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Wednesday 30 October 2024
KC Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, which resulted in the deaths of three persons.
Luis Manuel Morales, 24, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 15 years in federal prison without parole.
On May 8, 2024, Morales pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Morales admitted that he was a source of supply of fentanyl pills for co-defendant Tiger Dean Draggoo, 24, of Kansas City, Mo. On occasion, Draggoo also served as a source of supply of fentanyl pills for Morales. Morales also introduced Draggoo to additional sources of fentanyl pills.
Morales sold at least 1,764 pills to Draggoo over 15 separate transactions from Jan. 17 to Oct. 29, 2022, for which he was paid $2,320 through Cash App and an additional amount in cash. Morales also purchased at least 100 fentanyl pills from Draggoo during this time period, for which he paid $750. In total, those 1,864 pills contained approximately 205 grams of fentanyl.
Morales and Draggoo conspired to conceal and disguise the nature of the transfer of funds through Cash App by referring to the payments as “rent,” “food clothes,” “clothes,” “food and beer,” “food,” “apt rent,” “reimbursement for mechanic,” and “reimbursement car payment.”
Morales was on probation at the time that he was supplying Dragoo with fentanyl pills, following his guilty plea in state court to attempted armed robbery after he and another person robbed a victim at gunpoint.
Morales is the first defendant in this case to be sentenced. On Oct. 16, 2024, Draggoo pleaded guilty to his role in the fentanyl conspiracy and to three counts of distributing fentanyl resulting in death. Five additional defendants have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brad K. Kavanaugh and Robert Smith. It was investigated by the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Belton, Mo., Police Department, the Raymore, Mo., Police Department, the Cass County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the FBI.
Justice Department Releases Information on Efforts to Protect the Right to Vote, Prosecute Election Fraud, and Secure ElectionsRead the Press Release
Consistent with longstanding Justice Department practices and procedures, the department today is providing information about its efforts, through the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Division, National Security Division (NSD), and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country, to ensure that all qualified voters have the opportunity to cast their ballots and have their votes counted free of discrimination, intimidation, or criminal activity in the election process, and to ensure that our elections are secure and free from foreign malign influence and interference.
Civil Rights Division
The department’s Civil Rights Division is responsible for ensuring compliance with the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote and with the criminal provisions of federal statutes prohibiting discriminatory interference with that right. This work is often performed in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices.
The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of a wide range of federal statutes that protect the right to vote including: the Voting Rights Act; National Voter Registration Act; Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act; Help America Vote Act; and Civil Rights Acts. Among other things, collectively, these laws:
- Prohibit election practices that have either a discriminatory purpose or a discriminatory result on account of race, color, or language minority status;
- Prohibit intimidation of voters;
- Allow voters who need assistance in voting because of disability or inability to read or write to receive assistance from a person of their choice (other than agents of their employer or union);
- Require minority language election materials and assistance in certain jurisdictions;
- Require accessible voting systems for voters with disabilities;
- Require that provisional ballots be offered to voters who assert they are registered and eligible to vote in the jurisdiction, but whose names do not appear on poll books;
- Require states to provide for absentee voting for uniformed service members serving away from home, their family members also away from home due to that service, and U.S. citizens living abroad; and
- Require covered states to offer the opportunity to register to vote through offices that provide driver licenses, public assistance, and disability services, as well as through the mail, and to take steps regarding maintaining voter registration lists.
The Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits discrimination in voting based on disability. The ADA applies to all aspects of voting, including voter registration, selection and accessibility of voting facilities, and the casting of ballots on Election Day or during early voting, whether in-person or absentee.
The Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter interference based on race, color, national origin, or religion.
- Throughout the election cycle, Civil Rights Division attorneys in the Voting, Disability Rights, and Criminal Sections in Washington, D.C., will be ready to receive complaints of potential violations of any of the statutes the Civil Rights Division enforces. The Civil Rights Division will work closely with counterparts at U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and other department components to review and take appropriate action concerning these complaints.
- Individuals with complaints related to possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can call the Justice Department’s toll-free telephone line at 800-253-3931, and can also submit complaints at www.civilrights.justice.gov.
- Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or submit a complaint through a link on the department’s ADA website at www.ada.gov.
Complaints related to violence, threats of violence, or intimidation at a polling place should always be reported immediately to local authorities by calling 911. They should also be reported to the department after local authorities are contacted.
Criminal Division and the Department’s 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices
The department’s Criminal Division oversees the enforcement of federal laws that criminalize certain forms of election fraud and vindicate the integrity of the federal election process.
The Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are responsible for enforcing the federal criminal laws that prohibit various forms of election crimes, such as destruction of ballots, vote-buying, multiple voting, submission of fraudulent ballots or registrations, alteration of votes, and malfeasance by postal or election officials and employees. See Justice Manual 9-85.210 (discussing requirements regarding election crime matters); 9-85.300 (discussing approach to ballot fraud); 9-85.400 (discussing application of 18 U.S.C. § 592); 9-85.500 (discussing timing of actions).
The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are also responsible for enforcing federal criminal law prohibiting unlawful threats of violence against election workers, and prohibiting voter intimidation and voter suppression for reasons other than race, color, national origin, or religion (as noted above, voter intimidation and voter suppression that has a basis in race, color, national origin, or religion is addressed by the Civil Rights Division often in partnership with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices).
U.S. Attorneys’ Offices around the country designate Assistant U.S. Attorneys who serve as District Election Officers (DEOs) in their respective districts. DEOs are responsible for overseeing potential election-crime matters in their districts, and for coordinating with the department’s election-crime experts in Washington, D.C.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices work with specially trained FBI personnel in each district to ensure that complaints from the public involving possible election crimes are handled appropriately. Specifically:
- In consultation with federal prosecutors at the Public Integrity Section in Washington, D.C., the DEOs in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, FBI officials at headquarters in Washington, D.C., and FBI special agents serving as Election Crime Coordinators in the FBI’s 56 field offices will be on duty while polls are open to receive complaints from the public.
- Election-crime complaints should be directed to the local U.S. Attorney’s Office or the local FBI field office. A list of U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and their telephone numbers can be found at www.justice.gov/usao/districts. A list of FBI field offices and accompanying telephone numbers can be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us.
- Public Integrity Section prosecutors are available to consult and coordinate with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the FBI regarding the handling of election-crime allegations.
All complaints related to violence, threats of violence, or intimidation at a polling place should be reported first to local police authorities by calling 911. After alerting local law enforcement to such emergencies by calling 911, the public should contact the Justice Department.
National Security Division
The department’s National Security Division (NSD) supervises the investigation and prosecution of cases affecting or relating to national security, including any cases involving foreign malign influence and interference in elections or violent extremist threats to elections. In this context:
- NSD oversees matters involving a range of malign influence activities that foreign governments may attempt.
- NSD’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section oversees matters involving covert information operations (e.g., to promulgate disinformation through social media); covert efforts to support or denigrate political candidates or organizations; and other covert influence operations that might violate various criminal statutes.
- NSD’s National Security Cyber Section oversees such matters when they are cyber-enabled (i.e., when online platforms, such as social media and other online services, are central to the commission of the offense), as well as those involving computer hacking of election or campaign infrastructure.
- NSD’s Counterterrorism Section oversees matters involving international and domestic terrorism and supports law enforcement in preventing any acts of terrorism that impact Americans, including any violent extremism that might threaten election security.
As in past elections, the National Security Division will work closely with counterparts at the FBI and our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to protect our nation’s elections from any national security threats. Attorneys from National Security Division sections will be partnered with FBI Headquarters components to provide support to U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI field offices to counter any such threats. The Department of Homeland Security also plays its own important role in safeguarding critical election infrastructure from cyber and other threats.
Complaints related to violence, threats of violence, or intimidation at a polling place should always be reported immediately to local authorities by calling 911 and, after local authorities are contacted, then should be reported also to the department.
Protecting the right to vote, prosecuting election crimes, and securing our elections are all essential to maintaining the confidence of all Americans in our democratic system of government. The department encourages anyone with information regarding concerns in these subject areas to contact the appropriate authorities.
For more information about the department’s work to ensure compliance with federal civil and criminal laws related to voting, please visit www.justice.gov/voting and www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-pin/election-crimes-branch.
Justice Department Releases Information on Efforts to Protect the Right to Vote, Prosecute Election Fraud, and Secure ElectionsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — Consistent with longstanding Justice Department practices and procedures, the department today is providing information about its efforts, through the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Division, National Security Division (NSD), and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country, to ensure that all qualified voters have the opportunity to cast their ballots and have their votes counted free of discrimination, intimidation, or criminal activity in the election process, and to ensure that our elections are secure and free from foreign malign influence and interference.
Civil Rights Division
The department’s Civil Rights Division is responsible for ensuring compliance with the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote and with the criminal provisions of federal statutes prohibiting discriminatory interference with that right. This work is often performed in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices.
The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of a wide range of federal statutes that protect the right to vote including: the Voting Rights Act; National Voter Registration Act; Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act; Help America Vote Act; and Civil Rights Acts. Among other things, collectively, these laws:
• Prohibit election practices that have either a discriminatory purpose or a discriminatory result on account of race, color, or language minority status;
• Prohibit intimidation of voters;
• Allow voters who need assistance in voting because of disability or inability to read or write to receive assistance from a person of their choice (other than agents of their employer or union);
• Require minority language election materials and assistance in certain jurisdictions;
• Require accessible voting systems for voters with disabilities;
• Require that provisional ballots be offered to voters who assert they are registered and eligible to vote in the jurisdiction, but whose names do not appear on poll books;
• Require states to provide for absentee voting for uniformed service members serving away from home, their family members also away from home due to that service, and U.S. citizens living abroad; and
• Require covered states to offer the opportunity to register to vote through offices that provide driver licenses, public assistance, and disability services, as well as through the mail, and to take steps regarding maintaining voter registration lists.
The Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits discrimination in voting based on disability. The ADA applies to all aspects of voting, including voter registration, selection and accessibility of voting facilities, and the casting of ballots on Election Day or during early voting, whether in-person or absentee.
The Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter interference based on race, color, national origin, or religion.
• Throughout the election cycle, Civil Rights Division attorneys in the Voting, Disability Rights, and Criminal Sections in Washington, D.C., will be ready to receive complaints of potential violations of any of the statutes the Civil Rights Division enforces. The Civil Rights Division will work closely with counterparts at U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and other department components to review and take appropriate action concerning these complaints.
• Individuals with complaints related to possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can call the Justice Department’s toll-free telephone line at 800-253-3931, and can also submit complaints at www.civilrights.justice.gov.
• Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or submit a complaint through a link on the department’s ADA website at www.ada.gov.
Complaints related to violence, threats of violence, or intimidation at a polling place should always be reported immediately to local authorities by calling 911. They should also be reported to the department after local authorities are contacted.
Criminal Division and the Department’s 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices
The department’s Criminal Division oversees the enforcement of federal laws that criminalize certain forms of election fraud and vindicate the integrity of the federal election process.
The Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are responsible for enforcing the federal criminal laws that prohibit various forms of election crimes, such as destruction of ballots, vote-buying, multiple voting, submission of fraudulent ballots or registrations, alteration of votes, and malfeasance by postal or election officials and employees. See Justice Manual 9-85.210 (discussing requirements regarding election crime matters); 9-85.300 (discussing approach to ballot fraud); 9-85.400 (discussing application of 18 U.S.C. § 592); 9-85.500 (discussing timing of actions).
