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26 November 2024
Rochester business owner pleads guilty to tax chargeRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Anthony Carnevale, 53, of North Chili, NY, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford to filing a false tax return, which carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who is handling the case, stated that Carnevale, owner of VIP Maintenance Inc. DBA College Bound Sealers, a paving and sealing business, failed to report over $3,000,000 in revenue to the IRS between 2017 and 2021. From the total amount of $3,000,580.33 received from customer checks cashed, Carnevale paid fees to a check cashing business totaling $63,564.19, paid business expenses totaling $62,391.00, and then paid VIP Maintenance Inc.’s employees some of or all their wages in cash totaling $2,143,504.75. The remaining amount of cash received from the checks cashed, $731,120.39, was kept by Carnevale. This resulted in $171,217.00 in unpaid personal income taxes, and $327,956.23 in unpaid payroll taxes.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, under the direction of Thomas Fattorusso, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Field Division.
Sentencing is set for March 18, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Wolford.
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Registered Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU - A sex offender from southeast Missouri on Tuesday admitted being caught again with child sexual abuse material.
Thomas O. Stroud Jr., 43, of Wappapello, Missouri, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to the possession of child pornography.
According to court documents, Stroud has a prior federal conviction for possessing child pornography in 2009. Following his release from federal prison, Stroud was required to register as a sex offender. He was also placed on a 40-year term of supervised release. Last March, while Stroud was serving his term of supervised release, Stroud’s probation officer discovered that he had been using a cell phone to communicate with someone in Indiana. During the communications, Stroud obtained several images of child pornography. At his plea hearing Tuesday, Stroud admitted that he used a cell phone to obtain images of child pornography from the subject in Indiana.
Stroud’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 25, 2025. He faces a minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of 20 years for the new child pornography offense. Stroud also faces an additional sentence of up to 24 months for violating the terms of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the United States Probation Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jack Koester is handling the prosecution.
Raleigh Basketball Scout and Life Coach Convicted for Obtaining Nearly $300,000 in Fraudulent COVID-19 Relief Loans in Nationwide SchemeRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Following four days of testimony before a federal jury, a Raleigh man and business owner pled guilty to a Bank Fraud and Wire Fraud, that netted the man almost $300,000 in fraudulent Paycheck Protection Act (PPP) COVID-19 loans. This fraud was part of a multimillion-dollar national scheme, and, to date, more than 30 defendants have pled guilty and 26 have been sentenced.
“Lamont Taylor ran a business scouting players who hustled on the court, but ran his own hustle off the court, fraudulently securing over $300,000 in PPP relief funds,” said U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. “While most of us were trying to help our neighbors navigate a global pandemic, this talent scout and ‘life coach’ was helping himself to relief funds. We will continue to investigate and prosecute those that choose fraud over goodwill.”
“The Paycheck Protection Program was meant to aid those affected the most during the pandemic,” said Special Agent in Charge Donald “Trey” Eakins, Charlotte Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation. “Today’s plea shows the defendant conspired to fraudulently obtain federal funds. Through our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other federal law enforcement partners, our special agents will continue to pursue individuals who try to exploit federal relief programs for their personal gain.”
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Earl Lamont Taylor, age 52, worked with Quentin Jackson and Edward Whitaker to obtain fraudulent PPP loans. Jackson pled guilty in November 2022 and Whitaker pled guilty in January 2023. Taylor was referred to Whitaker by Jackson, and, with Whitaker’s assistance, Taylor applied for and received loans for two businesses, Get Me Recruited, LLC (a basketball scouting and tournament staging business) and Changing the Game Life Coach (purportedly a life coaching service for young athletes). The total received for both loans was $291,665.50, and Taylor paid Whitaker $72,917.24 for his assistance. In addition to the fraudulent loans, the trial evidence showed that Taylor also cashed alleged “payroll” checks for Jackson on Jackson’s PPP loans.
Information presented at the trial showed that Get Me Recruited, LLC did have business in 2019 and 2020, but employees listed on the loan application testified that they never made more than $2,000 per year and were not regularly salaried employees. The loan application submitted by Taylor listed their annual salaries as being between $110,145 and $128,416. In contrast, Changing the Game Life Coach did not appear to have any meaningful business during the relevant period and employees testified that they had never done any work for the company, and the bank account associated with the business was only open to receive the loan disbursement.
Taylor faces up to 30 years in prison when sentenced.
Other defendants that have been sentenced in the broader “Loanstarters” PPP scheme involving Edward Whitaker include:
- Albert Eugene Miller, Jr. [Case No. 5-22-CR-00290-D]
- Jonathan Fleming [Case No. 5-22-CR-00337-D]
- Nekita Hooks [Case No. 5-23-CR-00025-D]
- Denise Coit Alston [Case No. 5-23-CR-00077-D]
- Monica Faye Barnes [Case No. 5:23-CR-00094-D]
- Dontrell Barnes [Case No. 5-23-CR-00094-D]
- Isaac Lamont Dawson [Case No. 5:23-CR-0097-D]
- Irene Edwards [Case No. 5-23-CR-00098-D]
- Natosia Jerome Jenkins [Case No. 5:23-CR-00167-D]
- Ronald L. Jones [Case No. 5:23-CR-00339-D]
- Delvin Dashavone Felder [Case No. 5:23-CR-00198]
- Shun Lamont Gibbs [Case No. 5:23-CR-00346-D]
- Teresa Ann McRae [Case No. 5:23-CR-00313-D]
- Dontae Antonio Murphy [Case No. 5:24-CR-00072]
- Jackson Ndoyo [Case No. 5-23-CR-00118-D]
- Terron Cortez Parker [Case No. 5-23-CR-00081-D]
- Ayyub Abdur Rasheed [Case No. 5:23-CR-00314-D]
- Karim Aziz Razzak [Case No. 5:23-CR-00324]
- Toni A. Smith [Case No. 5:23-CR-00312-D]
- Darian Casteele Tyler [Case No. 5:23-CR-00338-D]
- Shakeerah Kaneisha Yvette Vinson [Case No. 5-23-CR-00027-D]
- Anthony S. Whitaker [Case No. 5:23-CR-00311-D]
- James Elton Watson Case No. 5:23-CR-00323-D]
- Shara Monique Wells [Case No. 5:23-CR-00323-D]
- Kami D. Woodard [Case No. 5-23-CR-00095-D]
- Lenille Woodard [Case No. 5-23-CR-00138-D]
Defendants awaiting sentencing include:
- Hanif Abdul-Hakim [Case No. 5:24-CR-00109-D]
- Schunda Coleman [Case No. 5-22-CR-00257-D]
- Quentin Jackson [Case No. 5-22-CR-180-D]
- Everett M. McBride [Case No. 5:24-CR-00036-D]
- Edward Whitaker [Case No. 5-22-CR-00257-D]
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who were economically suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act and additional appropriations authorized up to $649 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Financial institutions issued the PPP loans, which were guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA).
Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III accepted the plea. Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations is investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys William M. Gilmore and David Beraka are prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-00335-D.
Pueblo Man Convicted on Drug, Felon in Possession ChargesRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Dominick Jesus Salazar, 51, of Pueblo, Colorado was convicted by a federal jury on one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of methamphetamine, and one count of being a felon of possession of a firearm and ammunition.
According to the facts established at trial, on May 23, 2023, Salazar was arrested outside of a Pueblo area hotel room he was staying in after being observed by Pueblo Police Officers interacting with multiple people in a manner consistent with hand-to-hand drug sales. When agents arrested Salazar, he had a loaded pistol in his pocket along with drug proceeds. Inside his hotel room, agents found 184 grams of 98% pure meth.
“We will do our best to send convicted felons who continue to repeat their criminal behavior back to prison,” said Acting United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Matt Kirsch. “Our communities are safer with one more repeat offender off the streets.”
United States District Court Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney presided over the trial. The FBI Denver Field Office handled the investigation. The Violent Crime and Immigration Enforcement Section of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado handled the prosecution.
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.
Case Number: 23-CR-00310
Plant City Man Indicted for Unlawfully Removing His Child from the United StatesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Jet Sern Law (36, Plant City) with international parental kidnapping. If convicted, Law faces a maximum penalty of three years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, in August 2024, Law removed a minor child from the United States with the intent to obstruct the parental rights of the child’s mother.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the FBI. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Derry.
Pill Distributor Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Trafficking Tens of Thousands of Pills Containing Fentanyl and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Haverhill man was sentenced today for distributing tens of thousands of pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine.
Angel Joel Diaz, a/k/a “Guero,” 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to nine years in prison. In April 2024, Diaz pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, two counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and methadone.
In January 2023, an investigation began into Diaz’s fentanyl pill manufacturing and distribution operation. An undercover officer contacted Diaz posing as a potential drug customer seeking to buy counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl. On Jan. 11, 2023, Diaz provided the undercover officer with 208 pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine. Diaz told the undercover officer that the pills were made with “fentanyl” and they were “knocking people down in New York.”
On two subsequent occasions, Jan. 27, 2023 and Feb. 7, 2023, Diaz distributed thousands of counterfeit prescription pills containing suspected fentanyl to the undercover officer. On Feb. 14, 2023, Diaz sent a photo of fentanyl pills to the undercover officer and said, “even making it with a mask makes you want to vomit and everything.”
On Feb. 15, 2023, Diaz was arrested while carrying a shopping bag containing 31,142 fentanyl pills separated into seven plastic bags. During a subsequent search of Diaz’s Haverhill residence, two pill presses; thousands of pills; powder containing fentanyl and methadone; stamps used to make counterfeit pills; several masks; and chemicals used in manufacturing pills were discovered.
In all, more than 6 kilograms of substances containing fentanyl, 381 grams of substances containing methamphetamine, and 81 grams of substances containing methadone were seized from Diaz.
United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Stephen Belleau, Acting 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 and the Haverhill Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel R. Feldman of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
Pasco County Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years for Possession of Child Sex Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday has sentenced Jason Alan Wacker (28, Pasco County) to 10 years in federal prison for possession of child sexual abuse material. The court also ordered Wacker to forfeit two cellphones, which are traceable to proceeds of the offense. Wacker entered a guilty plea on August 12, 2024.
According to court documents, in May 2023, Wacker, a registered sex offender, was on supervised release for transportation and possession of child sex abuse material when law enforcement received a cyber tip that he was again accessing child sex abuse material. Forensic examinations of Wacker’s cellphones revealed more than 100 images and videos of child sexual abuse and exploitation.
