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Tuesday 22 October 2024
Columbus man who fired weapon in parking lot of Polaris area golf entertainment venue sentenced to 10 years in prisonRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Davon L. Rayford, 28, of Columbus, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 120 months in prison for gun and drug crimes. The defendant opened fire in the parking lot of an area golf entertainment center during an altercation last winter.
“Escalating to gun violence is never the answer,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “People should be free to go about their daily lives and visit local businesses without fear. This case shows that if you break federal firearms laws and endanger others, you could face significant time in federal prison.”
According to court documents, in February 2023, Rayford went to the Topgolf near Polaris with several other people. An altercation began between Rayford and the other individuals with whom he was golfing, and at approximately 4:30pm, Rayford went to his car and retrieved a Glock 9mm pistol. Rayford fired several shots at the individuals in their car and fled. The business’s parking lot was full of other customers at the time.
A special duty officer was present and collected the shell casings. Rayford was also captured on the business’s surveillance video footage.
The next day, Rayford was involved in a car crash. When officers arrived, Rayford was intoxicated and trying to leave the scene of the crash. Upon arresting Rayford, officers discovered methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl and Xanax, the Glock 9mm pistol and $5,000 in cash.
The crime lab determined the pistol was a ballistics match to the one used at the Topgolf shooting.
Rayford was charged federally and arrested in June 2023. He pleaded guilty in May 2024. He admitted to possessing with the intent to distribute controlled substances and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
The Court ordered Rayford to serve his federal sentence consecutive to his current state sentence with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections, which is due to end in August 2026.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl S. 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 Chief U.S. District Court Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth A. Geraghty is representing the United States in this case.
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Collier County Couple Plead Guilty to Six Figure Retail Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Naples couple Richard Murtaugh (age 81) and Gail Murtaugh (age 77) today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, beginning at least as early as September 2020, the Murtaughs engaged in a scheme to steal merchandise from big box retailers and grocers in Collier and Lee Counties, and to sell the stolen merchandise on their eBay store “dickandgail.” In 2021 and 2022 specifically, the Murtaughs were captured on store video surveillance stealing thousands of dollars worth of personal hygiene products, grooming supplies, nicotine products, teeth whitening and dental care supplies, over the counter medications, drill bits, and other merchandise from big box retailers and grocers in the Southwest Florida area. eBay records showed that between December 2020 and May 2022, the Murtaughs were paid $175,621.31 in profits by eBay for the sale of stolen goods.
In April 2022, the United States Postal Inspection Service executed a search warrant at the Murtaughs’ home on Isle of Capri in Naples, Florida. Inside the residence, postal inspectors located thousands of dollars in stolen merchandise appearing to be the same or similar to merchandise the Murtaughs had been observed stealing from various retailers. Additionally, the Murtaughs’ iPads were searched, which contained photos that matched the listing photos of stolen merchandise on the Murtaughs’ eBay store.
As part of their guilty pleas, the Murtaughs have agreed to forfeit $175,621.31, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Trent Reichling.
Choctaw County Resident Sentenced for Failure to Register as Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Christopher Edward Downey, age 38, of Grant, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 37 months in prison, with five years of supervised release, for Failure to Register as Sex Offender.
On April 15, 2024, Downey pleaded guilty to one count of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
The charges arose from an investigation by the United States Marshal Service.
In 2011, Downey was convicted in the State of Texas on four counts of Sexual Assault of a Child and was required to register as a sex offender. Downey was advised that he was required to register as a sex offender every ninety days for life, and to inform law enforcement within seven days of any change in residency. An investigation by U.S. Marshals revealed that between June 2022 and October 3, 2023, Downey failed to register as a sex offender in Oklahoma, despite moving from Texas to Oklahoma and living at various residences in and around Indian country in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Raúl M. Arias-Marxuach, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Downey will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve his sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Wittlinger represented the United States at sentencing.
Child Predator Sentenced to More than 27 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a 5-Year-Old GirlRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michael Humphrey, 43, a registered sex offender from Southeast Washington, D.C., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to more than 27 years in federal prison for uploading graphic videos of himself to the internet depicting his sexual abuse of a five-year-old girl, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Humphrey pleaded guilty January 8 to sexual exploitation of a child. Humphrey previously was convicted on a charge relating to the sexual abuse of another child. On March 10, 2020, he was convicted of third-degree sex offense in the Circuit Court of Montgomery County, Maryland. Since May 2022, Humphrey has been registered as a sex offender in the District of Columbia as required by law.
In addition to the 327-month prison term rendered today, U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden ordered Humphrey to serve 15 years of supervised release and pay restitution to the girl and several other victims.
According to the government’s evidence, in July 2023, Google LLC reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that two Google accounts, later identified as belonging to Humphrey, had uploaded material depicting child sexual abuse to Google servers. NCMEC turned that information over to the investigators from the FBI Washington Field Office and the MPD.
Investigators obtained a warrant authorizing the search of Humphrey’s Google accounts and discovered three videos that documented Humphrey sexually abusing a five-year-old girl in Washington, D.C. during June 2023.
Humphrey was arrested on August 11, 2023, and has been held since. After he was taken into custody, investigators obtained Humphrey’s electronic devices and discovered thousands of images and hundreds of videos depicting the sexual abuse of children.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.
The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel Forman and Janani Iyengar, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
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Cape Girardeau Felon Admits Stealing Gun, Possessing Machine GunsRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – A convicted felon on Tuesday admitted stealing a pistol from a Cape Girardeau County gun store and being caught days later with two machine guns.
Dayvion Jyraud Parker, 21, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to five felonies: stealing a firearm from a licensed dealer, two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and two counts of possession of a machine gun.
Parker admitted that on June 17, 2024, he and another man stole a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol from a federally licensed firearm dealer in Cape Girardeau County. Parker first hid the pistol under his jacket before placing it between his back and the back of his wheelchair. On June 25, law enforcement officers performing a court-approved search of a home in Cape Girardeau found Parker lying on a bed with two pistols between the bed frame and the wall. Both pistols were equipped with auto sears, or “switches,” that rendered them fully automatic.
Parker is a felon and is barred from possession firearms. He was also wanted on an outstanding arrest warrant and was on probation in Illinois for aggravated discharge of a firearm.
Parker is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 28, 2025. The theft charge carries a potential penalty of up to 5 years in prison. The felon in possession charges each carry a penalty of up to 15 years in prison and the machine gun charge carries a potential 10-year prison term.
Parker’s co-defendant, Danaje Raymond Webster, 23, has not yet been arrested. Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Willis is 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 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.
California Mobile Phlebotomy Lab and Its Owners to Pay $135,000 to Resolve Allegedly False Claims for Blood Testing Services and Travel MileageRead the Press Release
Veni-Express Inc. (Veni-Express), headquartered in California, and its owners Myrna and Sonny Steinbaum have agreed to pay at least $135,000 to resolve False Claims Act allegations that they submitted false claims for mobile phlebotomy services and associated travel mileage and paid kickbacks to a third-party marketer of these services, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS). Veni-Express has agreed to pay $100,000, plus additional amounts based on the sale of company property. Myrna Steinbaum has agreed to pay $25,000, and Sonny Steinbaum has agreed to pay $10,000. These settlements are based on their ability to pay.
The United States alleged that from 2015 to 2019, Veni-Express and the Steinbaums knowingly caused false or fraudulent claims to federal health care programs for mobile phlebotomy services and associated travel mileage. Specifically, with the Steinbaum’s oversight and approval, Veni-Express submitted false claims for venipuncture (blood draw) procedures that the company did not actually perform during homebound patient visits, and for travel mileage associated with these visits that was not reimbursable by Medicare. The United States further alleged that, from July 2014 to June 2015, Veni-Express paid unlawful kickbacks (in the form of a percentage of company revenue) to a third-party, Altera Laboratories also known as Med2U Healthcare LLC, for the marketing of Veni-Express’ services, in violation of the AKS.
“Health care providers that bill for services they did not provide or offer illegal incentives to increase profits will be held accountable,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to safeguard federal health care programs against those who seek to abuse them.”
“Providers must not bill for services they did not perform. Further, the presence of unlawful kickbacks all too often corrupts medical judgment,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert for the Eastern District of California. “Our office is committed to investigating and holding accountable those who violate the False Claims Act and AKS to safeguard the public fisc and protect the integrity of our federal health care system.”
“Improper incentives and billing Medicare for services never actually provided divert taxpayer funding meant to pay for medically necessary services for Medicare enrollees,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven J. Ryan of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG and our law enforcement partners remain committed to identifying and holding accountable those who engage in such unlawful relationships.”
