that resulted in the conviction of Emmanuel Howard and Evander Jordan, for Conspiracy to Commit Armed Robbery and Firearms Charges; in October, 2024, a kidnapping victim watched the trial that resulted in Ademeko Maclin-Carney and Ausarian Carney being convicted of his kidnapping in 2022.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to seeking justice and treating all victims with dignity and respect. Protecting the rights of victims is an integral part of the criminal justice system before, during, and after court proceedings. If you would like more information regarding crime victim rights and victim services in the Central District of Illinois, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdil
Two sent to prison for roles in cartel-linked human smuggling schemeRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – Two individuals have been sentenced to prison for their roles in an extensive human smuggling conspiracy involving Cartel del Noreste (CDN), announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Laredo resident Francisco Suarez, 20, and Luis Daniel Segura Guzman, 26, a Mexican citizen residing in Laredo. Suarez pleaded guilty Dec. 20, 2023, and Jan. 18, respectively.
U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña has now imposed a 33-month term of imprisonment for Suarez, while Segura received 30 months. Both must serve three years of supervised release following their sentences. Not a U.S. citizen, Guzman is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Suarez and Segura were a part of Los Fantasmas, a gang and alien smuggling organization who works hand-in-hand with Mexican cartels. Judge Saldaña imposed sentencing enhancements that held each responsible for smuggling at least 100 aliens or more. The court commented that both were “committed to this lifestyle” and noted the importance of imposing a sentence that would deter them from becoming involved in this conduct in the future.
Another co-conspirator Bernardo Aniceto Garza, 27, Laredo, also pleaded guilty and is set for sentencing Nov. 4.
“Cartel del Noreste, a Mexican cartel, is known for engaging in ruthless acts of violence and extortion to support its drug trafficking operations, and in recent years it has added human smuggling to its list of illicit money-making operations, with Facebook and social media becoming invaluable tools to facilitate its new venture,” said Hamdani. “CDN uses these platforms to recruit, coordinate and expand its criminal operations, reaching broader audiences, while putting countless lives at risk. For years, Suarez and Guzman used Facebook to exploit and profit from vulnerable individuals while also evading detection, but thanks to the efforts of my office, those days are now over.”
On Aug. 23, 2023, authorities discovered a Facebook post that appeared to be advertising transportation services for undocumented aliens via sleeper cabs of tractor trailers. The investigation revealed Segura coordinated the transportation of three undocumented aliens for approximately $8,000 and arranged for a Garza to make the pickup in Laredo that afternoon.
Authorities were able to apprehend Garza and found two women and a 15-year-old minor inside a parked tractor. All were citizens of Mexico and El Salvador and illegally present in the United States. Law enforcement also discovered a firearm inside the vehicle Garza was driving.
On Sept. 16, 2023, authorities encountered Segura in Laredo. He admitted the CDN had recruited him in Mexico to smuggle aliens and that he worked with Suarez to do so. Law enforcement located a cell phone in Segura’s possession that was still logged into the Facebook account used to advertise and coordinate the August smuggling event.
Suarez was acting as a scout in a separate smuggling attempt Sept. 19, 2023, when law enforcement arrested him. He admitted he worked for Garza and had provided him with the three migrants authorities caught Garza transporting. The investigation also identified Suarez as a stash house operator responsible for harboring undocumented individuals.
An analysis of Segura’s phone revealed his involvement in the smuggling of at least 133 undocumented individuals. Historical data and messages traced Segura’s smuggling activities back to May 2020. The phone also contained detailed information, including photographs and identifying information of suspected migrants, screenshots of smuggling routes and deposit receipts for payments tied to smuggling services.
Authorities found similar information on Suarez’s cell phone which included photos of approximately 300 unique individuals illegally smuggled across the border, including children, dating back to September 2022.
The men will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations, Laredo Police Department and Border Patrol conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations and the Texas Department of Public Safety. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
This sentencing is also the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). Attorney General Merrick B. Garland established JTFA in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to combat the rise in prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. The initiative was expanded to Colombia and Panama to combat human smuggling in the Darién in June 2024. JTFA comprises detailees from U.S. attorneys’ offices along the southwest border including the Southern District of California, districts of Arizona and New Mexico and the Western and Southern Districts of Texas. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, and supported by the Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training; Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section; Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; Office of Enforcement Operations; Office of International Affairs; and the Violent Crime and Racketeering Section. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, Drug Enforcement Adminstration and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in over 325 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers and significant facilitators of human smuggling, more than 270 U.S. convictions, more than 210 significant jail sentences imposed and forfeitures of substantial assets.
Assistant U.S. Attorney and JTFA detailee Jennifer Day prosecuted this case.
Two members of transnational money laundering organization plead guilty to laundering millions of dollars in drug proceedsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Georgia man pled guilty today to his involvement in a conspiracy to launder tens of millions of dollars in drug proceeds on behalf of foreign drug trafficking organizations, including the Sinaloa cartel and Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (the Jalisco cartel). On Aug. 5, a co-conspirator pled guilty for his role in the same money laundering scheme.
According to court documents, Li Pei Tan, 46, of Buford, and Chaojie Chen, 41, a Chinese national residing in Chicago, worked for an organization that laundered millions of dollars in proceeds related to the importation of illegal drugs into the United States, primarily through Mexico, and the unlawful distribution of these drugs. Tan, Chen, and their co-conspirators traveled throughout the United States to collect proceeds derived from trafficking in fentanyl, cocaine, and other drugs. They communicated and coordinated with co-conspirators in China and other foreign countries to arrange for the laundering of these proceeds through financial transactions that were designed to conceal the illicit source of the drug proceeds, including through a sophisticated trade-based money laundering scheme involving the purchasing of bulk electronics in the United States and the shipping of these electronics to co-conspirators in China.
On multiple occasions prior to Chen’s May arrest, law enforcement seized hundreds of thousands of dollars in bulk cash drug proceeds from Chen at locations across the United States. Tan was intercepted by law enforcement in South Carolina while attempting to transport over $197,000 in drug proceeds.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)’s National Drug Threat Assessment, the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels are at the heart of the fentanyl crisis in the United States.
Tan and Chen pled guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. As part of their pleas, Tan and Chen agreed to forfeit numerous assets to the government, including a residence, a firearm, body armor, and more than $270,000 in seized currency. Additionally, they agreed to the imposition of money judgments totaling over $23 million. Chen is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 14 and Tan is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 7, 2025. Chen and Tan each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia; Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and DEA Administrator Anne Milgram made the announcement.
The DEA’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit, investigated the case, with assistance from the DEA’s Office of Special Intelligence, Document and Media Exploitation Unit; the DEA’s offices in Chicago, Atlanta, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Charleston, South Carolina; and the Anderson County, South Carolina, Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Edgardo J. Rodriguez for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Mary K. Daly of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section prosecuted the case, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern District of Georgia and Northern District of Illinois.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 24-CR-145 (Tan) and 24-CR-149 (Chen).
Two Men Plead Guilty to Trafficking More Than Two Dozen Illegal Firearms into BostonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two men have pleaded guilty to conspiring to traffic dozens of illegal firearms from South Carolina to Boston.
Aizavier Roache, 30, of Boston, and Trevon Brunson, 31, of Columbia, S.C., pleaded guilty to one count each of firearms trafficking and conspiracy to do so. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencings for Feb. 6, 2025 and Feb. 11, 2025, respectively.