This case was investigated by the Pasco Sheriff’s Office and the FBI. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Courtney Derry and Jennifer Peresie.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Ohio Man Deceived into Transferring Life Savings in Cryptocurrency ScamRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio (USAO) has filed a civil complaint in forfeiture against 947,883 Tether (USDT) cryptocurrency, valued at approximately $947,883. USDT is a virtual currency which are digital tokens of value circulated over the internet. Its transactions are publicly recorded on what is known as a blockchain.
According to court documents, the cryptocurrency fraud scam began in or around October 2023, when an Elyria, Ohio, man was contacted via a pop-up window on this computer with instructions to call a number to resolve a tech issue. The victim was then told that his retirement account had been compromised and that his funds were being wired to accounts in China or Russia and a casino in Las Vegas. He was provided with a purported solution and told that the transactions could be stopped by wiring money. Thinking that he was protecting his retirement account, the victim gave remote computer access to the scammer who then proceeded to withdraw money and move funds into various cryptocurrency accounts. In total, the victim lost his entire life savings of $425,000 as a result of this cryptocurrency fraud scam.
Investigators conducted a blockchain analysis and determined that the stolen funds were converted to USDT cryptocurrency and placed into a virtual currency wallet. Law enforcement officers executed a federal seizure warrant to recover 947,883 USDT tokens, on July 31, 2024, and then transferred these funds to a law-enforcement-controlled virtual currency wallet.
By the Complaint in Forfeiture filed on Nov. 26, 2024, the United States seeks to forfeit the 947,883 USDT cryptocurrency. If successful, the United States would seek to provide compensation to the victim. In the complaint, the United States alleges that the additional cryptocurrency contained in the address is subject to forfeiture as the proceeds of fraud.
The claims asserted in the complaint are allegations only, and the United States must prove these allegations by a preponderance of the evidence at trial.
The FBI Cleveland Division is actively investigating cryptocurrency fraud schemes perpetrated on victims throughout the United States, including in the Northern District of Ohio. The United States is represented in this matter by Assistant United States Attorney James L. Morford. The USAO would like to acknowledge Tether for its assistance in this matter.
If you observe something that you believe might be fraudulent conduct involving an older adult, contact the dedicated National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 or 1-833-372-8311 and visit the FBI’s IC3 Elder Fraud Complaint Center at IC3.gov to report it.
Northridge Man Indicted for Allegedly Checking Suitcases at LAX Containing Meth-Caked Clothes, Including a Cow Pajama OnesieRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Fernando Valley man was indicted today for allegedly possessing two suitcases containing more than a dozen clothing items – including a cow pajama onesie – caked in methamphetamine while preparing to board a flight from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Australia.
Raj Matharu, 31, of Northridge, is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Matharu is scheduled to be arraigned on December 2 in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. He is free on $10,000 bond.
“Drug dealers are continually inventing creative ways of smuggling dangerous narcotics in pursuit of illicit profit – as alleged in the facts of this case,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “In the process, they are poisoning communities throughout the world. Law enforcement is committed to fighting drug trafficking, knowing that every seizure saves lives.”
According to court documents, on November 6, Matharu attempted to travel from Los Angeles to Sydney. At the ticket counter, Matharu checked two luggage items, one pink suitcase and one gray suitcase.
After Matharu checked the suitcases, screening officers X-rayed them. The X-ray revealed irregularities and officers pulled the suitcases for a secondary inspection. Upon opening the suitcases, law enforcement found the suitcases contained more than a dozen white or light-colored clothing items that were dried stiff and covered in a white residue.
Law enforcement field-tested a sample of the residue, which yielded positive results for methamphetamine. The total weight of the clothing items with the methamphetamine caked into them was approximately 32.4 kilograms (71.5 pounds). Law enforcement later extracted more than one kilogram of methamphetamine residue from the clothing in Matharu’s suitcases.
Officers intercepted Matharu on the jet bridge to his flight to Australia, and he was later arrested.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted, Matharu would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Homeland Security Investigations is investigating this matter. United States Customs and Border Protection provided assistance.
Assistant United States Attorney Diane Roldán of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
North Alabama Law Enforcement Agencies Awarded More Than $7.25 Million for Community-Policing Initiatives and TechnologyRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office and Bureau of Justice Assistance have recently awarded $7,256,829 to local communities and law enforcement agencies across north Alabama for law enforcement technology and community-policing initiatives.
“Local law enforcement agencies and officers are the day-to-day superheroes in our communities who keep us safe,” said United States Attorney Prim F. Escalona. “I am grateful to the Department of Justice’s COPS Office and the Bureau of Justice Assistance for this much needed support in keeping our families and communities safe.”
The recently announced awards were made through the various Department of Justice grant programs listed below:
COPS Office Community Policing Development Program
- The National Association of School Resource Officers was awarded $200,000 to provide school resource officer training.
- The City of Jacksonville was awarded $125,000 to hire an additional officer.
- The City of Pell City was awarded $219,850 to hire two additional officers.
COPS Office Hiring Program
COPS Office Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act Implementation Program
- The City of Hartselle was awarded $25,000.
- The Winston County Board of Education was awarded $499,598.
- The Cullman County District Attorney’s Office (32nd Circuit) was awarded $110,000 to improve its computer technology and to purchase a law enforcement vehicle.
- The City of Fort Payne was awarded $670,000 to improve its local communications and emergency-response systems.
- The Jackson County Commission was awarded $250,000 for additional patrol vehicles.
- Jacksonville State University was awarded $656,000 to improve campus security and communications.
- The Limestone County Commission was awarded $425,000 to improve security and surveillance within the county courthouse.
- The Madison County Commission was awarded $195,000 to improve security and surveillance within the county jail.
- The City of Moody was awarded $245,000 to improve local emergency-communications systems.
- The City of Oxford was awarded $185,000 to enhance crime-fighting resources that are networked to the East Alabama Metro Area Crime Center.
- The City of Pell City was awarded $612,000 to improve emergency-communications systems with other local law enforcement and emergency-response agencies.
- The Pickens County Emergency 911 Board was awarded $1,805,000 to improve local emergency systems and communications services.
- St. Clair County was awarded $1,200,000 to develop a mobile command center to best prevent and respond to public safety threats and incidents.
COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program
COPS Office Technology and Equipment Program
Bureau of Justice Assistance Body Worn Camera Program
- The Blount County Commission was awarded $29,996.
- The City of Montevallo was awarded $4,385.
The full list of FY 2024 COPS awards can be found here: https://cops.usdoj.gov/grants. Information about grant awards made through the Bureau of Justice Assistance can be found here: https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/awards/list.
Murfreesboro Man Sentenced to 41 Years for July 2020 Violent Crime Spree in Murfreesboro and FranklinRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Joshua Hallmon, 29, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, was sentenced today to 41 years in federal prison, announced Acting United States Attorney Thomas J. Jaworski for the Middle District of Tennessee. Hallmon was convicted by a federal jury in August 2023, on all 12 counts he faced for a string of violent crimes he committed in Murfreesboro and Franklin.
Hallmon and two co-defendants, Charles Melvin Walker and Walter Lee Williams, were charged by a federal grand jury in May 2021 with multiple counts of Hobbs Act robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, and using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Additionally, Hallmon was charged with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Prior to trial, Walker and Williams both pleaded guilty to all charges against them. Walker and Williams were sentenced last year, with each receiving sentences of 16 years in federal prison.
The charges in this case related to a crime spree that spanned from July 6 to July 27, 2020, involving the armed robberies of Twice Daily and Mapco gas stations in Murfreesboro on July 6 and July 23, 2020. Then, on the night of July 26-27, 2020, Hallmon and his two co-defendants committed an armed carjacking and kidnapping in Murfreesboro, attempted to commit a second armed carjacking in Franklin, and committed a third armed carjacking and kidnapping in Murfreesboro in which Williams shot the victim in the face.
“The defendant committed senseless and violent crimes against people apparently chosen at random. Today’s sentence keeps the community safe from the defendant for over four decades,” said Acting United States Attorney Thomas J. Jaworski. “I commend our prosecutors and law enforcement partners for their work on this highly important case.”
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Murfreesboro Police Department; the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office; the Smyrna Police Department; the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department; the Franklin Police Department; and the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chris Suedekum and Rachel Stephens prosecuted the case.
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Mississippi Man Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Cyberstalking and Antisemitic Harassment of Synagogues, Jewish-Owned BusinessesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Donavon Parish, 29, of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Cynthia M. Rufe to 24 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for cyberstalking and the antisemitic harassment of synagogues and Jewish-owned businesses.
According to a June 2023 indictment and superseding information filed this May, the defendant used a Voice Over Internet Protocol service to make a series of phone calls in April and May 2022 to synagogues and Jewish-owned businesses in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
In these calls, the defendant spoke to individuals answering the telephone calls on behalf of their respective institutions, at which time he repeatedly referenced the genocide of approximately six million Jewish people during the Holocaust, stating, among other things, “Heil Hitler,” “all Jews must die,” “we will put you in work camps,” “gas the Jews,” and “Hitler should have finished the job.”
In June of this year, Parish pleaded guilty to one count of cyberstalking and five counts of abuse and harassment using a telecommunications device. He also admitted to a special finding that he targeted his victims based on their actual and perceived religion.
“Donavon Parish’s harassment and hateful antisemitic threats terrorized those he targeted — their sense of security abruptly shaken by fears of escalation and physical harm,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “People of all faiths and backgrounds deserve to feel safe in their communities. That’s why my office and the FBI are committed to working these cases and bringing offenders like Parish to justice.”
“No member of our community should live in fear, regardless of where they work, live, or worship,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “This sentence demonstrates the FBI and our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office will not tolerate such repeated and vile threats that seek to disrupt our community’s sense of safety and security, and we will bring the perpetrator to justice, no matter where they are.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Jeanette Kang of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Justin Sher with the Department of Justice’s National Security Division (Counterterrorism Section), with assistance from DOJ’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi.
Michoacan Man Sentenced to 60 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE –Alejandro Lagunas Penaloza, also known as Jose Alfredo Castro Reyes, 47 years old, of Michoacan, Mexico, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to distributing 500 grams or more of cocaine, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Lagunas Penaloza was sentenced to 60 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, Lagunas Penaloza sold a kilogram of cocaine to an undercover law enforcement agent on March 7, 2023. Lagunas Penaloza was illegally present in the United States.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Allen County Drug Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Fort Wayne Safe Streets Gang Task Force, consisting of the FBI, the Indiana State Police, the Allen County Police Department, and the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony W. Geller.
