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Thursday 17 October 2024
North Carolina Man Indicted for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Brayan Garcia-Vazquez, age 24, of Havelock, North Carolina, was indicted on October 16, 2024, by a federal grand jury on one count of production of child pornography.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Garcia-Vazquez took video of himself engaging in sexual intercourse with a minor victim on April 5, 2023, in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania.
The case is being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Scalera is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is thirty years imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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New Orleans Man Sentenced for Cocaine Distribution and Possession ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DAVID HESTER (“HESTER”), age 35, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on October 16, 2024 after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute and, possess with intent to distribute, five hundred grams or more of cocaine hydrochloride, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 846. HESTER was sentenced to eighty-eight (88) months imprisonment, four (4) years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, HESTER, and other co-conspirators, are responsible for the distribution of multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin within the Eastern District of Louisiana.
During the investigation, law enforcement, led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, seized seventy- one (71) kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride, twelve (12) kilograms of fentanyl, four and a half (4.5) kilograms of heroin, and nearly $1,200,000.00 in U.S. Currency and other seized property.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration – New Orleans Field Division Office and was assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Border Patrol, the Gretna Major Crimes Task Force, the Kenner Police Department, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, the St. John’s Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the New Orleans Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for ArsonRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – TERRENCE COE (“COE”), age 45, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on October 8, 2024, by U.S. District Judge, Greg G. Guidry, to 60 months imprisonment after previously pleading guilty to arson, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 844(i). The Court also ordered that COE be placed on supervised release for 3 years following release from imprisonment and pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, on December 24, 2022, COE set fire to merchandise inside of Walmart in Hammond, Louisiana. COE later admitted to members of the Hammond Police Department that he started the fire with a lighter while opening a package he wanted to steal.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshal. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Troy Bell of the Violent Crime Unit.
Neshoba County Man Sentenced to over 11 Years in Prison for Shooting a Tribal Member on the Choctaw Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Neshoba County man was sentenced to 138 months in federal prison for assault with intent to do bodily harm and use of a firearm during a crime of violence on the Choctaw Indian Reservation.
According to court documents, in September 2022, Jessie James Clay, Jr., 42, used a handgun to shoot a tribal member, causing serious bodily injury, at a residence in the Pearl River Community of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.
Clay was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2023, and he pled guilty on July 18, 2024.
United States Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.
The Choctaw Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin J. Payne and Brian K. Burns prosecuted the case.
Natural Gas Producer Agrees to Settlement to Reduce Emissions in New MexicoRead the Press Release
The Justice Department, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) today announced a settlement with Hilcorp Energy Company resolving Clean Air Act and New Mexico state law violations at the company’s oil and gas production operations in New Mexico.
Under the settlement, Hilcorp agreed to pay a civil penalty of $9.4 million for violations resulting from Hilcorp’s failure to reduce emissions during well completion operations. The civil penalty will be split between the U.S. and the State of New Mexico. In addition, the company must employ an EPA-approved third-party auditor to ensure compliance with all applicable Clean Air Act and New Mexico Air Quality Control Act requirements.
Hilcorp is further directed to account for the excess volatile organic compound (VOC) and methane emissions released through improper well completions by replacing, on a faster timeline than federal regulations require, old process control equipment with equipment that does not emit air pollution. This mitigation project will occur on Tribal lands of the Jicarilla Apache Nation Reservation, in Rio Arriba County, and on Navajo Nation Off-Reservation Trust Land in San Juan and Sandoval counties; all of these areas have potential environmental justice concerns.
The work that Hilcorp will do under this agreement will result in the equivalent of over 113,000 tons of reduced carbon dioxide emissions over the next three years, similar to the number of reductions achieved by taking 24,000 cars off the road for one year. The settlement will also eliminate nearly 583 tons of VOC emissions annually.
The case is the first to address violations of the Clean Air Act New Source Performance Standards covering well completions following hydraulic fracturing, commonly referred to as “fracking.”
“Hilcorp is a large, sophisticated natural gas producer and should know better than to violate Clean Air Act requirements to capture and control gas produced as a result of fracking,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “We are committed to upholding the rule of law and holding industry accountable. Today’s settlement importantly includes commitments to make infrastructure upgrades that will result in significant reductions of methane and VOC emissions.”
“Oil and gas production results in significant air pollution, including emissions of methane that are one of the leading sources of near-term climate change, which makes today’s settlement with Hilcorp Energy a huge win for the environment and the planet,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “EPA is requiring Hilcorp to pay a $9.4 million penalty and make substantial investments in Clean Air Act compliance, which will reduce climate damaging emissions and improve air quality for all New Mexico residents, including communities with environmental justice concerns.”
“This settlement holds one of the San Juan Basin's largest polluters accountable for their contribution to climate change and ozone pollution,” said Secretary James Kenney of the New Mexico Environment Department. “If we want to make New Mexico’s air safe for future generations then Houston-based Hilcorp Energy Corporation executives need to step up their game and comply with federal and state rules."
Federal Clean Air Act and New Mexico state air regulations require oil and gas producers to capture gas that flows back to the surface following fracking using equipment that can accommodate flowback and to implement a reduced emission completion control, commonly referred to as a green completion. Producers have several green completion options to choose from. If none are technically feasible, producers may route the captured gas to a pollution control device like a flare.
Based on EPA’s and NMED’s investigations, the U.S. and the state allege that Hilcorp conducted at least 192 well completion operations in Rio Arriba and San Juan counties from Aug. 2, 2017, through Aug. 1, 2019.
At 145 of these well completions, Hilcorp captured none of the gas and instead released into the atmosphere all gas that flowed back following fracking. At the remainder of well completions, Hilcorp captured a portion of the gas and directed it to a flare but did not demonstrate that all green completion options were infeasible. Hilcorp’s actions resulted in thousands of tons of harmful methane and VOC emissions being released into the environment. Methane is a climate super pollutant and potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change, and VOCs adversely affect human health in multiple ways, including being involved in the formation of ground level ozone.
Hilcorp is one of the nation’s largest privately-owned oil and gas exploration and production companies, and a top producer of natural gas in New Mexico from 2018-2021. New Mexico is one of the top ten producing states for natural gas in the United States for 2018-2023. In 2022, on-shore oil and gas industry data reported to EPA showed that Hilcorp’s San Juan Basin operation emitted the most methane in the U.S. among all oil and gas operations.
The settlement is part of EPA’s Mitigating Climate Change National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative, which focuses, in part, on reducing methane emissions from oil and gas and landfill sources. Like all EPA’s national enforcement initiatives, the Mitigating Climate Change initiative prioritizes communities already overburdened by pollution and other potential environmental justice concerns.
More information on the settlement agreement is available on EPA’s Hilcorp Energy Company webpage.
The consent decree was filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico and is subject to a 30-day comment period. Information on providing public comment and the complaint and proposed consent decree are available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
EPA and NMED investigated the case.
Attorneys of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Enforcement Section are handling the case.
Nampa Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOISE – Juan Victor Granados, Jr., 45, of Nampa, was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today.
According to court records, in 2010 Granados was convicted in federal court for possession of sexually explicit images of minors. In that case he received a 120-month sentence followed by 15 years of supervised release. In April 2019, Granados began his term of supervised release in the District of Idaho. In January 2024, officers with U.S. Probation and the Nampa Police Department conducted a compliance check of Granados’ residence, where they discovered numerous unapproved electronic devices, including micro-SD cards. Homeland Security Investigations conducted a forensic examination on three micro-SD cards and discovered thousands of images of child sexual abuse material, including depictions of sadistic and masochistic sexual abuse of children under 12.
U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also ordered Granados to serve a lifetime of supervised release following his prison sentence and ordered him to pay $6,000 in restitution to two victims in the images he possessed. Granados will be required to continue to register as a sex offender as a result of the conviction.
“The defendant’s conduct fully justifies another lengthy sentence in federal prison,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “We are fortunate to work with law enforcement agencies at the federal and local levels who partner seamlessly to ensure that dangerous individuals like this defendant are removed from our communities when necessary.”
“It’s very unfortunate that Mr. Granados did not learn his lesson from his previous prison time. His actions in our community are repulsive and cannot be tolerated,” said Joe Huff, Nampa Police Chief. “I am pleased he will be serving his time in the federal prison system once again because he won’t be released early. I hope all of his victims will receive the help they need.”
U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the work of Homeland Security Investigations, the Nampa Police Department, and U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services, which led to the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin C. Blackadar prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) of the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Montgomery Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Account Takeover Scheme and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Montgomery, AL – On October 16, 2024, a federal judge sentenced 32-year-old Heaven Noretta Robinson, a resident of Montgomery, Alabama, to 57 months in prison for her role in a scheme to fraudulently add her name to credit card accounts and stealing the identity of a deceased man to purchase a vehicle, announced Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson and U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Scott Fix of the Postal Inspection Service’s Houston Division. In addition to the prison sentence, the judge also ordered that Robinson pay restitution to her victims in the amount of $33,550.93 and to serve three years of supervised release following her prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Financial fraud and identity theft costs victims billions of dollars each year,” said Acting United States Attorney Davidson. “Criminals will use any information they can acquire to conduct their schemes and line their own pockets. I encourage everyone to be vigilant by reviewing your accounts and credit reports regularly for unusual activity. If you do see something suspicious, report it immediately to the appropriate financial institution and law enforcement. In addition, placing a credit or security freeze with each of the three credit bureaus is another way to prevent accounts being opened without your consent.”
"A large part of the mission of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service is to ensure public trust in the mail. When individuals challenge that mission, postal inspectors will aggressively investigate and remain steadfast in our resolve to seek justice to the end.” said Inspector in Charge Fix. “Robinson’s sentence is a reminder that fraud and identity theft are not victimless crimes and individuals who attempt to commit these crimes face significant penalties as a result of their criminal activity."
According to her plea agreement and other court records, from February through October of 2022, Robinson acquired access to the bank and credit card accounts of others without the rightful owners’ knowledge or permission. Once she gained access, Robinson added herself to the accounts and had credit cards associated with those accounts mailed to her. During her plea hearing, Robinson admitted that she would use the illegally obtained cards to make fraudulent purchases at various retail establishments for her personal benefit.
Robinson also admitted that, on September 17, 2022, she presented the personal identifying information of an individual she claimed to be her uncle to be used as a co-signor on a loan at a Montgomery car dealership. The loan was ultimately approved. However, the identifying information did not belong to her uncle. The information was that of a deceased man that never had any contact with Robinson, nor did his family or anyone else authorize her to use his identity as a co-signer on loan applications. Robinson pleaded guilty to mail fraud and aggravated identity theft on July 3, 2024.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated this case, with assistance from the Montgomery Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Joel Feil prosecuted the case.
Mexican Citizen Sentenced to 40 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Jonathan Medina-Flores, 41 years old, of Mexico, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty for his illegal reentry to the United States, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Medina-Flores was sentenced to 40 months in prison.
According to documents in the case, Medina-Flores, a citizen of Mexico, was previously convicted in St. Joseph County of felony possession of cocaine in 2006. Thereafter he was removed to Mexico in 2007, 2014 and 2015 but illegally reentered the United States after each removal. Medina-Flores was most recently discovered in the United States in May 2023 in St. Joseph County. His criminal history includes conviction for multiple felonies in St. Joseph and Elkhart Counties.
This case was investigated by United States Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jerome W. McKeever.
Metairie Man Guilty of Federal Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that CARSON RIESS (“RIESS”), age 40, of Metairie, Louisiana, pled guilty on October 1, 2024 to Receipt of Child Pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(2) and (b)(1). U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey scheduled sentencing for January 7, 2025. At sentencing, RIESS faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five (5) years and maximum sentence of twenty (20) years imprisonment, and/or a fine of up to $250,000, or the greater of twice the gross grain to the defendant or twice the gross loss to any person of the offense. In addition, RIESS faces a term of supervised release of no less than five (5) years and up to life, and payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, the case against RIESS stemmed from an online Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). On May 20, 2024, HSI special agents, along with members of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, executed two federal search warrants at RIESS’s home. HSI’s investigation revealed RIESS received images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of minors.
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 United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
United States Attorney Evans praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.