The civil settlement resolves claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Banisha Evans, a former phlebotomist for another California provider, and Richard Drummond, a technical director at a Texas laboratory. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States for false claims and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam cases are captioned U.S. et al., ex rel. Evans v. PhlebXpress et al., No. 2:18-cv-2038 (EDCA) and U.S. ex rel. Drummond v. Veni-Express Inc., et al., No. 2:21-cv-1199 (EDCA).
The relators’ share of the settlement has not yet been determined.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division's Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California and HHS-OIG.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
Trial Attorney Gary R. Dyal of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Kennedy for the Eastern District of California handled the matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
Settlement
California Mobile Phlebotomy Lab and Its Owners to Pay $135,000 to Resolve Allegedly False Claims for Blood Testing Services and Travel MileageRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Veni-Express Inc., headquartered in California, and its owners Myrna and Sonny Steinbaum, have agreed to pay at least $135,000 to resolve False Claims Act allegations that they submitted false claims for mobile phlebotomy services and associated travel mileage and paid kickbacks to a third-party marketer of these services, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS). Veni-Express has agreed to pay $100,000, plus additional amounts based on the sale of company property, Myrna Steinbaum has agreed to pay $25,000, and Sonny Steinbaum has agreed to pay $10,000. These settlements are based on their ability to pay.
The United States alleged that from 2015 to 2019, Veni-Express and the Steinbaums knowingly caused false or fraudulent claims to federal healthcare programs for mobile phlebotomy services and associated travel mileage. Specifically, with the Steinbaum’s oversight and approval, Veni-Express submitted false claims for venipuncture (blood draw) procedures that the company did not actually perform during homebound patient visits, and for travel mileage associated with these visits that was not reimbursable by Medicare. The United States further alleged that from July 2014 to June 2015, Veni-Express paid unlawful kickbacks (in the form of a percentage of company revenue) to a third-party, Altera Laboratories also known as Med2U Healthcare LLC, for the marketing of Veni-Express’ services, in violation of the AKS.
“Providers must not bill for services they did not perform. Further, the presence of unlawful kickbacks all too often corrupts medical judgment,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert of the Eastern District of California. “Our office is committed to investigating and holding accountable those who violate the False Claims Act and AKS to safeguard the public fisc and protect the integrity of our federal health care system.”
“Health care providers that bill for services they did not provide or offer illegal incentives to increase profits will be held accountable,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to safeguard federal health care programs against those who seek to abuse them.”
“Improper incentives and billing Medicare for services never actually provided divert taxpayer funding meant to pay for medically necessary services for Medicare enrollees,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven J. Ryan of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG and our law enforcement partners remain committed to identifying and holding accountable those who engage in such unlawful relationships.”
The civil settlement resolves claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Banisha Evans, a former phlebotomist for another California provider, and Richard Drummond, a technical director at a Texas laboratory. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States for false claims and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam cases are captioned U.S. et al., ex rel. Evans v. PhlebXpress et al., No. 2:18-cv-2038 (EDCA) and U.S. ex rel. Drummond v. Veni-Express Inc., et al., No. 2:21-cv-1199 (EDCA).
The relators’ share of the settlement has not yet been determined.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division's Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California, and HHS-OIG.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
Trial Attorney Gary R. Dyal of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Kennedy for the Eastern District of California handled the matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
settlement.pdfBusiness Owner Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering ChargeRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Brian T. Owen, 52, of Caddo Parish, Louisiana, pleaded guilty yesterday to money laundering, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. presided over the hearing.
A Bill of Information was filed September 30, 2024, charging Owen with one count of money laundering. This charge was the result of an investigation conducted by state and federal law enforcement agencies into the unlawful activities of Owen, who was the president of an oilfield consulting service business headquartered in Bossier City. On June 22, 2020, the company filed a voluntary petition for relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Louisiana.
In January 2021, as part of the company’s bankruptcy plan of reorganization, a Distribution Trust was established to pay back creditors, and Owen executed a Distribution Trust Agreement in his role as president of the company. According to this plan, if Owen received any additional compensation from the company, he was required to pay 30% of that directly to the Distribution Trust.
In 2021, the company began applying for Employee Retention Credits (“ERCs”), which are a refundable tax credit for certain eligible businesses and tax-exempt organizations that had employees and were affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Owen then devised a scheme to defraud the Distribution Trust by intercepting the physical U.S. Department of Treasury Checks before they were deposited into the company’s working accounts. Unbeknownst to other senior leadership at the company, Owen had opened a bank account in the name of the company while it was still in bankruptcy. As part of the scheme, he deposited a total of $3.8 million in ERC funds for himself as additional compensation. Owen did not pay the Distribution Trust the 30% as he had agreed, but instead used the money for his own personal expenses, including to pay off gambling debts. In total, he defrauded the Distribution Trust out of $1,157,154.39.
Owen faces a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Louisiana State Police and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Seth D. Reeg.
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Buffalo man sentenced for buying stolen data from Genesis MarketRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Wul Isaac Chol, 27, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of possession of 15 or more unauthorized access devices with intent to defraud, was sentenced to serve 20 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who handled the case, stated that Genesis Market is an online marketplace whose operators compile stolen data, such as computer and mobile device identifiers, email addresses, usernames, and passwords, from malware-infected computers around the globe and package it for sale on the market. Purchases made through Genesis Market are conducted using virtual currency, such as bitcoin. Between June 2019, and January 2021, Chol deposited approximately $105.08 worth of bitcoin in a Genesis account that he had created. Chol used the funds he deposited in his Genesis account to purchase 21 packages of unauthorized access devices. Those packages contained, in total, approximately 778 unauthorized access devices. In addition, Chol admits that he obtained, without authorization, $25,164.00 from the New York State Department of Labor.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.
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Buffalo man pleads guilty to bilking two banks out of nearly half a million dollarsRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Joshua Parra, 32, formerly of Buffalo, NY, now living in Melbourne, Florida, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer to bank fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who is handling the case, stated that between December 28, 2021, and January 6, 2022, Parra defrauded Bancorp and Stride Bank by creating 94 fictitious disputed transactions on behalf of 11 customers of Fintech Company 1, a financial technology company that offers customers mobile banking services. However, none of the 11 customers’ accounts with Fintech Company 1 had transactions that would justify such disputes. Nearly all of the fictitious disputed transactions were in the amount of $5,000. As a result, funds were transferred from settlement accounts, held at Bancorp and Stride Bank, to accounts maintained by the Fintech Company 1 customers for whom Parra created the fictitious disputed transactions. Losses to Bancorp and Stride Bank totaled approximately $459,000.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Fattorusso, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Miraglia.
Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
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Brooklyn Man Admits Conspiracy to Commit Child Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Brooklyn, New York, man today admitted his role in a conspiracy to commit child sex trafficking, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Soauib Butcher, 30, of Brooklyn, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael E. Farbiarz in Newark federal court to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In August 2019, Butcher brought the victim by train to New York City, where he instructed the victim to perform oral sex for money on a rooftop in Brooklyn. Several days later, Butcher brought the victim to Elizabeth, New Jersey, where, from August 2019 to January 2020, the victim stayed with Butcher and a conspirator in a series of motel rooms. The conspirator posted advertisements depicting the victim on escort websites and, together with Butcher, arranged for customers to come to the motels to have sex with the victim in exchange for money.
Conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor carries a maximum term of life in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 19, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado in Newark, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine M. Romano of the Health Care Fraud Unit and Aaron L. Webman of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
butcher.indictment.pdfBenicia Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing a Firearm in His Second Federal Felon in Possession CaseRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Jeremiah Malik Jefferson, 27, of Benicia, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, during a November 2023 search of his residence, Jefferson was found to be in possession of a firearm that was loaded with a high-capacity magazine that had previously been reported stolen. Jefferson is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to multiple prior felony convictions, including for burglary and a previous conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Jefferson is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 11, 2025, by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez. Jefferson faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Probation Office, the Benicia Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the FBI’s Solano County Violent Crimes Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella is 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 violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. 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.
Alabama Man Sentenced to 30 Months for Making Threats Against Maricopa County Elections OfficeRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Brian Jerry Ogstad, 60, of Cullman, Alabama, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Michael T. Liburdi to 30 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release. Judge Liburdi also ordered Ogstad to pay a $1,000 fine. Ogstad pleaded guilty to one count of Making a Threatening Interstate Communication on July 25, 2024.
“In this election season we honor and respect those public servants who enable Americans to exercise their constitutional right to vote,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “And we seek to protect all election workers from intimidation and harassment. Threats of violence, whether conveyed by words or deeds or pictures, will be met in this District with robust prosecution.”
“As Director Wray has said many times, threats of violence toward election workers are also threats to the democratic process and cannot become normalized,” said FBI Phoenix Acting Special Agent in Charge Jarod Brown. “The FBI takes seriously all threats of violence against public officials, and we will continue to assess them and take swift action as necessary.”