This case was 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.
Mexican Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Gabriel Beltran-Lopez, age 38, of Sinaloa, Mexico, was sentenced November 25, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for possessing 27 pounds of methamphetamine. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Beltran-Lopez to 60 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
On May 8, 2021, a deputy with the York County Sheriff’s Office stopped Beltran-Lopez for a traffic violation. During the traffic stop, Beltran-Lopez consented to a search of his vehicle. The search resulted in 27 pounds of pure meth being found in the vehicle. The DEA assisted in the investigation, and Beltran-Lopez was replaced as the driver by an undercover agent. The vehicle was then driven to Omaha, where it went to an address found in the vehicle. Jose Hernandez-Gomez came out of the residence and gave the undercover agent $6000 for the meth, after which he too was arrested.
Hernandez-Gomez was sentenced on August 18, 2023, to a 135-month term of imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the York County Sheriff’s Office, the DEA, and the Omaha Police Department.
Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Dogfighting ChargesRead the Press Release
A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty today to possessing dogs at his home for participation in a dogfighting venture.
John D. Murphy, 51, of Hanson, pleaded guilty to nine counts of possessing animals for use in an animal fighting venture, in violation of the federal Animal Welfare Act. Murphy was indicted by a federal grand jury in March.
“Dogfighting is a sadistic crime which subjects animals to cruel mistreatment for entertainment,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “We commend the investigators and prosecutors who worked collaboratively to bring this case to justice.”
“Mr. Murphy’s actions represent the calculated cruelty and inhumanity that dogfighting embodies – a barbaric practice that exploits and harms animals for entertainment and profit. Today’s conviction brings an end to Mr. Murphy’s reign of brutality and sends a clear message: dogfighting is a federal crime, and those who engage in this inhumane conduct will face justice,” said U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy for the District of Massachusetts. “This case marks the first time federal criminal charges have been brought in the District of Massachusetts under the Animal Welfare Act, underscoring the seriousness of these crimes and our commitment to holding those who engage in this abhorrent conduct accountable. We urge anyone with knowledge of animal fighting or abuse to come forward and report it.”
In 2021, Murphy was identified on recorded calls discussing dogfighting with a New York-based dogfighting target. A subsequent search of his Facebook accounts revealed Murphy’s years-long involvement in dogfighting. Murphy communicated with other dogfighters via Facebook and belonged to private dogfighting Facebook groups.
Photos and videos found on Murphy’s Facebook account showed dogs restrained and showing injuries consistent with that of dogfighting. A search of Murphy’s Hanson residence in June 2023 discovered numerous items associated with possessing dogs for participation in an animal fighting venture like various breeding, training and medical supplies and dogfighting materials.
In March, the United States also filed a civil forfeiture complaint against 13 pit bull-type dogs, seized in June 2023 from Murphy’s residence and another residence in Townsend, Massachusetts, that were possessed for participation in an animal fighting venture. In September and October, the court ordered all dogs be forfeited to the United States. The dogs are currently in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) being cared for by a USMS-contractor.
U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young for the District of Massachusetts scheduled sentencing for Feb. 27, 2025. For each of the nine charges, Murphy faces a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
To report animal fighting crimes, please contact your local law enforcement or the Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General complaint hotline at: usdaoig.oversight.gov/hotline or 1-800-424-9121.
The Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; Animal Rescue League of Boston’s Law Enforcement Division; Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service; USMS; Maine State Police; New Hampshire State Police; Massachusetts Office of the State Auditor; Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals; the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Hanson, Boston and Acton, Massachusetts, Police Departments.
Senior Trial Attorney Matthew T. Morris of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Danial E. Bennett and Kaitlin J. Brown for the District of Massachusetts are prosecuting the case. Carol E. Head, Chief of the Asset Recovery Unit for the District of Massachusetts, and Trial Attorney Caitlyn F. Cook of ENRD’s Wildlife and Marine Resources Section are prosecuting the civil forfeiture case.
Man Charged After Injuring Flight AttendantRead the Press Release
A man who injured a flight attendant in an attempt to exit a plane mid-air has been federally charged, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Abdul-al-Jabbar Oloruntoba Olaiya, 29, was charged via criminal complaint with interfering with a flight crew by assault or intimidation within the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States.
According to court documents, on Nov. 19, roughly two hours into the flight from Milwaukee to Dallas, Mr. Olaiya became frustrated with a flight attendant as she worked the forward galley.
Witnesses told law enforcement they heard Mr. Olaiya tell her he was “captain of this flight” and needed to “get off the plane.”
He then allegedly charged the flight attendant in an attempt to access the aircraft exit door. The flight attendant, identified in court documents as S.J., used her body to shield the door and was injured in the scuffle.
Able-bodied passengers rushed to assist her. They subdued Mr. Olaiya and duct-taped his wrists and ankles. With only about 30 minutes left on the flight, pilots made the decision to continue to DFW, calling the tower for priority landing and taxing.
Upon landing, Mr. Olaiya was removed from the plane by officers and taken in for a mental evaluation.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Mr. Olaiya is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office and the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Levi Thomas is prosecuting the case.
Lodge Grass woman sentenced to 10 years in prison for meth trafficking in large, multi-state drug conspiracy based on Crow Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Lodge Grass woman who trafficked methamphetamine to multiple Montana Indian reservations as part of large-scale, multi-state conspiracy that was based in her family home on the Crow Indian Reservation was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
Sayra Longfox, 26, pleaded guilty in May to possession with intent to distribute meth.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that beginning in 2022, federal law enforcement in a collaborative effort with local and tribal law enforcement, conducted a large-scale, multi-state narcotics trafficking investigation that centered on multiple properties on the Crow Indian Reservation. The properties, including one referred to as Spear Siding, received drugs from sources in Washington and supplied both the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Indian reservations and other reservations and communities in Montana. Longfox is one of 27 individuals, along with her mother, Frederica Lefthand, and her uncle, Wendell Lefthand, convicted in the investigation.
The government characterized Longfox as mid-level dealer who had an integral role in the conspiracy. Longfox sold in quarter pound to pound quantities, and she admitted to carrying a 9mm handgun for protection. Longfox sold drugs from Spear Siding and on the Rocky Boy’s and Fort Belknap reservations in northcentral Montana. Longfox distributed meth and cocaine she got from her mother along with drugs she obtained directly from co-defendant Carlos Arciga-Galvan, who is a fugitive. In one of her writings, Longfox said, “Call papi for me plez? I need at least a QP going up north for the powwow.” A QP is known to the government as a “quarter pound.” In a text message to Longfox, Frederica Lefthand praised her daughter’s work as drug dealer saying, “And you are doing a GREAT job Queen of the North.”
One cooperator described how Longfox “picked up the reins” when her uncle, Wendell Lefthand, went to jail and that she was “running the show” on Fort Belknap. Another cooperator described that Longfox ran the operation on Rocky Boy’s and in Hays, on the Fort Belknap, for Frederica Lefthand. Frederica Lefthand was sentenced to 24 years in prison, while Wendell Lefthand was sentenced to 15 years in prison for their convictions in the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI conducted the investigation.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Level 3 registered sex offender going back to prison on multiple child pornography chargesRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Donald Campbell Sr., 62, of Elmira, NY, who was convicted of possession of child pornography following a prior conviction under the laws of New York State relating to the possession of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 144 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who handled the case, stated that between July 25, 2022, and January 9, 2023, he possessed digital devices including a cell phone and an SD card, both of which contained images and videos of child pornography. Campbell downloaded and distributed the images via the internet. In total, he possessed more than 600 images and videos, some of which depicted prepubescent children less than 12 years old being subjected to violent sexual abuse, and the sexual abuse of an infant. Campbell is a registered level-three sex offender (the highest risk level) following two prior felony child pornography offenses in New York State Court in December 2004 and March 2019.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia and the Elmira Police Department, under the direction of Chief Kristen Thorne.
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Lawrence County Resident Sentenced for Role in Puerto Rico/Western Pennsylvania Region Drug Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of New Castle, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to 37 months of incarceration, to be followed by four years of supervised release, on his conviction of violating a federal narcotics law, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Luis Rivera Otero, 37.
According to information presented to the Court, Rivera Otero was a member of an organized drug trafficking group that obtained kilogram quantities of cocaine via United States Postal Service parcel from Puerto Rico and then sold them in western Pennsylvania and elsewhere as part of an ongoing drug trafficking conspiracy. Specifically, Rivera Otero was responsible for retrieving five parcels containing cocaine and then delivering them to a co-conspirator in return for payment.
Assistant United States Attorney Carl J. Spindler prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation leading to Rivera Otero’s conviction in this case in close collaboration with the Lawrence County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, United States Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New Castle City Police Department, Ellwood City Police Department, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, United States Department of Agriculture, Union Township Police Department, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Homeland Security Investigations, and Pennsylvania State Police.
This prosecution was 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.
Lawrence County is one of six western Pennsylvania counties officially designated as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area by the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy. The county received its HIDTA designation in July 2022, allowing it to receive dedicated federal resources to coordinate federal, state, and local governments in fighting drug trafficking and abuse.
Justice Department Secures Agreement with Maine to Ensure Children with Behavioral Health Disabilities Can Live at HomeRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it secured a settlement agreement to resolve its lawsuit alleging that Maine violates Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Supreme Court’s decision in Olmstead v. L.C. by unnecessarily segregating children with behavioral health disabilities in psychiatric hospitals, residential facilities and a state-operated juvenile detention facility.
“This agreement reflects the Civil Rights Division’s commitment to ensuring that children with disabilities can live at home surrounded by the love and support of their families rather than isolated away in facilities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We know that too many children with behavioral health disabilities end up in juvenile justice settings or in out-of-home placements, often in different states far from their families, disrupting their lives in ways that can cause permanent harm. Under this agreement, more children will have access to community-based services and in-home behavioral health services so that they can grow up surrounded by family and loved ones.”
“Mainers with disabilities, particularly children, must be able to access the critical services they need in their homes and within their communities,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee for the District of Maine. “Maine’s geographical expanse is a treasure, but children with behavioral health disabilities cannot be needlessly limited to accessing necessary services and supports in facilities away from their families. This agreement prioritizes Maine’s children and ensures the availability of crucial services to allow them to pursue their greatest potential and ease the emotional toll on their caregivers.”
