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22 November 2024
Jacksonville Man Indicted for Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Mauricio Chahine (52, Jacksonville) with five counts of money laundering and attempted money laundering. If convicted, Chahine faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count. Chahine was arrested on a criminal complaint on November 12, 2024, and has been ordered detained while awaiting trial.
According to the indictment and other court documents, beginning in March 2024, Chahine met several times with undercover federal agents who were posing as drug traffickers. Chahine explained to the undercover agents the various ways that he could launder money for a fee on their behalf. On four separate occasions, Chahine accepted cash from the agents, totaling more than $200,000. Chahine then caused the cash to be divided up and deposited into the bank accounts of various corporate entities, only to return the money to the agents – less his fee – through a series of wire transfers to a bank account controlled by the agents. The purpose of these transactions was to conceal or disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the cash, which Chahine believed to be drug trafficking proceeds. The indictment also alleges that Chahine attempted to engage in money laundering on a fifth occasion shortly before his arrest.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly S. Milliron and Michael J. Coolican.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Jacksonville Contract Postal Carrier Pleads Guilty to Credit Card Fraud and Theft of Mail ChargesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Daniel Diaz Garcia (35, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to credit card fraud and theft of mail. He faces up to 10 years in federal prison for the credit card fraud offense, up to 5 years’ imprisonment for the mail theft offense, and payment of restitution to the victims in the case. Garcia was arrested on July 29, 2024, by the U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG). A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, in September 2023, Garcia began working as a highway contract carrier handling First Class mail delivery in Jacksonville. While working in that capacity, Garcia stole mail, opened it, and removed the contents to include credit cards. An investigation by the USPS-OIG determined that Garcia stole credit cards belonging to various victims on his mail route. Video surveillance from various businesses showed Garcia using the stolen credit cards to purchase more than $1,000 in merchandise. While questioning Garcia about his use of the stolen credit cards, law enforcement located an additional stolen credit card in his wallet.
This case was investigated by United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
Inmate Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Weapon at FCI BeckleyRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Jonathan Webb, 28, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Beckley, was sentenced today to one year in prison, to run consecutively to his undischarged term of incarceration, and to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a weapon by an inmate at a federal prison.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 26, 2023, an FCI Beckley staff member conducted a pat-down search of Webb and found a handcrafted weapon commonly known as a “shank” in his right front pants pocket. The shank was a piece of metal approximately six inches long with a sharpened point on one end and a cloth handle. Webb admitted to possessing the shank, and further admitted that it was designed and intended to be used as a weapon.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-45.
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Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt:
Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on Nov. 19 was:
Crystal Joy Blakely, 37, of Billings, on charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. If convicted of the most serious crime, Blakely faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and at least three years of supervised release. Blakely was detained pending further proceedings. The Billings Police Department, FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-128.
Appearing in Missoula before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto and pleading not guilty on Nov. 18 was:
Patricia Marie Holcomb, 56, of Kalispell, on charges of possession with intent to distribute meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Holcomb faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Holcomb was released pending further proceedings. The Northwest Drug Task Force conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-62.
Thomas Joseph Spotted Eagle, 41, of Pablo, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth and fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute meth and fentanyl. If convicted of the most serious crime, Spotted Eagle faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Spotted Eagle was detained pending further proceedings. The Northwest Drug Task Force conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-48.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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Indiana Man Pleads Guilty in Twin Cities Fentanyl Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – An Indiana man has pleaded guilty in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed fentanyl throughout the Twin Cities and surrounding areas, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, between August 2022 through December 2023, Da’Shawn Natori Domena, 25, conspired with his co-defendants to distribute fentanyl in Minnesota. The co-conspirators frequently traveled to Phoenix to obtain fentanyl pills from suppliers, hid the pills inside stuffed animals, and mailed them to addresses in and around the Twin Cities. Law enforcement in Dakota, Ramsey, and Washington counties became aware of the trafficking and initiated a joint investigation, which resulted in the seizure of six packages containing over 30,000 grams of fentanyl pills.
Domena pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court before Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Dakota County Drug Task Force, the Washington County Drug Task Force, and the Ramsey County Violent Crime Enforcement Team.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Campbell Warner is prosecuting the case.
Indian National Charged with Conspiring to Illegally Export U.S. Aviation Components to RussiaRead the Press Release
On Nov. 20 in the District of Oregon, Sanjay Kaushik, 57, of India, was indicted for conspiring to export controlled aviation components with dual civilian and military applications to end users in Russia, in violation of the Export Control Reform Act. Kaushik is also charged with attempting to illegally export a navigation and flight control system from Oregon to Russia through India, and with making false statements in connection with an export. He was arrested in Miami, Florida, on Oct. 17, pursuant to a criminal complaint and arrest warrant issued by the District of Oregon.