Manassas businessman agrees to pay $1M to settle pandemic fraud allegationsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. –The founder of a Manassas business has agreed to pay $1,000,000 to settle allegations that he falsified payroll amounts to obtain inflated loans on behalf of True Information Assurance, LLC, through the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
The PPP offered loans to eligible small businesses for economic relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. PPP borrowers were required to provide their income and supporting documents to qualify for the loan amount.
Steven T. Covey obtained two PPP loans for True Information Assurance, of which he was owner and President, by submitting loan applications with false payroll figures to SBA-authorized lenders. Based on these fraudulent applications, True Information Assurance received two inflated loans. After Covey sold True Information Assurance in 2021, he retained all proceeds from both PPP loans.
The settlement began with a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, United States ex rel. Salman v. Bull Run Capital Investments, Inc., et al. The whistleblower will receive a share of this settlement.
The matter was investigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gina Kim and Auditor Peter Melaragni for the Eastern District of Virginia.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information from the civil lawsuit can be accessed on PACER by searching for No. 1:21-cv-852.
The civil claims settled are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.
Man Sentenced to 37 Years in Prison for Violent RobberiesRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – David Johnson, 37, of Euclid, has been sentenced to 37 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Dan Polster after pleading guilty to multiple charges of armed robbery at places of business. Additionally, Johnson pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm due to his previous convictions for involuntary manslaughter and aggravated robbery.
According to court documents, between November 2019 and January 2020, Johnson entered several businesses in Northeast Ohio and threatened employees with a loaded firearm to commit the robberies. The affected business locations were:
- Sunoco gas station, Euclid, Nov. 27, 2019
- BP gas station, Parkman, Jan. 18, 2020
- Dollar General, Chardon, Jan. 18, 2020
- Gas Mart gas station, Euclid, Jan. 25, 2020
During the investigation, law enforcement officials located a stolen vehicle used in the robberies at Johnson’s residence. Clothing and a firearm observed in surveillance videos were recovered during a search warrant execution of his residence.
This case was investigated by the FBI, ATF, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Geauga County Sheriff’s Office, Geauga County Prosecutor’s Office, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office, Euclid Police Department, Willoughby Police Department, and the Cleveland Division of Police.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret Kane and Joseph Dangelo for the Northern District of Ohio.
Man Sentenced for Robbery and Intimidation of a Witness by Attempted MurderRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO – A New York man was sentenced yesterday in Greensboro, North Carolina, to 35 years in prison after pleading to robbery, firearm, and intimidation charges related to an attempted murder stemming from conduct in the Middle District of North Carolina and the Southern District of New York, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC).
RYAN LEWIS LITTLE, age 40, of New York, was sentenced to a 420-month term of imprisonment and 5 years supervised release by the Honorable William L. Osteen, Jr., United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the MDNC. In addition to prison time, LITTLE was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $56,970.75.
LITTLE pleaded guilty on May 10, 2024, to interference with commerce by robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a), and retaliating against a witness by attempted murder, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1513(a)(1)(B), for conduct occurring in the MDNC. On June 20, 2024, he pleaded guilty to a separate charge for interference with commerce by robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a), and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c), for incidents occurring in the Southern District of New York.
According to court records, on April 8, 2022, at approximately 7:00 PM, Greensboro Police Department (GPD) officers responded to a report of attempted armed robbery at the Chemistry Nightclub Food Truck located in the parking lot of 2901 Spring Garden Street, Greensboro, NC. The food truck employee reported that an armed man attempted to rob the food truck at gunpoint. Footage from the food truck’s surveillance cameras showed a man (later identified as LITTLE) walking up the steps of the food truck, pulling out a silver handgun, pointing it at the food truck employee and asking, “Where is the money?” The employee told LITTLE that there was no money. LITTLE then pushed the victim and ran from the food truck.
The Chemistry Nightclub Food Truck attempted robbery was one in a series of robberies that law enforcement officers had been investigating since March 2022. A witness, Victim-1, spoke with law enforcement as part of the ongoing investigation. In retaliation for speaking with the officers, on the morning of April 12, 2022, LITTLE shot Victim-1 in the face. He then fled North Carolina.
On April 20, 2022, at approximately 10:30 pm, New York Police Department (NYPD) officers arrived at the scene of a reported robbery at a restaurant. An employee stated that a man entered the restaurant, brandished a silver firearm partially concealed beneath a newspaper, and took approximately $1,500 from the cash register. The employee followed the suspect to a nearby park. While canvassing the area, officers saw LITTLE emerge from the bushes and attempt to flee the area. Officers chased him and he was apprehended moments later with approximately $1,100 cash on him. Officers traced the path LITTLE had fled and recovered a loaded silver pistol. After his arrest, a witness approached the NYPD officers and told them that shortly after robbing the restaurant LITTLE attempted to carjack him.
The case was investigated by the Greensboro Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, and Firearms, and New York Police Department. The case was prosecuted by MDNC Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole DuPré and Lindsey Freeman, SDNY Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Bodansky, and former MDNC Assistant United States Attorney Tanner Kroeger.
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Man Involved in Shooting During Tennessee State University Homecoming Charged with Federal Firearm ViolationRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – A criminal complaint obtained today charges Marquez Davis, 24 of Nashville, with being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Thomas J. Jaworski.
According to the complaint, officers of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (“MNPD”) were searching for Davis on October 14, 2024, to arrest him on state charges related to the deadly shooting on Jefferson Street during Tennessee State University’s Homecoming celebration on October 12th. MNPD officers located Davis in a house in North Nashville and prepared to arrest him on outstanding warrants. Footage from law enforcement’s aerial surveillance showed an individual, later identified as Davis, exit the residence’s rooftop, climb to an adjacent rooftop, and discard a firearm. Davis was then arrested by MNPD on criminal homicide charges related to the October 12th shooting on Jefferson Street. Officers recovered a Franklin Armory Inc, Model FAI-15 caliber multi-pistol near where Davis discarded it from the rooftop. According to the criminal complaint, Davis has prior felony convictions for robbery, possession of a controlled substance for resale, and being a felon in possession of a handgun.
“Everyone in our community must be able to gather and celebrate together without fearing random gun violence,” said Acting United States Attorney Thomas J. Jaworski. “Our office will do whatever it takes to keep firearms out of the hands of felons who may use those firearms to inflict greater damage on our citizens.” Jaworski added: “Our firm commitment is in our continued partnership with Chief Drake and the MNPD to hold offenders accountable, reduce gun violence, and ensure safer communities for everyone.”
If convicted, the defendant faces up to 15 years in prison.
This case is being investigated by the MNPD and the ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ahmed A. Safeeullah is prosecuting the case.
A federal complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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Mafia Gang Leader Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing a GunRead the Press Release
The founder of the Mafia criminal street gang who has a lengthy criminal history in the Middle Georgia community was sentenced to the maximum prison term allowed by law for illegally possessing a firearm.
Alphonzo Clyde, 45, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 180 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell on Oct. 17. Clyde pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on April 10. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Alphonzo Clyde and the Mafia wreaked havoc in Macon and beyond for years,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “This significant sentence should directly result in reduced violence, and it would not have been possible without our strong federal and local law enforcement connection.”
“Despite a lengthy criminal history, Clyde continued to break the law,” said Robert Gibbs, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta’s Macon office. “This sentencing demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to work thoroughly with our local and federal partners to investigate and remove the leaders of drug trafficking organizations from our streets by whatever means necessary.”
“Alfonso Clyde is a notorious criminal whose career of mayhem has spanned nearly thirty years,” said Bibb County Sheriff David J. Davis. “This investigative and prosecution result is a testament to the importance of local agencies working together with our federal partners. Macon and the entire Middle Georgia community is better off having this gangster off our streets for many years to come.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, Clyde is the founder of the Macon Mafia, a criminal street gang operating in Middle Georgia and West Virginia. Clyde was wanted on an outstanding probation violation warrant when officers from the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office and the Jones County Sheriff’s Office took him into custody on Oct. 8, 2023. At the time of his arrest, officers spotted a digital scale with a white powdery substance located on the front passenger seat of the SUV that Clyde was driving. Officers also detected a marijuana odor emanating from his vehicle. Officers found a Taurus G2S 9-millimeter handgun inside the glovebox. Clyde has multiple prior felony convictions; it is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office and the Jones County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joy Odom prosecuted the case for the Government.
Lowell Man Arrested for Fentanyl and Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lowell man has been arrested for his involvement in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine.
Jorge Manuel “Manny” Huertas, 46, was charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl and more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. Huertas will make his initial appearance in federal court in Boston later today.
According to the charging document, Huertas distributed counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl and counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine to a confidential source. Search warrants were conducted this morning at Huertas’s residence and the residences of his associates.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl and more than 50 grams of methamphetamine carries a minimum sentence of five years and a maximum sentence of 40 years, at least four years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $5,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration; and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lowell Police Department and the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Panich of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Lincoln County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jason L. Norman, 42, of Ranger, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 10, 2023, Norman possessed a Smith & Wesson model M&P 15 .223-caliber rifle and a Mossberg model 500A 12-gauge shotgun at his residence in Ranger.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Norman knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm following his felony conviction for possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance in Lincoln County Circuit Court on April 13, 2017.
Norman is scheduled to be sentenced on January 30, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess and former Assistant United States Attorney Troy D. Adams have prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-94.
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Leader of South Shore Drug Trafficking Ring Sentenced to 32 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The leader of a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed fentanyl, fentanyl analogue and cocaine throughout Quincy and Weymouth was sentenced on Oct. 15, 2024 in federal court in Boston.
Aderito Patrick Amado, 34, of Brockton and Quincy, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 32 years in prison to be followed by 10 years supervised release. In June 2024, Amado was convicted by a federal jury of two counts of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 100 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue and 500 grams or more of cocaine – and conspiracy to do the same; one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of fentanyl analogue; one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl; two counts of possessing firearms as a convicted felon; and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug offense. The Court sentenced Amado to 27 years in prison on counts one through four and counts six through seven, to be followed by five consecutive years in prison on count five. At sentencing, the Court applied a stash house and leadership enhancement and found that Amado obstructed justice at trial through his testimony.
In September 2022, Amado was indicted by a federal grand jury along with co-defendants Erica Vieira, Neylton Fontes and Chaasad Cyprien. The defendants were subsequently charged in a superseding indictment in December 2022 and, later, a second superseding indictment in October 2023. Amado was charged in a third superseding indictment in May 2024.
“Mr. Amado was the leader of an organization that pumped multiple kilograms of dangerous and deadly drugs into our communities, including fentanyl and fentanyl analogue. He will now have more than three decades in prison to contemplate his critical role in driving fentanyl addiction and contributing to overdose deaths through his wholesale and street-level distribution all in pursuit of the almighty buck,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “This case demonstrates that people like Aderito Patrick Amado, who terrorize communities with their guns, drugs, and manipulation of others, will pay a heavy price. This was an exceptionally skilled and dogged investigation by the prosecutors in our office, the FBI, the Quincy Police and other law enforcement partners. This lengthy sentence should send a strong message to others, do not engage in the toxic brew of illicit narcotics and guns or you will go to jail for a very long time.”
“Aderito Patrick Amado and his crew were a crime wave unto themselves. As the leader of this large-scale drug trafficking operation that brought in and sold multi-kilo quantities of fentanyl and cocaine, protected by high-capacity firearms, Mr. Amado could have cared less about this area’s raging opioid crisis,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Division. “The FBI’s Metro Boston Gang Task Force worked with our law enforcement partners on the South Shore to make this case that led to Amado being sent to prison for the next three decades, and we’re all gratified to see such a prolific criminal finally held accountable.”
“I would like to thank the Detectives assigned to the Quincy Police Drug Control Unit, our local, state and federal partners and particularly the prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s office for bringing this case forward. Taking this individual off the streets undoubtedly saved lives in our community,” said Quincy Police Chief Mark Kennedy.
Until at least January 2021, Amado helped lead a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, fentanyl analogue and cocaine in and around the Quincy and Weymouth areas. The investigation determined that the drug distribution conspiracy operated primarily out of a stash house in Weymouth, with additional evidence located inside Amado’s apartment in Quincy and in his vehicle.