The department sued Maine in September, following a thorough investigation and a public letter of findings notifying Maine of the violation. The lawsuit alleged that Maine limited families’ access to needed behavioral health services for their children to live in the community. These services can include assistance with daily activities, behavior management and individual or family counseling. Community-based behavioral health services also include crisis services that can help prevent a child from being institutionalized during a mental health crisis. Absent these services, Maine children with disabilities would enter emergency rooms, come into contact with law enforcement and remain in institutions.
The agreement resolves the department’s allegations and requires Maine to make significant improvements to ensure children with behavioral health disabilities can receive the services they need in the community, including:
- Help hundreds of children remain with their families or foster families with the services they need to avoid emergency department stays and institutions;
- Help children move out of institutions, including the Long Creek juvenile detention facility, and instead receive services at home, if their needs can be met there and they and their families want them to be at home;
- Identify children with behavioral health disabilities and timely furnish them the full range of services they are eligible for at home;
- Provide children with care coordination designed so that children with the most intense behavioral health disabilities can be successful at home;
- Address any current or future workforce shortages of community-service providers. This includes providing payment rates and support for community providers to enable children they serve to return to or remain at home long-term;
- Improve oversight of community providers and monitor desired outcomes and timeliness of services; and
- Provide prompt mobile crisis interventions to help children avoid entering emergency departments or law enforcement contact.
The parties have agreed that the federal district court will retain jurisdiction to enforce the agreement and that an independent reviewer will evaluate the state’s compliance.
Enforcement of the ADA’s Integration Mandate Nationwide
This agreement is the most recent example of the Civil Rights Division’s enforcement of the ADA’s “integration mandate”—that is, the right to receive services in the most integrated setting appropriate. The Division has worked to enforce the integration mandate to address the segregation of people with disabilities in all its varied forms. For example, a 2023 agreement with Alameda County, California, provides relief to adults with mental health disabilities facing a similar dearth of services that resulted in their admission to emergency departments and jails. The Division has also won court-ordered relief for children with physical disabilities who were unnecessarily segregated in nursing homes in Florida. Florida is now required to provide those children the services they need to move out of nursing facilities. And last month, the Division secured an agreement with Colorado to ensure adults unnecessarily segregated in its nursing facilities have meaningful opportunities to live at home. The Civil Rights Division’s enforcement of the integration mandate has brought change across the country for people with disabilities of all ages and those who have been segregated from their communities.
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt. Those interested in finding out more about the ADA may visit www.ada.gov.
Members of the public may report possible civil right violations at www.civilrights.justice.gov.
View the settlement agreement here.
Justice Department Secures Agreement with Florida Restaurant Group to Resolve Immigration-Related Discrimination ClaimsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it secured an agreement with Anna Maria Oyster Bar Inc., a restaurant group based in Bradenton, Florida. The agreement resolves the department’s determination that the restaurant group routinely discriminated against lawful permanent residents when checking their permission to work in the United States.
“It is unlawful for employers to reject valid documents from lawful permanent residents and require them to present a specific document because of their citizenship status when checking their permission to work,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Unnecessary and discriminatory obstacles in the onboarding process can harm those who wish to lawfully participate in our economy and deprive employers of their talents.”
After conducting an investigation based on a worker’s complaint, the Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) concluded that Anna Maria Oyster Bar had required a specific document — a Permanent Resident Card — from a worker to prove her citizenship status, even though she had already presented sufficient proof of her permission to work. IER also found that the restaurant group’s treatment of this worker was part of a larger practice of requesting documents issued by the Department of Homeland Security, typically Permanent Resident Cards, from lawful permanent residents to prove their citizenship status, which lasted from at least March 1, 2023, to at least Sept. 1, 2023.
U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents, those granted asylum or refugee status and other non-U.S. citizens with permission to work may legally work in the United States if they can prove their identity and permission to work.
As explained in the department’s new fact sheet, lawful permanent residents (sometimes referred to as “green card holders”) can use different types of documentation to prove their permission to work. The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA)’s anti-discrimination provision prohibits employers from asking for specific or unnecessary documents because of a worker’s citizenship, immigration status or national origin. Employers must allow workers to present whatever acceptable documentation the workers choose and cannot reject valid documentation that reasonably appears to be genuine and to relate to the worker.
Under the terms of the settlement, Anna Maria Oyster Bar will pay a civil penalty to the United States, train its employees on the INA’s requirements, revise its employment policies and be subject to departmental monitoring.
IER is responsible for enforcing the INA’s anti-discrimination provision. This law prohibits discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; and retaliation and intimidation.
IER’s website has more information on lawful permanent residents’ rights under the INA and how employers can avoid unlawful discrimination when verifying someone’s permission to work. Learn more about IER’s work and how to get assistance through this brief video. Applicants or employees who believe they were discriminated against based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment or during the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify), or subjected to retaliation, may file a charge. The public can also call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); email [email protected]; sign up for a live webinar; watch an on-demand presentation; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Sign up for email updates from IER.
Jamestown man pleads guilty to meth chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Justin Brooks, 35, Jamestown, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, was sentenced to serve 97 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who handled the case, stated that on February 8, 2021, Jamestown Police officers responded to Brooks’ residence on Bush Street for a report of a possible assault and initiated an investigation into a burglary/assault. Subsequently, officers executed a search warrant at Brooks’ residence and recovered suspected marijuana, $6,500, scales, packaging material, a sword, and approximately 357 grams of methamphetamine.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division, and the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson.
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Jamestown man going to prison for his role in drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Timothy Snyder, 44, of Jamestown, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 100 grams or more of heroin, was sentenced to serve 130 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that Snyder was a drug trafficking associate of Rocco Beardsley. As a part of Beardsley’s drug trafficking organization, Snyder, a manager and supervisor, sold, stored, and packaged drugs; kept drug ledgers; collected money; and coordinated with co-conspirators to sell methamphetamine and heroin/fentanyl. In May 2019, Snyder and his wife were stopped by the Jamestown Police Department and their vehicle was searched. Law enforcement recovered $8,400 in cash, which was drug proceeds to be turned over to Rocco Beardsley.
Rocco Beardsley was previously convicted and is awaiting sentencing.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarantino III, New York Field Division, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone.
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Hanson Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Dogfighting ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Hanson man pleaded guilty today to possessing dogs at his Massachusetts home for participation in a dogfighting venture.
John D. Murphy, 51, pleaded guilty to nine counts of possessing animals for use in an animal fighting venture, in violation of the federal Animal Welfare Act. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for Feb. 27, 2025. Murphy was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2024.
“Mr. Murphy’s actions represent the calculated cruelty and inhumanity that dogfighting embodies – a barbaric practice that exploits and harms animals for entertainment and profit. Today’s conviction brings an end to Mr. Murphy’s reign of brutality and sends a clear message: dogfighting is a federal crime, and those who engage in this inhumane conduct will face justice,” said United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “This case marks the first time federal criminal charges have been brought in the District of Massachusetts under the Animal Welfare Act, underscoring the seriousness of these crimes and our commitment to holding those who engage in this abhorrent conduct accountable. We urge anyone with knowledge of animal fighting or abuse to come forward and report it.”
“Dogfighting is a sadistic crime which subjects animals to cruel mistreatment for entertainment,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “We commend the investigators and prosecutors who worked collaboratively to bring this case to justice.”
In 2021, Murphy was identified discussing dogfighting on recorded calls with a New York-based dogfighting target. A subsequent search of his Facebook accounts revealed Murphy’s years-long involvement in dogfighting. Murphy communicated with other dogfighters via Facebook where they discussed the results of dogfights, injuries sustained by fighting dogs, as well as breeding dogs. Murphy also belonged to private dogfighting Facebook groups used to share fight results, buy and sell fighting dogs and exchange information on training and conditioning fighting dogs, among other things.
Photos and videos found on Murphy’s Facebook account showed a pit bull-type dog with scarring and discolorations on its head and leg consistent with that of dogfighting as well as a photo of a pit bull-type dog restrained in a breeding stand. Videos from his account showed pit bull-type dogs physically tethered to different treadmill-like devices that dogfighters commonly use to physically condition dogs for dogfights. One of the videos depicted a live raccoon caged in front of the carpet mill, to serve as a stimulus for the pit bull-type dog to run faster and harder.
During a search of Murphy’s Hanson residence in June 2023, numerous items associated with possessing dogs for participation in an animal fighting venture were found including:
- Flirt poles, used to entice a dog to chase a stimulus;
- Spring poles, used to build a dog’s jaw strength and increase aggression;
- Several treadmills, slat mills, and carpet mills, used to condition dogs to build stamina and muscle;
- A jenny mill, used to develop a dog’s endurance and musculature by enticing the animal to run on a circular track;
- Rabbit training scent for dogs;
- Break sticks, used to force a dog’s bite onto another dog’s body open, specifically at the termination of a fight or while training;
- A dog bite sleeve;
- Disposable skin staplers, used to attempt to close wounds resulting from dogfights;
- Several types of steroids and painkillers;
- Fertility medications and a breeding stand, used to restrain female dogs during breeding;
- Printouts of fighting dog pedigrees; and
- Dog fighting literature, DVDs, and/or CD-ROMs.
In March 2024, the United States also filed a civil forfeiture complaint against 13 pit bull-type dogs, seized in June 2023 from Murphy’s residence and another residence in Townsend, Mass., that were possessed for participation in an animal fighting venture. Pursuant to the Animal Welfare Act, animals involved in violations of 7 U.S.C. § 2156 are subject to forfeiture to the United States. In September and October 2024, the Court ordered all dogs be forfeited to the United States. The dogs are currently in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) being cared for by a USMS-contractor.
To report animal fighting crimes, please contact your local law enforcement or the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General complaint hotline at: https://usdaoig.oversight.gov/hotline or 1-800-424-9121.
The charges of possessing animals for use in an animal fighting venture each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
U.S. Attorney Levy; ENRD AAG Kim; Charmeka Parker, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region; Geoffrey D. Noble, Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; and Karen L. LoStracco, Director of the Animal Rescue League of Boston – Law Enforcement Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service; Maine State Police; New Hampshire State Police; Massachusetts Office of the State Auditor; Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals; Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals; and the Hanson, Boston and Acton Police Departments.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Danial E. Bennett and Kaitlin J. Brown of the Worcester Branch Office and Trial Attorney Matthew T. Morris of the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), Environmental Crimes Section, are prosecuting the case. Carol E. Head, Chief of the Asset Recovery Unit for the District of Massachusetts, and Trial Attorney Caitlyn F. Cook of ENRD’s Wildlife and Marine Resources Section are prosecuting the civil forfeiture case.