According to the court documents, beginning as early as March 2023, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Kaushik conspired with others to unlawfully obtain aerospace goods and technology from the United States for entities in Russia. The goods were purchased under the false pretense that they would be supplied to Kaushik and his Indian company, when in fact they were destined for Russian end users.
In one such instance, Kaushik and his co-conspirators purchased an Attitude Heading Reference System (AHRS), which is a device that provides navigation and flight control data for aircraft, from an Oregon-based supplier. Components such as the AHRS require a license from the Department of Commerce to be exported to certain countries, including Russia. To obtain an export license for the AHRS, Kaushik and his co-conspirators falsely claimed that Kaushik’s Indian company was the end purchaser and that the component would be used in a civilian helicopter. Kaushik and his co-conspirators obtained the AHRS – which was ultimately detained before it was exported from the United States – on behalf of and with the intention of shipping it, through India, to a customer in Russia.
If convicted, Kaushik faces maximum penalties of 20 years in prison and up to a $1 million for each count in the indictment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod of Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), and U.S. Attorney Natalie K. Wight for the District of Oregon made the announcement.
BIS Portland is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory R. Nyhus for the District of Oregon and Trial Attorneys Joshua E. Kurland and Dallas J. Kaplan of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
This case was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls, and economic countermeasures that the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2, 2022, and under the leadership of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Illinois Man Sentenced to 115 Months in Federal Prison for Firearm and Ammunition ChargesRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Silvis, Illinois man was sentenced yesterday to 115 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon.
According to public court documents, in July 2022, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for a vehicle and residence belonging to Quivadas Quadell-Lee Gaines, 34. At Gaines’ residence, officers seized at least 40 rounds of ammunition. The vehicle search warrant resulted in the seizure of a loaded pistol, found along with Gaines’ driver’s license and social security card. Gaines is a felon and prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
In 2019, Gaines was convicted of one felony count of second-degree theft, in the Iowa District Court for Muscatine County.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Gaines will be required to serve a three-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.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Illegal Possession of Ammunition Leads to 15-Year Prison Sentence for North Little Rock ManRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Terell Davis, a multi-convicted felon, will spend the next 15 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down on Thursday by United States District Judge Billy Roy Wilson.
On February 20, 2024, Davis, 40, of North Little Rock, Arkansas, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition. Judge Wilson also sentenced Davis to three years supervised release. Davis was indicted on February 7, 2023, in a superseding indictment on one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition.
An investigation revealed that while investigating a shooting incident, on August 9, 2022, officers from the North Little Rock Police Department executed a search warrant on Davis’s residence in North Little Rock, Arkansas. During the search, officers recovered .45 caliber, .40 caliber, .410 caliber, .38 caliber, .357 caliber, 7.62x39 caliber, .223 caliber, and 9mm ammunition, along with multiple 50-round drum magazines.
Davis was on parole at the time of the offense and has prior convictions for manslaughter, possession of cocaine with intent to deliver, battery in the first degree, fleeing in a vehicle causing danger, and possession of cocaine with purpose to deliver.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the North Little Rock Police Department.
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Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
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@USAO_EDAR
Illegal Export of Aviation Components from Oregon to Russia Results in Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment Wednesday charging a Delhi, India man with conspiring and attempting to export controlled aviation components and a navigation and flight control system to end users in Russia, in violation of the Export Control Reform Act.
Sanjay Kaushik, age 57, of India, has been charged with conspiring to export controlled aviation components with dual civilian and military applications to end users in Russia. Kaushik is also charged with attempting to illegally export a navigation and flight control system from Oregon to Russia through India, and with making false statements in connection with an export.
The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Natalie K. Wight for the District of Oregon, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the National Security Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, and Special Agent in Charge Brent Burmester of the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), Portland Field Office.
According to court documents, beginning in early September 2023, Kaushik is alleged to have conspired with others to unlawfully obtain aerospace goods and technology from the United States for entities in Russia. The goods were purchased under the false pretense that they would be supplied to Kaushik and his Indian company, when in fact they were destined for Russian end users.
In one such instance, Kaushik and his co-conspirators purchased an Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS), which is a device that provides navigation and flight control data for aircraft, from an Oregon-based supplier. Components such as the AHRS require a license from the Department of Commerce to be exported to certain countries, including Russia. To obtain an export license for the AHRS, Kaushik and his co-conspirators falsely claimed that Kaushik’s Indian company was the end purchaser and that the component would be used in a civilian helicopter. Kaushik and his co-conspirators obtained the AHRS – which was ultimately detained before it was exported from the United States – on behalf of and with the intention of shipping it, through India, to a customer in Russia.