The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are also responsible for enforcing federal criminal law prohibiting unlawful threats of violence against election workers, and prohibiting voter intimidation and voter suppression for reasons other than race, color, national origin, or religion (as noted above, voter intimidation and voter suppression that has a basis in race, color, national origin, or religion is addressed by the Civil Rights Division often in partnership with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices).
U.S. Attorneys’ Offices around the country designate Assistant U.S. Attorneys who serve as District Election Officers (DEOs) in their respective districts. DEOs are responsible for overseeing potential election-crime matters in their districts, and for coordinating with the department’s election-crime experts in Washington, D.C.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices work with specially trained FBI personnel in each district to ensure that complaints from the public involving possible election crimes are handled appropriately. Specifically:
• In consultation with federal prosecutors at the Public Integrity Section in Washington, D.C., the DEOs in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, FBI officials at headquarters in Washington, D.C., and FBI special agents serving as Election Crime Coordinators in the FBI’s 56 field offices will be on duty while polls are open to receive complaints from the public.
• Election-crime complaints should be directed to the local U.S. Attorney’s Office or the local FBI field office. A list of U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and their telephone numbers can be found at www.justice.gov/usao/districts. A list of FBI field offices and accompanying telephone numbers can be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us.
• Public Integrity Section prosecutors are available to consult and coordinate with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the FBI regarding the handling of election-crime allegations.
All complaints related to violence, threats of violence, or intimidation at a polling place should be reported first to local police authorities by calling 911. After alerting local law enforcement to such emergencies by calling 911, the public should contact the Justice Department.
National Security Division
The department’s National Security Division (NSD) supervises the investigation and prosecution of cases affecting or relating to national security, including any cases involving foreign malign influence and interference in elections or violent extremist threats to elections. In this context:
• NSD oversees matters involving a range of malign influence activities that foreign governments may attempt.
• NSD’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section oversees matters involving covert information operations (e.g., to promulgate disinformation through social media); covert efforts to support or denigrate political candidates or organizations; and other covert influence operations that might violate various criminal statutes.
• NSD’s National Security Cyber Section oversees such matters when they are cyber-enabled (i.e., when online platforms, such as social media and other online services, are central to the commission of the offense), as well as those involving computer hacking of election or campaign infrastructure.
• NSD’s Counterterrorism Section oversees matters involving international and domestic terrorism and supports law enforcement in preventing any acts of terrorism that impact Americans, including any violent extremism that might threaten election security.
As in past elections, the National Security Division will work closely with counterparts at the FBI and our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to protect our nation’s elections from any national security threats. Attorneys from National Security Division sections will be partnered with FBI Headquarters components to provide support to U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI field offices to counter any such threats. The Department of Homeland Security also plays its own important role in safeguarding critical election infrastructure from cyber and other threats.
Complaints related to violence, threats of violence, or intimidation at a polling place should always be reported immediately to local authorities by calling 911 and, after local authorities are contacted, then should be reported also to the department.
Protecting the right to vote, prosecuting election crimes, and securing our elections are all essential to maintaining the confidence of all Americans in our democratic system of government. The department encourages anyone with information regarding concerns in these subject areas to contact the appropriate authorities.
For more information about the department’s work to ensure compliance with federal civil and criminal laws related to voting, please visit www.justice.gov/voting and www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-pin/election-crimes-branch.
Joint Statement of the U.S. Department of Justice and the United Kingdom Home Office on a Multilateral Meeting to Address State-Sponsored High-Harm Physical Threats and Other Forms of Transnational RepressionRead the Press Release
On Oct. 10, the U.S. Department of Justice and the United Kingdom Home Office convened a multilateral meeting at the U.S. Embassy in London to address the urgent challenge of state-sponsored high-harm physical threats and other forms of transnational repression. The meeting was co-chaired by Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General for National Security from the U.S. Department of Justice, and Chloe Squires, Director General for Homeland Security from the U.K. Home Office.
The meeting brought together senior government officials from partner nations that are confronting increasing levels of transnational violence perpetrated by state actors, particularly authoritarian regimes, and their proxies. This meeting included representatives from intelligence, law enforcement, prosecutorial, and policy organizations to share disruption strategies for countering the alarming rise in transnational assassination plots, kidnappings, and other acts of violence and repression.
The engagement was designed to achieve a common understanding of the threat landscape, share operational and strategic approaches to counter the threat, and identify opportunities for ongoing collaboration and partnership. At the conclusion, participants agreed to establish a regular working group to maintain shared visibility into the threat in member countries and to review and develop strategies to increase the capacity of the partner nations to deter and disrupt state-sponsored violence and repression.
Jefferson County Man Admits to Cocaine ChargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jamie Green, age 46, of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, pled guilty today to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine.
According to court documents, the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General intercepted a package containing more than two pounds of cocaine mailed from Los Angeles, California, to Green’s address in Jefferson County, West Virginia. Law enforcement executed a search warrant and arrested Green at his home.
Green faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Kane is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
Investigative agencies include the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the West Virginia State Police, and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Jacksonville Man Sentenced to More Than 21 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida –that U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger today sentenced Paul Allen Anderson, Jr. (32, Jacksonville), also known as “Nuke,” to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. The court also ordered Anderson to forfeit approximately $32,034 in cash representing drug proceeds, 5 firearms, and a bulletproof vest. Anderson pled guilty on February 21, 2024.
According to court documents, in September and October of 2023, FBI agents and Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) detectives investigated Anderson’s drug trafficking activities in Jacksonville. The joint federal-state investigation identified Anderson as a kilogram-level supplier of crystal methamphetamine. Through physical and electronic surveillance, agents observed the defendant conducting multiple hand-to-hand drug transactions at Anderson’s apartment and at the parking lot of a nearby business. Agents also observed Anderson meet with his drug supplier at his apartment complex, where the two subjects conducted a drug transaction.
On October 20, 2023, FBI agents and JSO detectives executed search warrants at Anderson’s apartment in Jacksonville and at his residence in Orange Park. At the Jacksonville apartment, law enforcement recovered over 19 pounds of marijuana, over 3 kilograms of pure crystal methamphetamine, 140 grams of fentanyl, 63 grams of powder cocaine, 4.7 grams of cocaine base, a loaded Glock semi-automatic pistol, $1,075 in cash, and drug paraphernalia, including food processors, vacuum-sealed bags, and digital scales. At Anderson’s Orange Park residence, law enforcement recovered 4 loaded firearms, including 3 semi-automatic handguns and one semi-automatic rifle, over $30,000 in cash, and a bulletproof vest.
“This case epitomizes how law enforcement agencies work together to stop criminals from threatening the safety and stability of our neighborhoods,” said Kristin Rehler, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. “Drug traffickers have no place in Jacksonville, and the FBI and our partners on the Safe Streets Task Force will continue to focus on stopping the movement of illegal drugs on our streets and ensuring our neighborhoods are free from illegal firearms.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Aakash Singh and Kirwinn Mike.
Inmate Admits to Escape, Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Edgardo Quinones-Hiraldo, age 35, of Ponce, Puerto Rico, pled guilty today to escape and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, Quinones-Hiraldo served 51 months at a federal corrections facility in Florida for a firearms trafficking conviction in Puerto Rico. He was released to Dismas Charities Residential Reentry Center in Clarksburg, West Virginia. Quinones-Hiraldo failed to report to the facility and was arrested in Clarksburg. He had a revolver and a pistol with him at the time of his arrest.
Quinones-Hiraldo faces up to five years in prison for the escape charge and faces up to 15 years for the firearms charge. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Cogar is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Marshals Service investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Indictment Charges Waterbury Women with Fraud OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned a 17-count indictment charging MARLENIN VITO, 45, of Waterbury, with fraud offenses.
The indictment was returned on October 22, 2024. Vito appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven, pleaded not guilty, and was released on a $25,000 bond.
As alleged in the indictment, from approximately 2018 to May 2021, Vito was employed as Medicaid Coordinator at an assisted living facility located in Stamford, referred to in the indictment as “Company A.” Vito’s responsibilities included assisting the residents in applying for nursing home level Medicaid reimbursements, monitoring the residents’ patient trust accounts, and ensuring compliance with Medicaid regulations. She was also responsible for keeping journal entries for the residents’ trust accounts and to credit their accounts when funds were received, and for debiting patient accounts when payments were made on behalf of the residents or when cash was given to residents for incidental expenses.
It is alleged that, between approximately December 2019 and May 2021, Vito defrauded Company A and its residents by generating checks from Company A’s system, forging a fellow employee’s signature on the checks, negotiating the fraudulent checks purportedly to give the cash proceeds to certain residents, and keeping the cash for her own use. Vito then made false entries into Company A’s accounting ledger by debiting the fraudulently obtained cash from the residents’ respective trust accounts. Many of the residents were not healthy enough or mentally capable of tracking their own expenses or monitoring the balances of their own trust accounts.
It is further alleged, in certain instances, Vito cancelled residents’ supplemental health insurance coverage, but continued to deduct funds from the trust accounts and took the funds for herself. Also, when certain residents’ trust accounts were credited with Economic Impact Payments (“COVID-19 stimulus payments”), Vito took the funds for herself and then debited the residents’ accounts at a rate of approximately $60 a day until the stimulus funds were depleted.
It is alleged that during the scheme, Vito fraudulently negotiated approximately 500 checks. When she was confronted by family members of certain residents, Vito created and provided to those family members false account statements that misrepresented the balances in the residents’ trust accounts.
The indictment also alleges that, between approximately May and July 2023, Vito was employed as a bookkeeper at a law firm in Hartford, referred to in the indictment as “Company B.” Vito took fraudulently generated checks drawn on Company B’s bank account and issued as “Pay to the Order of ‘Petty Cash, ’” forged the signature of an authorized employee on the checks, cashed the checks, and kept the funds for herself. She then recorded the fraudulently negotiated checks in Company B’s books and records as “Petty Cash.”
It is alleged that Vito stole a total of more than $200,000 through these schemes.
The indictment charges Vito with five counts of wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count, and 12 counts of bank fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years on each count.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Stamford Police Department and Hartford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. McGarry.
Independence Man Sentenced for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today after being identified in two separate federal investigations sharing videos and images of child pornography online.
Joseph L. Schutz, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 13 years and four months in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Schutz to 10 years of supervised release following incarceration. Schutz will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.
On Oct. 24, 2023, Schutz pleaded guilty to one count of distributing child pornography over the internet and one count of possessing child pornography.
An FBI task force officer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, posing undercover as an adult female, was conducting an investigation utilizing the Kik Messenger application in May 2020. The undercover officer joined multiple private groups dedicated to individuals interested in child pornography and whose members openly shared such material within the group. Schutz admitted that he received multiple videos and images of child pornography within one of these Kik groups, and also shared multiple videos and images of child pornography within the group.
On May 14, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Schutz’s residence. Investigators found 18 images of child erotica and eight images of child pornography on Schutz’s cell phone.