Ghanian Man Sentenced to 63 Months for Two-Million Dollar International Wire Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tennessee – On November 26, 2024, Wigbert Bandie, 34, currently of Accra, Ghana, was sentenced to 63 months by United States District Judge, the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Following his incarceration, Bandie will be on supervised release for three years. Bandie was also ordered to repay $2.18 million in restitution to the 11 victims in this case.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Bandie pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1349 and 1343.
According to the filed court papers, Bandie, along with members of the conspiracy, assumed false identities on social media, dating websites, and other internet-based platforms in a scheme to trick primarily elderly victims into entering friendships and romantic relationships. Bandie then played various roles in exploiting those connections to convince individuals to send them money via wire, check, U.S. mail, and package delivery services.
As part of the conspiracy, romance scammers or “handlers” posed as potential friends or romantic partners and entered online relationships with unwitting victims, many of whom were elderly. The relationships usually developed quickly through social media contact, text messages, email, and phone calls. Once the victim was clearly engaged in the scam, the scammer would begin to ask for emergency financial assistance or dupe victims into non-existent investment opportunities. If the victim sent money, the scammer would ask for increasingly larger amounts of financial assistance. There were victims throughout the United States who each lost amounts ranging from several thousand dollars to several hundred thousand dollars. For example, one victim who resided in the Eastern District of Tennessee lost over $280,000 to this scheme over the course of several months.
Other co-conspirators functioned as “money mules” in the conspiracy. That is, they worked in conjunction with other members of the conspiracy to move the financial proceeds of the scams from the United States overseas through bank wire transfers or through the mail.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee; and Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico of the FBI made the announcement.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne H. Sullivan represented the United States.
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Georgia Tax Preparer Guilty of Filing $3 Million in Fraudulent ReturnsRead the Press Release
ATHENS, Ga. – A tax preparer who admitted to filing more than $3 million in fraudulent tax returns on behalf of her clients is facing up to 30 years in prison for her crime.
Jessica Crawford, 33, of Athens, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of false income tax returns before U.S. District Judge Tilman E. “Tripp” Self, III on Nov. 22. Crawford faces a maximum of 30 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release and a $1,000,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for March 19, 2025, in Athens. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Jessica Crawford was an unscrupulous return preparer who allowed greed to cloud her judgement and neglect her responsibilities to help clients prepare and file a true and correct tax return,” said Demetrius Hardeman, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “Crawford is not representative of most tax preparers who provide honest services to their clients. Taxpayers are urged to choose their tax preparer carefully, especially before tax season begins in January to have time to shop around. It is important to know that the responsibility for the information contained on the tax return is that of the taxpayer.”
"Jessica Crawford lied and took advantage of funds designed to help those who were truly in need during the pandemic," said FBI Atlanta's Acting Special Agent in Charge Sean Burke. "The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to identify and hold accountable anyone who defrauds taxpayers."
According to court documents and statements made in court, FBI agents investigating a multi-state unemployment benefit scheme conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic discovered text messages between individuals involved in the scheme and Crawford, a tax preparer with Crawford Tax Services in Athens. Crawford filed for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits on behalf of those individuals, who had created fake businesses or submitted false information to fraudulently obtain benefits. In return, Crawford received a percentage of the ill-gotten gains.
As part of the continuing investigation, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) agents executed an undercover operation at Crawford’s business in April 2022. The undercover agent (UA) met Crawford to have taxes prepared, and Crawford asked if the UA did anything on the side. At first, the UA responded no, but Crawford said that expenses could be deducted if he did, and the UA said he mowed an aunt’s lawn sometimes, to which Crawford said that was good enough. The UA did not provide any income or expense amounts, but Crawford created a Schedule C business for landscaping on the UA's federal income tax return based solely on that interaction. Crawford prepared a Form 1040 and filed electronically, including a fictitious Schedule C loss of $19,373, and claimed an Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a Child Tax Credit (CTC), and Qualified Business Income (QBI) deduction, which were affected by the fraudulent Schedule C loss. As a result, the UA’s return claimed a fraudulent federal income tax refund of $12,359.
The IRS completed a statistical review of 1,261 total tax returns filed by Crawford in tax years 2020 and 2021. Of those, the IRS determined that Crawford fraudulently filed tax returns on behalf of clients which resulted in losses to the IRS exceeding $3 million from falsely claimed Form 7202 credits for sick leave and family leave, tax credits and dependent care credits.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the IRS-CI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert McCullers and Criminal Chief Leah E. McEwen are prosecuting the case for the Government.
Fresno Man Sentenced for Embezzling over $1.5 Million from His Employer in Nearly Decade-Long SchemeRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Gabriel Ruiz De Chavez, 47, of Fresno, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley to two years and nine months in prison for a multiyear embezzlement scheme and ordered to pay over $1.5 million in restitution, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
In July 2024, Ruiz De Chavez pleaded guilty to wire fraud. According to court documents, from 2004 to 2020, Ruiz De Chavez worked as an operations manager for a Fresno-based trucking company. Between 2012 and 2019, Ruiz De Chavez used his position to generate fake invoices, purportedly created by genuine vendors for goods and services. He presented these fake invoices and corresponding checks made out to the real vendors with his employer’s signature. He would then deposit the checks into his own personal bank account.
Once in his personal bank account, Ruiz De Chavez used the funds to pay for personal expenses including credit card payments, cash withdrawals, mortgage payments, vacations, and car loans. He was able to continue the scheme without notice because of the trusted position he held at the company. Ruiz De Chavez created more than 600 fake invoices and checks, causing $1,561,000 to be transferred into his account from his employer.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cody S. Chapple prosecuted the case.
Founder of U.S. Freight Forwarding Company Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Illegally Export Goods from the United States to Prohibited Chinese CompaniesRead the Press Release
Richard Shih, 77, the founder and former chief executive officer of a California-based international logistics and freight forwarding company with offices in Grapevine, Texas, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to violate export laws by shipping goods to Chinese companies on the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Entity List.
According to court documents, as of September 2018, Shih’s U.S. company had an existing business relationship with Chinese freight forwarder Seajet Company Limited (Seajet). In September 2018, Seajet and its Chinese co-owner were both added to the Entity List for engaging in activities that were contrary to the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States, to include unlawfully procuring and diverting U.S.-origin items to North Korea. In addition, in June 2021, Hisiang Logistics Company Limited (Hisiang) was added to the Entity List as an alias for Seajet. Hisiang is the Chinese transliteration of Seajet. As a result of being added to the Entity List, a specific license was required to export goods from the United States to Seajet, its co-owner, and Hisiang. Nonetheless, between September 2018 and May 2022, Shih and others at his company continued to transact with and export items to Seajet and its affiliates.
Specifically, between September 2018 and May 2022, Shih’s company conducted more than 1,000 shipments of items from the United States to Seajet and its alter-ego Hisiang. During that time period, Seajet’s co-owner and his affiliated businesses, including Hisiang, transmitted 34 international wire transfers to accounts held by Shih’s company. The company used the funds to pay various expenses on the transactions, such as air carriers and trucking companies, while retaining a portion of the funds as profit.
Shih and his company knew that Seajet and its co-owner were on the Entity List and that Hisiang was established as an alias for Seajet. For example, Seajet’s co-owner notified Shih by email that Seajet had changed its name to Hisiang for purposes of its international business but that “[t]here is nothing else changed such as company address, structure and policy etc.” Shih then forwarded the email to ten of his employees, copying Seajet’s co-owner and several Seajet employees.
In addition, federal officials repeatedly educated Shih’s company about the Entity List and related laws. In December 2018, after Seajet and its co-owner were added to the Entity List, a BIS official visited Shih’s company to discuss the prohibition against exporting items to Seajet, because it was on the Entity List. Yet, company records from the time revealed that it had used an account code assigned to Seajet for a shipment to Hisiang. In November 2020, another BIS official reached out to Shih’s company and received a list of foreign persons and companies with which Shih’s company would not do business. Yet, the company’s list did not include Seajet, its co-owner, or Hisiang.
Shih pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the Export Control Reform Act, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, which carries a maximum sentence of up to five years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod of Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton for the Northern District of Texas, and Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch announced the case.
The FBI and BIS are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Weimer for the Northern District of Texas and Trial Attorney David J. Ryan of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
Former New Hampshire Resident Pleads Guilty to Fraud Against Bedford Women’s CareRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A former New Hampshire woman pleaded guilty in federal court to charges arising out of her defrauding her prior employer, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Elizabeth Morse, 55, currently of Albuquerque, New Mexico, pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud charges. U.S. District Judge Samantha Elliott scheduled sentencing for February 26, 2025.
According to statements in court and from the public record, the defendant was a long-time employee of Bedford Women’s Care Associates (“BWCA”), a Bedford, NH-based medical group practice that specialized in Obstetrics & Gynecology until its closure in early 2023. Starting in 2020, the defendant became BWCA’s office manager and handled the processing of payroll through a third-party servicer. Taking advantage of the trust placed in her as office manager, defendant manipulated the payroll processes at BWCA, logging into the third-party servicer and changing her rate of pay to a higher amount than what she was entitled to. The defendant obtained these ill-gotten gains pursuant to the scheme over the course of approximately three years.
The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, 3 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. Through her plea agreement, defendant has agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $168,366.66.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau is prosecuting the case.
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Former NOPD Sergeant Guilty of Six Counts of Wire Fraud for Double Billing and Billing for Time Not WorkedRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that TODD F. MORRELL (“MORRELL”), age 57, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty today before United States District Judge Jay C. Zainey to six (6) counts of wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, for perpetrating a multi-year scheme to defraud the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) and the New Orleans Fair Grounds, an entity that paid him to provide off-duty police details.
According to court documents, MORRELL was a NOPD Sergeant with NOPD’s Special Operations Division, serving both on a Tactical Platoon and the Bomb Disposal Unit. He supplemented his NOPD income with security-oriented secondary employment (i.e., “police details”) while off-duty, including a detail with the New Orleans Fair Grounds Neighborhood Patrol (“Fair Grounds Patrol”). The Fair Grounds Patrol was created by city ordinance to enhance police service around the New Orleans Fair Grounds Racecourse. The Fair Grounds Patrol consisted of two patrol cars operating 24 hours per day, 7 days a week, with one off-duty NOPD officer per car. MORRELL signed annual certifications attesting to his understanding of NOPD policies, including the secondary employment policy , and acknowledging that he would “actively monitor my hours” and would “not engage in activities or personal business which would cause them to neglect or be inattentive to duty.”