Kaushik was arrested in Miami, Florida on October 17, 2024, pursuant to a criminal complaint and arrest warrant issued by the United States District Court for the District of Oregon.
Kaushik made his initial appearance in federal court today before a District of Oregon U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was arraigned, pleaded not guilty, and ordered detained pending a 7-day jury trial scheduled to begin on January 21, 2025.
If convicted, Kaushik faces maximum penalties of 20 years in prison and a fine of not more than $1,000,000 for each count in the indictment.
The case is being investigated by BIS Portland. It is being prosecuted by Gregory R. Nyhus, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon and Trial Attorneys Joshua E. Kurland and Dallas J. Kaplan of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Husband and Wife Receive Combined 45 Years in Prison for Distributing Fentanyl That Resulted in DeathRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Terry Wayne Franklin and his wife, Mary Danielle Sheppard, will spend a combined 45 years in prison after selling fentanyl to a victim who then overdosed and died from the drug. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentences, which were handed down this week by United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr.
Judge Moody sentenced Franklin, 39, of Conway, who had prior felony drug convictions, to 25 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release on Wednesday. Sheppard, 36, of Conway, received a 20-year sentence, also followed by three years of supervised release, on Thursday. There is no parole in the federal system.
“This couple made the decision to sell pills containing a deadly, illegal drug, unfortunately resulting in yet another loss of life from the use of fentanyl,” said Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. “Let this sentence serve as a warning to those who sell fentanyl in any form, that you will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and the penalty is severe.”
The pair were charged on July 5, 2023, in a two-count indictment for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl resulting in death and distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. Sheppard pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl resulting in death on March 21, 2024, and Franklin pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl resulting in death on April 1, 2024.
A Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigation revealed that on May 15, 2022, the Greenbrier Police Department was dispatched to a possible overdose at a residence. The victim of the overdose later died at a hospital in Conway. On the scene, officers located several blue, round pills scored “M30”. Subsequent investigation by the DEA and the Conway Police Department discovered numerous text messages between the victim and Franklin discussing the victim’s purchase of fentanyl pills. Franklin directed the victim to make payment to Sheppard’s CashApp account and directed the victim to obtain the pills from Sheppard. Surveillance video also showed the victim and Sheppard meeting the night the victim obtained the pills and died.
Following the victim’s death, on September 16, 2022, a Nacogdoches, Texas, police officer conducted a traffic stop on Franklin and Sheppard, who were heading north toward Arkansas out of south Texas. During the stop, officers located numerous pills containing fentanyl.
This case was investigated by the DEA with assistance from the Greenbrier Police Department, the Conway Police Department, and the Nacogdoches, Texas, Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Gordon and Reese Lancaster.
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Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
X (formerly known as Twitter):
@USAO_EDAR
Home Repairmen Plead Guilty to Tax Fraud for Failing to Report Income Earned from Elderly ClientsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A pair of repairmen that earned more than $1.5 million from elderly customers for home repair services appeared in federal court today and pleaded guilty to tax fraud, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. David Angelo Quick, 43, of Charlotte, and Tony Joshua Christo, 33, formerly of Charlotte, now residing in Florida, pleaded guilty to filing a false tax return.
Jason Krizmanich, Acting Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and Donald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Charlotte Field Office, join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to plea documents and the court hearing, from 2018 to 2021, Quick and Christo provided home repair and improvement services, as well as car repair services, to elderly clients. During that time, the defendants collectively received more than $1.5 million from elderly customers but failed to report any of this income on their federal income tax returns filed with the IRS. Quick, who was not a licensed contractor, owned and operated David Quick Home Improvements, which provided roofing, painting, driveway construction and other home services. Christo worked with Quick on home repair projects. Filed documents and statements made in court show that the defendants defrauded some of the elderly clients by overcharging them for repairs. Court records also show that the defendants received payment for their services, but they failed to report their income to the IRS.
Both defendants pleaded guilty to filing a false tax return. The charge carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The defendants were released on bond following the plea hearings and will be sentenced at a later date.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked IRS-CI and USPIS for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
Harrison County Man Admits to Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Martin Lynn Queen, age 61, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, has admitted to the unlawful possession of a firearms charge.
According to court documents, during a traffic stop, officers found a firearm in Queen’s car. A subsequent search of his other properties found more firearms and ammunition. Queen is prohibited from having firearms because of a prior firearms conviction in the Northern District of West Virginia.
Queen faces up to 15 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Perri is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Gulfport Man Sentenced to 87 Months in Prison for Possession of over 80 Videos of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. - A Gulfport man was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison followed by 20 years of supervised release for possession of over 80 videos of child pornography.
Roy Alexander Johnson, 31, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Gulfport. In addition to his term of imprisonment, Johnson was ordered to pay $13,000 in restitution to victims, and $3,000 in mandatory restitution under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018.