In July and August 2022, an FBI investigator in Texas communicated online with Schutz while conducting an undercover investigation. The undercover investigator posed as a 13-year-old female. Between July 28 and Aug. 1, 2022, Schutz invited the undercover investigator into a Kik group dedicated to the exchange of child pornography. During that time, Schutz admitted, he shared multiple videos of child pornography within the group.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Luna. It was investigated by the FBI, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, and the Independence, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Independence Man Pleads Guilty to $1.4 Million COVID Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to filing a false claim as part of a scheme to fraudulently receive nearly $1.4 million in COVID-19 relief funds from the government.
Richard Dean Schiele, Jr., 51, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to a federal information that charges him with one count of filing a false claim.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES” Act) provided for an Employee Retention Credit designed to encourage businesses to keep employees on their payroll. The Employee Retention Credit is available to eligible employers that paid qualified wages to some or all employees after March 12, 2020, and before Jan. 1, 2022.
By pleading guilty today, Schiele admitted he filed nine Employer’s Quarterly Tax Return forms with the IRS on April 22, 2023, for a company he formed the same month called Schiele Family Own Distribution. The returns made a total of $1,392,716 in claims for COVID–19 pandemic era credits against the company’s ostensible employment taxes. In reality, Schiele admitted, the company did not have any employees in 2020 through 2022.
Based on these false claims, the IRS issued checks totaling $478,890 to Schiele. The Treasury Department recovered $348,764.91 from Schiele’s bank account. Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Schiele must pay $130,125 in restitution to the IRS.
Under federal statutes, Schiele is subject to a sentence of up to five years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Illegal possession of firearm sends Belgrade man to prison for almost three yearsRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A federal judge today sentenced a Belgrade man to two years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking investigation, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Isaac James Cardona, 45, pleaded guilty in June to prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that in November 2023, agents with the Missouri River Drug Task Force were conducting surveillance in Belgrade in an area known for drug trafficking. Law enforcement stopped Cardona, who had an outstanding state warrant. Cardona was found to be in possession of a loaded gun, two loaded magazines with extra ammunition for the gun, methamphetamine, a digital scale and 49 fentanyl pills. Cardona previously was convicted of a federal methamphetamine distribution crime and prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Missouri River Drug Task Force, and Belgrade Police Department conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
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Hartford Man Sentenced to More Than 5 Years in Federal Prison for Gun Possession OffenseRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced ANTHONY SANTOS, also known as “A-1,” 36, of Hartford, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 63 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release for illegally possessing firearms.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 17, 2023, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force and Hartford Police Department conducted a court-authorized search of Santos’ apartment on Park Street in Hartford. When investigators entered the apartment, Santos ran to the window and threw a loaded Draco 7.62x39mm assault-style firearm with a high-capacity magazine containing 30 rounds of ammunition. The firearm landed on a rooftop below and was recovered. Inside the apartment, investigators seized, three firearm magazines, ammunition, a small amount of fentanyl, large bags containing bulk quantities of marijuana, thousands of bags of marijuana in pre-packaged sleeves, drug processing and packaging materials, jewelry, and approximately $4,070 in cash.
A search of two vehicles associated with Santos that were parked near the apartment revealed a loaded Smith &Wesson .357 revolver and a loaded Glock .40 caliber pistol, both of which had been reported as stolen. The Glock was fitted with an illegal “switch” that converted the pistol to a fully automatic weapon. One of the vehicles contained a backpack with numerous bags of marijuana and approximately $3,290 in cash.
Santos’ criminal history includes state convictions for narcotics distribution offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Santos has been detained since October 17, 2023. On August 6, 2024, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of firearms by a felon.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, and Windsor Locks Police Departments. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has assisted the investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Reed Durham and Geoffrey Stone.
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. In May 2021, the Justice 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 www.justice.gov/psn.
Guatemalan Man Guilty of Kidnapping Child He Helped Smuggle into U.S. Sentenced to 14 YearsRead the Press Release
SPARTANBURG, S.C. —Bernardino de Jesus Ramirez-Ramirez, a/k/a Carlos Mendoza, 35, of Guatemala, was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to kidnapping and illegal transportation of an alien.
Following two days of trial, Ramirez-Ramirez entered a guilty plea for kidnapping and illegal transportation of an alien. Evidence presented to the court showed Ramirez-Ramirez and the minor victim’s family entered into an agreement for the minor victim to be smuggled into the United States. Months later when the minor victim crossed into the United States, she encountered officers with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. As an unaccompanied minor, Border Patrol provided her with treatment for injuries sustained during her smuggling and transferred her to a residential facility until she could be released to an appropriate custodian within the United States. The U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement reviewed the minor victim’s smuggling case and learned that the minor victim owed a debt to Ramirez-Ramirez, that the minor victim had never met Ramirez-Ramirez, and that she would prefer to reside with a family member in the United States rather than her smuggler Ramirez-Ramirez. Despite Ramirez-Ramirez and the victim’s parents in Guatemala pressing for the release of the minor to Ramirez-Ramirez pursuant to their illegal smuggling agreement, the minor victim was released to an uncle residing in Newberry, South Carolina in March 2023.
Less than a week after the minor victim arrived at her uncle’s home in Newberry, Ramirez-Ramirez drove from Kansas City, Missouri to the uncle’s home. The minor victim was told she would be deported if she stayed with her uncle and that the smuggling debt would increase if she did not leave with Ramirez-Ramirez. Under these pressures, the minor victim left with Ramirez-Ramirez who drove her across the country to his home in Kansas City. When the uncle returned home from work and learned that the minor victim was missing, he notified local law enforcement.
Within 24 hours of the kidnapping, the Newberry Police Department and SLED had tracked Ramirez-Ramirez from Newberry to Kansas City and identified a home associated with Ramirez-Ramirez. The Kansas City Police Department responded to the home, recovered the minor victim, and arrested Ramirez-Ramirez.
“Kidnapping, especially the kidnapping of vulnerable children, is a monstrous offense,” said U.S. Attorney Adair Ford Boroughs for the District of South Carolina. “The quick collaborative response of law enforcement across multiple jurisdictions saved this child from additional harm and trauma.”
United States District Judge Donald C. Coggins sentenced Ramirez-Ramirez to 168 months in federal prison to be followed by a five-year term of court ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, and the Newberry Police Department, with assistance from the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carrie Fisher Sherard and Kathleen Stoughton are prosecuting the case.
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Gore Resident Sentenced for Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Kelly Don Girty, Jr., age 30, of Gore, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 46 months for illegally possessing a firearm. The Court ordered the federal sentence to run consecutive to state sentences Girty received in the District Court of Sequoyah County.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On May 2, 2024, Girty pleaded guilty to one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. According to investigators, on January 7, 2024, a Sequoyah County Sheriff’s deputy conducting a routine traffic stop discovered Girty in possession of a .22 caliber bolt action rifle. At the time of the stop, Girty had been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year and was prohibited from possessing firearms.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The Honorable John C. Coughenour, Senior U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Girty will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.
Gloucester County Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Drug Conspiracy and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Gloucester County, New Jersey, man was sentenced to 72 months in prison for narcotics trafficking and firearms offenses, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Javier Osorio, 44, of Deptford, New Jersey, was convicted on July 19, 2023, of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute heroin and cocaine, possession with the intent to distribute heroin, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon following a trial before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti, who imposed the sentence on Oct. 29, 2024, in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Osorio conspired with others to distribute cocaine and over one kilogram of heroin, which was recovered from his apartment. Osorio was arrested while driving with his conspirators from New Jersey to Brooklyn to sell an additional quantity of heroin, which was recovered from the vehicle. In addition to the drugs recovered from his apartment, law enforcement also recovered a loaded stolen firearm from under Osorio’s mattress.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Martinotti sentenced Osorio to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger credited special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz, with the investigation leading to the conviction. He also thanked the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Esther Suarez.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney George L. Brandley of the Office’s Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kendall Randolph of the Office’s Organized Crime/Gangs Unit in Newark.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf.
Four members of Tidewater drug trafficking conspiracy and two who supplied firearms sentenced to prisonRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Four people have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed methamphetamine and other drugs in the Tidewater area. Two others have been sentenced to prison for providing firearms to one of the members of the drug trafficking conspiracy.
By the fall of 2021, Leonard Tromell Brooks, 41, of Virginia Beach, a previously convicted drug trafficker, was conspiring with Kyle Derek Dean, 33, and Katie Loren Harbor, 29, both of Norfolk, to traffic significant quantities of methamphetamine in the Tidewater area. By January 2022, Colin Thomas Costello, 35, of Virginia Beach, had joined the conspiracy.
On March 15, 2022, Dean transported Harbor so she could sell 3.41 grams of meth to an individual in Virginia Beach. On April 20, 2022, Dean sold 2.78 grams of meth to another individual in Norfolk.
On April 6, 2022, Costello sold 26.05 grams of meth, and on April 12, 2022, Costello sold 67.50 grams of meth. On April 22, 2022, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on Costello in Virginia Beach. Prior to coming to a stop, Costello tossed 58.83 grams of meth from the vehicle's window.
On April 20, 2022, and again on April 21, 2022, Brooks sold cocaine from a residence in Virginia Beach. Law enforcement learned that Brooks was expecting a shipment of meth from his Florida-based supplier to arrive in Virginia via train on April 22, 2022. They intercepted the courier and recovered five kilograms of 100% pure meth, commonly known as "ice" or “crystal” meth. On at least two previous occasions, Brooks ordered similar quantities of crystal meth for further distribution by Dean, Harbor, and Costello.
On April 22, 2022, law enforcement executed search warrants at residences affiliated with all four conspirators. From Brooks’ residence, investigators recovered 219 grams of cocaine, 7.9 ounces of marijuana, $26,388 in drug-trafficking proceeds, a .45 caliber handgun, and ammunition. From Dean and Harbor’s residence investigators recovered 3.07 grams of meth, a ledger showing amounts of money owed to Dean and Harbor, digital scales, and packaging materials, as well as another 4.12 grams of meth found on Dean’s person. From Costello’s residence investigators recovered 405 grams of meth, quantities of fentanyl and cocaine, packaging materials, scales, and 14 firearms.
As a previously convicted felon, Costello could not legally possess firearms. Jonathan Morrell Scott, 37, of Virginia Beach, straw purchased four firearms for Costello prior to April 22, 2022. On July 26, 2023, Scott pled guilty to making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm. On Dec. 12, 2023, Scott was sentenced to four months in prison.
Costello’s girlfriend, Amber Dawn Hendricks, 40, of Virginia Beach, purchased four firearms in the two months preceding the search, including two purchased just two days before the search, despite being a user of and addicted to meth. She kept those firearms in the residence she shared with Costello. Despite being prohibited from possessing firearms, she and Costello kept a total of 11 firearms in their bedroom at the residence. On May 7, 2024, Hendricks was charged with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. On Oct. 2, 2024, Hendricks was sentenced to two years and six months in prison.
On Jan. 26, 2023, Costello pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; manufacture, distribution, and possession with intent to distribute a Schedule II controlled substance; and possessing, using, and carrying firearms in furtherance of and during and in relation to a drug-trafficking crime. Costello was sentenced today to 20 years in prison.
On Jan. 24, 2023, Dean pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine. On June 15, 2023, Dean was sentenced to 18 years in prison.