On August 2, 2022, Arizona held primary elections for federal and state officeholders, including a gubernatorial primary election that received nationwide media coverage. From the day of the election through August 4, 2022, Ogstad sent multiple threatening messages to an Instagram social media account maintained by Maricopa County Elections. For example, on or about August 3, 2022, Ogstad stated, (1) “You did it! Now you are [expletive]. Dead. You will all be executed for your crimes”; (2) “[expletive] you! You are caught! They have it all. You [expletive] are dead”; (3) “You are lying, cheating [expletive] . . . you better not come in my church, my business or send your kids to my school. You are [expletive] stupid if you think your lives are safe”; and (4) “You [expletive] are so dead.” On or about August 4, 2022, Ogstad further stated, “[Y]ou people are so ducking [sic] stupid. Everyone knows you are lots [sic], cheats, frauds and in doing so in relation to elections have committed treason. You will all be executed. Bang [expletive]!”
The FBI Phoenix Field Office, with substantial assistance from the FBI Birmingham Field Office, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Sue Feldmeier, District of Arizona, and Trial Attorney Tanya Senanayake of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-24-03130-PHX-MTL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-142_Ogstad# # #
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 Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.ALDI Executive and Southern Illinois Contractor Sentenced for Rigging Construction Project Bids, Ordered to Pay More Than $2.8 MillionRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A federal judge sentenced a former ALDI executive and a general contractor from Breese, Illinois, for rigging the bid system for construction projects of grocery stores throughout southern Illinois and Missouri. The two were ordered to repay ALDI more than $2.8 million in restitution as a result of the fraudulent bidding scheme.
Louis R. Ross, Sr., 64, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty in May to multiple counts of mail and wire fraud and a conspiracy to commit those crimes. Ross was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay more than $2.8 million in restitution to ALDI.
Donald E. Schniers, 73, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, one count of mail fraud and one count of wire fraud. Schniers was sentenced to 3 years’ probation and also ordered to pay more than $2.8 million in restitution to ALDI.
According to court documents, Ross was the Director of Real Estate for ALDI’s O’Fallon, Missouri, Division, and Schniers owned C. Juengel Company out of Breese, Illinois. Schniers, through C. Juengel, provided general contracting services including construction and renovation to ALDI stores within Ross’s division. The two men conspired to fabricate and submit fraudulent bids for general contracting services to cause C. Juengel to win contracts for ALDI construction and renovation projects without a competitive bidding process.
“As a trusted executive, Louis Ross exploited his position to personally profit by rigging the bid process, granting projects to Donald Schniers’ construction company and ultimately defrauding ALDI out of millions of dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “To protect the integrity of the construction bidding process and strengthen consumer protections, I appreciate our partnership with the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to secure justice.”
From at least February 2014 through March 2018, Ross and Schniers conspired to create a faux competitive bidding environment for construction projects. Schniers admitted to completing false bid forms under the guise of other construction companies without their knowledge or consent. By doing so, Ross and Schniers created the appearance of a competitive bidding environment for ALDI’s work when there was not one.
“Ross and Schniers colluded to inflate prices and eliminate fair markets, the effects of which trickled down to the victim business, the consumers, and the competition,” said FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge Christopher Johnson. “The FBI is committed to working with our partners to investigate fraudulent schemes and bring to justice those who conspire to enrich themselves at the expense of the American public.”
The fictitious bids always included higher amounts than C. Juengel’s, which led to C. Juengel being awarded the projects. Using the rigged bidding system, C. Juengel was awarded 12 contracts for general contractor services valued at approximately $20 million.
Ross and Schniers also manipulated the bidding process by altering legitimate bids submitted by another local construction company. Due to the stifled competition, ALDI overpaid for the projects and suffered an approximate loss greater than $2.8 million.
“This sentencing is a statement that mail fraud will not be tolerated, and the perpetrators will be brought to justice,” said Acting Inspector in Charge, John Jackman, who leads the St. Louis Field Office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “The Postal Inspection Service will continue to partner with our law enforcement partners to collectively pursue criminals who victimize postal customers, U.S. consumers, and businesses.”
In exchange for Ross’s willingness to continue awarding C. Juengel its desired contracts, Ross required Schniers to pay him kickbacks for approximately a decade. These kickback payments usually came in the form of monthly $9,000 checks from C. Juengel’s bank account and totaled over $975,000.
Both men were ordered to pay $2,851,239 in restitution to ALDI. Following imprisonment, Ross will serve three years of supervised release.
The FBI Springfield and St. Louis Field Offices and the St. Louis Field Office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service contributed to the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoe Gross with the Southern District of Illinois and Trial Attorney Andrew Rosa with the Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, Chicago Office prosecuted the case.
Monday 21 October 2024
Wyoming County Man and Raleigh County Woman Sentenced for Evading Financial Reporting RequirementsRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Today, Merrick Rice, 44, of Mullens, was sentenced to one year and three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and Miranda Aliff, 32, of Rock Creek, was sentenced to five years of federal probation. Each pleaded guilty to structuring transactions with one or more domestic financial institutions, admitting that they structured bank deposits of illicit drug proceeds to evade currency transaction reporting requirements.
According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in or around mid-2019 Rice and Aliff, both then in a romantic relationship, became involved in a conspiracy to distribute marijuana and other controlled substances in and around Mullens. Aliff admitted that Rice obtained the marijuana in wholesale quantities from Jack Paskin, who caused the marijuana to be shipped to them from various sources in California, Oregon and elsewhere.
On March 2, 2020, Rice created She Paints Quite a Lot LLC, a single-member limited liability corporation, with the West Virginia Secretary of State. Aliff was listed as the LLC’s sole member. On March 3, 2020, Paskin, Rice and Aliff traveled to the Beckley branch of domestic financial institution where they opened a business bank account in the name of the LLC. Paskin and Aliff were listed as signers on the bank account.
Rice and Aliff admitted that the LLC had no legitimate business purpose. Rice and Aliff further admitted that the LLC was created to transfer the proceeds of the marijuana distribution conspiracy from them to Paskin. Beginning on March 17, 2020 and continuing through August 13, 2020, Rice, Aliff and others connected to this conspiracy made cash deposits of less than $10,000 in the LLC’s bank account at the Beckley branch. The deposits were made in 27 transactions and totaled $228,000. Rice and Aliff admitted that these transactions were specifically designed to avoid currency reporting requirements. Financial institutions are required to report cash deposits of more than $10,000, and federal law prohibits structuring multiple cash deposits to avoid this reporting requirement. Rice and Aliff further admitted that the $228,000 consisted of proceeds from the conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
Rice also admitted to assisting other individuals in depositing a total of $54,000 in increments of $9,000 in the LLC’s bank account on six separate occasions between June 1, and June 23, 2020. Rice admitted that he knew the June 23, 2020, bank deposit was made in an amount that would avoid triggering the reporting requirement.
Aliff also admitted that she and Rice purchased 111 U.S. Postal Service money orders totaling $109,000 as part of a method to pay Paskin. Rice drove Aliff to different posts offices in or near Raleigh County and directed Aliff to purchase a $1,000 money order at each post office. Federal law requires the U.S. Postal Service to obtain information from the purchaser of money orders, wire transfers, and stored value cards when the dollar amount of cash purchases total $3,000 or more. Aliff admitted that Rice advised her how to structure these transactions to avoid triggering the U.S. Postal Service reporting requirements. Aliff further admitted that Rice involved another individual to travel to these posts offices and purchase the money orders.
The money orders were payable to Paskin or to Akashic Connections, a business entity established by Paskin. Once Rice had secured the necessary amount of money orders, usually totaling $8,000, he and Aliff would deposit them at Beckley bank branches into Paskin’s personal bank account or a business account in the name of Akashic Connections.
Paskin, 34, of Nelsonville, Ohio,pleaded guilty August on 21, 2024, to money laundering and awaits sentencing.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentences. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the cases.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 5:24-cr-66 (Rice) and 5:24-cr-65 (Aliff).
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White Swan Man Who Choked His Pregnant Girlfriend Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Yakima, Washington - On October 21, 2024, Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian sentenced Branden Scott Higgins, age 34, of White Swan, Washington, to nearly 3 months in federal prison for choking and assaulting his girlfriend. Chief District Judge Bastian also imposed 3 years of supervised release.
According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, on September 10, 2023, Higgins and his girlfriend got into an argument about the couple’s finances. The argument escalated into a physical fight with Higgins pushing, then choking the victim, who was 26-weeks pregnant. Higgins then let go of the victim’s throat and grabbed a serrated knife and took two steps toward the victim before throwing the knife away.
The confrontation continued into the master bedroom. Higgins pushed the victim onto the bed and began to choke her until the victim began to lose consciousness. Higgins only stopped the assault when the couple’s young child walked into the room.