According to the charging documents, this case arose after a firearm recovered from a shooting in Boston was identified as having been purchased in South Carolina 15 days prior. Over a three-year period, Brunson and Roache conspired to traffic dozens of illegal firearms from South Carolina to Massachusetts. Specifically, Roache would text Brunson photos of the firearms he wanted. After purchasing the firearms in South Carolina, Brunson would meet Roache at different locations in Columbia, S.C. to transfer the firearms. Roache traveled between Massachusetts and South Carolina numerous times to obtain the firearms.
Numerous text messages as well as bank, travel and firearm records detailed the conspiracy. Intercepted communications uncovered an instance were Brunson used Roache’s credit card to complete a multi-gun purchase because he didn’t have enough cash on hand, with Roache texting Brunson the pin number for the card during the transaction. Additionally, a video recovered from Roache’s phone depicts him on a bus showing off a carry-on bag that contained four firearms. The date of the video corresponds with Roache’s trip back to Massachusetts after a multi-gun purchase in April of 2023.
In total, the defendants trafficked more than 24 illegal firearms into Massachusetts from South Carolina. Eleven of the trafficked firearms were recovered in Massachusetts after being used in a crime.
The charge of firearms trafficking provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Two Members of Transnational Money Laundering Organization Plead Guilty to Laundering Millions of Dollars in Drug ProceedsRead the Press Release
A Georgia man pleaded guilty today to his involvement in a conspiracy to launder tens of millions of dollars in drug proceeds on behalf of foreign drug trafficking organizations, including the Sinaloa Cartel and Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (the Jalisco Cartel). Earlier this year, on Aug. 5, a foreign national residing in Illinois pleaded guilty for his role in the same money laundering scheme.
According to court documents, Li Pei Tan, 46, of Buford, and Chaojie Chen, 41, a Chinese national residing in Chicago, worked for an organization that laundered millions of dollars in proceeds related to the importation of illegal drugs into the United States, primarily through Mexico, and the unlawful distribution of these drugs. Tan, Chen, and their co-conspirators traveled throughout the United States to collect proceeds derived from trafficking in fentanyl, cocaine, and other drugs. They communicated and coordinated with co-conspirators in China and other foreign countries to arrange for the laundering of these proceeds through financial transactions that were designed to conceal the illicit source of the drug proceeds, including through a sophisticated trade-based money laundering scheme involving the purchasing of bulk electronics in the United States and the shipping of these electronics to co-conspirators in China.
On multiple occasions prior to Chen’s May arrest, law enforcement seized hundreds of thousands of dollars in bulk cash drug proceeds from Chen at locations across the United States. Additionally, Tan was intercepted by law enforcement in South Carolina while attempting to transport over $197,000 in drug proceeds.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)’s National Drug Threat Assessment, the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels are at the heart of the fentanyl crisis in the United States.
Tan and Chen pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. As part of their pleas, Tan and Chen agreed to forfeit numerous assets to the government, including a residence, a firearm, body armor, and more than $270,000 in seized currency. Additionally, they agreed to the imposition of money judgments totaling over $23 million. Chen is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 14 and Tan is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 7, 2025. Chen and Tan each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia; and DEA Administrator Anne Milgram made the announcement.
The DEA’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit is investigating the case, with assistance from the DEA’s Office of Special Intelligence, Document and Media Exploitation Unit; DEA offices in Chicago, Atlanta, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Charleston, South Carolina; and the Anderson County, South Carolina, Sheriff’s Office.
Trial Attorney Mary K. Daly of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Edgardo J. Rodriguez for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.
Two Defendants Charged in Connection with Vandalism Targeting Jewish Property in PittsburghRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Residents of Coraopolis and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, have been charged by criminal complaint in Pittsburgh with damaging religious property and conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
The two-count complaint named Mohamad Hamad, 23, of Coraopolis, and Talya A. Lubit, 24, of Pittsburgh.
The complaint charges that, from in and around July 2024 through on or about July 29, 2024, Hamad and Lubit conspired with each other to commit an offense against the United States—specifically, a civil rights violation involving damage to religious real property. Hamad and Lubit are further charged with defacing the religious real property of Chabad of Squirrel Hill (Chabad), which occupies a synagogue building, because of the racial and ethnic characteristics of the Jewish individuals associated with Chabad, in violation of federal law.
According to the affidavit filed in support of the complaint, which was unsealed today following Hamad’s and Lubit’s arrests, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pittsburgh Bureau of Police initiated a criminal investigation on July 29, 2024, after receiving reports from Chabad and the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh (the Jewish Federation) of overnight vandalism at their respective properties. Chabad, a center for Jewish educational programming, which occupies a building for Jewish religious services in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, reported that an exterior wall at the front of the property had been defaced with graffiti. Specifically, the words “Jews 4 Palestine” with an inverted triangle were spray-painted onto the exterior of the building with red paint. The inverted triangle, according to the affidavit, first appeared in videos posted online by Hamas, a designated foreign terrorist organization, of the current fighting in Gaza where it was used to mark an Israeli target about to be attacked by Hamas fighters. The investigation also revealed, according to the affidavit, that shortly after the vandalism occurred at the Chabad building, another message was spray-painted on an exterior sign for the Jewish Federation, a non-profit organization that serves as the central fundraising and community relations arm of the Jewish community in Pittsburgh.
“Defacing religious property is not protected speech—it is a crime,” U.S. Attorney Olshan said. “Members of our communities should be able to practice their faith without fear of being targeted for their religious affiliation, including, as alleged here, with a symbol associated with a terrorist organization. Protecting the civil rights of the people of Western Pennsylvania is of paramount importance to this office and our partners in law enforcement, and we are dedicated to pursuing justice on behalf of the victims of these crimes.”
In connection with the investigation, search warrants were executed in August and September 2024 at both defendants’ residences. Hamad’s and Lubit’s cell phones were seized, and a review of the contents revealed, among other things, messages during the month of July 2024 between Hamad and Lubit during which they planned their vandalism activities and specifically discussed selecting Jewish targets. Review of Hamad’s phone also revealed that in the weeks leading up to the vandalism on July 29, Hamad referred to himself as a “Hamas operative,” sent a picture of himself wearing a headband with the Hamas logo to another associate, and exchanged messages with another individual regarding building an explosive device, including a video of a test detonation in early July 2024.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of two years in prison, a fine of $200,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pittsburgh Bureau of Police are conducting the investigation that led to the charges against Hamad and Lubit.
A criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Three Charged in Multi-State Fraud and Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – Three individuals from Georgia have been charged in federal District Court in Providence, RI, for their alleged roles in a wide-ranging lottery and sweepstakes scam that, according to court documents, defrauded senior citizens in Rhode Island and several other states out of at least one million dollars, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Court documents allege that Patrick Dallas, 36, and Stacey Robinson, 28, of Atlanta, GA, and Owen Demoy Byfield, 32, of Cumming, GA, defrauded individuals through a bogus “Publishers Clearing House” (PCH) or similar sweepstakes scam and laundered the proceeds through entities and bank accounts they controlled. All three are charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
As detailed in court filings, it is alleged that seniors were duped into believing that they had won significant sums of money, often times millions of dollars, in a PCH lottery or sweepstakes. These seniors were advised that, in order to collect their winnings, they were required to provide personal identifying information for prize verification purposes, and they were informed that they had to pay upfront fees or taxes. Some of the victims were directed to send money, gift cards, and/or high value items such as Rolex watches and iPhones, purportedly to cover these fees, to various addresses controlled by the defendants.