On Jan. 12, 2023, Harbor pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine. On June 1, 2023, Harbor was sentenced to nine years in prison.
On Jan. 10, 2023, Brooks pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; manufacture, distribution, and possession with intent to distribute a Schedule II controlled substance; and possessing, using, and carrying firearms in furtherance of and during and in relation to a drug-trafficking crime. On May 12, 2023, Brooks was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division; James VanVliet, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C.; Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Mark Talbot, Chief of Norfolk Police; Paul Neudigate, Chief of Virginia Beach Police; and Ramin Fatehi, Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin G. Bird and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham M. Stolle, an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney with the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Office, 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.
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. 2:22-cr-126 (Brooks, Dean, Harbor, and Costello), 2:23-cr-48 (Hendricks), and 2:23-cr-51 (Scott).
Four Time Federal Felon Sentenced to More than 14 Years in Federal Prison for Meth ConvictionRead the Press Release
A man who fled from law enforcement while possessing methamphetamine was sentenced October 25, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City.
Chad Hughes, 40, from Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty on May 31, 2024, to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Hughes was previously convicted of a federal firearms offense in 2005, federal assault in 2010, and two federal escapes in 2017 and 2018, respectively.
At the plea and sentencing hearings evidence showed that Hughes possessed almost ½ pound of methamphetamine which he intended to distribute to others in Sioux City. On June 24, 2023, when law enforcement attempted to stop the motorcycle Hughes was operating, he fled from law enforcement in a high-speed pursuit through cities of Sioux City, Iowa and North Sioux City, South Dakota. During the pursuit Hughes ditched the motorcycle and a backpack to avoid apprehension. Law enforcement seized the backpack which contained methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, a BB gun, and other items which aided in the ultimate identification of Hughes.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Hughes was sentenced to 170 months’ imprisonment and must serve a five-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Hughes remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Iowa State Patrol, North Sioux City, South Dakota, Police Department, and 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 23-4053. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Founder of Cryptocurrency Financial Services Firm “MyTrade” Pleads Guilty to Market Manipulation and Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The founder and primary operator of “MyTrade,” a financial services firm known in the cryptocurrency industry as a “market maker,” pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston for his role in a wide-ranging conspiracy to manipulate cryptocurrency markets on behalf of client cryptocurrency companies.
Liu Zhou, 39, of China and Canada, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit market manipulation and wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley scheduled sentencing for Feb. 27, 2025.
MyTrade provided financial services to cryptocurrency clients through its “MyTrade MM” website and online application. Those services included the wash trading of client cryptocurrencies across multiple cryptocurrency exchanges. Wash trading occurs when a single trader, or a number of traders working in coordination, buy and sell the same asset repeatedly in order to mislead the market by artificially inflating the trading volume or price of the asset via trades that have no lawful commercial purpose. Wash trading is a form of fraud intended to stimulate interest in an asset and is specifically prohibited by the securities laws. MyTrade MM’s clients had access to a dashboard available through MyTrade MM’s website that allowed clients to specify the desired amount of daily wash trades—a service described as “Volume Support”—on identified cryptocurrency exchanges. MyTrade MM used computer programs known as “bots” to generate the fraudulent wash trades for clients.
MyTrade MM’s unlawful wash trading service was identified through an undercover law enforcement operation. The investigation included the creation of NexFundAI, a purported cryptocurrency company that had a website (https://nexfundai.com) and an Ethereum-based token that traded on the Uniswap cryptocurrency exchange before being disabled by law enforcement.
In discussions with purported NexFundAI promoters, Zhou described how MyTrade MM “does self-trades - a buy and a sell in the same second,” and that its volume bot can be used to execute “pump and dumps.” Zhou also described the “objective” as finding “other buyers from the community, people you don’t know about or don’t care about” because “we have to make [the other buyers] lose money in order to make profit.” As of Oct. 1, 2024, MyTrade MM was providing the “volume support” function – which consisted of wash trades made by trading bots – to dozens of clients.
As part of Zhou’s plea, MyTrade MM was required to cease providing “Volume Support” services and to permanently deactivate its wash trading bots, which had been responsible for millions of dollars’ worth of daily wash trades for approximately 60 different cryptocurrencies. MyTrade MM was also required to add the following disclaimer to its website: “Volume support is a form of wash trading and illegal under the laws of the United States.”
The charge of conspiracy to commit market manipulation and wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 to twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, restitution and forfeiture. 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 Investigations, Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Markham and David M. Holcomb of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Fort Myers Felon Pleads Guilty to Firearm and Drug Distribution CrimesRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that James Wallace Mathis, Jr. (44, Fort Myers) today pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon and distributing controlled substances. Mathis faces a maximum of 55 years in federal prison in connection with his crimes. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court records, on multiple occasions in July and August 2024, Mathis sold drugs—including fentanyl, a fentanyl analogue, and cocaine—to a law enforcement informant and an undercover ATF agent. Additionally, on one occasion in July 2024, Mathis sold a loaded Ruger .380 caliber handgun to a law enforcement informant. As a multi-time, convicted felon who previously served more than a decade in Florida state prison for various crimes, Mathis is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Fort Myers Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth.
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.
Fort Myers Career Criminal Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Carl Samuel Thompson, Jr. (60, Fort Myers) today pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. Because of Thompson’s criminal history, which includes at least three convictions for violent felonies, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has not yet been set.
According to court records, on April 7, 2024, a vehicle being driven by Thompson was pulled over by Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) deputies in North Fort Myers for a traffic infraction. During the traffic stop, deputies discovered that Thompson’s front-seat passenger was concealing a loaded firearm, which was secured by deputies during the traffic stop. A subsequent investigation revealed that Thompson—who had an active warrant for his arrest—had provided the firearm to his passenger to conceal after realizing he was being pulled over. As a career criminal with more than 10 prior felony convictions, including convictions for armed robbery and aggravated assault, Thompson is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth.
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.
Former Officer Pleads Guilty to Embezzling More than $30,000 from DC Department of Corrections UnionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Andra Parker, 65, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud for embezzling tens of thousands of dollars from a D.C. Department of Corrections Labor Union.
The guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer of the National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG).
Parker, a former D.C. Corrections officer, served as Chairman of the Labor Committee, an organization that represents all members of the D.C. Department of Corrections, from June 2018 through approximately April 2019. As Chairman, Parker had full access to the Labor Committee’s bank accounts to carry out his official duties and was issued a debit card.
As part of his guilty plea, Parker admitted that he misappropriated more than $30,000 of union funds to pay for unofficial travel, lodging, and entertainment for him and his friends. For example, he spent more than $7,000 on a trip to New York city for his friends and him, including $4,000 on rooms and expenses at a Times Square hotel, more than $370 on tickets to a New York Knicks game, and an additional $616 on tickets to Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. He also spent more than $2,000 in union funds to purchase four tickets to a Diana Ross concert in North Bethesda, Maryland.
The Honorable Rudolph Contreras, who accepted Parker’s guilty plea, scheduled sentencing for March 6, 2025.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the DOL-OIG. Assistance was also provided by the DOL - Office of Labor-Management Standards.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Gold and Kondi Kleinman of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Sonalika Chaturvedi.
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Foreign National Accused of Possessing 45,000 Fentanyl Pills is in Custody Facing Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment charging a foreign national living in Utah with drug crimes after he allegedly possessed fentanyl with the intent to distribute it.
Yoni Lerma-Renteria, aka Yoni Lerma-Acosta, 30, of Salt Lake County, was initially charged by complaint on October 10, 2024, in the District of Utah.
According to court documents, in September 2024, the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force began a criminal investigation of Lerma-Renteria and other members of a drug trafficking organization believed to be distributing large quantities of narcotics. In October 2024, agents executed search warrants for Lerma-Renteria’s residence and vehicle. During the search, agents recovered approximately 4,490.5 grams of field-tested positive fentanyl and 15 grams of field-tested positive cocaine. Agents estimated the fentanyl at approximately 45,000 fentanyl pills.
Lerma-Renteria is charged with possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute, and illegal reentry of a previously removed alien. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for October 30, 2024, at 2:00 p.m., in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force (WMDTF).
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Florida Company Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Sell Misbranded N95 Masks to Hospital in Early Months of COVID-19 PandemicRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Florida company, and two individuals associated with the company, have pleaded guilty to charges associated with shipping facemasks that were misbranded as N95 respirators, and price gouging hospitals, during the earliest phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.
JDM Supply LLC (JDM) pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to introduce misbranded devices into interstate commerce with intent to defraud or mislead, in violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Daniel Motha, 40, of Miami, Fla., and Jeffrey Motha, 36, of Norfolk, Mass., also pleaded guilty to one count of introduction of misbranded devices into interstate commerce and one count of conspiracy to commit price gouging in violation of the Defense Production Act. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for Daniel Motha and Jeffrey Motha on March 4, 2025 and JDM on March 25, 2025. In August 2023, a third individual, Jason Colantuoni of Norfolk, Mass, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit price gouging in connection with this investigation.
In the spring of 2020, during the earliest phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, JDM and a company identified as “Company 1” conspired to ship facemasks that were misbranded as National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)-approved, N95 respirators. One hospital accepted and paid for hundreds of thousands of purported N95 masks that were manufactured by Company 1 and sold by JDM. Ultimately, the hospital did not use the masks, which were eventually returned to Company 1. JDM misled the hospital into believing that the Company 1 masks were NIOSH-approved N95s, when in fact they were not.
In August 2020, a NIOSH lab tested a sample of the Company 1 masks that had been shipped to the hospital. The masks tested between 83.94% and 93.24% filtration efficiency, thus falling below the 95% minimum level of filtration efficiency required for N95 respirators.
Daniel Motha and Jeff Motha conspired to use JDM to exploit and profit off of the critical need of hospitals and healthcare workers for scarce N95 masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. They accumulated N95 masks from various sources and then sold the N95 masks through JDM to hospitals in Massachusetts, and elsewhere, at prices in excess of the prevailing market price.
The charge of conspiracy to introduce or deliver for introduction into interstate commerce a misbranded device with intent to defraud or mislead, brought against JDM, provides for a fine of $500,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss of the offense, whichever is greater and up to five years of probation. The charge of introduction or delivery for introduction into interstate commerce a misbranded device provides for a sentence of up to one year in prison; up to one year of supervised release; and a fine of $100,000. The charge of conspiracy to commit price gouging in violation of the Defense Production Act provides for a sentence of up to one year in prison; up to one year of supervised release; and a fine of up to $10,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal 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; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; Fernando McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bill Brady and Howard Locker of the Health Care Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.
Five Men Arrested for Conspiring to Distribute over 150 Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On Oct. 29, five men, Carlos Manuel Velazquez Gomez, 43, David Martinez, 53, Juan Antonio Rivera Velasquez, 45, Onasis Lisandro Garcia, 49, and Richard John Sydney-Smith, 62, had their initial appearances on their respective federal criminal complaints which charge the defendants with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute over 150 kilograms of cocaine.
On Oct. 27, Sydney-Smith and Garcia were traveling on a boat 2 miles east of Port Everglades, when they were intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard and found to be transporting over 150 kilograms of cocaine. The investigation further yielded the arrests of Rivera Velasquez, Velazquez Gomez, and Martinez on Oct. 28, who were waiting in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. for the cocaine delivery.