“Everyone deserves to live in a safe home. My heart goes out to this young mother who told investigators she feared for her life and the life of her unborn child while she was being choked to the point of unconsciousness,” stated U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref. “My office is committed to holding domestic violence offenders accountable, which is central to addressing the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women and promoting safety and security on Tribal lands.”
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Yakama Nation Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Letitia A. Sikes and Courtney R. Pratten.
1:23-cr-02056-SAB
Wetzel County Man Admits to Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Talon D. Feucht, age 30, of New Martinsville, West Virginia, pled guilty to the unlawful possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Moundsville Police arrested Feucht on an outstanding warrant on an entering without breaking charge in Marshall County. During the arrest, Feucht admitted to having a firearm in his bag. A search of the bag resulted in the seizure of a .38 caliber firearm and ammunition. Feucht is prohibited from having firearms because of two prior felony theft convictions.
Feucht faces up to 15 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 Clayton Reid is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Moundsville Police Department investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
Waterford Woman Admits Theft from Addiction and Mental Health Services NonprofitRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MICHELE DEVINE, 50, of Waterford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to a fraud offense in connection with her embezzlement from the Southeastern Regional Action Council on Substance Abuse, Inc. (“SERAC”), where she was employed as its executive director.
According to court documents and statements made in court, SERAC, headquartered in Norwich, is a 501(c)(3) organization that serves 41 towns in southeastern and northeastern Connecticut with substance abuse, problem gambling, and mental health related services. SERAC is primarily funded through hundreds of thousands of dollars in state and federal grants from the State of Connecticut’s Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Devine was the executive director of SERAC until July 2022. Beginning in approximately 2008, Devine spent thousands of dollars on purchases that did not relate SERAC but instead were personal expenses for Devine and her family, including thousands of dollars spent on home appliances; travel; timeshare fees at a Connecticut resort; stays at the Canyon Ranch in the Berkshires, Massachusetts; and private school donations.
The government contends that Devine stole nearly $400,000 from SERAC.
Devine pleaded guilty to wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Judge Meyer scheduled sentencing for January 13.
Devine was arrested on August 3, 2023. She is released on a $25,000 bond pending sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, with the assistance of the New London State’s Attorney’s Office and the State of Connecticut Office of the Attorney General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller.
Van Nuys Man Sentenced to More Than 20 Years in Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl and Cocaine via Darknet Marketplaces and Possessing GunsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Fernando Valley man who admitted in court documents to causing one fatal fentanyl overdose was sentenced today to 248 months in federal prison for using darknet marketplaces to sell hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of fentanyl-laced pills and cocaine to buyers nationwide.
Brian McDonald, 23, of Van Nuys, whose aliases include “Malachai Johnson,” “SouthSideOxy,” and “JefeDeMichoacan,” was sentenced by United States District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald.
McDonald pleaded guilty on July 17 to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, and one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He has been in federal custody since May 2023.
“This defendant led a drug-trafficking operation that used the dark corners of the internet to ship large quantities of fentanyl-laced pills – with deadly consequences,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “My office will continue using every tool under federal law to prosecute and imprison criminals who prioritize greed over human life.”
From at least April 2021 until May 2023, McDonald and others conspired to sell fentanyl and cocaine via darknet marketplaces such as “White House Market,” “ToRReZ” and “AlphaBay.” McDonald, using aliases, created vendor profiles on these marketplaces to sell illegal drugs in exchange for cryptocurrency.
McDonald created, monitored, and maintained the darknet vendor profiles, including by updating drug listings and shipment options, tracking drug orders received online, and offloading Monero cryptocurrency received as drug deal payments into cryptocurrency wallets that McDonald controlled.
McDonald recruited and hired accomplices to help with packaging and shipping the narcotics that they sold on the darknet. McDonald directed other co-conspirators on how to package and ship the narcotics, and he assisted them in the packaging and shipping. Specifically, McDonald purchased bulk quantities of fentanyl and cocaine, and then directed the activities of other co-conspirators to help sell these drugs on the dark web.
Among other activities, McDonald directed co-conspirators in receiving and tracking orders placed for fentanyl and cocaine on his dark web vendor profiles, packaging drug orders, and shipping drug orders to customers though the United States Postal Service. Over the course of the conspiracy, McDonald knowingly oversaw and carried out hundreds of drug sales involving the distribution of large quantities of both fentanyl and cocaine, including hundreds of thousands of fentanyl-laced pills that collectively contained more than 12 kilograms of fentanyl.
As part of the conspiracy, McDonald distributed fentanyl-laced pills to victim Z.S., who ingested a fentanyl-laced pill sold to Z.S. by McDonald, which in turn resulted in Z.S.’s death.
McDonald also possessed firearms, specifically two gold-plated handguns – one without a serial number – to protect his drug trafficking business and the proceeds of drug sales made on darknet marketplaces.
Ciara Clutario, 23, of Burbank, has pleaded guilty to a federal criminal charge in this case and is scheduled to be sentenced on January 13, 2025.
The FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this matter as part of JCODE. The Justice Department established the FBI-led JCODE team to lead and coordinate government efforts to detect, disrupt, and dismantle major criminal enterprises reliant on the darknet for trafficking opioids and other illicit narcotics, along with identifying and dismantling their supply chains.
Assistant United States Attorney Declan T. Conroy of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section prosecuted this case.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Election Day Program to Protect Election Workers and Voting RightsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Federal law protects elections against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input.
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today that the public can call the office’s Election Day Hotline at 888-636-6596 to report voting rights concerns, threats against election officials, or any other activity that would interfere with the right to vote in the District of New Jersey. This number will be active Oct. 26, 2024, through Nov. 8, 2024, and will be staffed live on Election Day, Nov. 5, 2024.
“We are committed to ensuring that every citizen in New Jersey is able to vote without interference or discrimination, and to have that vote counted. In coordination with the Department’s Election Day Program, our office will do everything in its power to protect voters and election workers throughout New Jersey.”
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.
Federal law also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (when voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).
In addition to the Election Day Hotline, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The FBI can be reached by the public at 973-792-3000.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws, or any civil rights violation, can be made at any time to the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil Rights Hotline, 855-281-3339, or by submitting an online complaint here, or to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C., by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form here.
In the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Susan Millenky, Mark McCarren, and Joseph McFarlane will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming general election.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Election Day Efforts for the November 2024 General ElectionRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. - United States Attorney Todd Gee announced today that Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) Bert Carraway and Samuel Goff will lead the efforts of his office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election. AUSAs Carraway and Goff have been appointed to serve as the District Election Officers (DEOs) for the Southern District of Mississippi, and in that capacity are responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
United States Attorney Gee said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election. Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.
Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).
United States Attorney Gee stated that: “The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. To respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSAs Bert Carraway and Samuel Goff will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. They can be reached by the public at the following telephone numbers: 601-973-2826 or 601-973-2855.”
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 601-948-5000.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.
United States Attorney Gee said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate. It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”
Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
U.S. Attorney's Office Announces Election Day ProgramRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam announced today that Criminal Division Chief Bruce D. Brandler, Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSA) Michael Consiglio, Geoffrey MacArthur, and James Buchanan will lead the efforts of this Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election.
Criminal Chief Brandler has been appointed to oversee and lead the District’s Election Day Program. AUSAs Consiglio, Buchanan, and MacArthur will serve as the District Election Officers (DEO) for the Middle District of Pennsylvania in our Harrisburg, Scranton, and Williamsport Offices. In that capacity, they are responsible for overseeing the handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of any kind to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election,” said U.S. Attorney Karam. “Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of any kind. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of any kind directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.
Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).
“The right to vote is the cornerstone of American democracy, said U.S. Attorney Karam. “We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice.”
In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, our DEOs will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. AUSA/DEO Consiglio can be reached by the public at the Harrisburg Office number: 717-221-4482; AUSA/DEO Buchanan can be reached at the Scranton Office number: 570-348-2800; and AUSA/DEO MacArthur can be reached at the Williamsport Office number: 570-326-1935.
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 215-418-4000.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/.
Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
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U.S. Attorney Announces 2024 District Election OfficerRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Shamoor Anis will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election. AUSA Anis has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the District of Delaware, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
U.S. Attorney Weiss said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election. Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.
Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).
U.S. Attorney Weiss additionally commented that, “The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA/DEO Anis will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number – 302-893-5213.”
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 410-265-8080.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.
Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
U.S. Attorney Weiss concluded, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate. It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”
Truist Bank Pays over $9M to Resolve Allegations Concerning SunTrust Bank’s Administration of Trust AccountsRead the Press Release
Truist Bank (Truist), based in Charlotte, North Carolina, has agreed to pay the United States $9,125,000 to resolve claims under the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act of 1989 (FIRREA), in connection with the administration of certain trust accounts by SunTrust Bank (SunTrust) from December 2011 through December 2015. SunTrust was acquired by Branch Banking and Trust Company in December 2019, and the combined entity was renamed Truist.