It is alleged that one victim, a 77-year-old Rhode Island man, received what purported to be a notification from PCH, informing him that he had been randomly entered into a raffle and had won $17,500,000. After contacting the “prize representative” listed in the notification as instructed, the victim was contacted multiple times by another person purporting to be from PCH who instructed him to wire transfer $100,000 to an account later determined by law enforcement to be controlled by a member of the conspiracy. Over time, the victim was repeatedly instructed to purchase a total of three Rolex watches valued together at $42,746 and to ship them to addresses later determined to be associated with a member of the conspiracy. The 77-year-old was further instructed to write and send four checks, each written for $30,000, to an address he was provided. When this 77-year-old gentleman attempted to send the checks, a FedEx employee advised him that he was likely being victimized by scammers and that he should contact the Warwick Police Department. The FedEx employee refused to accept the mailing.
According to court documents, an investigation by the Warwick Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Postal Inspection Service determined that seniors in numerous states had fallen prey to similar scenarios on multiple occasions, and that victims provided significant amounts of money to various entities or bank accounts allegedly controlled by members of the conspiracy. It is alleged that the fraudulently obtained funds were often moved around by members of the conspiracy to other entities and bank accounts they controlled. Some of the funds, including the money wired by the Rhode Island victim, were allegedly used to purchase a home. It is alleged that in applying for a mortgage, altered and fraudulent documents were submitted to a mortgage lender.
A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John P. McAdams.
The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Warwick Police Department, with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations in Atlanta, Georgia State Patrol, Forsyth County Sherriff’s Office, Fulton Count Sherriff’s office, the U.S. Marshalls Service, and the East Providence Police Department.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available by calling the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833 FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice Hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professional who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting or connect them with agencies, and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.[ET]. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website, http://www.elderjustice.gov.
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criminal_complaint_affidavit.pdfTexans charged in wide-spread stolen mail conspiracy in the Eastern District of TexasRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – Two Katy, Texas individuals have been charged with federal violations related to a mail theft scheme in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs.
Brevin Lee Pogue, 26, and Dayana Amador-Enamorado, 24, were named in the two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Texas on October 9, 2024. They were charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and conspiracy to steal U.S. mail and to possess stolen U.S. mail.
According to information presented in court, in April 2023, an investigation into mail stolen in the Eastern District of Texas revealed an elaborate scheme to sell, ship, and alter stolen checks and other financial instruments across the country. That investigation led to the arrest by the Parker Police Department of Pogue and Amador in August 2024, at an Airbnb in Colorado.
If convicted, Pogue and Amador face up to 30 years in federal prison.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Fort Worth Division, Denver Division, and Houston Division; the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office in Colorado; and the Parker Police Department in Colorado.
A federal indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Summerville Brothers Plead Guilty to Selling $35M Worth of Counterfeit ViagraRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. —Ibrahim Shedid, 29, and Ahmed Shedid, 35, of Summerville, have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to sell and traffic counterfeit goods for selling counterfeit Viagra pills in a $35 million scheme.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that Ibrahim Shedid owned and operated Big Boss Puff Stuff and Ahmed Shedid owned and operated A2Z Warehouse. The brothers worked together to distribute and sell counterfeit Viagra to convenience stores, knowing the pills were counterfeit.
In January 2024, law enforcement intercepted a shipment of 19 bottles of counterfeit Viagra, which was being delivered to Big Boss Puff Stuff. After the delivery, more counterfeit Viagra was seized from a storage unit associated with both Ahmed Shedid and Ibrahim Shedid. The retail value of all counterfeit Viagra seized from the defendants was in excess of $35 million.
Ibrahim Shedid faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and Ahmed Shedid also faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. Both also face a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment.
U.S. District Judge Bruce H. Hendricks accepted the guilty pleas and will sentence Shedid and Shedid after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case with assistance from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and the Ninth Circuit Solicitor’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Bower is prosecuting the case.
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Spokane Assistant United States Attorney Recognized at Spokane Zephyr GameRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Stephanie Van Marter was recognized on the field at the final home game of the Spokane Zephyr on Sunday, October 28.
AUSA Van Marter was selected for this honor due to her years of dedicated public service with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, as well as her work as a member of the board of the Spokane Alliance for Fentanyl Education (SAFE). Spokane Zephyr FC is a Spokane’s professional women’s soccer team and member of the USL Super League.
AUSA Van Marter recorded a message about the word “confidence” that was played for the crowd. She shared, “Confidence grows from wisdom, compassion, grace, respect, sprinkled with a little bit of sass. The advice that I would give would be to find that one thing that does make you passionate, that you believe in, and pursue it. Realize that you are going to fall down but you are going to figure out a way to get back up.”
AUSA Van Marter is Deputy Criminal Chief at the U.S. Attorney’s Office and known for her advocacy skills in the courtroom and excellence in training prosecutors and law enforcement on building complex investigations. As Deputy Criminal Chief, AUSA Van Marter supervises cases that include violent crimes in Indian Country and child exploitation offenses. She prosecutes and oversees some of the most difficult cases in the Eastern District of Washington.
AUSA Van Marter has served on the board of SAFE since it was created in 2021. Earlier this month, at the SAFE Fall Leadership Summit, she moderated a panel discussion on the topic of how our community can move from awareness to action in combatting the fentanyl crisis. She also presents to high school health classes and other groups about the opioid epidemic.
“Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Van Marter is a dedicated public servant who works each day to make our communities safe and strong. Teaming up with law enforcement and community partners, AUSA Van Marter courageously holds offenders accountable and selflessly spends time educating our youth and community leaders about the dangers of fentanyl,” stated United States Attorney Vanessa Waldref. “I am grateful the Spokane Zephyr recognized Stephanie’s contributions to our community, and I am proud she is a member of our office.”
South Florida Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in Death of Baby and Possession of Firearms as a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Yesterday afternoon, Darnell Mendez, 36, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, by U. S. District Judge Robin L. Rosenberg. Mendez and his girlfriend, Samantha Yi, previously pled guilty to federal offenses resulting from a long-term joint investigation by the Boynton Beach Police Department (BBPD), the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) following the death of a 10-month-old infant in Boynton Beach, Fla. who had ingested fentanyl. Yi is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 9, 2025, and faces a minimum mandatory sentence of at least twenty years in prison.
On March 31, 2022, PBSO responded to a 911 call of an infant in distress. The infant was transported to Bethesda Hospital East in Boynton Beach with her mother. On April 1, 2022, the baby was transferred to Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood, Fla. On April 5, 2022, the baby died. An autopsy conducted by the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner determined that the baby’s death was caused by fentanyl intoxication and that her manner of death was a homicide.
The BBPD conducted a homicide investigation during which law enforcement recovered fentanyl at the baby’s home. The investigation determined that the baby’s mother and father were addicts and had been abusing fentanyl regularly in the kitchen of their apartment. The investigation also determined that the baby was teething and ingested fentanyl on March 31, 2022, while in the care of her mother, and while her father was at work. The mother was arrested by the BBPD and charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child by culpable negligence.