According to court documents, Johnson was the user of accounts which contained visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Johnson was identified after CyberTip reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children led to email accounts which were traced to Johnson. The email accounts contained over 80 videos of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct including minors who had not attained 12 years of age.
Johnson was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 14, 2024. He pled guilty on August 15, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Todd Gee and FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Cyber Crime Division of the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones 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 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.
Greene County Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison for Distribution, Receipt, and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Drew Caswell, age 26, of Cairo, New York, was sentenced today to 9 years in prison for distribution, receipt, and possession of child pornography. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and New York State Police (NYSP) Superintendent Steven G. James made the announcement.
As part of his previous guilty plea, Caswell admitted that he used a file-hosting service to download child pornography and then distributed multiple image and video files of child pornography by publicly posting them to a social media site. Caswell also admitted that on August 7, 2023, he possessed child pornography on his cell phone, including nearly 300 images and videos of toddlers and infants being sexually abused.
United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci also ordered that Caswell serve a 20-year term of post-incarceration supervised release. Caswell will be required to register as a sex offender after his release from prison.
The FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force—which includes members of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including Troop F of the New York State Police and its Computer Crimes Unit—investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mikayla Espinosa prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Grand jury indicts Pennsylvania man who allegedly sexually exploited Ohio teenager he met onlineRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal grand jury charged a Pennsylvania man with sexually exploiting a minor victim and traveling interstate to engage in illicit sexual conduct with the victim.
Dustin Combs, 30, of Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, allegedly traveled to central Ohio on numerous occasions to engage in sex acts with a 13-year-old girl he met online.
Combs was arrested in Pennsylvania and was arraigned in federal court today in Columbus.
According to the 10-count indictment returned on Nov. 8, for at least 10 months, Combs sexually exploited the minor victim by producing child pornography that depicted the victim and filming their sex acts at various locations including at Columbus area hotels.
It is alleged that Combs traveled to Ohio on least five occasions in July, October and November 2023 and April 2024 to engage in illegal sex acts with the victim.
Sexual exploitation of a minor is punishable by a mandatory minimum 15 years and up to 30 years in prison. Traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor is a federal crime that carries a potential penalty of up to 30 years in prison.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Angie Salazar, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin and other members of the Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is 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.
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Fugitive Businessman Sentenced to Prison for Fraud Scheme to Pay Alleged KickbacksRead the Press Release
MIAMI - Yesterday, Celestine “Skip” Aniekwu, 65, of Sunrise, Fla., who had been a fugitive for 15 years and surrendered earlier this year, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith to the top of the guidelines, 16 months in prison, for participating in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
According to the court filings in support of Aniekwu’s plea in September of this year, undercover FBI agents posed as asset managers who offered to help Aniekwu obtain construction contracts with local governments entities in 2008. Aniekwu told the undercover FBI agents that he needed to pay a total of $150,000 in cash to public officials with the City of Miramar for supporting the bid of Gulf Building Corporation on two projects, the Ansin Sports Complex and the Miramar Regional Service Center, in Miramar, Fla. The money was to come from a sub-contractor as part of a pre-arranged deal. The subcontractor was a subsidiary of a publicly traded company and would have difficulty drawing out the amount of cash to finance the bribe payments. Aniekwu went to the undercover FBI agents requesting their assistance with a scheme for the subcontractor to provide false invoices for work that was never performed in order to obtain cash to allegedly pay the Miramar public officials. Aniekwu and an officer of the subcontractor conspired to prepare the fraudulent invoices and submit them and thereby obtained authorization to issue two checks totaling $50,000 which were provided to the undercover FBI agents. At the request of Aniekwu, the undercover FBI agents cashed the checks and provided the cash to Aniekwu, who was to use the funds to pay the public officials in Miramar.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri for the FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
The FBI investigated this matter. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey N. Kaplan.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 09-cr-60317.
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 192 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Samuel Hicks, 35 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady, after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Advertise and Distribute Child Pornography, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Hicks was sentenced to 192 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, between January and March of 2022, Hicks posted images of videos of child sexual abuse material on a dark website which facilitated the advertisement and distribution of child sexual abuse material.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Allen County Sheriff’s Department Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the New Haven Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Miller Lowery of the Northern District of Indiana and Trial Attorney Nadia Prinz from the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Department of Justice.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Fort Totten Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Abusing ChildrenRead the Press Release
Fargo – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that Wendell James Snell, age 42, from Fort Totten, ND, was sentenced to 360 months in federal prison on November 21, 2024. Snell had previously pled guilty to five counts of Abusive Sexual Contact of a Child. At sentencing, the Honorable Peter D. Welte, Chief Judge United States District Court for the District of North Dakota, imposed six-year, statutory maximum sentences on each count, to run consecutively. Following his thirty-year sentence, Snell will be subject to a lifetime of supervised release and a number of conditions, including not having contact with minors.