“Our federally insured financial institutions must act in accordance with the law, including meeting their obligations to beneficiaries when they serve as trustees,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement makes clear that the department will hold banks accountable when they knowingly run afoul of applicable legal requirements.”
The settlement announced today resolves claims arising out of SunTrust’s management of certain trust accounts it administered as part of its relationship with a New Jersey company doing business as The Halpern Group (Halpern). Halpern served as a “structured settlement facilitator” in matters involving individuals who received settlement awards in personal injury litigation and referred those individuals to SunTrust. These individuals then established trusts at SunTrust that were intended to help them preserve their recoveries by protecting against unwise disbursements. Both SunTrust and Halpern collected fees in exchange for their agreement to provide these services.
In or around December 2011, SunTrust began administering a group of trust accounts, known as the “Doe Run Accounts,” that were referred to the bank by Halpern and resulted from the settlement of lead poisoning cases near Herculaneum, Missouri. Those accounts involved beneficiaries who claimed various health and cognitive issues from lead poisoning. The United States contends that, rather than helping these beneficiaries avoid unwise disbursements, Halpern requested and SunTrust frequently approved imprudent disbursements that were not in the beneficiaries’ best interests, including disbursements for the benefit of third-parties (e.g., relatives). The United States contends that SunTrust’s approval of these disbursements violated its fiduciary obligations as the trustee of these accounts.
“Banks occupy a special place of trust in our society,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia. “This settlement shows that when banks violate that trust — especially in situations involving vulnerable customers — they will face accountability.”
The settlement was the result of a coordinated effort by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
Senior Trial Counsel David W. Tyler of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Austin M. Hall for the Northern District of Georgia handled the matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
Settlement
Truist Bank Pays over $9 Million to Resolve Allegations Concerning SunTrust Bank’s Administration of Trust AccountsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Truist Bank (Truist), based in Charlotte, North Carolina, has agreed to pay the United States $9,125,000 to resolve claims under the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 (FIRREA). These claims relate to the administration of certain trust accounts by SunTrust Bank (SunTrust) from December 2011 through December 2015. SunTrust was acquired by Branch Banking and Trust Company in December 2019, and the combined entity was renamed Truist.
“Our financial institutions occupy a special place of trust in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “This settlement demonstrates our office’s commitment to hold accountable any bank that violates its fiduciary duties to beneficiaries, especially in situations involving vulnerable clients.”
“Our federally insured financial institutions must act in accordance with the law, including meeting their obligations to beneficiaries when they serve as trustees,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement makes clear that the Department will hold banks accountable when they knowingly run afoul of applicable legal requirements.”
The settlement announced today resolves claims arising from SunTrust’s management of certain trust accounts it administered as part of its relationship with a New Jersey company doing business as The Halpern Group (Halpern). Halpern served as a “structured settlement facilitator” in matters involving individuals who received settlement awards in personal injury litigation and referred those individuals to SunTrust. These individuals then established trusts at SunTrust that were intended to help them preserve their recoveries by protecting against unwise disbursements. Both SunTrust and Halpern collected fees in exchange for their agreement to provide these services.
In or around December 2011, SunTrust began administering a group of trust accounts, known as the “Doe Run Accounts,” that were referred to the bank by Halpern and resulted from the settlement of lead poisoning cases near Herculaneum, Missouri. Those accounts involved beneficiaries who claimed various health and cognitive issues from lead poisoning. The United States contends that, rather than helping these beneficiaries avoid unwise disbursements, Halpern requested and SunTrust frequently approved imprudent disbursements that were not in the beneficiaries’ best interests, including disbursements for the benefit of third-parties (e.g., relatives). The United States also contends that SunTrust’s approval of these disbursements violated its fiduciary obligations as the trustee of these accounts.
The settlement was the result of a coordinated effort by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section) and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia. The matter was handled by Senior Trial Counsel David W. Tyler from the Commercial Litigation Branch, Assistant U.S. Attorney Austin M. Hall from the Northern District of Georgia, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Armen Adzhemyan from the Northern District of Georgia.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Tahlequah Resident Sentenced to 25 Years for MurderRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Timothy Randall England, age 36, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 300 months in prison for the 2023 murder of a Stilwell resident.
The charge arose from investigations by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, the Adair County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On April 30, 2024, England pleaded guilty to one count of Murder in Indian Country—Second Degree. According to investigators, on February 7, 2023, England traveled to a Stilwell residence, waited outside for the resident to arrive, then fired upon the victim eight times with a 7.62x39 rifle before fleeing the scene. Three of the shots struck the victim, who died at the scene. England was later apprehended by the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service in Tahlequah and arrested without incident. The crime occurred in Adair County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Raúl M. Arias-Marxuach, Chief Judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing in Muskogee. England 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 Kevin Gross represented the United States at sentencing.
Suburban Chicago Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl and Attempting to Support ISISRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man has been sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, also known as ISIS.
On three occasions in 2019, JASON BROWN provided $500 in cash to an individual with the understanding that the money would be wired to an ISIS soldier engaged in terrorist activity in Syria. Unbeknownst to Brown, the individual to whom he provided the money was confidentially working with law enforcement, and the purported ISIS fighter was actually an undercover law enforcement officer.
Also in 2019, Brown trafficked fentanyl and other drugs from California to the Chicago suburbs and illegally possessed several loaded handguns in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities.
Brown, 42, of Lombard, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to one count of attempting to provide material support to ISIS, one count of distributing fentanyl, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. District Judge Mary M. Rowland imposed the sentence on Oct. 16, 2024, during a hearing in federal court in Chicago. Brown has been in law enforcement custody since his arrest in 2019.
The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General for National Security at the U.S. Department of Justice, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, Ramsey E. Covington, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation Chicago Field Office, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. Substantial assistance was provided by the Illinois State Police, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, Lombard, Ill. Police Department, Addison, Ill. Police Department, and FBI Field Offices in Atlanta, Los Angeles, and San Diego. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn McCarthy of the Northern District of Illinois and S. Elisa Poteat, Trial Attorney from the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Counterterrorism Section.
Stowe Man Sentenced to 14 Months in Jail for Unlawful Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on October 21, 2024, Theodore Bland, 29, of Stowe, Vermont, was sentenced by United States District Judge William K. Sessions III to a term of 14 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a two-year term of supervised release. Bland previously pleaded guilty to possessing a Mossburg 12-gauge shotgun on March 17, 2023, while being an unlawful user of controlled substances and knowing that he was an unlawful user of controlled substances.
According to court records, on March 17, 2023, Bland brandished a 12-gauge Mossburg Model 88 Maverick shotgun while threatening the driver of a vehicle in the parking lot of a South Burlington convenience store. The two female passengers that had been travelling with the threatened driver then got in Bland’s car. Bland and the two females then drove around for several hours, during which time Bland smoked cocaine base and continued to possess the shotgun. When Bland was stopped by the Vermont State Police, officers observed the Mossburg shotgun and various controlled substances located in the vehicle.
After the sentencing hearing, Bland was arraigned on a separate, pending indictment, which charges drug and firearms crimes. The United States issued a press release on that matter on September 19, 2024. Bland pleaded not guilty to those charges and was detained pending trial.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the South Burlington Police Department, the Vermont State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Stowe Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Morristown Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Lamoille County Sheriff’s Department.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Turner and Paul Van de Graaf. Bland is represented by David Sleigh, Esq.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Springfield, Vermont Man Pleads Guilty to Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Ernest Lamphere, 44, of Springfield, Vermont, pleaded guilty today to a gun possession charge before U.S. District Court Judge William K. Sessions III.
According to court records including the stipulated facts in the plea agreement between the parties, in late February 2024, Lamphere was subject to a State of Vermont relief from abuse order, which was sought by his family members and prohibited his possession of firearms. When law enforcement served the relief from abuse order on Lamphere on February 27 at his home, he turned over four firearms and also admitted opiate use. Two days later Lamphere was located alone in his vehicle, blocking the drive-thru lane at the McDonald’s in Springfield, Vermont and nodding off from illegal drug use. Lamphere had opiates in his system at the time. Along with significant quantities of illegal drugs located in his vehicle and on his person, Lamphere was also in possession of two AR-style rifles, a silencer, and assorted ammunition.
Lamphere pleaded guilty today to being a drug user in possession of a firearm, a charge which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years. The actual sentence will be determined by the District Court with reference to the Federal Sentencing Guidelines and statutory sentencing factors of the United States Code. If accepted by the court, the plea agreement signed by Lamphere and the government recommends (1) that sentencing be delayed for one year, and (2) that Lamphere receive a time-served sentence, to be followed by three years of supervised release, if he abides by the terms of the plea agreement during the intervening year.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Springfield, VT Police Department for their work on this case.