Specifically, a January 2021 search of Amado’s Quincy apartment resulted in over 40 grams of fentanyl, a quantity of cocaine, over $270,000 in cash, a money counter, a loaded Glock and ammunition being recovered. Amado’s vehicle contained over 40 grams of fentanyl and over 100 grams of fentanyl analogue, along with approximately $50,000 cash and multiple cellphones. Additionally, the Weymouth stash house was, in essence, a drug factory – housing two presses used to form controlled substances into kilogram-sized bricks and extensive drug paraphernalia, including blenders, digital scales, cutting agents, a money counter, and packaging equipment. The stash house also contained more than 10 kilograms of fentanyl, fentanyl analogue and cocaine as well as three firearms and ammunition, including two high-capacity magazines and a speed loader. One firearm was equipped with a laser beam and another firearm had a custom slide. Given Amado’s status as a felon, he is prohibited from possessing any firearms. At least one of Amado’s fingerprints were recovered on the ammunition tray located inside one of the boxes of ammunition in the stash house. His fingerprints were also recovered on one of the bags of cutting agents.
Information from a court-ordered GPS ankle monitor placed Amado at both his residence and the stash location nearly every day over a two-month period while on probation for a state drug conviction. Additionally, web history information from one of Amado’s devices showed that he conducted online reviews of various items ultimately recovered from the stash house, including the kilogram presses, firearms and cutting agents.
Vieira pleaded guilty in May 2024 and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 24, 2025. Fontes pleaded guilty in May 2024 and was sentenced in September 2024 to two years in prison and three years of supervised release. Cyprien pleaded guilty in April 2024 and in July 2024 was sentenced to two years in prison and three years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy, FBI SAC Cohen and Quincy Chief Kennedy made the announcement. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Weymouth, Braintree, Randolph and Brockton Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaitlin R. O’Donnell and Philip A. Mallard of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Leader of Sacramento Cocaine Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 14 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Maurice Bryant, 54, of Sacramento, was sentenced today to 168 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least 5,000 grams of cocaine and 280 grams of cocaine base and for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Bryant is among the 15 federal defendants arrested in 2021 and charged in a 45-count indictment for trafficking narcotics as part of a DEA-led multi-agency operation targeting cocaine and heroin traffickers in North Sacramento. The Court found Bryant to be an organizer or leader of the vast cocaine distribution network. During just 60 days of wiretaps in 2018 and 2019, he was intercepted strategizing the movement of cocaine over the Mexican border, distributing over five kilograms of powder cocaine and a kilogram of cocaine base to his co-conspirators, and converting large quantities of powder cocaine into cocaine base (crack cocaine) in his residence. At the time of his arrest, agents seized drug trafficking paraphernalia, two loaded firearms, and a military-grade bullet proof vest from his residence.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the California Department of Justice, the California Highway Patrol, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, and the Sacramento Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron L. Desmond is prosecuting the case.
Below is the status of Bryant’s co-defendants:
On September 29, 2022, Jason Tolbert, 45, of Sacramento, was sentenced to 57 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
On November 17, 2022, Charles Carter, 36, of Sacramento, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine.
On November 17, 2022, Andre Hellams, 40, of North Highlands, pleaded guilty to two counts of using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense. Hellams is scheduled to be sentenced on February 17, 2025.
On December 8, 2022, Michael Hampton, 57, of Vallejo, was sentenced to 60 months in prison for to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine.
On March 16, 2023, Arlington Caine, 48, of Rio Linda, was sentenced to 22 months in prison for two counts of using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense.
On March 14, 2024, Bobby Conner, 51, of Sacramento, was sentenced to six months in prison for two counts of using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense.
On April 25, 2024, 2023, Dwight Haney, 52, of Sacramento was sentenced to time served for two counts of using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense.
On May 30, 2024, Jerome Adams, 56, of North Highlands, was sentenced to 60 months in prison for two counts of using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense.
On August 8, 2024, Steven Hampton, 64, of Sacramento, was sentenced to 84 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine.
On September 26, 2024, Mark Martin, 63, of Sacramento was sentenced to time served for using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense.
On August 1, 2024, Alex White, 61, of North Highlands, was sentenced to a term of 38 months (time served) for distribution of cocaine base.
On September 3, 2024, Tyrone Anderson, 44, of Sacramento, was sentenced to 135 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute at least 5,000 grams of cocaine and 280 grams of cocaine base and for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin.
Charges are pending against Yovanny Ontiveros, 41, of Sacramento, and Wilmer Harden, 52, of Elk Grove. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This prosecution is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. The Sacramento Strike Force is a co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the Sacramento Strike Force is to identify, investigate, disrupt, and dismantle the most significant drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) shipping narcotics, firearms, and money through the Eastern District of California, thereby reducing the flow of these criminal resources in California and the rest of the United States. The Sacramento Strike Force leads intelligence-driven investigations targeting the leadership and support elements of these DTOs and TCOs operating within the Eastern District of California, regardless of their geographic base of operations.
La Fiscalía de los Estados Unidos celebra el Mes de Concientización sobre la Violencia DomésticaRead the Press Release
Providence, RI — La Fiscalía Federal para el Distrito de Rhode Island celebra este octubre el Mes de Concientización sobre la Violencia Doméstica, lo que refleja nuestro firme compromiso de apoyar a los sobrevivientes, crear conciencia y promover la justicia para todos los afectados por la violencia doméstica, anunció el Fiscal Federal Zachary A. Cunha.
El Mes de Concientización sobre la Violencia Doméstica ofrece una importante oportunidad para arrojar luz sobre los profundos impactos que la violencia doméstica tiene en las víctimas, las familias y las comunidades, y para enfatizar la importancia de la acción colectiva. Cada año, millones de personas se ven afectadas por la violencia de pareja y demasiadas familias soportan las trágicas consecuencias del abuso doméstico. Esta Oficina está comprometida a garantizar que se escuche las voces de los sobrevivientes y que los perpetradores rindan cuentas y a fortalecer las asociaciones con las comunidades para prevenir la violencia doméstica.
Este año se celebra una conmemoración particularmente significativa de los esfuerzos para combatir la violencia doméstica porque también es el Trigésimo Aniversario de la Ley sobre la violencia contra la mujer. En 1994, la aprobación de esta histórica legislación bipartidista transformó la forma en que nuestra nación aborda la violencia doméstica y de pareja, la agresión sexual y el acecho al aumentar las protecciones para los sobrevivientes, proporcionar recursos federales críticos para apoyar una respuesta comunitaria coordinada a estos crímenes y otorgar subvenciones. a nivel local, estatal, territorial, tribal y nacional.
“La violencia doméstica y de pareja es insidiosa y tiene un costo devastador en nuestras comunidades, transformando hogares que deberían ser lugares de refugio en escenarios de abuso”, dijo el fiscal federal Zachary Cunha. “Estoy decidido a ampliar nuestros esfuerzos para utilizar herramientas federales de aplicación de la ley para buscar justicia para las víctimas de estos crímenes y responsabilizar a los perpetradores; los sobrevivientes de violencia doméstica no merecen menos”.
Este año, el 18 de septiembre de 2024, la oficina anunció el lanzamiento de una iniciativa del Departamento de Justicia con socios locales encargados de reducir las parejas de hecho en las ciudades de Woonsocket, Pawtucket y Central Falls en Rhode Island. La iniciativa fue una disposición para que cada distrito desarrollara un plan para reducir la violencia con armas de fuego entre parejas íntimas y priorizar el enjuiciamiento de los delincuentes de violencia doméstica a los que se les prohíbe poseer armas de fuego.
La violencia doméstica, la violencia en el noviazgo, la agresión sexual y el acecho pueden tener impactos y consecuencias duraderas, y los sobrevivientes en comunidades marginadas se ven afectados de manera desproporcionada debido a la falta de recursos o las barreras para acceder a los servicios. DVAM brinda la oportunidad de crear conciencia sobre la violencia doméstica y alentar a todos a desempeñar un papel para poner fin a la violencia de género.
También alentamos a todos a aprender más sobre la violencia doméstica y tomar medidas para apoyar a amigos, familiares, compañeros de trabajo y vecinos que puedan verse afectados. Al comprender las señales de abuso, brindar un espacio seguro para los sobrevivientes y conectarlos con los recursos disponibles, todos podemos desempeñar un papel en la creación de comunidades más seguras.
Las víctimas de violencia doméstica merecen seguridad, dignidad y justicia. Estamos comprometidos a procesar a quienes violan las leyes federales, colaborar con las autoridades locales y los fiscales para identificar a los delincuentes de violencia doméstica que violan las prohibiciones federales de armas de fuego y garantizar que los sobrevivientes tengan acceso a los recursos que necesitan para su seguridad y curación. Juntos, podemos llevar esperanza a los necesitados y construir un futuro libre de violencia doméstica. Para obtener más información sobre el Mes de Concientización sobre la Violencia Doméstica o para acceder a recursos, visite https://ricadv.org/.
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Justice Department Announces Charges Against Indian Government Employee in Connection with Foiled Plot to Assassinate U.S. Citizen in New York CityRead the Press Release
Note: View the second unsealed superseding indictment here.
The Justice Department today announced the filing of murder-for-hire and money laundering charges against Indian government employee, Vikash Yadav, 39, also known as Vikas, and Amanat, in connection with his role in directing a foiled plot to assassinate a U.S. citizen in New York City. Yadav is charged in a second superseding indictment unsealed today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Yadav’s alleged co-conspirator, Nikhil Gupta, 53, was previously charged and extradited to the United States on the charges contained in the first superseding indictment. Yadav remains at large.
“The Justice Department will be relentless in holding accountable any person — regardless of their position or proximity to power — who seeks to harm and silence American citizens,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “As alleged, last year, we foiled an attempt by Vikash Yadav, an Indian government employee, and his co-conspirator, Nikhil Gupta, to assassinate an American citizen on U.S. soil. Today’s charges demonstrate that the Justice Department will not tolerate attempts to target and endanger Americans and to undermine the rights to which every U.S. citizen is entitled.”
“The defendant, an Indian government employee, allegedly conspired with a criminal associate and attempted to assassinate a U.S. citizen on American soil for exercising their First Amendment rights,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI will not tolerate acts of violence or other efforts to retaliate against those residing in the U.S. for exercising their constitutionally protected rights. We are committed to working with our partners to detect, disrupt, and hold accountable foreign nationals or others who seek to engage in such acts of transnational repression.”
“Today’s charges are a grave example of the increase in lethal plotting and other forms of violent transnational repression targeting diaspora communities in the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “To the governments around the world who may be considering such criminal activity and to the communities they would target, let there be no doubt that the Department of Justice is committed to disrupting and exposing these plots and to holding the wrongful actors accountable no matter who they are or where they reside.”
“DEA foiled this assassination attempt last year and has continued to trace this case back to an employee of the Indian government whom we charge was an orchestrator of this intricate murder-for-hire scheme. DEA did not relent, and today’s indictment names Vikash Yadav as an alleged mastermind,” said Administrator Anne Milgram of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “We charge that Yadav, an employee of the Indian government, used his position of authority and access to confidential information to direct the attempted assassination of an outspoken critic of the Indian government here on U.S. soil. This case was led by the DEA New York Division’s Drug Enforcement Task Force, which is comprised of DEA, the New York State Police, and the New York City Police Department, and is a true testament to the tenacity and determination of our team.”
“Last year, this office charged Nikhil Gupta for conspiring to assassinate a U.S. citizen of Indian origin on U.S. soil,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams. “But, as alleged, Gupta did not work alone. Today, we announce charges against an Indian government employee, Vikash Yadav, who orchestrated the plot from India and directed Gupta to hire a hitman to murder the victim. The right to exercise free speech is foundational to our democracy, and predicated on the notion that we can do so without fear of violence or reprisal, including from beyond our borders. Let this case be a warning to all those who would seek to harm and silence U.S. citizens: we will hold you accountable, no matter who and where you are.”