Pre-trial detention hearings have been scheduled in these matters for Nov. 1 and Nov. 4.
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, made the announcement.
HSI Miami investigated this case with invaluable assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) Air and Marine Units. Assistant U.S. Attorney Latoya C. Brown is prosecuting it.
A criminal complaint contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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 numbers 24-mj-6500, 24-mj-6501, 24-mj-6502, 24-mj-6504, and 24-mj-6505.
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Felon in Possession Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison Following Shooting at the Palm Beach Gardens MallRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A felon in possession of a firearm was sentenced to 144 months in prison, following a shooting at the Palm Beach Gardens Mall (The Gardens Mall) on Valentine’s Day.
Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon imposed an upward variance in sentencing Devon Jamal Graham, 29, to 144 months in prison. Graham previously pled guilty to possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance containing fentanyl and cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Kamarcio Mitchell, 29, a second man who was arrested following the shooting at The Gardens Mall, is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 21 at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Cannon in Fort Pierce, Fla. Mitchell previously pled guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
On Feb. 14, both Mitchell and Graham were at The Gardens Mall, both separately in possession of a firearm. Mitchell was on the second level of The Gardens Mall near a retail store. Mitchell followed Graham onto the escalator and was manipulating an object under his shirt. Mitchell was then fired upon by Graham and shot. Mitchell fled the mall to the parking lot, leaving a trail of blood. A loaded firearm that had been disassembled was found in the parking lot by police, near the blood trail. Mitchell was later treated for his injury at a local hospital. Upon his later arrest on a federal warrant, authorities discovered Mitchell in possession of a distribution quantity of fentanyl after he unsuccessfully tried to toss the drugs.
Two firearms were recovered from the vehicle Graham used to travel to the mall, along with a bag containing 35 capsules with a mixture containing fentanyl and a pill bottle with approximately 16 grams of cocaine.
The recovered firearms had previously travelled in interstate commerce.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, U.S. Marshal Gadyaces S. Serralta of the U.S. Marshals Service, Chief Dominick Pape of the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department, and Sheriff Ric Bradshaw of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office 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 John McMillan and Shannon O’Shea Darsch are prosecuting 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.
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-80022.
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Felon Who Arranged Gun Sales from Jail Sentenced to 63 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Wednesday sentenced a St. Louis County man who was caught arranging for his illegally-possessed guns to be sold to 63 months in prison.
The sentence for James C. Street, 47, will run consecutive to pending probation violation cases in St. Louis and Jefferson counties.
Street pleaded guilty in July to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted that while a convicted felon and barred from possessing firearms, he possessed three pistols and an AR-style rifle.
The investigation began after the St. Louis County Police Department learned that Street, who was in jail at the time, was discussing the sale of his firearms. Police then contacted the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Street sold a .357 magnum revolver through an intermediary, which was later recovered by law enforcement. Investigators learned Street was planning more sales. A court-approved search of the intermediary’s home recovered the remaining guns, as well as ammunition and large capacity magazines.
At the time, Street was on probation for multiple felony domestic offenses.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Goeke 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.
Farrell Resident Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Firearm CrimesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Farrell, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to committing firearm and drug trafficking crimes, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Tylon Cousin, 38, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV to possessing with intent to distribute cocaine on February 3, 2023, and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime.
Judge Stickman scheduled sentencing for February 26, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than five years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $2,250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Mercer County Drug Task Force, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Cousin.
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 of Justice 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.
Eleven Minneapolis Gang Members Charged with RICO Conspiracy, Murder in Aid of Racketeering, and Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Minneapolis returned an 18-count indictment yesterday against 11 alleged members of the Lows — a violent Minneapolis street gang — for crimes including Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy involving murder, attempted murder, gun trafficking, and drug trafficking.
“According to the indictment, these defendants are leaders, organizers, and members of the Lows street gang, a violent gang that allegedly committed multiple murders and attempted murders and trafficked in guns and drugs, including fentanyl,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Violent gangs that engage in bloody street wars and peddle deadly drugs endanger our communities. The Criminal Division, along with our local, state, and federal partners, is committed to holding violent criminals accountable, including by bringing racketeering charges.”
“The Lows are an exceptionally violent criminal street gang that has terrorized north Minneapolis for nearly 20 years. Through threats and violence — shootings and murders — the Lows have long sought to establish dominion over large swaths of our city,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger for the District of Minnesota. “My office will continue to respond to gang violence by treating it as the organized criminal activity it is. This indictment is an important step in dismantling a violent street gang that has devastated families and communities in north Minneapolis.”
“More than 100 people lose their lives to gun violence every day in the United States,” said Special Agent in Charge Travis Riddle of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) St. Paul Field Division. “There will never be a time where this will be considered acceptable. Our ATF agents put forth solid investigative work in this case utilizing crime gun intelligence that without a doubt aided the case announced today. ATF is happy to work alongside each of our partners in this investigation, and we are grateful to the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Luger, and the entire team for taking up this challenging RICO case.”
“The charges in this indictment reflect our unwavering commitment to bringing violent criminals to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office. “For too long, the Lows have inflicted pain and spread fear in north Minneapolis. Together with our law enforcement partners, we are determined to remove this threat from our communities and help restore a sense of security to all who call this city home.”
“Today’s indictment provides a stark reminder that violence and drug trafficking go hand-in-hand,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven T. Bell of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Omaha Division. “These were not victimless crimes. Communities were hurt. The DEA will continue its unwavering focus to remove threats of violence and hold accountable the individuals responsible for inflicting fear on the streets of Minneapolis.”
“The individuals named in this indictment allegedly engaged in homicide, and illegal drug and firearms trafficking, which created an atmosphere of terror and disrupted countless lives in this community,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ramsey E. Covington of the IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) Chicago Field Office. “These charges represent a pivotal milestone in our commitment to restore safety and uphold justice in the communities we serve. Working with their federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, IRS-CI special agents will continue to follow every financial trail to dismantle the networks fueling these criminal enterprises. We stand united against the violence and fear that street gangs have inflicted upon our communities in Minneapolis and elsewhere.”
“The Lows, and criminal organizations like them, wreak havoc on our communities, threatening the safety of our communities on a daily basis through their many acts of violence, murder, and narcotics and firearms trafficking,” said Special Agent in Charge Jamie Holt of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) St. Paul. “HSI St. Paul will continue to foster a strong collaboration with our law enforcement partners to bring an end to the chaos these criminal organizations inflict on our local communities.”
“This multi-count indictment against ranking members of the Lows gang is an excellent example of multiple law enforcement agencies combining their expertise and resources to conduct investigations with the common goal of taking down violent leaders perpetuating street violence involving guns and narcotics,” said Inspector in Charge Bryan Musgrove of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Denver Division. “These RICO charges aim to remove these allegedly violent offenders from our community. U.S. Postal Inspectors are committed to continuing our work to dismantle drug trafficking operations to keep USPS customers and employees safe from greedy drug traffickers who favor profit over human lives.”
As alleged in this indictment, the defendants were members of the Lows criminal street gang, which has been in existence in Minneapolis since approximately 2004. The Lows are primarily active in the northside of Minneapolis. They allegedly traffic in firearms and narcotics, including fentanyl, and use threats, intimidation, and violence to protect their territory, reputation, illicit proceeds, and power.
The indictment charges that the defendants engaged in a pattern of racketeering — that is, unlawful acts of violence, gun trafficking, and narcotics trafficking — for the benefit of the Lows enterprise. These acts include seven alleged murders or attempted murders involving a total of ten victims.
The 11 defendants, all from Minneapolis, have been indicted for the following crimes:
Ashimiyu Alowonle II, 38, also known as Cash, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
Timothy Callender III, 26, also known as Lil’ Tim, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
Glenn Carter III, 23, also known as G5 and Bossman Carter, is charged with RICO conspiracy; using, carrying, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death; and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Carter is charged with committing a murder on May 14, 2022, as a racketeering act in furtherance of the RICO conspiracy.
Victor Collins, 22, also known as Vic, is charged with RICO conspiracy; using, carrying, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death; conspiracy to distribute controlled substances; possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance; and possessing a firearm a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Collins is charged with committing a murder and an attempted murder on Feb. 27 as a racketeering act in furtherance of the RICO conspiracy.
Damari Douglas, 20, also known as Mari, is charged with RICO conspiracy, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a machine gun. Douglas is charged with committing a murder on Dec. 3, 2023, as a racketeering act in furtherance of the RICO conspiracy.
Deontae Jackson, 35, also known as Leef, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
Shannon Jackson, 32, also known as Shakedown, is charged with RICO conspiracy; using, carrying, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death; conspiracy to distribute controlled substances; possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance; possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking; and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Jackson is charged with committing a murder on April 27, 2023, as a racketeering act in furtherance of the RICO conspiracy.
Robert Knights Jr., 19, also known as CMB Rob and Lil’ Rob, is charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Albert Lucas V, 20, also known as Abk Sav, is charged with RICO conspiracy; using, carrying, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death; and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Lucas is charged with committing multiple murders and an attempted murder on Feb. 27 and May 6, 2021, as a racketeering act in furtherance of the RICO conspiracy.
Kaprice Richards, 23, also known as Kap, is charged with RICO conspiracy and using, carrying, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death. Richards is charged with committing an attempted murder on May 29, 2022, and a murder on April 27, 2023, as racketeering acts in furtherance of the RICO conspiracy.
Cartrelle Smith, 27, also known as Poo Moe, is charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
If convicted, the defendants face a range of penalties, including up to life in prison for racketeering conspiracy involving acts of murder, using a firearm to commit murder, and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after the consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
ATF, FBI, DEA, IRS-CI, HSI, USPIS, Minneapolis Police Department, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and Minnesota Department of Corrections are investigating the case, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service.
Trial Attorney Jared Engelking of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Garrett S. Fields and David M. Classen for the District of Minnesota are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
El Centro Man Admits to Threatening a DEA AgentRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Jacob Enriquez of El Centro, California pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that he sent a threatening email directed at a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent and his family.
Enriquez was charged on June 6, 2024. He pleaded guilty to Interstate Threatening Communication for sending a threatening and disturbing email directed at a DEA Agent. The profanity-laden email, which was sent to an email account belonging to Emergency Medical Services Agency in Imperial County, threatened to torture and kill the DEA agent and the agent’s children and made it clear that Enriquez knew where the agent lived.
Enriquez admitted that he sent this email knowing that it would be viewed as threats of violence against the DEA agent and his family.
Enriquez also admitted to sending threatening emails to the El Centro Police Chief and a doctor’s office in El Centro.
“Words have consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “And the consequences of threatening others with violence is a felony conviction.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Sherwood and Joseph Orabona.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on January 31, 2025.
DEFENDANT Case Number 24cr1330-CAB
Jacob Enriquez Age: 43 El Centro, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Interstate Threatening Communication – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 875(c)
Maximum penalty: Five years in prison, with a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCY
Federal Bureau of Investigation
East Helena man sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamineRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — An East Helena man who trafficked thousands of fentanyl pills and pounds of methamphetamine while also possessing firearms was sentenced on Oct. 29 to 11 years and four months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
The defendant, Thomas Anthony Conley, 37, pleaded guilty in June to possession with intent to distribute meth and fentanyl.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
“Thousands of fentanyl pills, pounds and pounds of meth, and multiple guns. A majority of the cases we prosecute include those elements, and I’m pleased to say virtually all of our cases result in federal prison sentences. This case is no different, and we will continue to aggressively prosecute dangerous drug traffickers with the goal that they have the same fate as Conley,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.