U.S. Attorney Nikolas Kerest has handled the case for the government. Assistant Federal Public Defender Steven Barth represents Ernest Lamphere.
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.
Spokane Dermatologist Indicted for Using Approximately $1.5 Million in COVID-19 Relief Funds to Buy Arizona Home, Sports Cars, and Other PropertiesRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced a federal grand jury has an indicted a Spokane dermatologist, and his associated businesses, for fraudulently obtaining and using approximately $1.5 million dollars in COVID-19 relief funds to purchase luxury sports cars, buy real estate, and pay off personal debt.
On March 27, 2020, the President signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The CARES Act provided a number of programs through which eligible small businesses could request and obtain relief funding intended to mitigate the economic impacts of the pandemic for small and local businesses. One such program, the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, provided low interest loans that could be deferred until the conclusion of the pandemic to provide “bridge” funding for small businesses to maintain their operations during shutdowns and other economic circumstances caused by the pandemic. EIDL funds were to be used solely as working capital to alleviate economic injury to a business caused by the COVID-19 disaster, such as paying payroll, health insurance premiums, rent, utilities, and fixed debt payments. EIDL funds were not to be used for personal purposes or to obtain real property or to pay off debts that were not yet due and owing, such as paying more than a fixed monthly payment on a mortgage or other loan.
The Indictment announced today charges William Philip Werschler, age 66, of Spokane, Washington, along with his businesses Spokane Dermatology Clinic, Premier Clinical Research L.L.C., and 3rd and Sherman Plaza L.L.C., with 23 counts of fraud in connection with how Werschler and his businesses allegedly spent EIDL loans.
Beginning no later than April 2020 and continuing until at least July 2022, Werschler applied for EIDL loans for his businesses: Spokane Dermatology Clinic, Premier Clinical Research, and 3rd and Sherman Plaza L.L.C. In total, Werschler and his businesses received more than $2.9 million in EIDL money.
The Indictment alleges that Werschler used the EIDL funds for personal purchases including over half of the $575,000 purchase price of a house in Scottsdale, Arizona; the purchase of a 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 for $166,687; the purchase of a 1997 Porsche Carrera for $88,687; and $123,960 to pay off a loan for a storage unit at 6720 N. Pittsburg Street that was used to store automobiles, jet skis, and a boat. According to the indictment, Werschler also allegedly used EIDL money to pay off the balance of a loan for property on Grant Street in Spokane, Washington, for $286,792, and $550,000 to purchase two properties across from his Spokane Dermatology Clinic, both contrary to the proper use of EIDL funds.
“Many small and local businesses struggled to stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Economic Injury Disaster Loan program was designed to provide those business owners an economic lifeline,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “My office has made it a priority to hold fraudsters accountable who used these critical funds to enrich themselves.”
This case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigations, the FBI, and the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy J. Kelley.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Spiro Resident Sentenced for Federal Firearm CrimeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced Christopher Joe Knight, age 43, of Spiro, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 80 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
On February 20, 2024, Knight pleaded guilty to one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. According to investigators, on December 26, 2022, OHP troopers conducting a routine traffic stop in Leflore County discovered Knight in possession of a 9mm semiautomatic pistol. Knight knowingly possessed the firearm after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
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 Raúl Manuel Arias-Marxuach, Chief District Judge in the United States District Court for Puerto Rico, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Knight 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.
South Texan sent to prison for receiving child porn via messaging appRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 21-year-old resident of Edinburg has been ordered to prison for receipt of child pornography depicting prepubescent minors, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Lazaro Segundo-Vazquez pleaded guilty May 15, 2023, admitting he received over 1,800 images and video files containing child sexual abuse material.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now sentenced Segundo-Vazquez to 78 months in federal prison. He must also pay $3,000 in restitution to three victims and will serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Segundo-Vazquez will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
An alert from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children led authorities to a residence in Edinburg appearing to be uploading child pornography to a Google account. The investigation revealed Segundo-Vazquez received images and videos containing child sexual abuse material via a third-party messaging application on his cellular phone.
Segundo-Vazquez admitted to receiving child sexual abuse material that included videos and images of prepubescent children and toddlers. The material depicted children engaged in sexual acts with adults and other children. Segundo-Vazquez then uploaded several images of child sexual abuse material to a Google account.
He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations - Rio Grande Valley Child Exploitation Task Force conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cahal P. McColgan prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.
Social Security Administration Employee Charged with Attempting to Induce a Social Security Beneficiary for ProstitutionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Social Security Administration (SSA) employee was arrested today for attempting to persuade a Social Security beneficiary to cross state lines to engage in prostitution.
Dae Sung Kim, 35, of Auburn, Mass., was charged with one count of attempting to induce a person to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution.
According to the criminal complaint, in March 2024, Kim handled an in-person visit at the Gardner SSA field office from an individual seeking Social Security benefits after losing her job. After redirecting the individual to another SSA field office near her residence in another state, Kim allegedly called the individual, using the phone number he obtained from SSA’s computer system. Kim allegedly indicated that he understood she was in a difficult situation and stated that maybe they could “work something out” that would benefit them both.
During a call monitored by law enforcement later that month, Kim allegedly again stated to the individual that they could “help each other out” and proposed giving the individual money in exchange for sex. In several subsequent text messages, Kim allegedly suggested that the individual travel to Massachusetts to meet him, offering to pay $100 to have sex in a car at a hotel parking lot. When Kim traveled to the hotel parking lot to execute his plan in October 2024, he was confronted by law enforcement.
The charge of attempting to induce a person to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Amy Connelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations and the Fitchburg and Gardner Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan D. O’Shea of the Worcester Branch Office and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Seattle man sentenced for string of marijuana dispensary robberiesRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 19-year-old Seattle-area man, was sentenced October 18, 2024, to 90 months in prison for a series of seven armed robberies of marijuana dispensaries, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Caiden James Charlton was arrested in June 2023, in connection with three armed robberies in May and June 2023. He pleaded guilty in July 2024 admitting his involvement in all seven robberies. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones imposed three years of supervised release to follow prison.
“This defendant and his juvenile accomplices targeted small businesses – marijuana dispensaries – across our region. With guns drawn they frightened employees grabbing cash and product and in one case even stealing the safe,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “This dangerous conduct cannot be tolerated.”
According to records filed in the case, Charlton pleaded guilty in July 2024 to committing three pot shop robberies on May 30, 2023, The first robbery was of Herb’s House on NW 65th Street in Seattle. The second was West Seattle Cannabis and the third robbery was of Hashtag Cannabis on Nickerson Street in Seattle. On June 10, 2023, Charlton and an accomplice robbed Oz Cannabis on Stone Way in Seattle. The next day, June 11, 2023, Charlton robbed Novel Tree MJ in Bellevue, and on June 12, he robbed Seaweed Cannabis in Edmonds, Washington. Finally, on June 21, he and accomplices robbed Dockside Cannabis in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle. In each of the robberies, surveillance video shows clothing, tattoos, and jewelry that was linked to Charlton. Victims of the robberies noted distinctive face tattoos around Charlton’s eyes that were not concealed by his mask.
In each of the robberies, one of two intruders displayed a handgun and ordered the dispensary staff to open safes or empty the till. In addition to money, the suspects stole a large amount of marijuana products. In some cases, the safes at the dispensaries could not be opened due to time locks used to discourage robberies. In one case, the robbers stole the safe by detaching it from the floor.
The robbery crew would run to a getaway car after the robberies – two of the cars had been reported stolen.
In asking for an eight-year prison sentence Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg wrote to the court, “The offense conduct in this case is extremely serious. Charlton went on a violent crime spree, robbing seven marijuana dispensaries over the course of 30 days. During each robbery, he and/or his accomplices were armed with firearms and used them – brandishing the guns, pointing them directly at the victims, etc. It is very fortunate that no one was shot or otherwise injured. The Court is well aware that similar robberies often end up with shootings and/or deaths, when victims act in ways not expected by the perpetrators or with the accidental discharge of a firearm.”
Some the robbery victims wrote to the court about the trauma the robberies caused in their life. One owner wrote, “… these robberies destroyed the business my wife and I worked to build over the nine plus years…. When they walk into a business with guns and demand money and product, the impact goes way beyond the loss of money and product.”
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Seattle Police Department, and the Bellevue Police Department, as well as the King County and Snohomish County Sheriffs’ Offices.
The case was prosecuted by former Assistant United States Attorneys Erin H. Becker and Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg.
Quincy Woman Charged with Social Security FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Quincy woman was charged today in federal court in Boston with fraudulently receiving Social Security disability benefits.
Crystal Gesumaria, 41, was charged with one count of theft of government money. She will appear in court at a later date.
According to the charging documents, July 2013 to August 2022, Gesumaria stole approximately $93,603 in Social Security disability benefits.