As alleged in the second superseding indictment and other public court documents, in 2023, Yadav, working together with others, including Gupta, in India, and elsewhere, directed a plot to assassinate on U.S. soil an attorney and political activist who is a U.S. citizen of Indian origin residing in New York City (the victim). The victim is a vocal critic of the Indian government and leads a U.S.-based organization that advocates for the secession of Punjab, a state in northern India that is home to a large population of Sikhs, an ethnoreligious minority group in India. The victim has publicly called for some or all of Punjab to secede from India and establish a Sikh sovereign state called Khalistan, and the Indian government has banned the victim and his separatist organization from India.
During times relevant to the second superseding indictment, Yadav was employed by the Government of India’s Cabinet Secretariat, which houses Indian’s foreign intelligence service, the Research and Analysis Wing. Yadav has described his position as a “senior field officer” with responsibilities in “security management” and “intelligence.” Yadav also has referenced previously serving in India’s Central Reserve Police Force and receiving “officer[] training” in “battle craft” and “weapons.” Yadav is a citizen and resident of India, and he directed the plot to assassinate the Victim from India.
In or about May 2023, Yadav recruited Gupta to orchestrate the assassination of the victim in the United States. Gupta is an Indian national who resided in India and has described his involvement in international narcotics and weapons trafficking in his communications with Yadav and others. At Yadav’s direction, Gupta contacted an individual whom Gupta believed to be a criminal associate, but who was in fact a confidential source (the CS) working with the DEA, for assistance in contracting a hitman to murder the victim in New York City. The CS introduced Gupta to a purported hitman, who was in fact a DEA undercover officer (the UC). Yadav subsequently agreed, in dealings brokered by Gupta, to pay the UC $100,000 to murder the victim. On or about June 9, 2023, Yadav and Gupta arranged for an associate to deliver $15,000 in cash to the UC as an advance payment for the murder. Yadav’s associate then delivered the $15,000 to the UC in Manhattan.
In or about June 2023, in furtherance of the assassination plot, Yadav provided Gupta with personal information about the victim, including the victim’s home address in New York City, phone numbers associated with the victim, and details about the victim’s day-to-day conduct, which Gupta then passed to the UC. Yadav directed Gupta to provide regular updates on the progress of the assassination plot, which Gupta accomplished by forwarding to Yadav, among other things, surveillance photographs of the victim. Gupta directed the UC to carry out the murder as soon as possible, but Gupta also specifically instructed the UC not to commit the murder around the time of the Indian Prime Minister’s official state visit to the United States, which was scheduled to begin on or about June 20, 2023.
On or about June 18, 2023, approximately two days before the Indian Prime Minister’s state visit to the United States, masked gunmen murdered Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia, Canada. Nijjar was an associate of the victim, and, like the victim, was a leader of the Sikh separatist movement and an outspoken critic of the Indian government. On or about June 19, 2023, the day after the Nijjar murder, Gupta told the UC that Nijjar “was also the target” and “we have so many targets.” Gupta added that, in light of Nijjar’s murder, there was “now no need to wait” on killing the Victim. On or about June 20, 2023, Yadav sent Gupta a news article about the victim and messaged Gupta, “[i]t’s [a] priority now.”
Yadav and Gupta of India have been charged with murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; and conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The DEA New York Division and the FBI New York Field Office’s Counterintelligence Division are investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by the DEA Special Operations Division, DEA Vienna Country Office, FBI Prague Country Office, Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, and Czech Republic’s National Drug Headquarters.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Camille L. Fletcher, Ashley C. Nicolas, and Alexander Li for the Southern District of New York are prosecuting the case with assistance from Trial Attorney Christopher Cook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Trial Attorney A.J. Dixon of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Jefferson Parish Man Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that COREY ESQUERRE (“ESQUERRE”), age 50, a resident of Jefferson Parish, was sentenced on October 10, 2024, by United States District Judge Wendy B. Vitter, after previously pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute fifty grams or more of methamphetamine. ESQUERRE was sentenced to 126 months imprisonment, five years (5) of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, on July 31, 2023, the Gretna Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration searched ESQUERRE’s apartment and discovered 3.5 lbs. of methamphetamine in bags located in a toolbox in his bedroom. The bags contained 1880.1 grams of pure methamphetamine.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Gretna Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Sarver of the Narcotics Unit oversees the prosecution.
Jefferson City Man Sentenced for $26 Million Bank Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Jefferson City, Mo. man was sentenced in federal court today for a multi-million dollar bank fraud scheme that included fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans for four businesses.
Tod Ray Keilholz, 61, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to a total sentence of 12 years in federal prison without parole.
On March 28, 2024, Keilholz pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud, one count of money laundering, and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Keilholz was the sole owner of TRK Construction, LLC, TRK Valpo, LLC, TL Builders, LLC, and Project Design, LLC.
By pleading guilty, Keilholz admitted that he engaged in a bank fraud scheme from Jan. 1, 2018, to Jan. 7, 2021.
Prior to the bank fraud scheme, Keilholz obtained three business loans totaling $3,526,771 from Hawthorn Bank between Aug. 31, 2017, and Sept. 21, 2018. One of these loans financed the purchase of property in Valparaiso, Indiana. As Keilholz’s businesses failed, these loans fell into default and sub-contractors sued him for unpaid invoices during 2019 and 2020. In February 2020, Hawthorn Bank initiated foreclosure proceedings. Keilholz delayed the foreclosure proceedings and paid off these loans and other past due debts with fraudulent PPP loans.
The CARES Act established several new temporary programs and provided for the expansion of others to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Among these programs, the PPP authorized forgivable loans, guaranteed by the Small Business Administration, to small businesses to retain workers and maintain payroll, make mortgage interest payments, lease payments, and utility payments.
Keilholz received a total of $12,430,932 in PPP loans for his four businesses. In each of those loan applications, Keilholz admitted, he failed to disclose his ownership in the other three businesses, and made materially false and fraudulent claims in the loan applications and supporting documentation. Keilholz falsely stated the businesses were in operation on Feb. 15, 2020, and eligible for PPP loans. He inflated the income of those businesses and claimed payrolls for employees who did not exist or no longer worked for him. Additionally, Keilholz applied for a $7,818,705 PPP loan for TRK Valpo but the loan was denied by the bank.
Keilholz received a $1,706,260 PPP loan for TRK Construction, a $3,618,815 PPP loan for TL Builders, a $3,903,857 PPP loan for Project Design, and a $3,202,000 PPP loan for TRK Valpo.
Keilholz admitted that he used PPP loan proceeds for unauthorized purposes other than legitimate payroll, lease and mortgage interest, and utilities as required by the PPP. Keilholz, through TRK Construction, had accrued substantial and delinquent indebtedness to a number of lenders, and all or part of these debts were satisfied by PPP loan proceeds.
The conviction for aggravated identity theft is related to Keilholz’s use of a former TRK Construction employee whose name and Social Security number were used without his knowledge or authorization on wage reports in connection with a fraudulent PPP loan application for TRK Valpo.
Under the terms of his plea agreement, Keilholz must forfeit to the government any property involved in, or derived from the proceeds of his bank fraud scheme, including a money judgment of $12,430,932, two properties in Jefferson City, one property in Valparaiso, one property in La Porte, Ind., four vehicles (a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado, two 2021 Chevrolet Silverados, and a 2019 BMW X5), a 2020 John Deer ZTrak, a 2020 John Deere Tractor, a Kubota Compact Track Loader, a Gents 43mm IWC Schaffhausen Perpetual Chronograph wristwatch, two Gents stainless steel Rolex Sea-Dweller self-winding automatic diver’s watches, and a Gents Citizen Eco-Drive Radio-controlled world time self-winding automatic watch with sapphire crystal.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Oliver. It was investigated by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Office of Inspector General; the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General; the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration; the FBI; and IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Jacksonville Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Christopher O’Neal Houser (44, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Houser faces a maximum penalty of up to 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.
According to court documents, on February 2, 2024, Houser sold a sawed-off shotgun to a convicted felon. At the time that he possessed and sold the shotgun, Houser had a prior felony conviction (July 2019) for possessing methamphetamine. As a convicted felon he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. Houser also has prior convictions for committing sodomy in 2001, and for misdemeanor battery in 2019.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brenna Falzetta.
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 safe 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.
Indian National Is Sentenced to Prison for $20 Million Dollar Fraud Scheme Involving Fake Cryptocurrency Exchange WebsitesRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A citizen of the Republic of India was sentenced to prison today for stealing more than $20 million from hundreds of victims through the use of fake or “spoofed” websites mimicking the cryptocurrency exchange website Coinbase, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell ordered Chirag Tomar, 31, to serve 60 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release.
Jason Byrnes, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Charlotte Field Office, joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, from as early as June 2021, Tomar and his co-conspirators engaged in a spoofing scheme to steal millions in cryptocurrency from hundreds of victims located worldwide and in the United States, including in the Western District of North Carolina. Spoofing, as it pertains to cybercrime, is when a malicious cyber actor disguises an email address, sender name, or website URL to convince victims they are interacting with a trusted source. Court documents show that Tomar and his co-conspirators executed the fraud by spoofing Coinbase, one of the largest virtual currency exchanges in the world, that allows customers to buy, sell or trade cryptocurrencies.
Coinbase operated a “Pro” version of its exchange, which was found at the URL “Pro.Coinbase.Com.” According to court documents, Tomar and his co-conspirators spoofed the Coinbase Pro website by using a similar fake URL, CoinbasePro.Com, and created a fraudulent website to mimic the authentic website. Once victims entered their login credentials into the fake website, an authentication process was triggered. In some instances, victims were tricked into providing their login and authentication information of the real Coinbase website to fraudsters. Other times, victims were tricked into allowing fake Coinbase representatives to execute remote desktop software, which enabled fraudsters to gain control of victims’ computers and access their legitimate Coinbase accounts. The fraudsters also impersonated Coinbase customer service representatives and tricked the users into providing their two-factor authentication codes to the fraudsters over the phone. Once the fraudsters gained access to the victims’ Coinbase accounts, the fraudsters quickly transferred the victims’ Coinbase cryptocurrency holdings to cryptocurrency wallets under the fraudsters’ control.
Court documents show that, in February 2022, a victim located in the Western District of North Carolina attempted to log into his Coinbase account through the fraudulent website. The spoof website immediately notified the victim that his account was locked and prompted the victim to use a number provided to call a fake Coinbase representative. The fake representative tricked the victim into providing his two-factor authentication information, ultimately gaining access into the victim’s real Coinbase account. Using the information, fraudsters stole cryptocurrency from the victim’s Coinbase wallet worth over $240,000.
According to court records, Tomar used the victims’ stolen log-in credentials to access the victim accounts and transfer the victims’ cryptocurrency holdings to wallets controlled by Tomar. After Tomar received the stolen cryptocurrency, he would convert it to other forms of cryptocurrency and move the funds amongst many wallets controlled by Tomar. Ultimately, the cryptocurrency was converted into cash which was then distributed to Tomar and his co-conspirators.
Tomar used the victims’ funds to pay for his lavish lifestyle, including to purchase Audemars Piguet and other expensive watches, to buy luxury vehicles like Lamborghinis and Porsches, and to make trips to Dubai, Thailand and elsewhere.
On December 20, 2023, Tomar was arrested at the Atlanta airport upon entering the United States. On May 20, 2024, Tomar pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy. Tomar remains in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
U.S. Attorney King commended the U.S. Secret Service for their investigation of the case and thanked the FBI in Nashville for their invaluable assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Warren of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
Hyannis Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Being a Felon in PossessionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Hyannis man was sentenced yesterday for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Specifically, the defendant possessed and sold a Chinese SKS .762 caliber rifle.
Ryan Diefenbach, 33, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Judge William G. Young to six years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. In July 2024, Diefenbach pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. In November 2022, Diefenbach, along with co-defendant Donnell Pina, was indicted by a federal grand jury.
In September 2021, Diefenbach, and allegedly Pina, sold a Chinese SKS .762 caliber rifle to a confidential informant in Hyannis. Due to previous felony convictions, including prior convictions for carrying a firearm without a license, unlawfully possessing a firearm, possessing a firearm with a defaced serial number and assault with a dangerous weapon, Diefenbach was prohibited from possessing firearms.