Snell’s guilty pleas and sentence relate to his sexual abuse of three children, each under the age of 12 years old, between the years of 2011 to 2014 on the Spirit Lake Reservation.
“This serious sentence is seriously appropriate considering the defendant’s unforgivable abuse of multiple children,” Schneider said. “We hope it will provide some space for the victims to heal and deter this kind of abhorrent behavior in the future. Our career prosecutors and FBI partners are committed to protecting kids in Indian country and wherever we have jurisdiction, and as this case shows we will firmly hold abusers to account in federal court.”
"The depravity of Snell's actions is reflected in today's sentencing," said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. "When the most vulnerable of our citizens – our children – are victimized, the FBI will do everything in our power to hold the perpetrators accountable and to protect others from harm."
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant US Attorney Lori H. Conroy.
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Former Valentine ISD Employee Pleads Guilty for Stealing Federal FundsRead the Press Release
ALPINE, Texas – A former Valentine Independent School District employee pleaded guilty to charges related to his scheme to fraudulently misappropriate school district funds for personal expenses.
According to court records, Ernesto Villarreal Jr., 43, of Marfa, was employed as the Business Manager and served as the Tax Collector and Assessor for the Valentine ISD, in Valentine, TX. During his time as an agent of Valentine ISD, Villarreal schemed to defraud Valentine ISD by using two ISD credit cards to make hundreds of unauthorized personal purchases totaling thousands of dollars; issued over $10,000 in unauthorized checks to himself from Valentine ISD accounts; issued over $20,000 in unauthorized checks from Valentine ISD accounts to cover personal expenses owed to a credit card company; and changed the bank account information for certain current and former employees, and then generated over $100,000 in fraudulent payments to those current and former employees, for work that did not actually occur, which payments Villarreal routed to his own personal bank accounts, all without the knowledge or permission of the employees.
Villarreal used the ill-gotten funds for hundreds of personal purchases, including but not limited to purchases for travel, lodging, home improvements, hardware store purchases, personal cell phone bills, fuel, oil changes, convenience store purchases, Airbnb rentals, personal flight purchases, and various other unauthorized purchases. Villarreal is believed to have caused over $300,000 in losses to Valentine ISD.
Villarreal pleaded guilty to one count of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds and eight counts of wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on February 21, 2025. Villarreal faces up to 10 years in prison for the theft count and up to 20 years in prison for each wire fraud count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case, assisted by the Texas Rangers and the Department of Education Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Fedock and Scott Greenbaum are prosecuting the case.
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Former Oglala Sioux Tribe Treasurer Indicted for Theft from the TribeRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal grand jury has indicted a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man for Larceny and Embezzlement and Theft from an Indian Tribal Organization.
Mason Big Crow, age 50, was indicted in September of 2024. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollman on November 22, 2024, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to ten years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
As the treasurer for the Oglala Sioux Tribe, Big Crow had nearly exclusive access to the tribe’s debit and credit card, and also had access to the tribe’s bank accounts. Between January 2021 and March 2023, Big Crow embezzled tribal funds to make personal purchases that had not been authorized by the tribe and that were used for his personal benefit.
The charges are merely an accusation and Big Crow is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
This case was brought pursuant to the Guardians Project, a federal law enforcement initiative to coordinate efforts between participating agencies, to promote citizen disclosure of public corruption, fraud, and embezzlement involving federal program funds, contracts, and grants, and to hold accountable those who are responsible for adversely affecting those living in South Dakota’s Indian country communities. The Guardians Project is another step of federal law enforcement’s on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination, and positive action on behalf of tribal communities. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the participating agencies include: the FBI; the Offices of Inspector General for the Departments of Interior, Health and Human Services, Social Security Administration, Agriculture, Transportation, Education, Justice, and Housing and Urban Development; IRS Criminal Investigation; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General.
For additional information about the Guardians Project, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (605) 330-4400. To report a suspected crime, please contact law enforcement at the federal agency’s locally listed telephone number.
The investigation is being conducted by Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson is prosecuting the case.
Big Crow was released pending trial. A trial date has not been scheduled.
Former New York City Police Officer Convicted of Sex Offenses Involving Four Minor Boys and the Sexual Assault of Two of Those ChildrenRead the Press Release
Christopher Terranova, a former New York City Police Department (NYPD) officer, was found guilty today by a federal jury in Brooklyn on all six counts of a superseding indictment charging him with sexually exploiting, attempting to sexually exploit and enticing and coercing three 15-year-old boys and a 12-year-old boy. The verdict followed a five-day trial before United States District Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto. Terranova filed for retirement in September 2023 while under suspension from NYPD. When sentenced, Terranova faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years’ imprisonment and up to life in prison.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the verdict.