The misdemeanor charge of theft of government money provides for a sentence of up to one year in prison, one year of supervised release, five years of probation and a fine of $100,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Amy Connelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Philadelphia Resident Charged for Election-Related Threat to State Party RepresentativeRead the Press Release
An indictment was unsealed today charging a Pennsylvania man with threatening to kill a representative of a state political party who was recruiting official poll watchers.
According to the indictment, on Sept. 6, John Pollard, 62, of Philadelphia, sent threatening text messages to Victim 1. Victim 1 had previously posted online, in Victim 1’s capacity as an employee of a state political party, that Victim 1 was recruiting volunteers to “help[] observe at the polls on Election Day” and included Victim 1’s phone number. Pollard allegedly texted Victim 1 that he was “interested in being a poll watcher” and included Victim 1’s first name. Pollard then allegedly texted three threats to Victim 1:
- “I will KILL YOU IF YOU DON’T ANSWER ME!”
- “Your days are numbered, B****!”
- “GONNA F***ING FIND YOU AND SKIN YOU ALIVE AND USE YOUR SKIN FOR F***ING TOILET PAPER, YOU F***ING KKK**T!”
Pollard was arrested today and appeared in federal court in Philadelphia. He is charged with one count of transmitting interstate threats. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan for the Western District of Pennsylvania made the announcement.
The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Jacob R. Steiner of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section (PIN) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole A. Stockey for the Western District of Pennsylvania are prosecuting the case, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed, or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. Three years after its formation, the task force is continuing this work and supporting the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they carry on the critical work that the task force has begun.
Under the leadership of Deputy Attorney General Monaco, the task force is led by PIN and includes several other entities within the Justice Department, including the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Civil Rights Division, National Security Division, and FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General’s memo.
To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at www.tips.fbi.gov. Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
View the indictment here.
Philadelphia Resident Charged for Election-Related Threat to State Party RepresentativeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – An indictment was unsealed today charging a Pennsylvania man with threatening to kill a representative of a state political party who was recruiting official poll watchers.
According to the indictment, on Sept. 6, John Pollard, 62, of Philadelphia, sent threatening text messages to Victim 1. Victim 1 had previously posted online, in Victim 1’s capacity as an employee of a state political party, that Victim 1 was recruiting volunteers to “help[] observe at the polls on Election Day” and included Victim 1’s phone number. Pollard allegedly texted Victim 1 that he was “interested in being a poll watcher” and included Victim 1’s first name. Pollard then allegedly texted three threats to Victim 1:
• “I will KILL YOU IF YOU DON’T ANSWER ME!”
• “Your days are numbered, B****!”
• “GONNA F***ING FIND YOU AND SKIN YOU ALIVE AND USE YOUR SKIN FOR F***ING TOILET PAPER, YOU F***ING KKK**T!”Pollard is charged with one count of transmitting interstate threats. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan for the Western District of Pennsylvania and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, made the announcement.
The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole A. Stockey for the Western District of Pennsylvania and Trial Attorney Jacob R. Steiner of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section (PIN) are prosecuting the case, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed, or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. Three years after its formation, the task force is continuing this work and supporting the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they carry on the critical work that the task force has begun.
Under the leadership of Deputy Attorney General Monaco, the task force is led by PIN and includes several other entities within the Justice Department, including the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Civil Rights Division, National Security Division, and FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General’s memo.
To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at www.tips.fbi.gov. Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Orlando Middle School Employee Arrested for Possessing Child Sex Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Mitchell Regan (36, Leesburg) on a criminal complaint charging him with possession of child sex abuse material. If convicted, Regan faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
According to the complaint, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a search warrant at Regan’s residence on October 17, 2024. During a search of Regan’s cellphone, an HSI computer forensic agent located an image of child sex abuse material in his photo gallery. Regan admitted to agents that he had sent and received child sex abuse material using an online social media application. Regan also advised law enforcement that he is currently employed at a middle school and the Boys and Girls Club and that he teaches chess club and music lessons.
A complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Noble Resident Sentenced for Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Kenric West, age 48, of Noble, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 51 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and the Okemah Police Department.
On April 15, 2024, West pleaded guilty to one count of Distribution of Methamphetamine. According to investigators, on September 28, 2023, West sold four plastic baggies containing 112 grams of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, to an undercover narcotics officer.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. West 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 Joshua Satter represented the United States.
New Rochelle Physician Pleads Guilty to Selling Thousands of Oxycodone Pills for CashRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Frank A. Tarentino III, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Division of the Drug Enforcement Agency ("DEA"); and Naomi Gruchacz, the Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”), announced that MORDECHAI BAR pled guilty today to one count of illicitly distributing and dispensing oxycodone and other controlled substances. BAR pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Cathy Seibel, to whom his case is assigned.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Dr. Mordechai Bar hid behind his medical license while he prescribed oxycodone without a legitimate medical need. Like any drug dealer, he pumped highly addictive substances into the streets for profit, with no regard for the impact on the community. Along with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to aggresively prosecute physicians who help fuel the opioid crisis.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III said: “This guilty plea from Doctor Mordechai Bar is the result of the hard work of our DEA New York’s Westchester Office and our law enforcement partners in pursuing those individuals who put profit and greed over the health and safety of their patients. The DEA remains committed in pursuing those individuals who exacerbate the ongoing opioid crisis.”
HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz said: “This physician accepts responsibility for illegally prescribing controlled substances, an action that is especially egregious given the ongoing opioid epidemic. HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure individuals involved in fraud schemes that exploit federal health care programs and threaten patient safety are held accountable.”
According to documents filed in this case including the Complaint, the Information, BAR’s plea agreement, and statements made in Court:
Between in or about January 2023 and in or about June 2024, BAR, a physician, repeatedly prescribed oxycodone without a legitimate medical purpose and outside of the usual course of professional practice. Oxycodone, a Schedule II narcotic, is a highly addictive opioid that is used to treat severe and chronic pain, as well as pain associated with certain forms of cancer and other terminal illnesses. Oxycodone prescriptions command high prices in the black market because of demand by drug abusers. BAR often prescribed oxycodone in combination with amphetamines and/or alprazolam, controlled substances that are themselves frequently abused and resold illicitly. BAR sold these prescriptions for cash, and he did so without performing physical examinations or medical tests on the patients in whose names the prescriptions were issued.
* * *
BAR, 71, of Larchmont, New York, pled guilty to one count of distributing oxycodone and other controlled substances, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The statutory maximum sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing will be determined by a judge. BAR is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Seibel on February 18, 2025.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding efforts of the DEA New York’s Westchester Office, HHS-OIG, the FBI, IRS-CI, and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. Mr. Williams also thanked the New York State Department of Health Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement for their assistance in this case.
The case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jorja N. Knauer, David A. Markewitz, and Kathryn Wheelock are in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Firearm and Drug OffenseRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JEREL CLAVO (“CLAVO”), age 36, of New Orleans, was sentenced on October 15, 2024 by U.S. District Judge Brandon S. Long to 62 months incarceration, five (5) years of supervised release, and a $200 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(D) (Count 1); and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 924(c)(1)(A)(i) (Count 2).
According to court documents, on November 27, 2021, the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) received a call regarding shots being fired near North Claiborne Avenue and Columbus Street. NOPD Officers arrived at the scene and discovered a deceased black female. Officers learned that the victim had been riding in a gray Dodge Charger driven by CLAVO when she was shot. An NOPD officer present at University Medical Center (UMC) saw CLAVO pull up outside the emergency room driving a gray Dodge Charger with several bullet holes in the front windshield. CLAVO sustained multiple gunshot wounds, including to his neck and right arm. NOPD Detectives executed a state search warrant for the Dodge Charger and located two firearms and marijuana inside the vehicle. CLAVO admitted possessing the marijuana for later sale. Additionally, CLAVO possessed the firearms to further his marijuana sales activities.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Trummel of the Violent Crime Unit.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Violations of the Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that DONALD MILLER (“MILLER “) a/k/a “Duck,” age 43, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty on October 16, 2024, before United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo to Conspiracy to Distribute and, Possess with Intent to Distribute, five hundred grams or more of cocaine hydrochloride. At his sentencing set for January 15, 2024, MILLER faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five (5) years up to a maximum term of forty (40) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $5,000,000.00, at least four years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
According to court documents, MILLER, and other co-conspirators, distributed multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine within the Eastern District of Louisiana.
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.
This investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration – New Orleans Field Division Office and was assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Border Patrol, the Gretna Major Crimes Task Force, the Kenner Police Department, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, the St. John’s Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the New Orleans Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit.
New Orleans Man Indicted for Threats Against Veterans Affairs HospitalRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JOHN POWELL (“POWELL”), age 77, a New Orleans native, was indicted on October 18, 2024, for making interstate threat communications, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 875(c).