At the time Diefenbach committed the offense, the charge of being a felon in possession provided for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant United States Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Pina is scheduled to plead guilty on Nov. 21, 2024.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Grand jury indicts 5 defendants in multi-state narcotics, nearly $25 million money laundering conspiraciesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal grand jury charged five defendants with narcotics and money laundering conspiracy crimes involving multiple kilograms of drugs in at least eight states and nearly $25 million of allegedly laundered proceeds.
Those charged include:
NameAgeCity of ResidenceCharles Wooden46Pickerington, OhioGregory Fountain37Columbus, Ohio & Montgomery, IllinoisAlexis Ortega31Columbus, OhioCarl Campbell30Newnan, GeorgiaCourtney Musick37Pickerington, OhioAccording to the 25-count indictment, the defendants conspired to traffic five kilograms or more of cocaine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl in a years-long multi-state narcotics operation.
From 2015 until 2024, it is alleged that defendants conspired to launder at least $24,848,490 in drug proceeds.
The indictment details that defendants allegedly used FedEx to ship drug proceeds from the Columbus area to California, Texas and other states to buy more narcotics for distribution. They also allegedly shipped the money in an attempt to conceal the nature of the drug proceeds. Some defendants are alleged to have purchased, renovated, rented, and sold real estate as a means of money laundering.
Coconspirators allegedly used drug proceeds to rent houses, buy airline tickets, pay for hotel rooms and facilitate travel to traffic the cocaine, fentanyl and cash between Columbus and California, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Texas and other states.
The narcotics conspiracy as charged in this case against Wooden, Fountain, Ortega and Campbell is punishable by at least 10 years and up to life in prison. The money laundering crimes carry a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
Wooden, Musick and Ortega were arrested today. The indictment was returned on Oct. 15 and unsealed following the arrests today.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Cincinnati Field Office; and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Pakiz and Jennifer M. Rausch are representing the United States in this case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, and gangs that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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Four Defendants Charged in Multi-Million Dollar No-Fault Insurance Fraud Scheme and Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging KENAN TARIVERDI, NAZIM TARIVERDI, DILSHOD ISLAMOV, and ALVARO GEOVANNI QUIJADA LEMUS. The Indictment charges KENAN TARIVERDI, NAZIM TARIVERDI, and DILSHOD ISLAMOV with operating an extensive no-fault insurance fraud that submitted more than $11 million in fraudulent claims for psychological testing and services—and for laundering the proceeds of that fraud through a network of illicit check cashers, including ALVARO GEOVANNI QUIJADA LEMUS. The defendants were arrested this morning and were presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave in Manhattan Federal Court.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “No fault insurance fraud schemes raise costs for everyone and exploit a system designed to make healthcare more accessible. As alleged in the indictment, Kenan Tariverdi, Nazim Tariverdi, and Dilshod Islamov orchestrated a deceitful, complex scheme to cheat insurance providers out of millions of dollars. These defendants then allegedly worked with a network of money launderers, including Alvaro Geovanni Quijada Lemus, to profit from their crime. I commend the FBI and our dedicated team of prosecutors for their outstanding work in dismantling this massive fraud operation.”
According to allegations in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan Court[1]:
KENAN TARIVERDI, NAZIM TARIVERDI, and ISLAMOV devised a fraudulent scheme to take advantage of New York’s no fault insurance law, which enables the driver and passengers of a vehicle registered and insured in New York State to obtain benefits of up to $50,000 per person for injuries suffered in a car accident, regardless of fault. Under New York State law, medical corporations are unable to bill insurance companies for no-fault benefits if the medical facilities are controlled by non-physicians. KENAN TARIVERDI, NAZIM TARIVERDI, and ISLAMOV defrauded insurance carriers by submitting insurance claims from medical corporations that were nominally owned by licensed medical professionals but were in fact owned and controlled by KENAN TARIVERDI, NAZIM TARIVERDI, and ISLAMOV, who were not licensed medical practitioners. If insurance companies had known that the nominee medical corporations were actually owned and controlled by KENAN TARIVERDI, NAZIM TARIVERDI, and ISLAMOV, the insurance companies would have denied payment for claims submitted by the nominee medical corporations.
KENAN TARIVERDI, NAZIM TARIVERDI, and ISLAMOV also carried out their fraudulent scheme by conspiring to bill insurances companies in the names of psychologists, medical professionals, and medical corporations under their nominal control for services that the psychologists and medical professionals did not actually perform. When preparing these fraudulent bills, the conspiracy operated by KENAN TARIVERDI, NAZIM TARIVERDI, and ISLAMOV frequently used the license information and signatures of psychologists and medical professionals on fraudulent billing records submitted to insurance companies.
Additionally, KENAN TARIVERDI, NAZIM TARIVERDI, and ISLAMOV conspired to bill insurance companies for expensive procedures, including psychological testing and treatment, regardless of medical necessity. These unnecessary medical procedures were carried out pursuant to billing protocols that the defendants and their coconspirators designed and implemented at various clinics in and around New York City to maximize the dollar amounts on insurance claims, rather than to provide necessary medical and psychological treatment.
As a result of their fraudulent scheme, KENAN TARIVERDI, NAZIM TARIVERDI, and ISLAMOV caused insurance providers to be billed over approximately $10 million in fraudulent claims for psychological testing and services.
KENAN TARIVERDI, NAZIM TARIVERDI, and ISLAMOV also carried out a scheme to launder the proceeds of their conspiracy. Their money laundering scheme operated by taking control over various bank accounts that received payments derived from the fraudulent claims that the conspiracy operated by KENAN TARIVERDI, NAZIM TARIVERDI, and ISLAMOV submitted to insurance companies. Such bank accounts were nominally held by psychologists or medical professionals, but KENAN TARIVERDI, NAZIM TARIVERDI, and ISLAMOV gained control over them through various means, including by directing the psychologists and medical professionals to sign stacks of blank checks drawn on their accounts. KENAN TARIVERDI, NAZIM TARIVERDI, and ISLAMOV then used those checks to transfer funds into a network of shell companies that were controlled by the money laundering conspiracy.
KENAN TARIVERDI, NAZIM TARIVERDI, and ISLAMOV used a network of money launderers to cash checks from their shell companies. ALVARO GEOVANNI QUIJADA-LEMUS was one unlicensed check casher who, in exchange for a fee, provided cash in exchange for checks the shell companies. QUIJADA-LEMUS, in turn, sold approximately 50 checks from the shell companies for approximately $200,000 to an individual cooperating with law enforcement.
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KENAN TARIVERDI, 55, of Staten Island, New York; NAZIM TARIVERDI, 32, of Staten Island, New York; and DILSHOD ISLAMOV, 43, of Brooklyn, New York are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. ALVARO GEOVANNI QUIJADA-LEMUS, 38, of Holmdel, New Jersey, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carried a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison one count of money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business, which carries a maximum of five years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants would be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cecilia Vogel, Christopher Brumwell, and Vladislav Vainberg are in charge of the prosecution.
islamov_et_al_indictment.pdf[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the texts of the Indictments and the descriptions of the Indictments set forth herein constitute only allegations and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Fort Yates, ND Woman Indicted for Arson and Destruction of Government PropertyRead the Press Release
Bismarck – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that on October 17, 2024, Melody Walker-White Twin, age 33 from Fort Yates, ND, made her initial appearance and was arraigned in federal court. The United States District Court for the District of North Dakota unsealed an Indictment revealing that a federal grand jury indicted Walker-White Twin for Arson and Destruction of Government Property, arising from a October 9, 2024 incident in Bismarck.
The Indictment in this case is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The Indictment alleges that on or about September 15, 2024, Walker-White Twin damaged or attempted to damage the United States Post Office located in Selfridge, North Dakota. Specifically, Walker-White Twin used rocks to break windows out of the Post Office. It also alleges that between September 15 and 16, 2024, Walker-White Twin damaged or attempted to damage the United States Post Office located in Selfridge, North Dakota by means of fire. The Post Office was a total loss with only the vault remaining.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Postal Investigative Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brandi Sasse Russell.
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Former Tennessee Mental Health Center Owner Charged with Employment Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Nashville returned an indictment yesterday charging a former business owner with willfully failing to account for and pay over employment taxes to the IRS.
According to the indictment, from at least 2011 through 2023, Mari Alexander, of Columbia, South Carolina, was the owner and president of Ross Behavioral Group, a mental health counseling center with multiple locations in middle Tennessee. Alexander controlled Ross Behavioral Group’s financial affairs and was responsible for withholding Social Security, Medicare and federal income taxes from employees’ wages and paying them over to the IRS. From at least 2015 through 2020, Alexander allegedly withheld these taxes from her employees’ wages, but did not fully pay the withheld taxes over to the IRS.
Each year, from at least 2015 through 2020, Alexander allegedly issued IRS Forms W-2, Wage and Tax Statements and paystubs to the employees that showed taxes taken out of their pay, which falsely implied that the withheld taxes were paid over to the IRS.
In total, Alexander is alleged to have caused a tax loss to the IRS of more than $1 million.
Alexander is charged with 11 counts of willfully failing to account for and pay over employment taxes. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each count. She also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Thomas J. Jaworski for the Middle District of Tennessee made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case with assistance from the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General.
Trial Attorney Ashley J. Stein of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitchell T. Galloway for the Middle District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Telecommunications Company Executive Admits Defrauding Investors in Sports Betting FundRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A Pennsylvania man on Thursday admitted stealing $650,000 from investors in a sports betting fund.
Elijah A. Goshert, 48, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to three counts of wire fraud. He admitted defrauding investors from at least Feb. 1, 2017, through Nov. 15, 2023, by falsely claiming the Magellan Sports Fund used a “sophisticated computer algorithm” that substantially reduced betting risks. Goshert sent emails to investors falsely claiming that he’d used their money to make sports bets and false “investors performance” updates claiming that their investments were making substantial profits.
Goshert spent the vast majority of the victims’ investments on unauthorized expenses. He admitted stealing about $654,861 from at least 12 victims.
Goshert is scheduled to be sentenced January 22, 2025. Each wire fraud charge carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both prison and a fine.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting the case.
Former NYCHA Superintendent Convicted of Bribery and Extortion OffensesRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that Joy Harris, a former New York City Housing Authority (“NYCHA”) superintendent, was convicted of bribery and extortion under color of official right for soliciting and accepting tens of thousands of dollars from contractors in exchange for awarding those contractors no-bid contracts at NYCHA developments. The verdict followed a one-week trial before U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, who will sentence HARRIS on February 26, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Corruption is an insidious crime—difficult to detect, corrosive in its effect on government agencies, and damaging to public trust in government institutions. Joy Harris’s years-long abuse of her position to demand tens of thousands of dollars in bribes betrayed her duty to NYCHA residents, the City of New York, and taxpayers. The jury’s unanimous verdict sends a clear message that those who use their public offices for personal gain will be held accountable.”
According to the evidence presented in court during the trial:
NYCHA is the largest public housing authority in the country, providing housing to New Yorkers across the City and receiving over $1.5 billion in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) every year. When repairs or construction work at NYCHA housing require the use of outside contractors, services must typically be purchased via a bidding process. However, when the value of a contract was under a certain threshold, designated staff at NYCHA developments, including assistant superintendent and superintendents, could hire a contractor of their choosing without soliciting multiple bids.
HARRIS, an assistant superintendent and superintendent at four different NYCHA developments in Manhattan between 2015 and 2021, demanded and accepted cash in exchange for NYCHA contracts. She required contractors to pay bribes up front in order to be awarded the contracts or required bribe payments after the contractor finished the work and needed a NYCHA employee to sign off on the completed job so that the contractor could be paid by NYCHA. HARRIS typically demanded 10% of the contract value—between $500 and $1,000, depending on the size of the contract. In total, HARRIS demanded and accepted tens of thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for awarding contracts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
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HARRIS, 49, of Bushkill, Pennsylvania, was convicted of one count of federal program bribery, which carries a maximum term of 10 years in prison, and one count of extortion under color of official right, which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Department of Investigation, U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), the HUD Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, which work together collaboratively as part of the HSI Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force, as well as the special agents and task force officers of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (“OCDETF”) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles criminal organizations using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Of the 70 current and former NYCHA employees charged with bribery and extortion offenses in February 2024, 55 of the defendants have now pled guilty or been convicted at trial. The charges against the remaining defendants are pending.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jerry J. Fang, Meredith Foster, Sheb Swett, Jacob R. Fiddelman, and Catherine Ghosh are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialists Jayda Foote and Nandita Vasantha.