Notwithstanding these annual certifications, on numerous occasions between early 2017 and November 30, 2021, MORRELL submitted and certified timecards to NOPD and time sheets to the Fair Grounds Patrol,falsely claiming to have been on duty (for NOPD) and on detail (for the Fair Grounds Patrol) when, in actuality, MORRELL was not present for duty. Instead, MORRELL engaged in personal, recreational activities unrelated to his work duties. Often, MORRELL was engaged in recreational race car driving in Avondale, Louisiana, and Austin, Texas, while claiming to be on duty and on detail. Additionally, MORRELL “double billed” NOPD and the Fair Grounds Patrol by submitting time sheets to both entities reflecting that he was working for both entities simultaneously. The six counts to which MORRELL pled guilty, are representative examples of his scheme. These counts related to individual payments MORRELL received for submitting false and fraudulent time sheets for on duty and secondary employment shifts while a part of the Fair Grounds Patrol. The various dates he falsely claimed to work that constituted the six counts were: July 1, 2019, December 21, 2020, January 23, 2021, March 13, 2021, March 14, 2021, April 25, 2021, April 30, 2021, and October 23, 2021.
“When anyone commits fraud, our office will vet, investigate, and if warranted, prosecute,” stated United States Attorney Duane A. Evans. “By pleading guilty today, Mr. Morrell admitted that he violated the public’s trust in his agency and position. This investigation exemplified the strong partnership that exists between our office, the FBI, and the New Orleans Office of Inspector General.”
"Mr. Morrell abused his position of trust with this community and his role as a leader in the police department when he chose to steal from NOPD," said Special Agent in Charge Lyonel Myrthil of FBI New Orleans. "His actions served as a horrible example for other officers, but today's plea serves as a promise that the FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office will pursue every single case to ensure justice is served. We thank the New Orleans Inspector General's Office for their assistance in bringing this misconduct to light."
For each count, MORRELL faces up to twenty (20) years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. Sentencing before Judge Zainey has been scheduled for February 25, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter and expressed appreciation for the support provided by the City of New Orleans Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorneys Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, and Brittany L. Reed also of the Public Integrity Unit, are in charge of the prosecution.
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Former Manchester Man and Sex Offender Sentenced to 57 Months in Federal Prison for the Unlawful Possession of Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A former Manchester man and convicted sex offender was sentenced today in federal court for being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
James Aubuchont, 53, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph N. Laplante to 57 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release. On June 13, 2024, Aubuchont pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of firearm and ammunition.
“A violent sex offender possessed two firearms and enough ammunition to equip a small militia,” said U.S. Attorney Young. “Today’s significant sentence demonstrates law enforcement’s commitment to ensuring that felons who possess firearms face swift consequences for their repeated disregard of the law.”
“Removing violent offenders, especially those with a history of sex crimes, from our communities is critical to ensuring public safety,” said James M. Ferguson Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division “This case highlights the dangers posed by violent individuals who unlawfully possess firearms and ammunition. ATF and our partners remain committed to identifying, arresting, and prosecuting those who threaten the safety of our neighborhoods.”
Aubuchont has an extensive criminal record spanning three decades. In July 2023, a state warrant was issued for Aubuchont’s arrest. Law enforcement arrested him on July 12, 2023, near the Flat Mountain Pond Shelter in the White Mountains. During a recorded jail call, Aubuchont asked his then-romantic partner, Rebecca Aubuchont, to retrieve his two “fishing rods” from the campsite, including one that “we got from VJ, remember the one you bought?” Three days later, law enforcement recovered a rifle and pistol from Aubuchont’s campsite, along with over 2,000 rounds of ammunition. The rifle had been purchased from a firearms dealer operated by an individual with the first and middle initials V.J.
During that recorded call, Aubuchont had also asked Rebecca Aubuchont to remove some of his property, which he called “garbage,” from the jail. The “garbage” was a damaged cell phone with an intact Micro SD card containing over 1,300 images and 140 videos of child sex abuse materials, some of which depicted Aubuchont himself assaulting a minor. He is currently serving a separate state sentence of 33 years to life for aggravated felonious sexual assault of two minors, possession of child sex abuse images, and manufacturing child pornography.
On July 2, 2024, Rebecca Aubuchont pleaded guilty to straw purchasing one of the firearms for Aubuchont. Rebecca Aubuchont is currently scheduled to be sentenced on December 9, 2024.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms led the investigation. The Carroll County Sheriff’s Department and U.S. Forest Service provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander S. Chen and Tiffany A. Scanlon prosecuted the case.
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Federal Way man indicted for kidnappingRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 24-year-old Federal Way, Washington man will appear in U.S. District Court in Seattle today following his indictment for kidnapping, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Daniel Lopez was indicted by the grand jury on November 6, 2024. Lopez was arrested in Texas and has been in state custody on charges originally filed in King County Superior Court. Lopez is indicted for the October 13, 2024, kidnapping of an Auburn, Washington woman. The woman was abducted at gunpoint from her home and ultimately was found safe in Guatemala.
According to records filed in the case, the woman’s husband reported her missing on October 14, 2024, after arriving home and finding her belongings at their apartment. Two witnesses reported seeing the woman leaving with two men, one of whom was carrying a firearm. This man was subsequently identified as Lopez. Lopez was initially identified based on surveillance video from across the street showing vehicles in the apartment complex parking lot. Officers then reviewed traffic camera pictures to obtain license plate information and ultimately determined Lopez was a registered owner of one of the vehicles.
Lopez was ultimately traced to Houston, Texas and was arrested on October 19, 2024, at a hotel.
The victim was identified by immigration authorities in southern Mexico and was transported to Guatemala where she has family members.
Law enforcement is working to determine any other coconspirators in the kidnapping scheme.
Kidnapping is punishable by up to life in prison.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the Auburn Police Department and the FBI.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg.
Federal Prisoner Arrested for Second-Degree MurderRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Brandon Ejae Elliot (34, Tampa) on a criminal complaint charging him with second-degree murder. If convicted, Elliot faces up to life in federal prison.
According to court records, on December 3, 2022, Elliot was a federal inmate in the United States Penitentiary-II in the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Sumter County. During a lockdown at the prison, other inmates heard fighting and yelling coming from Elliot’s cell. When prison staff opened the cell, they found Elliot’s cellmate unresponsive with multiple puncture wounds to his body. The victim was transported to a local hospital but succumbed to his injuries. An investigation revealed that Elliot had multiple scratches on his body that were consistent with the victim attempting to fight off the attack. Staff members also located a sharp metal object in Elliot’s cell. Another inmate told investigators that Elliott had talked to him through an air vent after the attack and had admitted to killing the victim.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. This case is being prosecuted by Hannah Nowalk.
Federal Judge Sentences Man to More Than 14 Years in Prison for Carjacking Vehicles at Gunpoint in ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal judge has sentenced a man to fourteen and a half years in prison for carjacking multiple vehicles at gunpoint in Chicago.
On a single afternoon in April 2018, EARRIOUS MOORE stole three cars, attempted to steal two others, and shot two people during a series of crimes in Chicago. In the final attempted carjacking, a victim sitting in a Mercedes-Benz in the 1400 block of North DuSable Lake Shore Drive in the city’s Gold Coast neighborhood was shot in the back of the shoulder and subsequently treated at a hospital. Moore ran from that vehicle and was apprehended by Chicago Police officers in the lobby of a nearby building.
Moore, 30, of Chicago, pleaded guilty earlier this year to carjacking, attempted carjacking, and firearm charges. U.S. District Judge Elaine E. Bucklo imposed the sentence on Friday during a hearing in federal court in Chicago.
The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.
“The violence and terror the defendant wrought on the victims of his carjacking spree will likely never be forgotten by his victims and those who witnessed these appalling events,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Alejandro G. Ortega argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.
FCI Schuylkill Inmate Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Possession of A WeaponRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Shaquill Morris, age 34, a federal inmate incarcerated at FCI Schuylkill, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Joseph F. Saporito, Jr. to 24 months’ incarceration for being a federal inmate in possession of a weapon.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Morris was an inmate housed at the Federal Correctional Institution at Schuylkill on July 26, 2024, when a corrections officer noticed that he was using a cellphone. Upon search of Morris, he was also discovered to be in possession of two shanks. Morris’s sentence was run consecutively to a 216 month sentence he previously received in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Special Investigative Services of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd K. Hinkley prosecuted the case.
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El Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con un grupo de restaurantes de la Florida que resuelve acusaciones de discriminación relacionada con la inmigraciónRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo con Anna Maria Oyster Bar Inc., un grupo de restaurantes con sede en Bradenton, Florida. El acuerdo resuelve la determinación del Departamento que el grupo de restaurantes discriminó de forma rutinaria a los residentes legales permanentes al verificar su permiso para trabajar en los Estados Unidos.
«Es ilegal para un empleador rechazar documentos válidos de residentes permanentes legales y requerir que presenten un documento específico debido a su estatus de ciudadanía a la hora de comprobar su permiso para trabajar», declaró Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «Los obstáculos innecesarios y discriminatorios en el proceso de incorporación pueden dañar a aquellos que desean participar legalmente en nuestra economía y privar a los empleadores de su talento».
Después de llevar a cabo una investigación basada en la queja de un trabajador, la Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados (IER, por sus siglas en inglés), de la División de Derechos Civiles, concluyó que Anna Maria Oyster Bar había requerido un documento específico, una tarjeta de residente permanente, de una trabajadora para demostrar su estatus de ciudadanía, a pesar de que ya había presentado suficientes pruebas de su permiso para trabajar. La IER también descubrió que el tratamiento de esta trabajadora por parte del grupo de restaurantes formaba parte de una práctica más amplia de solicitar documentos emitidos por el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional, normalmente tarjetas de residencia permanente, de residentes permanentes legales para demostrar su condición de ciudadanía, que duró desde al menos el 1 de marzo del 2023 hasta al menos el 1 de septiembre del 2023.
Ciudadanos de los EE. UU., nacionales de los EE. UU., residentes permanentes legales, aquellos con asilo o estatus de refugiado y otros no ciudadanos de los EE. UU. que disponen de permiso para trabajar pueden trabajar legalmente en los Estados Unidos si pueden demostrar su identidad y permiso para trabajar.