DEA joined the investigation to identify the drug dealers that were responsible for the distribution of the fentanyl that killed the baby. Through data and information retrieved from the mother’s cellphone, law enforcement was able to identify Yi as the drug dealer. The investigation uncovered months of electronic communications exchanged between Yi and the mother involving drug transactions in which the mother was the customer. The investigation further determined that Yi’s boyfriend, Mendez was also involved in the distribution of fentanyl. Investigators were able to determine that on March 30, 2022, the mother met with Yi in Boynton Beach to purchase fentanyl, and that fentanyl was ingested by the baby resulting in her death.
As part of the joint investigation, DEA, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), BBPD, and PBSO conducted an operation involving two undercover officers who purchased fentanyl from Yi and Mendez. The undercover operation culminated in the arrests of Yi and Mendez on March 6, at their residence in Lake Worth, where law enforcement discovered 14 firearms. As part of their pleas, Yi and Mendez admitted being felons unlawfully in possession of firearms.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the DEA, Miami Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson of the ATF, Miami Field Division, Chief Joe DeGiulio of BBPD, and Sheriff Ric Bradshaw of PBSO announced the sentencing.
The Office of State Attorney Dave Aronberg for the 15th Judicial Circuit – Palm Beach County provided invaluable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam McMichael and Shannon O’Shea Darsch are prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-cr-80041.
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South Burlington Man Charged with Enticing Minors to Produce Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office stated that Jason McGrath, 44, of South Burlington, Vermont has been charged by criminal complaint with enticing minors to produce child sexual abuse material.
On October 29, 2024, McGrath appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle, who ordered that McGrath be detained pending a detention hearing on Friday, November 1, 2024.
According to court records, between March 25, 2023 and September 26, 2024, McGrath used an on-line chat application to knowingly persuade, induce, entice, and coerce minors to produce child pornography, now referred to as child sexual abuse material. McGrath explicitly sought young girls via the on-line application, requested others to sexually abuse them, and sought video and visual depictions of the abuse. McGrath also is alleged to have paid money in exchange for child sexual abuse materials, including by sending funds through an online payment system to a country in Southeast Asia known to law enforcement as a location where child-sex-trafficking networks operate.
On the afternoon of October 28, 2024, McGrath was detained by Customs and Border Protection while reentering the United States from Canada. While McGrath was detained, law enforcement executed a search warrant at his South Burlington residence. During the search warrant execution, law enforcement located a substantial amount of computing equipment, including a high-performance gaming computer, an enterprise-level server rack (including a router, network switch, and network area storage), and other equipment that collectively is capable of storing and processing large amounts of data. Review of this equipment by law enforcement is ongoing.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that McGrath is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. McGrath faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years, and up to life imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations and the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, and thanked U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Chittenden County Sheriff’s Department for their assistance.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt. McGrath is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Sioux City Woman to Federal Prison for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Brandy Binneboese, 44, from Sioux City, Iowa was sentenced on October 25, 2024, after pleading guilty on June 7, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that from January 2021 through June 2023, Binneboese participated in a conspiracy that distributed over 7 pounds of methamphetamine. Evidence further showed that on three occasions in 2023 Binneboese participated in the distribution of ¼ and ½ pounds of methamphetamine as observed by law enforcement using an individual cooperating with law enforcement. On June 1, 2023, just after one of the meth transactions was completed, Binneboese was stopped by law enforcement and found with ½ ounce of methamphetamine and $2,500 in pre-serialized buy money that had been used for the drug purchase moments earlier.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Binneboese was sentenced to 38 months’ imprisonment and must serve three years of supervised release following the imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Binneboese remains in custody of the United States Marshal until she can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-4042. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Ship Management Company Fined $1.75M for Failing to Maintain an Accurate Oil Record Book that Concealed Unauthorized Discharges at SeaRead the Press Release
Gremex Shipping S.A. de C.V., a Mexican corporation that managed several ships, including the M/V Suhar, pleaded guilty and was sentenced today in federal district court in Pensacola, Florida, for creating and providing false records to the U.S. Coast Guard to conceal its illegal discharge of oily bilge waste into the ocean, which is a felony violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS).
The charge stems from a Coast Guard investigation of the ship once it arrived in Pensacola on Aug. 25, 2023. The Suhar is a 7,602 gross ton Panamanian-flagged ocean-going bulk carrier that routinely hauled cement from Tampico, Mexico, to Pensacola. Since March 2021, day-to-day operation of the ship was undertaken by Gremex, which was responsible for hiring all crew, and ensuring compliance with all policies on protection of the environment in accordance with international regulations. After boarding the ship to determine compliance with all applicable laws, Coast Guard personnel determined that the vessel’s crew had regularly discharged untreated oily bilge water into sea in a manner that bypassed onboard pollution control equipment, and then falsified the ship’s oil record book to conceal these discharges.
As part of normal vessel operations, large ocean-going ships like the Suhar generate oily bilge water that periodically needs to be discharged for the vessel to operate safely. The United States and Panama are both parties to an international treaty known as MARPOL, which regulates and limits the at-sea discharge of oily bilge water. To satisfy these marine pollution requirements, vessels typically discharge oily bilge water after it has been processed through an oily water separator, a piece of onboard pollution control equipment which removes oil from bilge water prior to discharge. Ships are required to maintain an oil record book that documents all discharges of oily bilge water so authorities can monitor ships for compliance with these international requirements. Federal law requires that foreign ships arriving at U.S. ports maintain an accurate oil record book.
Consistent with a sentencing recommendation jointly proposed by the government and Gremex, the court sentenced the company to pay a $1.75 million fine, serve a four-year term of probation and commit to developing and implementing an environmental compliance plan that will be in effect during the time the company is on probation.
Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Environment and Natural Resources Division and U.S. Attorney Jason R. Coody for the Northern District of Florida made the announcement.
The Coast Guard’s Investigative Service investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Joel La Bissonniere of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Love for the Northern District of Florida prosecuted the case.
Ship Management Company Fined $1.75M for Failing to Maintain an Accurate Oil Record Book that Concealed Unauthorized Discharges at SeaRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Gremex Shipping S.A. de C.V., a Mexican corporation that managed several ships including the M/V Suhar, pleaded guilty and was sentenced today in federal district court in Pensacola, Florida, for creating and providing false records to the U.S. Coast Guard to conceal its illegal discharge of oily bilge waste into the ocean, which is a felony violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS). Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Environment and Natural Resources Division and United States Attorney Jason R. Coody for the Northern District of Florida made the announcement.
The charge stems from a Coast Guard investigation of the ship once it arrived in Pensacola on Aug. 25, 2023. The Suhar is a 7,602 gross ton Panamanian-flagged ocean-going bulk carrier that routinely hauled cement from Tampico, Mexico, to Pensacola. Since March 2021, day-to-day operation of the ship was undertaken by Gremex, which was responsible for hiring all crew, and ensuring compliance with all policies on protection of the environment in accordance with international regulations. After boarding the ship to determine compliance with all applicable laws, Coast Guard personnel determined that the vessel’s crew had regularly discharged untreated oily bilge water into sea in a manner that bypassed onboard pollution control equipment, and then falsified the ship’s oil record book to conceal these discharges.