Former NFL player charged with embezzling from commercial real estate projectsRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment on October 15, 2024, charging a Washington man with embezzling loan proceeds intended for the development and construction of two commercial real estate projects.
According to the indictment, Christopher A. Harrison, 52, a former National Football League player and real estate developer, allegedly induced and misappropriated loan proceeds intended for the development and construction of two real estate projects: (1) the Model Tobacco Project in Richmond, Virginia; and (2) the Whitaker Park Project in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Harrison allegedly secured loans from Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust (CRBT) for $14,492,057 for the Model Tobacco Project and $7,706,675 for the Whitaker Park Project. Under the terms of the loan agreements, Harrison was prohibited from using loan proceeds to pay himself or affiliated entities any construction, management, development, or contractor fees or from using the loan proceeds for personal expenditures.
As alleged in the indictment, however, Harrison skimmed loan proceeds intended for the Model Tobacco and Whitaker Park Projects by first creating a straw demolition company, Virginia Demolition LLC, that had no employees, demolition equipment, or office space. Harrison then allegedly created forged and falsified documentation purporting to show that Virginia Demolition LLC did actual work on the projects, including work that predated Harrison’s creation of the Virginia Demolition LLC entity. Harrison allegedly forged the signature of a separate individual, who Harrison falsely represented was the “President” of Virginia Demolition LLC, multiple times across Harrison’s various submittals to CRBT. Harrison also is alleged to have doctored and inflated invoices in the name of a separate construction vendor for Model Tobacco, inducing CRBT to disburse inflated loan amounts. In total, Harrison allegedly submitted over a dozen falsified invoices and lien waivers in draw requests to induce CRBT to disburse over $3.6 million in loan proceeds to Harrison to satisfy purported expenditures.
Harrison allegedly used some of these loan proceeds for his own benefit, rather than applying them to the Model Tobacco and Whitaker Park Projects as required. As alleged in the indictment, Harrison used some of the money he stole for the following personal purchases and expenses, among others:
Numerous purchases at luxury goods and fashion stores, including over $60,000 in payments to Lenkersdorfer Fine Jewelers to buy Rolex watches.
Personal expenses, including his home mortgage, landscaping services for his residence, and tuition and tutoring expenses for his minor child.
Expenses related to a separate construction project — the Petersburg Ramada Inn. For instance, Harrison allegedly used fraud proceeds to pay legal fees to a law firm for Harrison’s litigation against the City of Petersburg pertaining to the project. The Petersburg Ramada Inn was a shuttered building in Petersburg, Virginia. Harrison purchased the property in 2018 and sold it back to the City of Petersburg in June 2022.
Harrison is charged with: wire fraud and mail fraud, which carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; engaging in monetary transactions with criminally derived property, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; and aggravated identity theft, which carries a two-year mandatory minimum prison term Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; and Kareem A. Carter, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge of the Washington D.C. Field Office, made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kashan K. Pathan and Avi Panth are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-152.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Former Monmouth County Resident Admits Fraudulently Obtaining over $3.7 Million in Cares Act LoansRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A former resident of Monmouth County admitted his role in a scheme to fraudulently obtain Payroll Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) funds, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Kevin Aguilar, 54, previously of Farmingdale, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court on Oct. 15, 2024, to a superseding indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud; seven counts of bank fraud; one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud; three counts of wire fraud; one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering; one count of money laundering; and one count of aggravated identity theft.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From April 2020 to April 2021, Aguilar conspired with others to submit seven fraudulent PPP loan applications and three fraudulent EIDL applications on behalf of four businesses. Based on the fraudulent applications, Aguilar received approximately $3.3 million in PPP loan funds and approximately $450,000 in EIDL funds. After receiving the PPP and EIDL funds, Aguilar caused those funds to be transferred to other businesses that he created to give the false appearance that the PPP and EIDL funds were being used for legitimate purposes. Aguilar then used the PPP and EIDL funds to purchase residential properties in Sherman, Texas, a new truck for approximately $100,000, and to pay for other personal expenses.
The bank fraud conspiracy count and each count of bank fraud carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The wire fraud conspiracy count and each count of wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain to the defendant or loss to the victim, whichever is greatest. The money laundering conspiracy count and money laundering count each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain to the defendant or loss to the victim, whichever is greatest. The aggravated identity theft counts carry an additional consecutive mandatory minimum term of two years in prison and a maximum fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Aguilar’s sentencing is scheduled for March 25, 2025.
Charges remain pending against Aguilar’s co-defendant, Jean E. Rabbitt, formerly of Farmingdale, New Jersey. The charges and allegations against Rabbitt are merely accusations and she is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Patricia Tarasca in New York; IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan; special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Corwin Rattler; postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge is Christopher A. Nielsen; special agents of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Robert Manchak; and special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David V. Simunovich of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Health Care Fraud Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer S. Kozar, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Economic Crimes United in Newark.
The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of the five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
aguilar.sindictment.pdfFormer FBI Agent Indicted in Foreign Currency Trading ScamRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A federal grand jury has indicted Jeffrey A. Royer, 61, of Montrose, Colorado, for defrauding investors in a foreign currency (“forex”) trading scheme, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The indictment, which was unsealed today, charges Royer with one count of commodities fraud and one count of wire fraud.
According to the indictment and other court records, Royer was a Special Agent with the FBI from approximately 1996 to 2001. In 2005, Royer was convicted of federal securities fraud, among other charges, and was released from federal prison in 2012 after serving his sentence of imprisonment. From early 2020 through June 2023, Royer executed an investment fraud scheme involving his personal forex trading account. As part of the scheme, Royer fraudulently solicited and accepted over $1 million from various investors in the Eastern District of Michigan and elsewhere. He then misappropriated the money or lost it trading forex. Royer did not disclose the misappropriation or the extent of his trading losses. Instead, Royer concealed the truth from investors, including by providing investors with false monthly account statements that showed investment gains rather than the trading losses that Royer actually incurred.
“Investment fraud is simply a sophisticated means to steal people’s money,” said U.S. Attorney Ison. “Our office has an unwavering commitment to prosecuting any and all fraudsters who take advantage of the residents of this District.”
“I am grateful to our FBI Michigan team, alongside members from the FBI Grand Junction Resident Agency and the Montrose Police Department in Colorado, for their investigative work and arrest in this case,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “Today’s indictment of former FBI Special Agent Jeffrey Royer is important to ensure the public, regardless of an individual’s current or former profession, if you engage in foreign currency trading schemes, the FBI will investigate and arrest you.”
Law enforcement has identified many investors from southeast Michigan. Potential victims are encouraged to contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The defendant faces up to twenty-five years in prison on the commodities fraud charge and up to 20 years in prison on the wire fraud charge.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Trevor Broad and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Florida Man Accused of Stealing Mail from Missouri and Illinois ChurchesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Florida has been indicted and accused of stealing checks from churches in Missouri and Illinois.
Lourdes Mario Anton, 20, was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Wednesday on two counts of theft of or receipt of stolen mail. The indictment accuses Anton of stealing an envelope containing a check from a church in O’Fallon, Missouri on October 2 and another check from a St. Peters church the same day.
A motion seeking to have Anton held in jail until trial alleges that he stole at least 28 checks from mailboxes at six different churches using a specialized tool. After police spotted Anton, they found a FedEx receipt that led to the interception of a package containing stolen checks that Anton tried to send to himself in Florida, the motion says. Anton, who told a U.S. Postal Inspection Service special agent that he is from Romania, had an expired employment authorization card listing his birthplace as France, the motion says. Anton claimed that he was being paid $3,000 per month to be an altar boy in Hollywood, Florida, the motion says.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Each mail theft charge Anton faces carries a potential penalty of up to 5 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both prison and a fine.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the St. Charles County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwen Carroll is prosecuting the case.
Five Defendants Sentenced for Long-Running Bid-Rigging Conspiracy in Georgia Concrete IndustryRead the Press Release
Four executives and a corporation were sentenced for participating in a long-running conspiracy to fix prices, rig bids and allocate jobs for ready-mix concrete in the greater Savannah, Georgia area.
James Clayton Pedrick, Gregory Hall Melton, John David Melton, Timothy “Bo” Strickland and Evans Concrete LLC were charged in September 2020 with conspiring to fix prices, rig bids and allocate jobs for the sale of ready-mix concrete used in residential, commercial and public projects. Pedrick, Strickland and Evans Concrete later pleaded guilty for their participation in this conspiracy. Gregory Hall Melton and John David Melton were convicted by a jury in the U.S. District Court in Savannah earlier this year. Argos USA LLC separately admitted to its role in the conspiracy and entered into a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division in January 2021.
Gregory Hall Melton was sentenced today to 41 months in prison, and three years of supervised release and to pay a $50,000 fine. John David Melton was sentenced today to 26 months in prison, three years of supervised release and to pay a $10,000 fine. The court previously sentenced Strickland to five months in prison and to pay $150,000 fine, Pedrick to one year of probation and Evans Concrete to pay a $2.7 million fine. Argos USA LLC paid a $20 million criminal penalty as part of its DPA.
According to court documents, the defendants effectuated their conspiracy by coordinating the issuance of price-increase letters to customers, allocating specific ready-mix concrete jobs in the coastal Georgia area, and submitting bids to customers at collusive and noncompetitive prices. The charged conspiracy began as early as 2010 and continued until about July 2016.
“These sentences reflect the egregious nature of rigging bids for materials like ready-mix concrete which are essential to the American economy,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Manish Kumar of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division and its law enforcement partners will hold accountable those who seek to exploit the critical need for these materials to harm consumers.”
“Concrete is an essential material in construction projects, with prices set in the free market by the forces of supply and demand,” said U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg for the Southern District of Georgia. “However, the defendants in this case for several years illegally rigged the system to benefit themselves at the expense of customers and are being held accountable for their conduct.”
“Activities related to bid-rigging and collusion do not promote an environment conducive to open competition which harms the consumer,” said Executive Special Agent in Charge Kenneth Cleevely of U.S. Postal Service's Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG). “The sentencing in this case represents a win for all law enforcement agencies who investigate those who engage in this type of harmful conduct to ensure that justice is served."
“The sentences imposed today send a clear message to anyone who chooses corporate greed over open and fair competition,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph Harris of the Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General (DOT OIG), Southern Region. “Our commitment to working with our law enforcement partners and DOJ’s Antitrust Division is unwavering as we continue to pursue and uncover corrupt conduct and hold companies that intentionally engage in wrongdoing accountable.”
The FBI Washington Field Office, DOT OIG and USPS OIG investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Patrick S. Brown and former Trial Attorney Julia M. Maloney of the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney E. Greg Gilluly Jr. for the Southern District of Georgia prosecuted the case.
Anyone with information on bid rigging, price fixing, market allocation or other anticompetitive conduct in the ready-mix concrete industry should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258 or visit www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.
Federal Trial Jury Convicts New Orleans Men for Using Stash House for Methamphetamine, Heroin, Fentanyl Distribution Conspiracy and Being Felons in Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – A federal jury convicted TERENCE WILSON (“WILSON”), age 42, and TRAVIS ENCLADE (“ENCLADE”), age 42, both of New Orleans, on October 9, 2024 for using a stash location in the 3500 block of Encampment Street in New Orleans to conspire to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl and, for being felons in possession of firearms.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, WILSON and ENCLADE conspired together, and with others, to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl from August 2022 through October 12, 2022. During this time, WILSON and ENCLADE engaged in multiple, near daily, hand-to-hand transactions with drug customers in the Hollygrove area.
In September 2022, law enforcement identified a residence being used by WILSON and ENCLADE as a stash house. Both WILSON and ENCLADE regularly made short trips to the stash house, indicative of drug activities, and possessed access keys. When law enforcement executed a search warrant at the stash house, they seized over 534 grams of heroin and fentanyl, over 120 grams of fentanyl, and 363 grams of mostly pure methamphetamine. Law enforcement also seized a Diamondback Model DB9, multicaliber pistol, a Palmetto State Armory Model PA-X9, multicaliber pistol and drug paraphernalia, including, vacuum seal bags, a plastic mixer bottle containing a brownish residue, digital scales with suspected drug residue, a mechanical press used to compress drugs into kilogram shaped packages for distribution, and bags of brown sugar, used as a cutting agent.