Como se explica en la nueva hoja informativa del Departamento, los residentes legales permanentes (a veces denominados «titulares de tarjetas verdes») pueden utilizar diferentes tipos de documentación para demostrar su permiso para trabajar. La disposición antidiscriminatoria de la Ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad (INA, por sus siglas en inglés) prohíbe a los empleadores solicitar documentos específicos o innecesarios por motivos de la ciudadanía, el estatus migratorio o la nacionalidad de origen de un trabajador. Los empleadores deben permitir que los trabajadores presenten cualquier documentación aceptable que los trabajadores mismos elijan y no pueden rechazar documentación válida que parezca razonablemente genuina y relacionada con el trabajador.
Conforme los términos del acuerdo, Anna Maria Oyster Bar pagará una sanción civil a los Estados Unidos, capacitará a sus empleados en cuanto a los requisitos antidiscriminatorios de la INA, revisará sus políticas de empleo y se someterá a supervisión por parte del Departamento.
La IER es responsable de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. Esta ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía y nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión, prácticas documentales injustas y represalias e intimidación.
El sitio web de IER tiene más información sobre los derechos de residentes permanentes legales en virtud de la INA y cómo los empleadores pueden evitar la discriminación ilegal al verificar el permiso para trabajar de alguien. Aprenda más sobre el trabajo de la IER y cómo conseguir ayuda mediante este vídeo corto. Aquellos aspirantes o empleados que creen haber sido discriminados por motivos de su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido, reclutamiento o verificación de la elegibilidad para trabajar (Formulario I-9 e E-Verify) o sujetos a represalias pueden presentar una denuncia. El público también puede llamar a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); llamar a la línea directa de la IER para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); enviar un correo electrónico a [email protected]; inscribirse a un seminario en línea gratuito o visualizar una presentación a la carta o visitar los sitios web de la IER en inglés y español. Inscríbase para recibir actualizaciones por correo electrónico desde la IER.
Eastern Panhandle Residents Admit to Roles in Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Three individuals have admitted to their roles in a drug trafficking organization that sold large quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine in the Eastern Panhandle.
Andrew Ross Hose, age 40, from Bunker Hill, West Virginia pled guilty to the possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Bradley Allen Lopp, age 35, also of Bunker Hill, West Virginia, and Marilynn Hope Baker, age 27, of Shanks, West Virginia, pled guilty to conspiracy.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Hose was the organizer of the drug trafficking conspiracy, distributing drugs to others for sale and selling from his home. Lopp and Baker were distributors, selling drugs in Berkeley, Hampshire, and Morgan Counties.
Hose faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison. Lopp and Baker each face up to 20 years. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government.
The Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Eagle Butte Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Five Years and Eight Months for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited PersonRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Court Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.
Devin Dolphus, age 25, was sentenced on November 20, 2024, to five years and eight months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Forfeiture of the firearm and ammunition was also ordered.
Dolphus was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2024, and pleaded guilty on August 27, 2024.
On March 1, 2024, Dolphus was found passed out in a running vehicle at a gas station in New Underwood. As officers made contact with Dolphus they found him to be disoriented, with bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, and hand tremors. A search of the vehicle recovered a Bushmaster model XM15-E2S rifle and two magazines, marijuana, pills, syringes with methamphetamine residue, and other drug related items. At the time of his arrest Dolphus tested positive for THC and methamphetamine. Dolphus is prohibited from possessing firearms because he was previously twice convicted of federal firearm convictions in 2019 and 2021.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
Dolphus was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following his sentencing.
Durham Man Charged with Cyberstalking Members of LGBTQ+ CommunityRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging a Durham man with cyberstalking five victims. One of the charges alleges that the harassment began in 2016 and continued through this year. The indictment further alleges that the defendant, David Ryan Winters, targeted the victims due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.
According to the indictment, Winters, age 38, sent electronic and text messages to the victims, and, in some cases, people close to them, attempting to intimidate and harass the victims. Winters, if convicted on all counts, faces a maximum of 25 years in prison.
This indictment and prosecution is a result of the work of the Civil Rights Team launched by U.S. Attorney Michael Easley in 2022, which prioritizes the investigation and prosecution of civil and criminal cases involving civil rights, such as gender or sexual identification, religion, race and national origin, the protection of voter rights, disability rights or access, and discrimination in housing, healthcare, lending, employment, and education. In 2023, the office added two new dedicated civil rights prosecutors to the team.
The EDNC Civil Rights Team has pursued numerous matters this year arising from cyberstalking and threats targeting victims for their membership in protected groups. Earlier this month, an Alabama man was indicted for cyberstalking a local woman allegedly targeting her because of her sexual orientation. In May, a California man was arrested after making threats targeting multiple entities and individuals, including an elected official, members of law enforcement, and several synagogues located in North Carolina, while residing in California at the time the threats were made.
“Everybody has an equal right to live, work, worship, and love in America” said U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. “We won’t tolerate those who threaten, stalk, or use violence just because they don’t like how somebody else lives. Everybody is treated equally and fairly under the law and we won’t normalize violence and intimidation. Our Civil Rights Team is squaring off against threats and hate-fueled violence of any kind and not slowing down.”
If you or someone you know is a victim of cyberstalking, you are encouraged to contact your local law enforcement or the FBI.
Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The Raleigh and Durham Police Departments, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are investigating the cases and Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Blondel is prosecuting the cases.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Detroit-Based Cocaine and Heroin Trafficker Sentenced to 110 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten announced that Joseph Michael McNoriell, also known as Mike X, of Detroit, 43, was sentenced to 110 months in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and heroin and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. McNoriell was found guilty on April 18, 2024, after a three-day jury trial.
“Mr. McNoriell helped traffic illegal street drugs across our state, which eventually made it into our neighborhoods – these poisons destroy lives and devastate communities,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “We will never prosecute our way out of this problem, but we will continue our work to dismantle the regional-level supply lines that distribute drugs across Michigan.”
The evidence at trial showed that McNoriell worked with other individuals to deliver two kilograms of cocaine from southeast Michigan to Lansing. On June 2, 2022, McNoriell used a female drug courier driving a different car and followed her in his car to deliver two kilograms of cocaine. McNoriell was unaware that investigators with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and troopers with the Michigan State Police (MSP) anticipated the delivery and seized the two kilograms of cocaine from the courier’s car. A photograph of the seized kilograms of cocaine is provided below:
“This investigation emphasizes the mission of the DEA: combatting criminal drug networks like the one Mr. McNoriell was involved in,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene. “Along with our local, state and federal partners, we will relentlessly pursue individuals and organizations who prioritize greed and profit over human lives.”
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Michigan State Police, Lansing Police Department, and Holland Department of Public Safety. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Vito S. Solitro and LaToyia T. Carpenter.
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Delaware County Man Pleads Guilty to Migrant Smuggling ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Cesar David Martinez-Gonzalez, 39, of Chester, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Court Judge Gerald A. McHugh in connection with a conspiracy to help smuggle and encourage and induce dozens of migrants from South America to enter the United States illegally so that he could profit from their labor.
The object of the conspiracy, for the personal financial gain of Martinez-Gonzalez and others, was to illegally smuggle citizens of South American countries into the United States across the U.S.-Mexico border, and to encourage and induce them to enter the United States.
Martinez-Gonzalez fronted money to “coyotes” in Mexico who guided migrants across the Rio Grande and through holes in the U.S.-Mexico border wall, and provided them with information to give to Customs and Border Protection so that they could be released—on parole—to his residences. Martinez-Gonzalez then paid for airplane flights to bring the migrants to Philadelphia, and, once they arrived, transported them to houses in and around Chester, Pa.
At this point, Martinez-Gonzalez and his associates would impose upon the migrants thousands of dollars in “debts” owed to him, which the migrants would have to pay off through working long hours at low-paying jobs and forfeiting half of their wages to the defendant. Martinez-Gonzalez also helped the migrants obtain false identification and low paying jobs. The debts imposed by the defendant were well in excess of what it cost to get the individuals to Chester and house them there.
Martinez-Gonzalez is scheduled to be sentenced on March 18, 2025. He faces a maximum possible sentence of 120 years in prison.
“Martinez-Gonzalez took advantage of vulnerable migrants for his own financial benefit,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “He induced them to come to the United States, then imposed thousands of dollars of so-called ‘debts,’ which they had to repay through weeks or months of labor. My office and our partners will continue to target these human smugglers, who both prey on disadvantaged populations and flout our country’s immigration laws.”
The case was investigated by the FBI, HSI, and the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sara A. Solow, Louis D. Lappen, Eileen Castilla Geiger, and J. Andrew Jenemann.
Creston Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Creston man was sentenced today to 20 years in federal prison for receipt of child pornography.
According to public court documents, between approximately September and November 2023, Bryan Michael Vannausdle, 34, communicated with a minor victim. Vannausdle used his cell phone to send, receive, and store images and videos of child sexual abuse material, including material of the minor victim.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Vannausdle will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Creston Police Department, Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, and Federal Bureau of Investigations.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the resources tab.
Convicted Felon Charged with Possession of a Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Deangelo Jones, 21, of Washington, D.C., was charged by criminal complaint with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a felony, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. Jones appeared in court today and was ordered detained pending a detention hearing.
According to documents filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, at approximately 10:47 a.m. on November 7, 2024, ShotSpotter technology alerted to the sound of five gunshots in the front of 78 53rd Place Southeast, Washington, D.C. When MPD responded to the area, they located a shooting victim in a car in the 5300 block of Central Avenue Southeast, Washington D.C. The victim was suffering from a gunshot wound to the left eye. During the initial interaction with law enforcement, officers determined the victim was driving southbound on 53rd Place Southeast when shots were fired. A review of surveillance cameras in the area showed the suspect at 53rd place Southeast just two minutes before the shooting. Two minutes later, the victim’s vehicle traveled southbound and out of view. Just after, the suspect can be seen on the west sidewalk walking southbound. The suspect retrieved a large firearm and appeared to shoot the firearm multiple times southbound in the direction of victim’s vehicle. The suspect fired, then briefly ran south in the direction of the victim’s vehicle and out of camera view. Approximately nine seconds later, the suspect returned to the camera’s view and ran northbound on 53rd Place Southeast.