In court documents, the government alleged that Conley possessed multiple firearms and was responsible for importing more than 20,000 fentanyl pills and dozens of pounds of meth into the state. In March and April 2023, law enforcement learned from sources that Conley was supplying meth and fentanyl in the Helena area. The investigation led to search warrants for Conley’s home and vehicles. Officers located several firearms and ammunition in one of his vehicles along with more than 17,000 fentanyl pills. Conley admitted he had worked with others to traffic large quantities of fentanyl pills and several dozen pounds of meth into Montana in the preceding months.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Missouri River Drug Task Force, Southwest Drug Task Force, Montana Highway Patrol and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
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Duncansville Resident Pleads Guilty to Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Duncansville, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of narcotics trafficking related to a six-month Title III wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in and around Blair, Cambria, Centre, and Clearfield counties, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Douglas Hillegass, 62, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that Hillegass was a methamphetamine distributor who obtained approximately six ounces of methamphetamine from Jason Lynn, a large-scale narcotics distributor. Hillegass then redistributed the methamphetamine to other individuals.
Judge Haines scheduled sentencing for Hillegass for February 26, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than five years and up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $5 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan D. Lusty is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Internal Revenue Service, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and Pennsylvania State Police.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Dominican Republic Citizen Sentenced to 17 Years in Federal Prison for Leading a Lawrence, Massachusetts-Based Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Dominican national and former resident of Lawrence, Massachusetts was sentenced today in federal court in Concord for leading a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Marbin Cruz-Gonzalez, 37, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Steven McAuliffe to 204 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release. On January 4, 2023, Cruz-Gonzalez pleaded guilty to a superseding indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, cocaine base, and cocaine. He has been incarcerated since he was arrested on this case in February of 2022.
“For a time, Marbin Cruz-Gonzalez was the premier narcotics distributor in this region,” said U.S. Attorney Young. “While he largely avoided direct contact with the drugs, he was running the drug trafficking business behind the scenes. Today's lengthy sentence demonstrates that high-level drug traffickers cannot shield their identities to escape responsibility by directing subordinates to deal drugs onto the streets of our communities.”
“DEA is committed to investigating individuals like Mr. Cruz-Gonzalez who are responsible for distributing lethal drugs like fentanyl to the citizens of New Hampshire,” said Acting DEA Special Agent in Charge Stephen Belleau, New England Field Division. “Today’s substantial sentence not only holds Mr. Cruz-Gonzalez accountable for his crimes but serves as a warning to those traffickers who are fueling the opioid epidemic with deadly drugs in order to profit and destroy people’s lives. DEA’s top priority will continue to be combatting the opioid epidemic by working with our local, county, state and federal partners to bring to justice anyone who distributes this poison.”
Cruz-Gonzalez was the leader of a drug trafficking organization based in Lawrence that distributed drugs via a network of sub-distributors throughout the northern New England region, including New Hampshire. His organization used at least 20 different phone numbers to arrange transactions with sub-distributors, and he used at least 13 different employees to operate his illegal enterprise. He is the final defendant to be sentenced in this multi-year investigation. In related cases in the District of New Hampshire, the following sentences have already been imposed:
- Jonathan Cruz-Marte, sentenced on December 20, 2023 to 96 months in federal prison.
- Enver Morales-Hoyos, sentenced on September 20, 2021 to 72 months in federal prison.
- Geoffrey Morse, sentenced on April 14, 2022 to 72 months in federal prison.
- Colby Mann, sentenced on July 11, 2022 to 72 months in federal prison.
- Phat Tay, sentenced on May 26, 2021 to 70 months in federal prison.
- Alysha DeJesus, sentenced on July 14, 2020 to 65 months in federal prison.
- Adrian Maas, sentenced on January 1, 2021 to 60 months in federal prison.
- Eddil Ortez, sentenced on October 1, 2020 to 57 months in federal prison.
- Elijah Cox, sentenced on April 16, 2021 to 36 months in federal prison.
- Mayerlin Urena, sentenced on January 3, 2024 to 27 months in federal prison.
- Robert Twombly, sentenced on August 20, 2020 to 24 months in federal prison.
- Christian Muniz-Perkins, sentenced on February 18, 2021 to 23 months in federal prison.
- Jeffrey Roy, sentenced on November 17, 2021 to 20 months in federal prison.
- James Henry, sentenced on October 15, 2020 to 13 months in federal prison.
- Carlos Morales-Hoyos, sentenced on October 26, 2022 to 10 months in federal prison.
- Cortny Reichert, sentenced on December 8, 2021 to 9 months in federal prison.
- Amy Dame, sentenced on March 18, 2021 to 8 months in federal prison.
- Timothy Wheeler, sentenced on July 19, 2021 to 4 months in federal prison.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. The Manchester Police Department, the Nashua Police Department, the New Hampshire State Police, and the Massachusetts State Police provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S Attorney Jarad Hodes, Deputy Criminal Chief Georgiana MacDonald, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Aframe prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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Defense Contractor, Former Executive Indicted for Bribing Government EmployeeRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Cask Technologies, LLC and former company executive Mark Larsen with bribing a government employee to win lucrative government contracts.
According to court records, Larsen and his subordinates at Cask gave former Naval Information Warfare Center employee James Soriano various things of value, including expensive meals, golf outings, and full-time jobs for Soriano’s close family friend and immediate family member. At the time of the conspiracy, Larsen was the director, and later the managing director, vice president, and executive vice president of Cask with offices in San Diego and Stafford, Virginia.
In return, Soriano took official action to benefit Cask, such as steering non-competitive small business contracts to Cask and its “family” of companies; allowing Larsen and other Cask employees to draft procurement documents for various contracting efforts, including competitive procurements; and allowing Larsen and others to “ghost write” emails, official government correspondence, and performance evaluations for Soriano’s signature, all to benefit Cask and others in its “family” of companies.
Soriano also agreed in an email exchange to “create & award” a $50 million supposedly competitive contract for services to Cask. Soriano then allowed Cask to draft the contract requirements and the price the government was expected to pay, and took other actions to ensure that Cask was awarded the “competitive” contract.
To conceal their activities, Larsen, Cask and Soriano failed to disclose organizational conflicts of interest in relation to their contracting efforts and that Cask was affiliated to other companies in its “family” of companies, including two Native Hawaiian 8(a) companies that were subcontracting millions of dollars of work on 8(a) contracts to Cask.
Soriano has already pleaded guilty to multiple bribery schemes, including facts related to his relationship with Larsen and Cask. He is scheduled to be sentenced in May 2025.
“Defense contracts support our military, and as such play an important role in keeping us all safe,” said U.S. Attorney Tara K. McGrath. “Allowing bribery and corruption to dictate who obtains those important contracts undermines the system and dishonors our defense operations.”
“This newest indictment is another constructive step toward accountability in this ongoing multi-year investigation,” said Bryan D. Denny, Special Agent in Charge for the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Western Field Office. “Mr. Larsen and Cask Technologies are accused of feeding their own greed by knowingly corrupting the government’s acquisition process and some government officials at the expense of our nation’s warfighters and taxpayers.”
“The allegations in this case highlight the serious repercussions of undermining the integrity of the Department of the Navy’s procurement process. By prioritizing personal gain over fair competition, such actions can compromise the readiness and, potentially, the safety of our warfighters,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the NCIS Economic Crimes Field Office. “We, alongside our investigative partners, are committed to exposing unlawful activity and restoring public trust in the systems designed to protect our nation’s security.”
“This case demonstrates our commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to root out fraud and corruption in government contracting,” said Weston King, SBA OIG Western Region Special Agent in Charge. “These defendants are accused of working together to exploit the 8(a) program, actions that would defraud the government but also compromise the integrity of the program designed to uplift deserving entrepreneurs. I would like to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners for their continued pursuit of justice and holding accountable those who engage in fraudulent schemes.”
“This indictment demonstrates IRS CI’s commitment to leaving no stone unturned when we investigate DOD contract fraud,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office. “Those who undermine the DOD contracting process put our warfighters at risk, and we will not rest on a case until we find all complicit parties and the evidence necessary to bring them to court.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick Swan and Katherine McGrath.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 24cr2111-TWR
Mark Larsen Age: 46 San Diego, CA
Cask Technologies, LLC Stafford, VA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Commit Bribery - Title 18, U.S.C., Section 371
Maximum penalty: Five years in prison; $250,000 fine
Bribery – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 201
Maximum penalty: Fifteen years in prison; $250,000 fine for an individual or $500,000 for an organization, or three times the monetary equivalent of the thing of value, whichever is greater.
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Defense Criminal Investigative Service
Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Small Business Administration – Office of Inspector General
Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation
Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
If you have information regarding fraud, waste, or abuse relating to Department of Defense personnel or operations, please contact the DoD Hotline at 800-424-9098.
Defendant pleads guilty to throwing incendiary device, causing fire in local grocery storeRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A local man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court here today to damaging a Spring Grove Village grocery store with an incendiary device in the style of a Molotov cocktail.
Donald Donatelli, 28, currently of Batavia, admitted to causing malicious damage and destruction of a building in interstate commerce. The plea agreement includes a recommended sentence of 66 months in prison.
According to court documents, at approximately 10pm on Nov. 26, 2023, Donatelli threw the incendiary device into the store while the store’s owner and his wife were inside. The store was open at the time of the fire.
Donatelli had traveled to the grocery store on Gwinnet Drive with a co-defendant. Donatelli approached the front glass doors of the grocery store and had a bottle of gasoline with a rag inside. He lit the rag and threw the bottle inside the front doors while the co-defendant filmed a Snapchat video of the crime.
A federal grand jury indicted Donatelli and the co-defendant in April 2024. Charges remain pending against Angela Schweitzer, 35.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Matthew W. McFarland. U.S. Attorney Parker and Special Agent in Charge McCormick acknowledged the assistance of the Cincinnati Fire Department, Cincinnati Police Department, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office and Union Township Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Megan Gaffney Painter is representing the United States in this case.
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Covetrus Agrees to Pay $1,125,000 for Failing to Adequately Address Suspicious Opioid Orders and for Inadequate Recordkeeping PracticesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office has reached a $1,125,000 settlement with Covetrus North America, LLC (Covetrus NA) to resolve allegations that it violated the Controlled Substances Act and related regulations. Covetrus NA, headquartered in Portland, Maine, is a company that distributes veterinary medicine to customers worldwide.
Under the settlement, Covetrus NA admitted that, from March 29, 2016 through June 18, 2019, its internal suspicious order monitoring system (SOM) flagged 35 opioid orders from a veterinary office in West Barnstable, Mass. (Veterinary Office) as suspicious. Covetrus NA released each of the suspicious orders and sent them to the Veterinary Office. Following a request from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Covetrus NA provided inadequate documentation to justify its decision to release the orders.