During a separate search of ENCLADE’s residence, law enforcement seized a stolen Ruger Model 57, 5.7 x 28-millimeter pistol.
In Count 1, the jury convicted WILSON and ENCLADE of conspiracy to distribute and, possess with intent to distribute, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 40 grams or more of a fentanyl mixture, and 100 grams or more of heroin mixture. With respect to Count 2, possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 40 grams or more of a fentanyl mixture and, 100 grams or more of a heroin mixture, the jury found WILSON guilty and ENCLADE not guilty. The jury convicted WILSON and ENCLADE of being felons in possession of firearms in Counts 3 and 4. The jury found WILSON and ENCLADE not guilty on Count 5, which charged possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
For both Counts 1 and 2, WILSON faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000,000, at least 5 years of supervised release. For Count 1, ENCLADE faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000,000, at least 5 years of supervised release. For being a felon in possession of firearms, WILSON and ENCLADE each face up to 10 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised release. Additionally, for each count of conviction, both WILSON and ENCLADE face payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. Sentencing is set for January 21, 2025.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This prosecution is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, New Orleans Division, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Special Response Team, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Special Response Team, the New Orleans Police Department, the Louisiana State Police, the Slidell Police Department, the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Gretna Major Crimes Task Force, and the Thibodeaux Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Rachal Cassagne and André Jones of the Narcotics Unit are in charge of the prosecution.
Federal Prisoner Indicted for Assaulting Correctional Officer at FCI HerlongRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a single count indictment today against Hewer Berlany Santos, 29, of Los Angeles, charging him with assaulting a federal officer, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on or about Aug. 21, 2023, Santos assaulted a federal correctional officer while the officer was working at a United States federal prison located in Herlong, California. The assault caused the officer bodily injury.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Haddy Abouzeid is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum statutory penalty of twenty years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Federal Inmate at MDC Brooklyn Charged with Orchestrating Murder-For-Hire Using A Contraband CellphoneRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; and Patrick J. Freaney, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the United States Secret Service (“USSS”), announced the unsealing of a Superseding Indictment charging DAJAHN MCBEAN, a/k/a “Jeezy Mula,” a/k/a “Freeze,” KARL SMITH, a/k/a “Pacavell,” and CHELSEY HARRIS, a/k/a “Ms. Chinn” with murder‑for‑hire conspiracy resulting in personal injury and death, stalking resulting in life threatening bodily injury and death, and conspiracy to destroy records. These charges relate to MCBEAN, SMITH, and HARRIS’s roles in attempting to murder an individual in December 2023, which resulted in the shooting death of Clarisa Burgos on December 26, 2023. MCBEAN is already serving a federal sentence for directing a separate gang-related shooting in January 2017 and will be presented today in Manhattan federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave. SMITH and HARRIS were arrested previously and are detained pending trial. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Dajahn McBean and his co-conspirators planned and carried out an elaborate plot to murder another individual by causing others to shoot at the target several times in New York City. During one of those shootings, an innocent bystander, Clarisa Burgos, was killed. McBean allegedly directed this murder plot using a contraband cellphone from within a federal jail while waiting to be sentenced for a separate gang related shooting. Thanks to the hard work of the prosecutors in this Office and our law enforcement partners, McBean and his co-conspirators will be held to account for this crime. These charges make clear that this Office and our law enforcement partners are dedicated to prosecuting those who commit violence on our streets and any federal inmate who causes such violence.”
U.S.S.S. Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Freaney said: "The abiding intent to cause death, as alleged in this murder-for-hire case, is truly shocking. The relentless investigation that followed evinces the Secret Service’s unwavering commitment to take the worst among us off the streets. I want to thank the NYPD Financial Crimes Task Force for their incredible partnership and devotion to this critical work."
As alleged in public court filings, statements at public court proceedings, and the Superseding Indictment:[1]
In December 2023, MCBEAN was detained at Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York (“MDC Brooklyn”) awaiting sentencing for directing a separate gang-related shooting in January 2017. While in federal custody, MCBEAN feuded over social media with another gang member (“Victim-1”). MCBEAN then used a contraband cellphone from inside MDC Brooklyn to conspire with SMITH and HARRIS, who were at liberty in the community, to lure Victim-1 to various nightclubs in New York City where MCBEAN had arranged for gunmen to kill Victim-1. MCBEAN paid SMITH and HARRIS through intermediaries for their roles in this conspiracy.
The plot to kill Victim-1 resulted in two shootings. First, on December 24, 2023, MCBEAN and his co‑conspirators lured Victim-1 to a nightclub (“Club-1”) in Queens, New York. Outside Club-1, gunmen shot and struck Victim-1’s car multiple times but missed Victim-1. Second, on December 26, 2023, MCBEAN and his co-conspirators tried again to kill Victim-1, this time luring him to a different nightclub (“Club-2”) in Queens. At MCBEAN’s direction from within MDC Brooklyn, gunmen again fired on Victim‑1’s car when it was parked outside Club-2. The bullets struck Victim-1 multiple times, but Victim-1 survived. The bullets also struck and killed Victim‑1’s girlfriend, Clarisa Burgos, who was seated in Victim-1’s car. Clarisa Burgos was twenty-eight years old.
* * *
MCBEAN, 29, of Queens, New York, SMITH, 26, of Queens, New York, and HARRIS, 23, of the Bronx, New York, are charged with one count of murder-for-hire conspiracy resulting in personal injury and death, which carries a mandatory minimum term of life in prison or death; stalking resulting in life threatening bodily injury and death, which carries a maximum term of life in prison; and conspiracy to destroy records, which carries a maximum term of five years in prison.
The mandatory minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the work of the USSS Financial Crimes Task Force and the New York City Police Department. Mr. Williams also thanked the Special Agents from Homeland Security Investigations’ El Dorado Task Force for their assistance in the investigation. He added that the investigation is ongoing.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent & Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan W. Allison, Andrew K. Chan, and Jared D. Hoffman are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
u.s._v._dajahn_mcbean_et_al_s2_indictment_24_cr._541.pdf[1] As the introductory phase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Man in Connection with Robberies of Suburban Chicago BanksRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging a man with robbing six banks in the Chicago suburbs.
GERMAN CAMPOS JR., 24, of Franklin Park, Ill., committed the robberies in 2023 and 2024, according to an indictment returned Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The indictment alleges that Campos Jr. brandished a handgun in five of the robberies.
The indictment identifies the six bank robberies as follows:
- Oct. 18, 2023: U.S. Bank in Schaumburg, Ill.
- Dec. 16, 2023: U.S. Bank in Elmhurst, Ill.
- March 6, 2024: U.S. Bank in Schaumburg, Ill.
- June 13, 2024: U.S. Bank in Elmhurst, Ill.
- Aug. 9, 2024: BMO Bank in Park Ridge, Ill.
- Aug. 28, 2024: U.S. Bank in Niles, Ill.
The indictment charges Campos Jr. with six counts of bank robbery, each of which is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison, and five counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, each of which would impose a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years. Campos Jr. is currently detained in law enforcement custody. Arraignment is set for Oct. 24, 2024, at 11:00 a.m., before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria Valdez.
The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Substantial assistance in the investigation was provided by the Schaumburg Police Department, Elmhurst Police Department, Park Ridge Police Department, Niles Police Department, and Franklin Park Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie C. Stern.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
campos_indictment.pdfFlint Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Importing and Selling Illegal MacHinegun Conversion DevicesRead the Press Release
FLINT – A Flint man was sentenced today to 4 years and 9 months in federal prison for illegally importing and selling machinegun conversion devices, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge James Deir of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Detroit Field Division.
United States District Court Judge Shalina D. Kumar sentenced Yusef D. Hairston, 31, following his guilty plea to illegal possession and transfer of a machinegun on June 5, 2024. A machinegun conversion device is a device that, when integrated with a semi-automatic firearm, converts the firearm into a fully automatic machinegun. Under federal law, a machinegun conversion device is itself a machinegun. Judge Kumar also sentenced Hairston to two years of federal supervised release following his release from incarceration.
According to court records, in late 2022 and continuing into 2023, undercover ATF agents purchased various narcotics, firearms, and machinegun conversion devices from Dequan Hawkins. Eventually, Hawkins introduced the undercover ATF agents to Hairston, whom Hawkins identified as his source-of-supply for the machinegun conversion devices. Over the course of the next several months, Hairston sold the undercover ATF agents over 60 machinegun conversion devices. During this same time, Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Patrol interdicted two shipments from China containing over 100 machinegun conversion devices destined for Hairston. In total, Hairston was held responsible for possessing, importing, and selling over 200 machinegun conversion devices.
“Machinegun conversion devices serve one purpose—to turn semi-automatic firearms into machineguns. And machineguns are inherently dangerous firearms, designed solely to inflict maximum harm in minimal time. There is simply no place for these dangerous weapons in our community,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison.
“Machinegun conversion devices pose a serious threat to our community’s safety and security. To be clear, these devices are NOT firearm accessories and are machineguns under federal law.” said ATF Detroit Field Division Special Agent in Charge James Deir. “Mr. Hairston made a choice to possess and profit from illegally modified firearms. In the end, I urge every Michigander contemplating experimenting with a machinegun conversion device to think twice about the serious consequences associated with this choice. I know for a fact that Mr. Hairston will be pondering this exact thought while he spends a considerable amount of time in prison for choosing to possess a machinegun conversion device. These devices are a clear and present danger to public safety and will be investigated and prosecuted as such.”
This case was investigated by special agents of the ATF. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony P. Vance.
FBI Arrests Alabama Man in the January 2024 SEC X Hack that Spiked the Value of BitcoinRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Eric Council Jr., 25, of Athens, Alabama, was arrested this morning, in Athens, in connection with a January 2024 unauthorized takeover of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) X account, formerly known as Twitter, in which hackers posted a fake message from the SEC Chair that caused the value of bitcoin (BTC) to spike by $1,000. Council is expected to make an initial appearance today in the Northern District of Alabama.
Council is charged by indictment, unsealed today, with conspiracy to commit aggravated identity theft and access device fraud. The arrest and the indictment were announced by United States Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and SEC Inspector General Deborah Jeffrey.
According to the indictment, on January 9, 2024, Council conspired with others to take unauthorized control of the @SECGov X account (sometimes called the SEC’s Twitter account) and transmitted a fake post in the name of the SEC Chair, falsely announcing, in part, “Today the SEC grants approval for #Bitcoin ETFs for listing on all registered national securities exchanges.” Immediately after the tweet, the price of BTC increased by more than $1,000 per bitcoin.
Shortly after the unauthorized post, the SEC regained control over their X account and confirmed that the announcement was unauthorized and the result of a security breach. Following this corrective disclosure, the value of BTC decreased by more than $2,000 per bitcoin. (At the time, the SEC had been deliberating whether to approve exchange traded funds (ETFs) that held bitcoin.) An unauthorized actor gained control of the SEC X account through a “SIM swap.”
"These SIM swapping schemes, where fraudsters trick service providers into giving them control of unsuspecting victims’ phones, can result in devastating financial losses to victims and leaks of sensitive personal and private information,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “Here, the conspirators allegedly used their illegal access to a phone to manipulate financial markets. Through indictments like this, we will hold accountable those who commit these serious crimes."
“The indictment alleges that Eric Council, Jr. unlawfully accessed the SEC’s account on X by using the stolen identity of a person who had access to the account to take over their cellphone number,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Argentieri. “Council, Jr.’s co-conspirators then allegedly used this unauthorized access to the X account to falsely announce that the SEC had approved listing Bitcoin ETFs, which caused the price of Bitcoin to rise by $1,000 and then fall by $2,000. Council’s indictment underscores the Criminal Division’s commitment to countering cybercrime, especially when it threatens the integrity of financial markets.”