“As proven at trial, the defendant preyed on vulnerable minors through social media and on Staten Island where he abused his position as a police officer to gain the trust of his victims in a despicable strategy to gratify his sexual desires,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Today’s verdict hopefully will help victims on their path to healing with the knowledge that the defendant has been brought to justice for his crimes. Parents and caregivers should have conversations with their children about the dangers of communicating online with strangers and as well as individuals they know, and report inappropriate contacts to law enforcement.”
Mr. Peace expressed his appreciation to the NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau for their assistance during the investigation.
“Christopher Terranova, a former NYPD officer, violated his sworn oath to protect and serve by preying upon four minor boys for personal gratification,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Dennehy. “Terranova strategically exploited his position to establish an inappropriate relationship with his victims and impose undue sexual influence. While the majority of law enforcement conduct themselves accordingly, the FBI will continue to partner with the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau to investigate any officer abusing their badge for twisted desires.”
Between approximately December 2019 and May 2023, Terranova used social media to engage in sexually explicit conversations with underage boys and attempt to entice them into taking sexually explicit photographs of themselves and sharing them with the defendant. Terranova used popular social media applications to message and gain the trust of underage boys whom he encountered socially, online or through his job as a police officer.
For example, between March 2023 and May 2023, Terranova targeted a boy who was the victim of a robbery and encountered the defendant at the 121st Precinct on Staten Island when he reported the crime. Terranova obtained the boy’s cellphone number from the robbery complaint in an NYPD database and messaged him: “Hey…it’s Chris Terranova the cop you met at the 121 that day with mom, i just wanted to reach out to see if you were doing ok after the incident, I hate seeing these things happen to good Guys like yourself.” In subsequent messages, Terranova inquired about the investigation, referred to his role as a police officer and asked the boy if he had any interest in the police department or its youth programs. Terranova also suggested, “If [sic] here too if you ever want to talk[.] I been through a lot myself over the years so just know that little bro.” The defendant then asked the boy to add him on “snap” or “the gram,” referring to Snapchat and Instagram. On Snapchat, Terranova began asking the boy sexually explicit questions, sent the boy a photograph of Terranova’s genitals and asked for a sexually explicit photograph of the boy. The boy informed his mother about the inappropriate messages and she reported the matter to police.
Terranova also engaged in hands-on sex acts with two of his minor victims. While giving an acquaintance’s son a ride home from a birthday party, Terranova brought the boy to a secluded location where he directed the victim to engage in sex acts with him.
The defendant met another victim, who lived in Texas, on social media. Terranova traveled to Texas at least 16 times to visit the boy and purchased a house in the boy’s neighborhood. In one message, Terranova stated: “You being with me. . . and making love to me is more than a sign of everything happens for a reason.” One reason the boy trusted Terranova was because the defendant had told him he was a police officer.
Terranova also met a 12-year-old victim locally while the defendant was on-duty. Terranova messaged the boy later on Snapchat and began asking him sexually explicit questions and solicited sexually explicit photos.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Rachel A. Bennek and Lauren A. Bowman are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Chelsea Guzman.
The Defendant:
CHRISTOPHER TERRANOVA
Age: 34
Staten Island, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-CR-516 (KAM)
Former Hulbert Schools Encumbrance Clerk Pleads Guilty to Theft of Federal FundsRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Rebecca Deanne Morehead, age 53, of Locust Grove, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Theft or Bribery Concerning Programs Receiving Federal Funds.
The Indictment alleged that between June 2019 and October 26, 2021, Morehead stole or embezzled over $5,000.00 from the Hulbert Public School District while serving as district encumbrance clerk.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and the United States Department of Education – Office of Inspector General (OIG).
The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Morehead was released on a personal recognizance bond pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kara Traster and Joshua Satter represented the United States.
Former Detective Sentenced More Than 24 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting A MinorRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Josue Garriga (35, St. Augustine), a/k/a “Sway,” to 24 years and 4 months in federal prison for enticing a child to engage in sexual activity. Following his release from prison, Garriga is also required to register as a sex offender and serve a term of supervised release of 10 years. The court also ordered Garriga to forfeit two cellphones that Garriga had used to commit the offense. Garriga entered a guilty plea on July 16, 2024. He was remanded into custody following the sentencing hearing.