Melissa Paradise, an employee of the Veterinary Office, was charged and convicted in U.S. District Court in Boston and was sentenced in June 2022 after admitting that she diverted drugs from the orders for her own personal use. Covetrus NA also admitted that, in March 2018, an order of hydrocodone-homatropine was lost in-transit to the Veterinary Office and that Covetrus NA failed to notify the DEA of the lost controlled substances. From January 2015 through July 2023 Covetrus NA also failed to properly review the most recent information made available in ARCOS (an automated, comprehensive drug reporting system which monitors controlled substances from their point of manufacture through distribution) as required by the Controlled Substances Act (the Act).
The Act regulates the manufacturing, purchasing, distribution and maintenance of certain controlled substances. The Act and related regulations required Covetrus NA to keep records and follow security protocols for its controlled substances, including reporting suspicious orders or theft and significant loss of controlled substances. Failure to maintain effective controls against diversion of controlled substances, including opioids, violates the Act. Additionally, registered distributors of opioids, like Covetrus NA, are required to review quarterly information provided by ARCOS, and to keep an accurate record of each controlled substance and how it was used or where it went. Federal and state law enforcement rely on ARCOS data to help prevent diversion of controlled substances.
“The struggle to bring the scourge of the opioid epidemic under control requires a multi prong approach. In addition to traditional law enforcement efforts, preventing the diversion of lawfully manufactured opioids is also critical. Drug distributors have an obligation to handle controlled substances responsibly, including maintaining complete and accurate records, and diligently investigating suspicious orders of controlled substances,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “As this resolution demonstrates we not only prosecute individuals who divert controlled substances, but we will hold opioid distributors accountable for their failure to comply with important regulations.”
“DEA registrants are responsible for handling-controlled substances responsibly and ensuring that complete and accurate records are being properly kept and accounted for in compliance with the Controlled Substance Act,” said Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division. “Failure to do so increases the potential for diversion and jeopardizes public health and public safety. We are committed to working with our law enforcement and regulatory partners to ensure that these rules and regulations are followed.”
As part of the settlement, Covetrus NA will enter into a one-year Memorandum of Agreement (“MOA”) with the DEA. The MOA requires Covetrus NA to continue improving its SOM system and allows the DEA to freely inspect and monitor Covetrus NA’s SOM system, employee training and overall compliance with all federal, state and local controlled substance statutes and regulations.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Stephen P. Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julien M. Mundele of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit handled the case.
Convicted Murderer Found Guilty of Illegally Possessing Multiple Firearms Following Federal Jury TrialRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS— A federal jury has convicted Salam Abdul Ali, 57, of Indianapolis, of illegally possessing firearms as a previously convicted felon, following a one-day trial.
According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, on January 28, 2024, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) officers were dispatched to a home for a domestic disturbance call. Upon arrival, a woman who lived at the home with her children reported that her ex-boyfriend, Salam Abdul Ali, owned guns and made threats to kill her, her children, and her brother following an argument the previous night.
On February 14, 2024, IMPD investigators conducted a court-authorized search at Ali’s residence. During the search, investigators located five firearms in his bedroom, along with ammunition and firearm accessories. Ali was present and admitted to law enforcement officers, “I got guns, I sure do,” which was captured on body worn camera.
During the investigation, officers learned that Ali’s former name was Christopher Butler. Ali changed his name from Butler after he was convicted of murder in Marion County and sentenced to sentenced to 60 years in prison. He was released from state prison in approximately 2013. In 2019, Ali was convicted in federal court for his involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy and sentenced to federal prison. Ali is permanently prohibited from ever again legally possessing a firearm as a result of his felony convictions.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and IMPD investigated this case. U.S. District Judge Matthew P. Brookman presided over the trial and will sentence the defendant at a future hearing. Ali faces up to 15 years in federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Pam Domash and Zachary Szilagyi, who prosecuted 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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Columbus man sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for drug & gun crimesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man known as “Philly” was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 130 months in prison for narcotics and firearms crimes.
Bernard Clark McMillon, 32, conspired to distribute and possessed with intent to distribute controlled substances, including 40 grams or more of fentanyl and five grams or more of methamphetamine. McMillon also possessed a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to court documents, from fall of 2022 through February 2023, McMillon and a co-defendant used a series of different houses in central Ohio to traffic fentanyl, crack cocaine and methamphetamine. Their stash houses included residences on South Terrace, Doren, Columbian, Floral and Springmont avenues and McCarley Drive West.
McMillon and the co-defendant took advantage of people with addictions who were using the defendants’ residences to make drug sales on their behalf.
Law enforcement seized two pistols and a 12-gauge shotgun as part of this investigation.
A federal grand jury indicted McMillon in February 2023 and he pleaded guilty in June 2024.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Micheal H. Watson. Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin W. Kelley and Tyler Aagard are representing the United States in this case.
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Cocaine Dealer with Firearm Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who committed a drug trafficking offense was sentenced today to 96 months in federal prison for possessing large quantities of cocaine.
Andrew St. John Pratt, age 31, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 1, 2024 guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. During a search of Pratt’s home in Dubuque, officers located distribution quantities of cocaine, cash, drug scales, and a firearm.
Pratt was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Pratt was sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a four-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Pratt is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin, and it was investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 24-CR- 01010.
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Chicago-Area Rap Promotor Sentenced to Nearly Three Years in Prison for Role in Nationwide Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Chicago-area man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Springfield, Mass. for his role in a nationwide wire fraud conspiracy that victimized businesses and individuals across the United States.
Antonio M. Strong, 32, of Orland Park, Ill., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 34 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Strong was also ordered to forfeit $2,159,874 and pay restitution in the amount of $2,159,873. In May 2024, Strong pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud.
Strong was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2020 along with five co-defendants, including rap artist Herbert Wright, Joseph Williams and Demario Sorrells
Between at least March 2016 and September 2020, Strong conspired with Wright, Sorrells, Williams, and allegedly, others to defraud numerous businesses and individuals by obtaining and using unauthorized and stolen payment card account information to obtain valuable goods and services, including: private jet and yacht charters; luxury car rentals; luxury hotel and vacation rental accommodations; private chef and security guard services; designer puppies; limousine and chauffer services; and commercial airline flights, among other things. During this time, Strong presented himself as a music promoter based in the Chicago area.
The stolen payment card account information included the actual cardholders’ names, addresses, payment card account numbers, security codes and account expiration dates. Because Strong and his alleged co-conspirators provided authentic payment card information, the defrauded businesses and individuals successfully processed their transactions and provided the goods and services. The actual cardholders discovered these transactions on their accounts and disputed the charges, which were reversed by the payment card companies. As a result, the transactions were charged back to the businesses and individuals from whom Strong and his co-conspirators defrauded with the unauthorized transactions.
To conceal his identity and perpetrate the fraud, Strong used various fictitious names and aliases; provided fake driver’s licenses in the names of both fictitious and real people; used email accounts in the names of fictitious and real businesses; and falsely stated that he was from “Universal Music,” “Sony Music,” “Epic Music,” and other real and fictitious companies. Strong caused a total loss of $2,299,842, which he has agreed to repay.
In January 2024, Wright was sentenced to three years of probation and was ordered to pay restitution and forfeiture of $139,968 after previously pleading guilty. Sorrells pleaded guilty and in August 2024, was sentenced to three years of probation and oredered to pay $106,000 in restitution and $106,000 in forfeiture. In March 2024, Williams pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and in August 2024 was sentenced to three years of probation and was ordered to pay restitution of $155,392 and forfeiture of $102,116. Terrence Bender is scheduled to plead guilty next month. The remaining defendant, Steven Hayes, Jr. is pending trial.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Andrew Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Boston Field Office made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of the Springfield Branch Office and Trial Attorneys Andrew Tyler and Kyle Crawford of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Camden County Man Convicted at Trial of Conspiring to Commit Arson of a Bucks County WarehouseRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Ramiz Duka, 61, of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, was convicted today at trial of conspiracy to commit arson.
The facts at trial established that Duka recruited two men into a conspiracy to set fire to a warehouse located at 1388 Bridgewater Road in Bensalem, Pa., paying them $15,000 to do so. Over the course of several weeks, the three co-conspirators met and planned the arson.
On December 10, 2022, one of the men recruited to the conspiracy by Duka set fire to the building. During fire suppression operations, one firefighter was seriously injured when a ladder collapsed. Damages from the fire totaled nearly $6 million.
At sentencing, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum of five years of imprisonment, and a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison.
The case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Bensalem Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda R. Reinitz. Special thanks to the Bensalem Township Fire Rescue and the volunteer firefighter companies in and around Bensalem who responded to the fire.
California Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine ChargeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Saul Chavez, age 20, of Indio, California, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, after having pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Chavez to 96 months’ imprisonment. Chavez also forfeited over $25,000 seized in the investigation. There is no parole in the federal system. After Chavez’s release he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
On June 13, 2023, during a controlled purchase operation, Chavez distributed approximately a pound of meth to an undercover law enforcement officer in Omaha. Surveillance identified Chavez was using a California-plated vehicle and staying at a local Omaha motel.
On June 15, 2023, investigators conducted surveillance on Chavez and observed him drive away from the motel. He was stopped by an Omaha police officer and a subsequent search of his vehicle revealed one pound of meth.
During a post-arrest interview, Chavez admitted his vehicle contained a concealed compartment. Investigators located the compartment and discovered $25,622 and over 30 pounds of meth inside.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Omaha Police Department.
Buffalo man pleads guilty to defrauding lending companies out of millions of dollars with dozens of stolen identitiesRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Paul Paredes, 53, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, which carry a mandatory minimum penalty of two years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who is handling the case, stated that since 2013, Paredes has owned J&E Business Consulting LLC, which provides services to client businesses, including acting as a broker between the credit card processing companies and smaller retail businesses. Small businesses provide J&E with their financial information, such as the owner’s identifying information, including driver’s license, social security number, and email, as well as bank account information.
Between April 2019, and August 2023, Paredes submitted hundreds of fraudulent financing applications to dozens of lenders under the identities of his business customers (victims), for goods and services allegedly provided by Paredes, with the funds payable to bank accounts controlled by Paredes. These financing agreements were prepared in the names if victims, using their personal information, and without their knowledge, consent, or authorization. After a financing agreement was approved, money from the victim lender was deposited into one of numerous bank accounts controlled by Paredes, who used the money he obtained from the scheme to fund his personal expenses, pay salaries and operating expenses, or to make payments to victim lenders to avoid detection of the fraudulent loans. By making those payments to the victim lenders, Paredes was able to continue making similar fraudulent financing agreements with multiple victim lenders without discovery. To further avoid detection, on occasions when victims received communications from victim lenders about the fraudulent financing agreements, Paredes misled them about the purpose of the communications and told them he would handle it.
Paredes used the identity of at least 63 individuals to defraud at least 23 victim lenders, utilizing at least 12 different bank accounts and moving the money he obtained from the scheme throughout different accounts. Paredes submitted false loan applications from Rochester, NY, to the out-of-state lenders located throughout the country, including in New Jersey, Virginia, Illinois, Texas, North Carolina, Florida, Washington, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Colorado, and Minnesota. The total loss amount is at least $3,500,000.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the Internal Revenue Service, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Thomas Fattorusso, and the New York State Department of Financial Services-Criminal Investigation Bureau, under the direction of Superintendent Adrienne A. Harris.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 29, 2025, at 2:30 p.m. before Judge Wolford.