“The FBI works to identify, disrupt, and investigate cyber-enabled frauds, including SIM swapping,” said FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Geist. “SIM swapping is a method bad actors exploit to illicitly access sensitive information of an individual or company, with the intent of perpetrating a crime. In this case, the unauthorized actor allegedly utilized SIM swapping to manipulate the global financial market. The FBI will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners around the country and globe to hold accountable those who break U.S. laws.”
“Today’s arrest demonstrates our commitment to holding bad actors accountable for undermining the integrity of the financial markets,” said SEC Inspector General Jeffrey.
A Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card is a chip that stores information identifying and authenticating a cell phone subscriber. When a cell phone carrier reassigns a phone number from one physical phone to another — such as when a customer purchases a new phone but wants to retain the same number — the carrier switches the assignment of the cell phone number from the SIM card in the old phone to the SIM card in the new phone, a process sometimes referred to as “porting” a number.
A SIM swap attack refers to the process of fraudulently inducing a carrier to reassign a cell phone number from the legitimate subscriber or user’s SIM card to a SIM card, and telephone, controlled by a criminal actor. A SIM swap attack allows a criminal actor to defeat multifactor authentication (MFA) and/or two-step verification process to access a victim’s account so that the criminal actor may steal money and/or data from the victim or access the victim’s online accounts.
As described in the indictment, Council, who used online monikers including “Ronin,” “Easymunny,” and “AGiantSchnauzer,” received personal identifying information (PII) and an identification card template containing a victim’s name and photo from co-conspirators. Council then used his identification card printer to create a fake ID with the information. Council proceeded to obtain a SIM card linked to the victim’s phone line by presenting the fake ID at a cell phone provider store in Huntsville, Alabama. He then purchased a new iPhone in cash and used the two items to obtained access codes to the @SECGov X account. Council shared those codes with members of the conspiracy, who then accessed the account – and issued the fraudulent tweet on the @SECGov X account in the name of the SEC Chairman, falsely announcing the SEC’s approval of BTC ETFs. Council received BTC payment for performing the successful SIM swap. Shortly after, Council drove to Birmingham, Alabama to return the iPhone used in the SIM swap for cash.
He later conducted internet searches for “SECGOV hack,” “telegram sim swap,” “how can I know for sure if I am being investigated by the FBI,” and “What are the signs that you are under investigation by law enforcement or the FBI even if you have not been contacted by them.”
This case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, the SEC-Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and the Department of Justice’s Market Integrity and Major Frauds Unit (MIMF) and Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS). Significant assistance was provided by the FBI’s Birmingham Field Office.
The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Rosenberg, and DOJ Trial Attorneys Ashley Pungello and Paul Zebb from the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, and Lauren Archer from the Fraud Section. Valuable assistance was provided by Assistant United States Attorney John Hundscheid from the Northern District of Alabama.
For more information on SIM Swapping, go to: https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2024/PSA240411
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
councileric_indictment_24-cr-457_0.pdfEscapee from Bloomfield Halfway House Sentenced to Additional Prison TimeRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JONATHAN McEWEN, 35, formerly of Vernon, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 14 months of imprisonment for escaping from a Bloomfield halfway house where he was completing a federal prison term.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 14, 2022, McEwen was sentenced in Hartford federal court to 42 months of imprisonment for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. On August 1, 2023, McEwen was transferred from a federal prison in Berlin, New Hampshire, to the Drapelick Center, a Residential Reentry Center (halfway house) in Bloomfield, to complete his custodial sentence. On November 27, 2023, McEwen was authorized to leave the halfway house to attend a state court hearing in Manchester. He failed to return to the halfway house as required. On December 6, 2023, McEwen was arrested by the Connecticut State Police and the Hartford Police Department on state charges unrelated to his escape.
McEwen has been detained since his arrest. On July 16, 2024, he pleaded guilty to escape from the custody of the Attorney General.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service, with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police and Hartford Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Sheldon.
Enterprise Man Sentenced to 120 Months in Federal Prison Following Federal Gun ConvictionRead the Press Release
Montgomery, AL – Today, Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced that 43-year-old Steve Allen Grubbs, Jr., a resident of Enterprise, Alabama, received a sentence of 120 months in prison following his conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. There is no parole in the federal system. The sentencing occurred on October 16, 2024.
According to the plea agreement and other court records, in the summer of 2019, law enforcement began an investigation related to suspected drug-trafficking taking place at a residence in Daleville. After confirming their suspicions, on August 2, 2019, officers from the Daleville Police Department executed a search warrant on the residence which was associated with Grubbs at the time. Among the items seized were two handguns. Grubbs has previous felony convictions and is prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Grubbs pleaded guilty to illegally possessing the firearms on July 3, 2024.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Daleville Police Department, and Enterprise Police Department investigated this case, which Assistant United States Attorney Eric M. Counts prosecuted.
Employee Who Stole More than $430,000 from San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation SentencedRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Escondido resident Katherine Lu Acquista, the former director of operations and accounting for the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation, was sentenced in federal court today to 12 months and 1 day in custody for stealing approximately $433,275.89 from her then-employer. She was also ordered to pay a fine of $50,000.
According to court documents, while employed at the non-profit organization known as EDC, Acquista used her access and authority to put personal expenses on EDC credit cards and pay those expenses using EDC funds. She also directed other employees to issue checks to her from the EDC company bank account. She then caused false entries about these transactions to be made in the EDC’s accounting system to disguise her ongoing theft. In addition, she stole from EDC’s flexible spending and payroll system. All told, she exploited her position of trust to steal more than $430,000 over at least a five-year period, between August 2017 and August 2022.
The EDC is a 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit organization that works to grow San Diego’s economy and regional prosperity. The EDC’s mission is to maximize the region's economic competitiveness and global competitiveness. It is funded by individual and corporate donations, grants and investments from nearly 200 companies, public agencies, and private organizations.
Explaining the impact of her crimes, the Chief Operating Officer of EDC stated, “[San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation] is a nonprofit organization with a mission to maximize the region's economic prosperity and raise our global competitiveness. Acquista’sactions defied two of our closely held values – accountability and integrity.”
“Members of our community who donate to local non-profits depend on the integrity and stewardship of those entrusted with such funds,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “This sentence serves to remind those engaged in crime for profit that whether your victim is the taxpayer, government, or a local non-profit, you will be held accountable.”
“Those who seek to misappropriate non-profit donations are acting contrary to the interest of the public good. The FBI stands ready to investigate those who violate the trust of the donors and diminish the efforts of non-profit organizations such as the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation,” said San Diego FBI Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Valerie H. Chu. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Wasserman assisted in the case.
DEFENDANT Case Number 24CR0765-AJB
Katherine Lu Acquista Age: 47 Escondido, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Wire Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1343
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCY
Federal Bureau of Investigation
El Salvadoran National Guilty of Illegal Reentry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that MARIO ALONSO ALDANO-CARPIO, age 49, a citizen of El Salvador, pled guilty on October 9, 2024 to illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of 8 U.S.C. ' 1326(a). U.S. District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle scheduled the sentencing for January 15, 2025.
According to court records, MARIO ALONSO ALDANO-CARPIO reentered the United States sometime prior to August 2, 2024, after having been previously removed on or about January 10, 2006.
MARIO ALONSO ALDANO-CARPIO faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. Sentencing is scheduled for January 15, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Irene González of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to More Than 75 Years Combined in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
FAYETTEVILLE – The final member of a Northwest Arkansas drug trafficking organization was sentenced to federal prison for crimes related to the Distribution of Methamphetamine. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearings for the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court documents, beginning in approximately October of 2022, agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), along with Investigators with the Fourth Judicial Drug Task Force (JDTF) initiated an investigation into a drug trafficking organization operating in the Fayetteville Division responsible for distributing methamphetamine. During the course of their investigation, investigators identified Charles Grinder as a leader of this local group. Grinder was further identified as an incarcerated, gang member who was a source of supply for methamphetamine into the Western District of Arkansas.
Those members of the drug trafficking organization indicted federally have been sentenced as follows:
Charles Grinder: age 44, McAlester, Oklahoma – Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of More than 50 Grams of Methamphetamine – 420 months imprisonment and 5-year term of supervised release.
Chelsea Dray: age 30, Bentonville, Arkansas – Distribution of Methamphetamine– 96 months months and 3-year term of supervised release.
Paige Johnson: age 33, Claremore, Oklahoma - Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine – 87 months imprisonment and 3-year term of supervised release.
James Johnson: age 40, Wagoner, Oklahoma – Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine – 188 months imprisonment and 3-year term of supervised release.
Destiny McGinnnis: age 29, Stillwater, Oklahoma – Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of More than 50 Grams of Methamphetamine – 46 months imprisonment and 3-year term of supervised release.
Christopher Outlaw: age 39, Tulsa, Oklahoma – Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of More than 50 Grams of Methamphetamine – 72 months imprisonment and 4-year term of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations, Fayetteville Resident Office, Benton County Sheriff’s Office, 4th Judicial District Drug Task Force, and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Briana Robbins and Kim Harris prosecuted the case for the United States.
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.
Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov
Des Moines Woman Indicted in Relation to Deadly Traffic StopRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – A federal grand jury in Des Moines returned a three-count indictment yesterday charging Shawnna Marie Cunningham, 47, with offenses related to her possession of a firearm as a drug user and her aiding and abetting the possession and disposal of a firearm to a person she knew was a felon.
According to public court documents, on September 16, 2024, Cunningham was a passenger in a vehicle that refused to stop when law enforcement attempted to initiate a traffic stop. The driver, Joshua Dean Green, a convicted felon, produced a nine-millimeter pistol and fired at Des Moines Police officers. One officer was struck in the head and another officer was struck in the arm. Officers returned fire and Green ultimately died from his injuries. Cunningham was searched immediately following the traffic stop. A methamphetamine pipe was located on Cunningham’s person. In addition, Cunningham admitted to using methamphetamine. It is a crime under federal law to possess a firearm as a drug user.
In May 2020, Cunningham purchased the nine-millimeter pistol Green used to shoot the police officers. In September 2021, Green was arrested with the same pistol and later convicted of unlawfully possessing it as a felon. In March 2022, the gun was returned to Cunningham at her request. After Green was released from prison in January 2024, Cunningham again knowingly allowed Green to access, possess, and use her firearm.
If convicted, Cunningham faces a sentence of up to fifteen years in prison on each count.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case, with assistance from the Des Moines Police Department.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Denver Woman Sentenced to One Year and One Day for Stealing Nearly $500k from Her EmployerRead the Press Release
DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Tiffany Vo, age 37, of Denver, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison, three years of supervised release, and restitution in the amount of $483,393.58 after pleading guilty to one count of wire fraud for a scheme to defraud her employer, Amazon.
According to the plea agreement, between approximately the summer of 2020 through at least June of 2022, Vo worked for Amazon in a role in which she administered virtual employee programs during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Vo devised and participated in a scheme to fabricate invoices and expense reports to claim reimbursement for approximately $483,393.58 in purported corporate event expenditures that did not occur. Vo spent the stolen funds on a variety of personal expenses including designer handbags and sunglasses, payments toward her condo, two vehicles, exercise equipment, and thousands of dollars of beauty products.
“White collar crimes like this one cause financial impact to not just corporate entities, but to consumers and taxpayers,” said Acting United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Matt Kirsch. “This office will continue to prosecute criminals who exploit access for personal gain.”
“Instead of working for her employer, this defendant was furtively working against her employer. Over the course of her deception, she stole nearly $500,000 and used the money to live exorbitantly beyond her means,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “Members of the FBI Denver complex financial crimes squad were able to unravel the defendant’s embezzlement scheme, and now she faces the justice she earned.”
Judge S. Kato Crews presided over the sentencing. The FBI Denver Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca Weber handled the prosecution.
Case Number: 1:24-cr-00102-SKC
Davenport Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a Distribution Quantity of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Davenport man was sentenced today to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a distribution quantity of methamphetamine.
According to public court documents, Richard James Murphy, 42, sold an ounce of methamphetamine to a confidential source in August 2023. Four days later, law enforcement executed a state search warrant at Murphy’s Davenport residence and found approximately one-half pound of meth, which Murphy intended to distribute, and ten rounds of ammunition. Murphy is a felon and was on probation at the time he committed this offense.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Murphy 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 Bettendorf Police Department, Davenport Police Department, and the Scott County Sheriff’s Office.