According to court documents, Garriga, who at the time was a detective with the gang unit of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO), met the minor victim, who was 17 years old, at church in 2023. Garriga pursued a sexual relationship with the child victim until approximately March 7, 2024. This included reaching up the victim’s skirt while she worked serving coffee before church service. At some point, Garriga used his JSO-issued cellphone and an undercover social media account to reach out to the victim and obtained her phone number. Garriga then used his personal cellphone to communicate with the victim, directing their messages to an encrypted app set to automatically delete the messages after 24 hours. Garriga requested nude photos from the victim and sent her nude photos of himself.
On at least two occasions, Garriga used his JSO work vehicle to travel to the victim’s neighborhood in Clay County to meet up with her and engage in sexual contact that was illegal under Florida law. On another occasion, Garriga met up with the victim at a coffee shop in Clay County and enticed her to his JSO work vehicle where he engaged in sexual activity with the victim and physically restrained her from leaving the vehicle until she relented and performed a sex act on him.
“This individual violated his position of trust in the community and sought to take advantage of a child for his own satisfaction,” said Tim Hemker, Assistant Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) in Jacksonville. “This conviction stands as a testament to the commitment of HSI and our law enforcement partners with the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force, including the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. HSI is committed to identify and bring to justice those who exploit the vulnerability of our children.”
This case was investigated by the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force, to include Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Jacksonville, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Laura Cofer Taylor and Kelly S. Milliron.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former Bronx Resident Arrested for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIS and Distributing Instructions Regarding Homemade ExplosivesRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; James E. Dennehy, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”); and Rebecca Weiner, the Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence and Counterterrorism for the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today that ERALD ALIMEHMETI was arrested in connection with a Complaint charging ALIMEHMETI with attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (“ISIS”) and distributing instructional information regarding the making of explosives. ALIMEHMETI was presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stewart D. Aaron and ordered detained.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Erald Alimehmeti distributed—on pro-ISIS channels—dozens of instructional materials, including those he personally created, that describe handling firearms and making specific explosives. Alimehmeti also allegedly discussed planning and training for terrorist attacks on behalf of ISIS, provided instructions on how to spray explosives on innocent people, and went so far as to claim that ‘it’s time for a genocide.’ I commend our law enforcement partners and this Office’s career prosecutors who worked tirelessly to detect and disrupt Alimehmeti’s alleged terrorist activities.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge James E. Dennehy said: “Erald Alimehmeti not only allegedly attempted to provide material support to ISIS by trying to recruit and train who he believed to be like minded individuals online, but also repeatedly shared multiple instructions on how to make explosives for use in a terrorist attack. Thankfully, due to the dedication and determination of the New York Joint Terrorism Force, Alimehmeti was stopped before he could further his evil aims. The FBI New York, the NYPD, and all law enforcement partners on the JTTF continue to be unrelenting in our mission to protect our country from anyone attempting to cause violence and mayhem in the name of terrorism.”
NYPD Deputy Commissioner Rebecca Weiner said: “As we continue to see, allegedly attempting to provide material support to a designated terrorist organization usually has just one outcome: Arrest. I commend the NYPD and all the members of the FBI’s New York JTTF, for their unwavering focus on keeping New York City and our nation safe. In today’s borderless world, public safety demands the level of teamwork that defines this and all of our joint investigations.”
As alleged in the Complaint:[1]
ALIMEHMETI is a U.S. and Albanian citizen and former resident of the Bronx, New York, and moved to Albania in 2014. ALIMEHMETI was arrested by Albanian authorities and imprisoned in late 2015 to 2019 and again from late 2020 to 2022 for weapons and assault offenses.
Between prison terms, ALIMEHMETI created and used numerous online accounts on encrypted messaging applications and social media websites to communicate with others about planning and training for attacks on behalf of ISIS. For example, in 2019, ALIMEHMETI expressed interest in “DC sniper” style attacks and referenced an “op” for which he sought the participation of confidential sources, writing, among other things, “Do you know sniping akhi? The formulas and ballistics?” and “I will brief you brothers right before the op, not here akhi. Do you both know how to use red dot optics and how to zero them?” ALIMEHMETI also requested what he described as “tactical” equipment and “gear” for “training” and “operations” in support of ISIS, including particular models of vests capable of holding “ballistic plates,” “magazine pouches,” and “knives,” and described modifications he intended to make to his “AKM,” an apparent reference to an assault rifle.
In addition, in 2019 and 2020, ALIMEHMETI regularly posted pro-ISIS propaganda online, praising specific ISIS leaders and promoting ISIS-issued publications and videos. For example, ALIMEHMETI’s social media posts included praise of the ISIS propagandist Shaykh ul-Haqq Musa Cerantonio and the Libyan terrorist and high-ranking al Qaeda official Abu Yahya al-Libi; photographs of various jihadist publications, such as “The Islamic Ruling of the Permissibility of Self-Sacrificial Operations: Suicide, or Martyrdom?” and “The Book of Jihad”; and a video depicting the killing of U.S. Special Forces in Niger and an accompanying comment in Albanian, which translates to: “The Islamic State in Africa killing crusaders, American and French special forces. Look at how the US special forces scream before they die!!! Hahaha!”