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Broken Bow Resident Sentenced to Four Years for Child AbuseRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Kaira Leigh Wilson, age 35, of Broken Bow, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 48 months in prison for one count of Child Abuse in Indian Country.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Idabel Police Department.
On January 11, 2024, Wilson, was found guilty by a federal jury at trial of the charge. According to investigators, on March 12, 2020, law enforcement responding to a 911 call at an Idabel residence discovered an unresponsive 6-month-old infant. EMS responders began life-saving measures and rushed the infant to the hospital for acute respiratory failure. Medical professionals successfully resuscitated and stabilized the infant. Medical scans revealed fresh injuries consistent with non-accidental trauma, including a subdural hematoma and extensive retinal hemorrhages. The infant also sustained vision loss in one eye. A subsequent investigation revealed that prior to the 911 call, a witness in the residence observed Wilson throw the infant against a wall.
The crime occurred in McCurtain County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation of Oklahoma, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
“I commend the work of the first responders and medical staff in diagnosing and treating the defenseless victim and want to thank the investigators for tirelessly working to determine how the injuries were inflicted,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “I also applaud the Assistant United States Attorneys who effectively presented the case at trial and compassionately advocated for the victim and the victim’s family at the sentencing hearing. We recognize the discretion of the Court in sentencing and respect the decision.”
The Honorable John C. Coughenour, Senior U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing in Muskogee. Wilson will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Morgan Muzljakovich and Sarah McAmis represented the United States.
Bristol Virginia Man Convicted in Federal Court of Carjacking and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On October 30, 2024, following a three-day trial in the United States District Court in Greeneville, Tennessee, a jury convicted Charles Nile Mixon, 48, of Bristol, Virginia, of Carjacking in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 2119; Using and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(ii); Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon in violation of 18. U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), and Possession of a Stolen Firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(j).
Sentencing is set for March 6, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. before the Honorable Clifton L Corker, United States District Judge, in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville. Mixon faces a minimum mandatory sentence of twenty-two years in federal prison.
According to witnesses, court documents, and evidence presented at trial, in the early morning hours of May 24, 2023, Mixon carjacked a victim at gunpoint in the parking lot of a Taco Bell restaurant in Bristol, Tennessee. Mixon forced the victim to give him the keys to the vehicle and then briefly held the victim at gunpoint inside the car. As Mixon fled the restaurant’s parking lot with the victim in the passenger seat, the victim jumped from the moving car to escape. Within minutes, the Bristol Tennessee Police Department located Mixon in the stolen car just as he arrived at the Tennessee/Virginia state line and attempted to stop him. Mixon refused to stop and fled into Virginia. Evidence showed that he later dropped the victim’s car at a gas station in Kingsport, Tennessee, before stealing an unattended vehicle at the gas station.
On May 25, 2023, Mixon woke up a relative to inform them that he had taken the relatives’ firearm and used it to carjack the victim at the Taco Bell. The relative contacted law enforcement who responded. Mixon fled, but was arrested after a brief chase from Bristol, Virginia, into Bristol, Tennessee. A search of Mixon at the time of his arrest recovered the stolen firearm.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton, III of the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the Bristol Tennessee Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”).
Senior Officer Jared Patrick with the Bristol Tennessee Police Department led the investigation, along with Special Agent Jamie Jenkins of ATF.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys B. Todd Martin and Emily Swecker represented the United States.
This case was brought as 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 communicates, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring results.
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Boston Woman Pleads Guilty to Armed Robberies of Postal WorkersRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston woman pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to the armed robberies of United States Postal Service (USPS) letter carriers on Nov. 29, 2022 in Mattapan, Mass. and Dec. 16, 2022 in Hyde Park, Mass.
Myesha Lewis, 22, pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery of any person having lawful charge, control, or custody of any mail matter or of any money or other property of the United States, aiding and abetting and two counts of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees, aiding and abetting. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Dennis F. Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for Feb. 10, 2025. In May 2023, Lewis was indicted by a federal grand jury along with co-defendant Kenneth Demoshane.
USPS has seen a rise in the use of arrow keys to facilitate the theft of U.S. Mail. An arrow key is a specific key designed to open designated blue USPS collection boxes in a specific area. These arrow keys are the property of USPS and it is a federal offense for an unauthorized person to possess one. Since July 2022, there have been at least 23 assaults on USPS letter carriers while in the performance of their official duties in Boston and surrounding cities and towns. These incidents included the attempted or successful robbery of USPS arrow keys from letter carriers. Additionally, of these 23 incidents, 15 of the robberies were instances where the perpetrators were reportedly armed with a knife, firearm, or both.
On Nov. 29, 2022, in Mattapan, Lewis and Demosthene forcibly robbed a USPS letter carrier of an arrow key. Demosthene approached the letter carrier and said, “I’m going to need your master key,” before reaching into the letter carrier’s mail satchel and grabbing the arrow key. The key was secured around the letter carrier’s belt with a brass chain. The force used to physically break the brass chain caused the letter carrier to be pulled off the front steps. Lewis and Demosthene then fled the scene in a rental vehicle.
On Dec. 16, 2022 in Hyde Park, Lewis and Demosthene robbed another USPS letter carrier of an arrow key at knife point. Demosthene approached the USPS letter carrier and said, “Give me your f****** arrow key.” The letter carrier put their hands in the air as the defendants attempted to remove the arrow key, at first by force pulling at the chain. Lewis and Demosthene then attempted to cut it with the knife, eventually breaking it loose and fleeing the scene on foot.
In October 2024, Demosthene was sentenced to three years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.
The charges of robbery of any person having lawful charge, control, or custody of any mail matter or of any money or other property of the United States each provide for a sentence of up to 25 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least 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 and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Birmingham Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A convicted felon pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson.
Traddarryl Rishad Boykins, 32, of Birmingham, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge L. Scott Coogler to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to the plea agreement, on January 29, 2024, a Homewood Police Department officer attempted to initiate a traffic stop on Boykins. Boykins led officers on a chase from Homewood to downtown Birmingham. The pursuit ended when Boykins crashed into another vehicle at the intersection of 18th Street North and 15th Avenue North. The driver and passenger of the vehicle suffered multiple injuries and were transported to a local hospital in critical condition. Officers arrested Boykins and conducted a search of the vehicle. In the driver’s floorboard, officers found a loaded Glock 23 pistol.
Boykins is prohibited from possessing a firearm because of prior felony convictions.
ATF investigated the case along with the Homewood Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney William R. McComb is prosecuting the case.
Billings woman sentenced to more than eight years in prison for trafficking meth on Northern Cheyenne Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A federal judge yesterday sentenced a Billings woman to eight years and nine months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for her role in methamphetamine trafficking on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
The defendant, Alisha Gail Small, 42, pleaded guilty in June to possession with intent to distribute meth.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that in August 2023, Small and others were in a car stopped outside of Hardin. Law enforcement found 7 grams of meth in Small’s purse and multiple firearms in the car. Law enforcement learned that Small was involved in meth trafficking. In December 2023, Small was arrested on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation after a high-speed chase with law enforcement. Officers found approximately 60 grams of meth in her car and another gun. A search of Small’s cell phone found it contained evidence of drug trafficking.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI, Bureau of Indian Affairs and Montana Highway Patrol conducted the investigation.
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Barbour County Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine ChargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – James Marklin Mayle, age 67, of Philippi, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 130 months for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, officers stopped Mayle’s vehicle and found nearly two pounds of methamphetamine. Mayle, also known as “Mark Mayle,” was transporting methamphetamine from Ohio into Barbour County.
Mayle has a criminal history that includes drug possession, battery, assault, burglary, passing counterfeit money, and domestic violence.
Mayle will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
The case was investigated by the Mountain Region Drug Task Force. The Ohio State Highway Patrol assisted.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Bank Robber Sentenced to Three-and-a-Half Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Justin Eric Lindsay, 29, of Phoenix, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge David G. Campbell to 42 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release. On June 27, 2024, Lindsay pleaded guilty to two counts of Bank Robbery.
Between August 2023 and January 2024, Lindsay robbed six banks before he was arrested by agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. During two of the robberies, Lindsay falsely claimed he had a firearm.
This case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of Tempe Police Department, Mesa Police Department, and Task Force Officers from the Peoria Police Department and the Phoenix Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-24-00147-PHX-DGC
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-148_Lindsay# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Atlantic County Doctor Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Health Care Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – An Atlantic County, New Jersey, doctor was sentenced to 15 months in prison for his role in defrauding New Jersey state and local health benefits programs and other insurers by submitting fraudulent claims for medically unnecessary prescriptions, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna announced.
Brian Sokalsky, 46, of Margate, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler to a superseding information charging him with one count of conspiring to commit health care fraud. U.S. District Judge Edward S. Kiel imposed the sentence on Oct. 29, 2024, in Camden federal court.
Sokalsky, pharmaceutical sales representative Vincent Tornari, 50, of Linwood, New Jersey, and former advanced nurse practitioner Ashley Lyons-Valenti, 67, of Swedesboro, New Jersey, were charged in a 33-count indictment in June 2020. Tornari pleaded guilty on March 14, 2023, and Lyons-Valenti pleaded guilty on Feb. 28, 2023, to their respective roles in the conspiracy. Tornari and Lyons-Valenti are both awaiting sentencing.
According to court documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Compounded medications are specialty medications mixed by a pharmacist to meet the specific medical needs of an individual patient. Although compounded drugs are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), they are properly prescribed when a physician determines that an FDA-approved medication does not meet the health needs of a particular patient, such as if a patient is allergic to a dye or other ingredient.
The conspirators learned that certain medications made by compounding pharmacies reimbursed for up to thousands of dollars for an individual’s one-month supply. They learned that certain insurance plans – including insurance plans for state and local government employees and certain other insurance plans – covered these medications.
Sokalsky agreed to authorize prescriptions for former pharmaceutical sales representative Matthew Tedesco, 49, of Linwood, New Jersey, who pleaded guilty to health care fraud conspiracy in June 2017, and others working with Tedesco. In exchange for authorizing those prescriptions, Tedesco referred approximately 30 patients to Sokalsky’s new medical practice. Sokalsky, in turn, billed insurance for patient visits for those people steered to his practice by Tedesco. Sokalsky also authorized prescriptions for the medications for existing patients of his practice, which he did to financially benefit Tedesco and encourage him to refer more patients to his new practice. Sokalsky authorized medically unnecessary medications, including libido creams for young females and excessive quantities of the medications with the maximum number of refills selected. When insurance stopped covering certain formulations of the medications, Tedesco informed Sokalsky that he needed to authorize new prescriptions. Sokalsky did so, often without seeing the individual for a follow-up visit or informing the person of the change in medication. In total, insurance paid more than $5 million for fraudulent prescriptions authorized by Sokalsky.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Kiel sentenced Sokalsky to three years of supervised release and ordered restitution of $5.13 million.
Attorney for the United States Khanna credited agents of the FBI’s Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado in Newark; special agents of IRS - Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan in Newark; and the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, New York Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone, with the investigation leading to the sentencing.
The government is represented by R. David Walk Jr., Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel A. Friedman of the Camden office.