As part of normal vessel operations, large ocean-going ships like the Suhar generate oily bilge water that periodically needs to be discharged for the vessel to operate safely. The United States and Panama are both parties to an international treaty known as MARPOL, which regulates and limits the at-sea discharge of oily bilge water. To satisfy these marine pollution requirements, vessels typically discharge oily bilge water after it has been processed through an oily water separator, a piece of onboard pollution control equipment which removes oil from bilge water prior to discharge. Ships are required to maintain an oil record book that documents all discharges of oily bilge water so authorities can monitor ships for compliance with these international requirements. Federal law requires that foreign ships arriving at United States ports maintain an accurate oil record book.
Consistent with a sentencing recommendation jointly proposed by the government and Gremex, the court sentenced the company to pay a $1.75 million fine, serve a four-year term of probation and commit to developing and implementing an environmental compliance plan that will be in effect during the time the company is on probation.
The Coast Guard’s Investigative Service investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Joel La Bissonniere of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Love for the Northern District of Florida 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
Santee Woman Sentenced for Child Abuse and NeglectRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Santeena McBride, age 35, of Santee, Nebraska, was sentenced October 30, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for felony child abuse and neglect. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced McBride to 48 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After McBride is released from prison, she will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
On May 23, 2022, the Santee Sioux Nation Police Department received an intake from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services related to a minor child in need of a welfare check at a home on the Santee Sioux Nation Indian Reservation. Santee Tribal Police responded to the home where the minor child was found to be living in unsanitary conditions. The minor child was pale and not moving. Investigation revealed the child had not been receiving adequate care and she was hospitalized for both anemia and malnutrition. Investigation revealed McBride was responsible for the minor’s care and McBride had placed the minor in a situation that endangered her life or physical health, which resulted in serious bodily injury to the child.
This case was charged in United States District Court because McBride and the minor child are both Native American and the offense, a felony level child abuse offense, occurred on an Indian Reservation giving rise to federal jurisdiction.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Rockledge Man Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 FraudRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Robert William Burns, III (44, Rockledge) has pleaded guilty to COVID-19-related wire fraud. Burns faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, in 2021, Burns applied for three Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) loans to support two of his businesses – RB3 Ventures LLC and The Social Wizards. In all three applications, Burns made false statements to obtain the loans. In one instance, he inflated his company’s income to obtain a larger payout and supported the application with false or fictitious tax documents. In total, Burns fraudulently obtained $57,186 in PPP funds. Burns then spent all the funds on non-business purposes.
As part of his plea agreement, Burns has agreed to forfeit $57,186 and make full restitution to the U.S. Small Business Administration.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard Varadan.
Rochester man pleads guilty to civil disorder and assaulting federal officersRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that JohnMichael Santiago, 25, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of civil disorder and assaulting a federal officer, was sentenced to serve 33 months by U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Moynihan, who handled the case, stated that on September 4, 2020, following the release of information by the Rochester Police Department (RPD) regarding the death of Daniel Prude, a group of protesters damaged property and turned over tables at two restaurants in Rochester, causing numerous patrons to leave. During the evening of September 5, 2020, Santiago was part of a group of approximately 1,500 protesters that gathered at Broad Street and Exchange Boulevard, about a block north of RPD headquarters, where they blocked all lanes of traffic on nearby streets. Over the next few hours, some protesters hurled rocks, bottles, lit fireworks, and other objects at police officers in the area. Some also shined flashlights and pointed lasers at officers. Protesters were repeatedly asked to move onto the sidewalks and leave the area or be subject to arrest. Many disregarded the requests, remained in the streets, and continued to block traffic. Santiago threw an ignited firework in the direction of a line of uniformed RPD officers, which detonated in the immediate vicinity of the officers. Santiago was not arrested that night, but was later interviewed by law enforcement about the incident. Santiago admitted that he attended the protests, brought fireworks to the protests, and threw an ignited mortar-style firework at police officers.
While in custody at the Livingston County Jail, after being charged with civil disorder, Santiago assaulted two corrections officers, throwing a hard plastic cup at one, and striking the other in the face with his fist. Officers began to wrestle Santiago to secure him, during which one officer suffered contusions and a concussion, and a second suffered a back injury.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the United States Marshall’s Service, under the direction of Marshal Charles Salina.
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Repeat Offender from Hampden Faces up to 20 Years in Prison for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Hampden man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to possessing child pornography involving a child under 12.
According to court records, in May 2023, investigators from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Maine State Police executed a search warrant at the residence of Michael King, 66. In an interview with agents, King admitted to possessing child sexual abuse material and advised the agents they would find his computer under the couch. The laptop was seized, and hundreds of images were recovered.
King faces up to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, followed by five years to life of supervised release. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. King had previously been convicted in state court in March 2017 of possessing sexually explicit material of a child under 12. The prior conviction may enhance King’s sentence in this case.
HSI and the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit investigated the case.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – in legal terms, "child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are shared or viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at https://report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’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, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.
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Corrected 10/30/24: Prior conviction corrected to Penobscot County Superior Court.
Reno Man Sentenced to Prison for Assaulting Three Minors on ReservationRead the Press Release
RENO – A Reno man was sentenced Monday by United States District Judge Anne R. Traum to five years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for assaulting three teenagers, leaving one seriously injured, on the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony reservation.
According to court documents, on September 2, 2023, Roy Ramirez, 25, pistol-whipped a teenager in the face, pistol-whipped a second teenager in the head, and pointed the firearm at a third teenager. The second teenager was a 13-year-old child who suffered multiple life-threatening injuries. Ramirez was on state parole at the time of the assault.
Ramirez pleaded guilty to one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon Within Indian Country and one count of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury Within Indian Country.
United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI made the announcement.
The FBI, Nevada Parole and Probation, and the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony Tribal Police investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Penelope Brady prosecuted the case.
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Rapid City Man Arraigned on Federal Charges Following Arrest for Large Scale Distribution and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that the United States has brought federal charges against a Rapid City, South Dakota, man for Distribution of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography.
Lewis Patterson III, age 39, was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on October 30, 2024. Patterson pleaded not guilty to the Criminal Complaint.
If convicted of distributing child pornography, Patterson faces a mandatory minimum of five years up to 20 years in prison, and a fine of up $250,000. He faces a mandatory minimum of five years up to life of supervised release. Restitution is mandatory. Patterson also faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of possessing child pornography.
The charges are merely accusations and Patterson is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Law enforcement’s initial investigation has established that since at least March of 2024, Patterson personally distributed hundreds of thousands of images and videos of children being sexually abused across multiple internet-based applications, platforms, and encrypted messaging services. Patterson also utilized artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency to profit from his child pornography distribution scheme.
“The frequency with which criminals target and sexually exploit children is terrifying,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “We are fortunate to have federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies that regularly collaborate through the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce to expose this nefarious activity. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to prioritize the federal prosecution of anyone looking to use the Internet to exploit children.”
In response to the arrest, South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley stated, “Cooperation by law enforcement resulted in this successful investigation. As Attorney General, I will continue to use every tool available to protect children and hold accountable those harming children.”
The investigation is being led by the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, consisting of members of the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Rapid City Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s office, partnered with Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox is prosecuting the case.
Patterson was detained following his arraignment and is in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. A detention hearing is scheduled for November 1, 2024, at 10:00 a.m.
Providence Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Fentanyl, Theft of Government Funds, Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
According to information presented to the court, in September 2023, following a two-month investigation into his drug trafficking activities, members of the Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force sought and executed a court authorized search warrant at Nunez Rodriguez’s Providence apartment, where they seized 613 grams of fentanyl and a total of approximately $25,000 in cash.