A search of the suspect’s home led to discovery of a Glock firearm which was not the weapon used in the shooting but which the suspect admitted he had acquired. Jones has a prior conviction for carrying a pistol without a license, in D.C. Superior Court and a conviction in Montgomery County, Maryland for unlawful taking of a motor vehicle.
This case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office Violent Crimes Task Force and the Metropolitan Police Department.
It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Yarbro.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Chicago Man Sentenced to 100 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Hamidullah Tribble, age 29, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after a jury found him guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm following a two-day jury trial, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Tribble was sentenced to 100 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on July 19, 2022, law enforcement attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Tribble in LaPorte County, Indiana. Tribble fled the scene at a high rate of speed, weaving in and out of traffic and exceeding speeds of over 100 miles per hour. His pursuit continued through Porter County and into Lake County, where he collided with a semi-trailer and another vehicle. During his arrest, law enforcement officers recovered a loaded semi-automatic pistol from Tribble’s waistband. His criminal history revealed that he had prior Illinois felony convictions for possessing a firearm with a defaced serial number, possession of a stolen vehicle, and criminal sexual abuse, and as such, is prohibited from possessing the firearm or ammunition in this case.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force and the Lake County Sheriff’s Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristian R. Mukoski.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Casa Grande Man Charged with Producing and Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Agustin Julian Sauceda, 38, of Casa Grande, was charged by indictment last week, following a criminal complaint, with nine counts of Producing and Attempting to Produce Child Pornography, five counts of Distributing Child Pornography, and one count of Possessing Child Pornography. At the time, Sauceda was an employee of the Eloy Fire District.
The indictment alleges that on nine dates between August 2, 2022, and July 5, 2024, Sauceda produced child pornography involving a girl who was under the age of 18. Then, on five dates between June 1, 2024, and September 23, 2024, Sauceda distributed child pornography via the BitTorrent file sharing network. On October 30, 2024, Sauceda possessed child pornography on two items—a cell phone and an SD card.
Each count of Producing Child Pornography carries a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, and a maximum of 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to lifetime supervised release. Each count of Distribution of Child Pornography carries a minimum sentence of five years in prison, and a maximum of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to lifetime supervised release. Each count of Possession of Child Pornography carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to lifetime supervised release.
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Homeland Security Investigations is conducting the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-24-01898-PHX-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-165_Sauceda# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
COVID Relief Loan Fraud Lands Oklahoma City Woman in Federal Prison for Two YearsRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – MADINAH MALIKAH MONTGOMERY, 33, of Oklahoma City, has been sentenced to serve 24 months in federal prison for wire fraud and ordered to pay $300,000 in restitution to the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On March 19, 2024, Montgomery was charged by Amended Information with wire fraud. In 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Small Business Administration (SBA) expanded the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program to provide loan assistance to struggling small businesses and other eligible entities. According to the Amended Information, on July 16, 2020, Montgomery submitted an application for an EIDL loan for $150,000 for her business. As part of the application, Montgomery falsely claimed she was the sole owner of a salon with 10 employees, which had gross revenues of $600,000. As a result of her fraudulent application, the SBA approved the loan, and deposited $149,900 to Montgomery’s bank account in Enid, Oklahoma.
On April 3, 2024, Montgomery pleaded guilty, and admitted to filing a fraudulent EIDL application and receiving $149,000, some of which she used to pay personal expenses.
At the sentencing hearing on November 22, 2024, the United States argued for a sentence of confinement highlighting that over a three-month span, Montgomery fraudulently applied for three separate EIDL loans totaling $385,000, and ultimately received $300,000. U.S. District Judge Stephen P. Friot sentenced Montgomery to serve 24 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing his sentence, Judge Friot noted the seriousness of Montgomery’s offenses in that she defrauded the United Stated of $300,000 in loans meant for businesses suffering the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, Judge Friot highlighted the length and serious nature of Montgomery’s criminal history and that the sentences she had received had not deterred her from continued criminal activity. Along with the sentence of confinement, Montgomery was ordered to pay $300,000 in restitution to the United States.
Public record reflects that Montgomery has previous felony convictions that include:
- possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and possession of drug paraphernalia in Oklahoma County District Court case number CF-2009-03754;
- grand larceny in Oklahoma County District Court case number CF-2014-4967; and
- bringing contraband into a jail/penal institution, unlawful possession of a controlled drug with intent to distribute, and conspiracy in Beckham County District Court case number CF-2022-00142.
Additionally, in a separate case in the Western District of Oklahoma, Montgomery has been charged by a federal grand jury with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute in case number 24-CR-348. She has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial. The public is reminded this charge is merely an allegation and that Montgomery is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is the result of an investigation by United States Secret Service, the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General, the Oklahoma City Police Department, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bow Bottomly prosecuted the case.
This case is also the result of an investigation by the Western District of Oklahoma Coronavirus Fraud Task Force. The Task Force combines the efforts of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute fraud related to the COVID-19 pandemic. It focuses on programs created or funded by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), and it is designed to find the best ways to detect, deter, and punish those who take advantage of federal and state programs during the pandemic. These programs include, but are not limited to, fraud involving the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), the Main Street Lending Program, unemployment insurance fraud, and fraud involving pandemic-related supplies.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Brandon Man Sentenced for Bank EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Lawrence L. Piersol has sentenced a Brandon, South Dakota, man convicted of Bank Embezzlement. The sentencing took place on November 25, 2024.
Cade Richard Weeldreyer, age 31, was sentenced to one day in federal prison, four years of supervised release, a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100, $1,000 fine, and restitution in the amount of $21,619 to One American Bank.
Weeldreyer was indicted by a federal grand jury in March of 2024. He pleaded guilty on September 18, 2024.
The conviction stemmed from an incident on April 21, 2023, when Weeldreyer, while being employed as a branch manager of One American Bank, embezzled $21,619 from the bank. Weeldreyer took the mutilated currency from the bank’s vault and instead of following the bank’s procedures for handling the currency, kept it for himself and used it for his own purposes.
This case was investigated by the FBI, the Sioux Falls Police Department, the U.S. Secret Service, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann M. Hoffman prosecuted the case.
Bradenton Felon Sentenced to Nineteen Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington has sentenced Andre Adams, Jr. (43, Bradenton) to 19 years in federal prison for possession of 500 grams or more of cocaine, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and 40 grams or more of fentanyl with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Adams to forfeit four firearms and assorted ammunition. A federal jury found Adams guilty on July 17, 2024.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, after a complaint from a concerned citizen, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) began investigating an unknown individual in Bradenton for selling fentanyl and using a finance app for payment. Investigators determined the identity of the individual as Andre Adams, Jr. Over the next several months, investigators observed frequent visitors to Adams’s residence. The visitors briefly met with Adams and appeared to make exchanges with him. Adams’s finance app records showed that tens of thousands of dollars had been paid to Adams over a short period of time. Many of the senders had known drug addiction issues and used coded drug language such as “Scooby snacks,” a street term for heroin or fentanyl.
On August 4, 2022, detectives with MCSO executed a search warrant at Adams’s residence and located a loaded handgun, scales, drug cutting agents, a money counter, a kilo press, $22,000 in cash, 55 grams of methamphetamine, 400 grams of cocaine, and 80 grams of fentanyl. Later that day, investigators executed a search warrant at Adams’s storage unit and located two kilograms of cocaine, more than 350 grams of methamphetamine, drug cutting agents, and a digital scale. They also seized three additional firearms, including an AK-47 rifle, and several dozen rounds of ammunition.
Prior to August 2022, Adams had been convicted of trafficking in cocaine and served 15 years in Florida state prison. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shauna S. Hale.
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.
Bergen County Man Admits Robbery of New Jersey BankRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Bergen County, New Jersey, man admitted robbing a bank in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Tony Winst, 46, of Cresskill, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Edward S. Kiel in Camden federal court to an information charging him with bank robbery.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Nov. 17, 2023, Winst entered a bank in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, and handed a note to a teller stating: “this is a robbery.” He claimed to have a weapon. The teller gave Winst money and he fled from the bank.
The count of bank robbery carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a maximum fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for April 2, 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; the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea. He also thanked the Mountain Lakes Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Shawn Bennett.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Nadel of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.
winst.information.pdfArizona Man Sentenced to 15 Months of Imprisonment for Making Online Threats Against Public Servants Including Federal OfficialsRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Yesterday, United States District Judge Dominic W. Lanza sentenced Michael Lee Tomasi, 38, of Rio Verde, to 15 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release. Tomasi also was ordered to forfeit an assault rifle, handgun, shotgun, gun magazines, and thousands of rounds of ammunition. Tomasi pleaded guilty to one count of Making Threats Against Public Officials on August 13, 2024.
“After making vile threats to execute and sexually assault FBI agents and employees, state and local law enforcement officials, and other public servants, Michael Tomasi told the FBI to ‘come to my house and see what happens’ – what has happened is that he will spend 15 months in federal prison,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “I am grateful to the brave public servants of the FBI for bringing this defendant to justice and for the difficult and dangerous work they do every day to keep the American people safe.”
“Threatening law enforcement officers and other public officials will not be tolerated, whether it involves our own FBI personnel, police officers patrolling their communities, or government officials carrying out their work,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “I take it very personally that anyone would threaten FBI personnel who work tirelessly to protect the American people from a variety of threats and often put themselves in harm’s way while carrying out their duties. We will continue to work with our partners to hold accountable those who threaten violence against law enforcement officers and other public servants.”
“Civil discourse and civic dialogue are fundamental to a democratic society,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “But the incitement of violence is not: We will continue our efforts to prosecute those who make true threats against public officials and law enforcement officers.”
From May 2021 through November 2023, while living in Colorado and Arizona, Tomasi used a social media platform to express a desire to incite violence and threaten a variety of individuals and groups, including a city district attorney, a state court judge, a member of Congress and other federal officials and law enforcement officers. Tomasi pleaded guilty to posting a threat on August 26, 2023, to kill FBI agents in order to impede, intimidate, or interfere with FBI agents’ performance of their official duties. Specifically, Tomasi admitted that, on that day, he posted: “Shoot the FBI first and ask questions later. . . . Any FBI [] have a problem with that[,] come to my house and see what happens. Shoot before they even pull their guns out of their trunk and you shoot to kill.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Raymond K. Woo and Abbie Broughton Marsh, District of Arizona, Phoenix, are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance provided by Trial Attorney Dmitriy Slavin of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
CASE NUMBER: CR-23-01751-PHX-DWL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-164_Tomasi# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.