According to the court documents, POWELL called the National Veterans Crisis Hotline and threatened to kill as many employees of the Veterans Affairs Hospital in New Orleans as he could.
POWELL faces up to 5 years imprisonment, up to 3 years of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and Veterans Affairs Police in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Paul J. Hubbell of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
New Haven Resident Sentenced to 42 Months in Federal Prison for Role in Narcotics Distribution RingRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LISA FAUSEL, 61, of New Haven, formerly of Milford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 42 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for participating in a narcotics distribution conspiracy.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an investigation by the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force and the DEA New Haven’s Tactical Diversion Squad targeting the manufacture and distribution of counterfeit oxycodone tablets containing fentanyl and counterfeit Adderall tablets containing methamphetamine, and the distribution of heroin and cocaine, in the New Haven area. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps, physical and electronic surveillance, and traffic stops and searches, revealed that Willis Taylor, of West Haven, coordinated the manufacture of counterfeit pills, which he distributed to others for further distribution. The investigation also revealed the distribution of other controlled substances.
On February 2, 2023, a court authorized search of a Milford motel room where Fausel was living revealed approximately $94,500 in cash, 832 grams of cocaine, and plastic bags full of hundreds of blue pills that tested positive for fentanyl.
Fausel was arrested on March 28, 2023. On July 10, 2024, she pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, controlled substances.
Fausel, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on December 16.
Fausel, Taylor, and 12 others were federally charged as a result of this investigation. Taylor pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by the DEA New Haven’s Tactical Diversion Squad, the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the U.S. Marshals Service. The DEA Tactical Diversion Squad is composed of personnel from the DEA, the Connecticut State Police, and the West Haven, Hamden, Manchester, Bristol, Fairfield, and Seymour Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ross Weingarten, Katherine Boyles, and Konstantin Lantsman, in coordination with the New Haven and Milford State’s Attorney’s Offices.
This case is being prosecuted through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
In March 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA’s New England Field Division released a public service announcement warning of the danger of fentanyl and the proliferation of counterfeit prescription pills. Click here for more information.
Murder Defendant Extradited from El Salvador for 2013 StabbingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Angel Monge, 51, of El Salvador, was transported from El Salvador to the United States by members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, on October 18, 2024, and placed under arrest for a September 2013 murder. Monge was presented in Superior Court in the District of Columbia the next day when the Honorable Leslie Meeke ordered him to be held without bond. The arrest and extradition were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 6:11 p.m. on September 2, 2013, the United States Park Police (USPP) received a call for an unconscious person located in Grove #6 of the park at Beach Road in Northwest D.C. Upon arrival, USPP officers found a deceased male lying on a creek bed. The Metropolitan Police Department and the D.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) were notified. The OCME conducted an autopsy on the decedent, who was later identified as Matias Molina, 49, of Washington, D.C. Autopsy results showed that the cause of death was multiple sharp force wounds and the manner of death was determined to be a homicide. The case was presented before a grand jury and, in 2015, Angel Dilmar Monge was indicted on a charge of second-degree murder while armed. A bench warrant was issued and Monge was eventually located in El Salvador.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dennis Clark.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would like to thank the members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with the Government of El Salvador to secure the arrest and extradition of Monge.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Methuen Man Sentenced to over 11 Years in Prison for Role in Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Involving Fentanyl, Fentanyl Analog and CocaineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Methuen man was sentenced on Oct. 18, 2024, for drug conspiracy charges involving distribution of fentanyl, fentanyl analog and cocaine.
Daniel Lopez-Gonzalez, 28, was sentenced by Chief District Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 135 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. In March 2024, Lopez-Gonzalez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, involving 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of fentanyl analog. Lopez-Gonzalez was indicted in April 2023 along with Erickson Castro Perez and Gustavo Adolfo Reyes Gonzalez.
Between June 2022 and January 2023, Lopez-Gonzalez and his co-conspirators Castro Perez and Reyes Gonzalez sold fentanyl and fentanyl analog to undercover law enforcement on six separate occasions in Haverhill and Boxford. On January 23, 2023, a search of a Haverhill-based stash location used by the three men resulted in the seizure of additional quantities of fentanyl, fentanyl analog, cocaine and other narcotics. Additionally, an illegal firearm, ammunition, more than $35,000 in U.S. currency and two high-end watches were also seized from Lopez-Gonzalez’s home.
In total, approximately 2.5 kilograms of fentanyl or fentanyl analog was seized over the course of the investigation.
Castro Perez was sentenced in May 2024, to 51 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Reyes Gonzalez was sentenced in Sept 2024 to 21 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel R. Feldman of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
Member of Violent Gang Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Involving Drug and Firearms TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston area man pleaded guilty today to his role in Cameron Street, a violent Boston gang.
Jose Afonseca, 32, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise, conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and dealing in firearms without a license. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for Jan. 30, 2025.
During the investigation, Afonseca was identified as member of the Cameron Street gang, who worked with other Cameron Street members to distribute hundreds of grams of cocaine and cocaine base, more commonly referred to as “crack” cocaine, from a stash house in Somerville. Afonseca was recorded discussing his ability to acquire illegal firearms and was recorded selling two firearms and over 30 rounds of ammunition to a cooperating witness. On Aril 15, 2022, agents executed a series of arrest and search warrants in this case. Three hundred ninety-eight grams of cocaine, along with packaging materials, two hydraulic presses, a digital scale, a cell phone, and $14,986 in U.S. currency were seized from the stash house.
According to court documents, Cameron Street, a violent gang based largely in the Dorchester section of Boston that uses violence and threats of violence to preserve, protect, and expand its territory, promote a climate of fear, and enhance its reputation.
The charge of RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to interfere with commerce by force or violence each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine provides for a minimum sentence of five years and a maximum sentence of 40 years, a $5 million fine, and a minimum four years supervised release up to life. The charge of dealing in firearms without a license provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office; Suffolk, Plymouth, Norfolk and Bristol County District Attorney’s Offices; and the Canton, Quincy, Randolph, Somerville, Brockton, Malden, Stoughton, Rehoboth and Pawtucket (R.I.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Pohl and Charles Dell’Anno of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
The remaining defendants named in the indictment are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Marion County Tax Preparer Convicted of Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Marion County tax preparer was convicted today on 26 counts of filing false tax returns, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Jack Lee Oliver, age 56, of Rivesville, West Virginia, was found guilty by a jury for the preparation and filing of false tax returns. Oliver is the owner of an insurance sales and tax return preparation business known as Insurance Depot located in Fairmont.
The evidence at trial established that Oliver prepared tax returns for clients claiming business losses for non-existent businesses without the knowledge of the clients. He also prepared returns for clients who did have businesses, but falsely inflated expenses to cause a business loss, again without the knowledge of the clients. In both instances, his actions caused the clients to receive tax refunds to which they were not entitled. The evidence also demonstrated that Oliver, on his own tax returns, claimed the foster son of one of his clients resulting in thousands of dollars in refundable credits to which he was not entitled.
“Jack Oliver stole from American taxpayers when he falsified returns to benefit himself and others,” said U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld. “We will continue to crack down on anyone who attempts to game the system by falsely claiming losses, expenses, or dependents in order to obtain a bigger tax refund.”
The United States expects that the evidence at Oliver’s sentencing will establish that he caused a tax loss of more than $500,000.
Oliver is facing up to three years in federal prison for each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jarod Douglas and Eleanor Hurney prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The trial began last Tuesday and concluded with the verdict this morning.
The case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Man Pleads Guilty to Vandalizing Federal BuildingRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Brian Scott Murray, 50, pleaded guilty today to injuring property of the United States in excess of $1,000.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 16, 2024, Murray threw multiple rocks at the Sidney L. Christie U. S. Courthouse and Federal Building in Huntington. Murray admitted that he threw the rocks at windows on the west side of the building and broke the outer layers of three windows. Murray further admitted that he walked to the Huntington Police Department afterward and told multiple officers there what he had done. Murray also admitted that the Sidney L. Christie U. S. Courthouse and Federal Building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Murray is scheduled to be sentenced on December 16, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Murray also owes restitution.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Police Department and the United States Marshals Service (USMS).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-48.
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Man Pleads Guilty to Vandalizing Federal BuildingRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Brian Scott Murray, 50, pleaded guilty today to injuring property of the United States in excess of $1,000.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 16, 2024, Murray threw multiple rocks at the Sidney L. Christie U. S. Courthouse and Federal Building in Huntington. Murray admitted that he threw the rocks at windows on the west side of the building and broke the outer layers of three windows. Murray further admitted that he walked to the Huntington Police Department afterward and told multiple officers there what he had done. Murray also admitted that the Sidney L. Christie U. S. Courthouse and Federal Building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Murray is scheduled to be sentenced on December 16, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Murray also owes restitution.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Police Department and the United States Marshals Service (USMS).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-48.
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