Additionally, task force agents discovered 28 United States Treasury checks addressed to different individuals, 39 federal tax returns in envelopes addressed to the IRS, and personal identifying information belonging to 976 individuals.
A follow-up investigation by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation found that 436 tax returns had been fraudulently filed using the Providence address listed. The investigation also determined that Nunez Rodriguez had fraudulently obtained 43 U.S. Treasury checks in amounts ranging from $1,400 to $1,800. Fifteen had been deposited into bank accounts that he controlled; 28 additional checks were found to be in his possession at the time of his arrest.
Nunez Rodriquez is scheduled to be sentenced on February 12, 2025. The defendant’s sentences will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.
The matter was investigated by the Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force and IRS Criminal Investigation.
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Previously Convicted Felon Is Sentenced to Prison for Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – David Matthew Lowe, 33, of Shelby, N.C., was sentenced today to 57 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Gerald Childress of the Kings Mountain Police Department, join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and court proceedings, on August 12, 2023, at approximately 1:45 a.m., officers with the Kings Mountain Police Department were dispatched to a Comfort Inn in the area for a service call for an assault. Upon entering the hotel lobby, an officer encountered a female, identified in court documents as L.T., and the defendant. L.T. told the officers that Lowe had hit her, and she could not see out of her eye. At that point, Lowe fled toward the back of the hotel. Officers chased after Lowe and ultimately Lowe was taken into custody.
As part of the investigation, law enforcement obtained CCTV footage from the hotel that depicted Lowe possessing a firearm during his assault of L.T. Specifically, the footage depicted L.T. and Lowe having an altercation, L.T. running away from the hotel room, and Lowe following her. Lowe then removed a firearm from his pants and struck L.T. in the side of her head. This caused the firearm’s magazine to break and ammunition along with several firearm parts fell to the floor. The defendant then struck L.T. several more times with a closed fist, causing L.T. to fall to the ground. Lowe then left the scene. Law enforcement recovered the firearms parts from the scene and 15 rounds of mixed ammunition. Court records indicate that Lowe has prior criminal convictions, including a federal conviction in the Western District of North Carolina for conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity – RICO conspiracy. Because of the criminal convictions, Lowe is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
Lowe is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
The investigation was conducted by the ATF and the Kings Mountain Police Department.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Frick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
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According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 19% of domestic violence involves a weapon. The presence of a gun in a domestic situation increases the risk of homicide by 500%.
To understand more about domestic violence, visit: https://www.justice.gov/ovw/domestic-violence#dv. If you require immediate help, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (1-800-799-7233) or Strong Hearts Native Helpline at 1-844-762-8483.
Oakdale Woman Charged with Wire Fraud and Money Laundering for Misuse of Economic Injury Disaster Loan FundsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Oakdale, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of wire fraud and money laundering, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
The four-count Indictment named Stephanie L. Bonincontro, 43, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, Bonincontro impermissibly used a $500,000 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) received by her company, Sidelines Tree Service, in 2020 for her personal expenses and credit card debt. EIDLs are administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration to help businesses recover from the economic impacts of disasters, including the COVID-19 pandemic. The Indictment alleges that Bonincontro transferred approximately $250,000 of the EIDL money into a personal investment account that she used to launder the funds. The Indictment also charges her with impermissibly using $225,000 of the EIDL funds for another company she owned called Chartiers Valley Enterprises, where some of those funds were used to pay debts on a personal credit card.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $750,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Northfield Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Receive Methamphetamine through the MailRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Northfield man pleaded guilty in federal court in connection with his attempt to receive two packages of methamphetamine through the United States Postal Service, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Joseph Crawford, 33, pleaded guilty to attempted possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Court Judge Landya McCafferty scheduled sentencing for February 24, 2025.
On July 5 and July 19, 2023, the United States Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”) flagged suspicious packages addressed to Joseph Crawford at an address in Northfield, New Hampshire, sent from California. USPIS obtained search warrants for both packages. The searches revealed a total of more than two pounds of methamphetamine.
The charging statute provides a maximum prison term of 20 years, a maximum fine of $1,000,000, and at least 3 years of supervised release. 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.
The USPIS Boston Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. The New Hampshire State Police, Claremont Police Department, and the Lebanon Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant United States Attorney Heather A. Cherniske prosecuted the case.
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New Orleans Man Guilty of Being Felon in Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on October 19, 2024, AVERY JULIEN (“JULIEN”), age 28, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2). JULIEN faces up to 15 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
According to court records, on September 14, 2022, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies and New Orleans Police Department officers executed a search warrant at JULIEN’s New Orleans residence after learning that JULIEN may have committed a carjacking in Jefferson Parish. During the search of his residence, two firearms, a Sig Sauer Model P229, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, and a Sig Sauer Model P250, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, were located in JULIEN’s bedroom.
Federal law prohibits convicted felons, such as JULIEN, from possessing firearms. In 2018, JULIEN was convicted of felonies in two separate cases in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court. JULIEN knew he had been convicted of these felonies at the time that he possessed the ammunition. United States District Judge, Brandon S. Long, will sentence JULIENon February 4, 2025.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brittany Reed of the Public Integrity Unit.
New Jersey Man Convicted for Stealing COVID-19 Unemployment BenefitsRead the Press Release
TRENTON N.J. – A New Jersey man was convicted for conspiring to illegally obtain over $570,000 in COVID-19 unemployment benefits, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Jose Tavares, 37, of Englewood, New Jersey, was convicted on Oct. 28, 2024, on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Tavares was convicted after a five-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch in Trenton federal court.
Tavares’ conspirators, Yanira Abreu, 43, of Keasby, New Jersey, and Christopher Valerio, 34, of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, have each previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced by Judge Kirsch in the same scheme.
According to documents filed in this case:
From July 2020 through February 2021, Tavares, Valerio, Abreu and others submitted fraudulent applications for unemployment insurance benefits to the New York Department of Labor (NYDOL) through fictitious online profiles that they created using personally identifiable information, including names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers, of other individuals without their consent. Once the NYDOL processed and approved the fraudulent applications, Tavares and his conspirators obtained debit cards with illegally obtained funds totaling over $570,000, which they used for personal gain, including vacations, luxury retail purchases, and cosmetic surgery.
The wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain to the defendant or gross loss to the victim, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for March 4, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas; special agents of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone, and postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division, with the investigation leading to the verdict.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Stark and Benjamin D. Bleiberg of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Naples Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Fentanyl and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jadyn Howard Loman (21, Naples) has pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Loman faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Loman has also agreed to forfeit the firearms and ammunition used to facilitate the offenses.
According to court documents, deputies from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Loman after he failed to stop at a stop sign at the intersection of 20th Place Southwest and 41st Street Southwest in Naples, Florida. A subsequent chase ensued with Loman exceeding speeds of 100 miles per hour in his vehicle before crashing. He then fled the crash scene on foot before being apprehended. Inside his vehicle, deputies found 2 handguns, ammunition, and various baggies containing fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Collier County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick L. Darcey.
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 out 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 first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Morris County Man Charged with Transmitting Death Threat against Political CommentatorRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Morris County, New Jersey, man has been charged with posting online a death threat aimed at a political commentator, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Haim Braverman, 45, of Morris Plains, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of transmitting a threat in interstate and foreign commerce. He made his initial appearance on Oct. 29, 2024, before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark III in Newark federal court and was remanded.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Sept. 10, 2024, Braverman posted a video of himself on a social media platform in which he made various threats to a political commentator who had publicly commented on a prominent, now-deceased rabbi. In the video, Braverman threatened to use a bat against the commentator, stating: “You’ll get what’s coming to you . . . , I’ve never met someone . . . if I could f**king kill you right now, I would not even . . . , f**k it I’ll give you the steel bat. I wouldn’t even stop. I’d kill you. Dead. . . . I’m threatening a death sentence against [the commentator].” Braverman’s post also included a written comment from him, stating: “[the commentator] needs to be killed.” Braverman also transmitted an audio message to a group chat on a messaging application, referencing the commentator and stating, “After I heard what . . . [the commentator] said, I will go to prison, gladly find her and kill her . . . I will find a f**king weapon and f**king kill her. I am outraged.”
The charge of transmitting a threat in interstate or foreign commerce carries a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum fine of $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado in Newark, and the Morris County Sheriff's Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Gannon, with the investigation leading to the charge.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sammi Malek of the National Security Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
braverman.complaint.pdfMinneapolis Man Sentenced to Prison for Insider Trading SchemeRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and 320 hours of community service for an insider trading conspiracy involving nonpublic negotiations for the acquisition of a medical device company valued at $1.6 billion, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to evidence presented at trial, beginning in January 2018 through at least August 2020, Doron “Ron” Tavlin, 69, of Minneapolis, and Afshin “Alex” Farahan, 58, of Los Angeles, engaged in an insider trading conspiracy. The conspiracy involved nonpublic information about the acquisition of Mazor Robotics, an Israeli-based company that specialized in robotics for spinal procedures, by Medtronic, Inc., an Ireland-based medical device company that primarily operated from its executive headquarters in Minneapolis. Tavlin, while working as vice president of business development at Mazor Robotics, learned material, nonpublic information about Medtronic’s impending acquisition of his company. In violation of federal law and his duty to his former employer, Mazor Robotics, Tavlin tipped this information about the acquisition to his friend, Farahan, and instructed him to buy shares in the company. Tavlin and Farahan knew that Medtronic’s imminent acquisition of Mazor would likely result in an increase in Mazor’s stock price. Farahan used the nonpublic information tipped by Tavlin to quickly buy more than $1 million of Mazor stock throughout August and September 2018. The morning after the secret acquisition was publicly announced, Farahan immediately sold all the stock he had purchased over the preceding weeks based on Tavlin’s illegal tip, which resulted in a profit of over $246,000. According to evidence presented at trial, after the acquisition occurred, Tavlin learned that the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) was investigating certain trades of Mazor securities that occurred prior to the publicly announced acquisition. As part of its inquiry, FINRA asked Tavlin, and other insiders who knew about the secret acquisition negotiations, whether he knew any of the parties who traded in Mazor securities leading up to the public announcement. In January 2019, Tavlin responded to FINRA’s inquiry by falsely denying that he recognized any names on a list of persons and entities that purchased Mazor securities, which included Farahan.
According to evidence presented at trial, the insider trading conspiracy included an agreement between Tavlin and Farahan that Farahan would pay money to Tavlin in exchange for the material, nonpublic information.
On February 16, 2024, Tavlin was found guilty on one count of conspiracy to commit insider trading and ten counts of securities fraud and aiding and abetting securities fraud following a nine-day trial. He was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge Donovan W. Frank.
Farahan pleaded guilty on August 4, 2022, to one count of conspiracy to engage in insider trading. His sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew S. Ebert, Robert M. Lewis, and William C. Mattessich prosecuted the case.
McKeesport Felon Charged for Possession of Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of McKeesport, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Richard L. Edwards Jr., 49, as the sole defendant. Edwards was arrested on August 9, 2024, by the City of McKeesport Police Department related to this charge.
According to the Indictment, on or about August 9, 2024, Edwards, who was previously convicted of a felony, was found to be in possession of a Ruger Security-9 semi-automatic pistol, a Smith and Wesson SD40 VE semi-automatic pistol, a Smith and Wesson .357 Magnum revolver, and one Winchester 1300 20-gauge shotgun, as well as 20-gauge ammunition, .357 Magnum ammunition, 38 Special ammunition, and 40 caliber ammunition. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Westmoreland County Adult Probation, the City of McKeesport Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Maryland Man Sentenced for Fentanyl ChargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Michael Anthony Matthews, age 35, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced today to 100 months in federal prison and three supervised release for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Matthews was a source of fentanyl in the Moorefield/Petersburg area of West Virginia. Matthews would supply large quantities of fentanyl from his home in Baltimore to others who would transport the drugs to West Virginia. The investigation yielded nearly 9,000 fentanyl pills with a total drug weight of more than 2 kilograms.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Maryland Man Sentenced for Covid-19 Relief FraudRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO, NC – A Maryland resident was sentenced yesterday for conspiracy to file fraudulent loan applications seeking approximately $3.6 million in forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans that the Small Business Administration (SBA) guaranteed under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, announced United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina Sandra J. Hairston.
BENNETT ABABIO, age 51, of Clarksville, Maryland, was sentenced to 35 months imprisonment and 3 years supervised release by the Honorable William L. Osteen, Jr., United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. In addition, ABABIO was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $3,991,372.96.
According to court documents, between May 2020 and December 2021, ABABIO conspired to submit fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loan and forgiveness applications for himself and others, including an individual located in Greensboro, North Carolina. ABABIO owned, or partially owned, five companies for which ABAIO submitted fraudulent PPP applications. In total, ABABIO received $2,581,833 in PPP loans for his companies. The PPP applications contained false statements about the payroll expenses of each company, which the SBA used to calculate the amount of PPP funds to which the applicant-companies would be entitled. Separately, ABABIO helped others prepare fraudulent PPP applications, resulting in over $1 million in additional PPP loans being disbursed to ABABIO’s clients.
“Our prosecutors will continue to seek active prison sentences for fraudsters who stole federal dollars intended to support businesses during the pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Hairston. “We are grateful to IRS-CI and other agencies that investigate this unconscionable conduct and help us hold defendants accountable.”
“During a global pandemic, the defendant committed fraud to gain funds designated to help struggling individuals and businesses,” said Donald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Charlotte Field Office. “We will continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to prosecute those who abuse these programs.”
The Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation investigated the case. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Waid.
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Marion Man Sentenced to 262 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE–James Darquan McCreary, 45 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
McCreary was sentenced to 262 months in prison followed by 8 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in March 2020, McCreary possessed more than 500 grams of cocaine that was intended for distribution and illegally possessed firearms as a convicted felon. McCreary was determined to be a career offender based on his prior felony battery and robbery convictions from Grant County, Indiana.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the J.E.A.N. (Joint Effort Against Narcotics) Team Drug Task Force, the Indiana State Police, the Marion Police Department, the Grant County Sheriff’s Department, the Grant County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, the Cass County Sheriff’s Department, and the Wabash County Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony W. Geller.
Manchester, NH Man Sentenced to 3 Years for Wire Fraud, Identity TheftRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Manchester, New Hampshire man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for committing wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Dominic Barbosa (aka Christopher Barnhart), 29, to 12 months imprisonment on the wire fraud charge and 24 months on the aggravated identity theft charge, to be served consecutively, followed by two years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $51,804.40 in restitution. Barbosa pleaded guilty on May 13, 2024.
According to court records, from at least March 2019 through March 2022, Barbosa obtained the identifications of individuals without their knowledge or consent. Barbosa stole mail in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine, including bank account statements, tax returns, and other documents containing others’ means of identification. He kept records of that information to use in the scheme. As part of the scheme, Barbosa would apply for duplicate licenses for others, often changing the address, and then use the stolen identification information and duplicate driver’s licenses to open bank accounts, credit card accounts and lines of credit in others’ names. He also used the stolen identifications to make purchases or enter into contracts. When questioned by a U.S. Postal Inspector, Barbosa stated he had a cloud database with stolen identities, and investigators in Massachusetts found bins of mail and photocopies of identifying information in a storage unit Barbosa rented.
The Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles, South Berwick Police Department, Litchfield Police Department (NH), North Reading Police Department (MA), Salem Police Department (NH), and U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
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Louisville Man Pleads Guilty to Carjacking Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – This week, a Louisville, Kentucky, man pleaded guilty to carjacking which resulted in the death of teenage motorist.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office, Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department, and Shelby County Sheriff Mark Moore made the announcement.
According to court documents, Michael Dewitt, pleaded guilty to a single count indictment charging him with carjacking resulting in death. According to court records, Dewitt committed a carjacking at gunpoint on March 1, 2021, and stole a 2011 Ford F350 from its owner in Simpsonville, Kentucky. During the immediate flight from the carjacking, and while still in possession of the stolen truck, Dewitt collided with a vehicle on Dixie Highway in Louisville, causing the death of 17-year-old.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 27, 2025. The maximum penalty is life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. If the plea agreement in the case is accepted by the court, the defendant will be sentenced to serve 29 years and 4 months in prison.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is being investigated by the FBI Louisville Field Office, the Louisville Metro Police Department, and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Bonar and Mac Shannon are prosecuting this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Lawrence Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution FentanylRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lawrence man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to distributing fentanyl.
George Jimenez, 31, pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for Feb. 5, 2025. Jimenez was initially charged by criminal complaint in October 2023.
On Sept. 27, 2022, Jimenez sold 99 grams of fentanyl to a cooperating witness in Methuen which was captured on video by a recording device.
The charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Cheng of the Organized Crime and Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN..
This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
L.A. Fashion District Wholesaler and Two of Its Executives Found Guilty of Money Laundering and Avoiding Tariffs and TaxesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A wholesale clothing importer located in the Fashion District of downtown Los Angeles and two of its executives have been found guilty by a jury of avoiding the payment of more than $8 million in customs duties on imported clothing, and of running a scheme in which the company laundered money and failed to report on tax returns more than $17 million derived from cash transactions, the Justice Department announced today.
At the conclusion of a six-week trial, a federal jury on late Tuesday found the following defendants guilty of dozens of felonies:
- C’est Toi Jeans, Inc. (CTJ), which imported apparel from China and other nations and exported clothing to customers in Mexico, Central America, and South America;
- Si Oh Rhew, 70, of La Cañada Flintridge, CTJ’s president and a 75% owner of the company; and
- Lance Rhew, 37, of downtown Los Angeles, Si Oh Rhew’s son, a CTJ corporate officer, and the owner of another Los Angeles-based company called GLLR Inc. that did business as CTJ.
The jury found CTJ and Si Oh Rhew guilty of two conspiracies and multiple counts of failure to file report of currency transaction over $10,000 in a trade or business. The jury also found all three defendants guilty of three counts of entry of falsely classified goods, three counts of entry of goods by means of false statements, three counts of passing false and fraudulent papers through a customhouse, and two counts of international promotional money laundering.
CTJ was found guilty of an additional two concealment money laundering counts involving drug proceeds. Si Oh Rhew was found guilty of an additional two counts of aiding, assisting, and procuring the filing of a false tax return. Lance Rhew was found guilty of one additional count of aiding, assisting, and procuring the filing of a false tax return. Lance Rhew was also found guilty of one conspiracy count.
“Money laundering is the lifeblood of large-scale drug trafficking, and it is therefore essential that we go after businesses and individuals that feed criminal organizations the money they crave,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “A jury found this corporation facilitated the laundering of drug proceeds and now they will appropriately be held accountable. Together with our law enforcement partners, my office will continue to bring to justice businesses that facilitate criminal activity.”
“This verdict once again demonstrates that working with drug trafficking organizations is a bad business model,” said Homeland Security Investigations Los Angeles Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang. “This verdict should send a strong message to those who utilize their businesses to aid the cartels, that the HSI Los Angeles-led El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force and partners at U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the IRS Criminal Investigation, will work tirelessly to hold you accountable.”
According to evidence presented at trial, CTJ was a business owned by Si Oh Rhew and his wife that the Rhews operated. CTJ received U.S. currency in bulk cash that was derived from drug trafficking as payment for customer invoices. Those funds were delivered to CTJ by money couriers unrelated to and unknown to CTJ or to the customers whose invoices were being paid.
CTJ and Si Oh Rhew failed to file currency transaction reports, which are required for any transaction involving more than $10,000 in cash, and the defendants concealed the cash receipts from an accountant who prepared their taxes, which led to the fraudulent omission of more than $17 million in gross sales from tax returns filed with the IRS.
The defendants also avoided customs duties and tariffs by purchasing garments from overseas manufacturers, including from China, but then submitting false information to United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that understated the true value of the items being imported into the United States.
As a result, the import duties owed on the shipments were lowered. The indictment alleges that the defendants sent 515 individual wire transfers totaling $137,156,726 to pay overseas suppliers for undervalued garments. Overall, CTJ imported goods that were undervalued by more than $51 million, causing approximately $8.4 million in unpaid tariffs and duties that should have been paid to CBP.
The jury found the defendants not guilty of several additional criminal counts, including – for CTJ – two counts of concealment money laundering and – for Lance Rhew – several counts of failure to file a report of a currency transaction in a nonfinancial trade or business.
United States District Judge Mark C. Scarsi scheduled a sentencing hearing for January 21, 2025, at which time the Rhews will each face a sentence of decades in federal prison and CTJ will face fines of as much as $100 million.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and IRS-Criminal Investigation. They were aided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Monterey Park Police Department, the El Segundo Police Department, the Long Beach Police Department, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Gardena Police Department, and the West Covina Police Department.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation known as Operation Fashion Police. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The investigation was conducted by the HSI-led El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force, a multi-agency task force that includes federal and state investigators who are focused on financial crimes in Southern California.
Assistant United States Attorneys MiRi Song, Julie J. Shemitz, and Skyler F. Cho of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section are prosecuting this case.
Kanawha County Man Sentenced to More than 19 Years in Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Brandon Christopher Solomon, 30, of South Charleston, was sentenced today to 19 years and seven months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for distributing 5 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 6, 2023, Solomon sold approximately 30 grams of methamphetamine and 10 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant in the Kanawha City area of Charleston. The Court found that Solomon had participated in at least 16 drug transactions and possessed a firearm multiple times in connection with those transactions. Additionally, Solomon made threats on two occasions to shoot individuals in connection with those transactions.
Solomon has a long criminal history that includes two prior federal felony drug convictions. Solomon also committed an armed robbery in 2014 while he was on supervised release as a result of these federal convictions.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), which is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-54.
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