ALIMEHMETI also described his work compiling resources on mixing dangerous chemicals and making explosives to a confidential source and discussed how to make specific types of incendiaries to spray at innocent bystanders in a terrorist attack. On an encrypted messaging channel, ALIMEHMETI posted dozens of links and downloadable documents on topics such as explosives-making, firearms-handling, defensive tactics, and outdoor survival, with comments encouraging the use of these resources. For example, he posted a video and described it as “a video release from the official media of the Khilafa, explaining how YOU O Muwahid can make TATP explosives in your own home ... SO FIGHT THEM O MUWAHID,” an apparent reference to a well-known ISIS video titled, “You Must Fight Them O Muwahhid,” which provides step-by-step instructions for constructing a TATP-based explosive device and attacking a human target with a knife.
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ALIMEHMETI, 33, of Tirana, Albania, is charged with one count of attempting to provide material support to ISIS, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of distribution of information pertaining to explosives, destructive devices, and weapons of mass destruction in furtherance of a federal crime of violence, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences 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 FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which consists principally of agents and analysts from the FBI and detectives from the NYPD. Mr. Williams also thanked Homeland Security Investigations, the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, the Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, and law enforcement partners in Albania and Australia, including the Australian Attorney-General’s Department, for their valuable assistance.
The case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas S. Bradley and Jane Y. Chong are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Jessica K. Fender of the Counterterrorism Section.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the complaint and the description of the complaint set forth herein constitutes only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Former Baton Rouge City Parish Contractor Pleads Guilty to Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that Blake Joseph Steiner, age 37, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson to distribution of child pornography. Steiner’s conviction is punishable by a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to a lifetime period of supervised release - which includes sex offender registration requirements.
According to admissions made during his plea, Steiner initiated a conversation on a mobile application group chat with an undercover agent (“UCA”). Steiner hoped to gain access to a group that he thought was dedicated to disseminating child pornography. The UCA sent Steiner a message stating, “Live face video saying today’s date.” Steiner then sent the UCA a video of himself stating “Today is March 4th.” As a final effort to gain access to what he thought was a mobile application child pornography group, Steiner sent a video of a child under 12 years old being sexually assaulted by an adult male.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations, and the Louisiana State Police and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jene C. Clayton.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
Five People Indicted and Arrested on the Fort Apache Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Gary M. Restaino, United States Attorney for the District of Arizona, announces indictments and arrests for multiple violent felony offenses, all of which occurred on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation. Defendants arrested are:
- Termaine Billy Celaya, 19, of Whiteriver; CR-24-8095-PCT-DWL;
- Donovan Skidmore, 25, of Whiteriver; CR-24-8096-PCT-GMS;
- Eagle Tail Ron Tointigh, 21, of Whiteriver; CR-24-8146-PCT-DJH;
- Maurissa Marie Edwards, 34, of Cibecue; CR-24-8101-PCT (MTL); and
Donovan Wayne Declay, 29, of Whiteriver; CR-24-8113-PCT-SMB.
Celaya was indicted for Second Degree Murder for an April 24, 2024, homicide with a motor vehicle.Skidmore was indicted for Robbery for the February 7, 2024, armed robbery of the 7-Mile Store.
Tointigh was indicted for Assault by Strangling and Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury for an August 11, 2024, domestic assault.
Edwards was indicted for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon for the February 6, 2024, stabbing of another individual.
Declay was indicted on two counts of Sexual Abuse, and one count of Aggravated Sexual Abuse for the December 24, 2022, sexual assault of a family member.
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
These arrests were made on November 20, 2024 as part of a joint law enforcement operation, including the White Mountain Apache Tribal Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Drug Enforcement Administration to locate and arrest defendants that had been indicted but not yet apprehended.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is conducting the investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Church, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecutions.
CASE NUMBERS: CR-24-8095-PCT-DWL
CR-24-8096-PCT-GMS
CR-24-8146-PCT-DJH
CR-24-8101-PCT-MTL
CR-24-8113-PCT-SMB
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-158_Celaya, Skidmore, Tointigh, Edwards, Declay
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Federal jury finds Anchorage man guilty of cyberstalkingRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A federal jury convicted an Anchorage man yesterday after a four-day retrial for cyberstalking a woman over four years.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between 2016 and 2020, Rolando Hernandez-Zemora, 41, stalked the victim using location tracking applications, text messages and video calls, and other means in order to try and control her life. Evidence presented at trial showed that from April 29, 2020, to May 27, 2020, Hernandez-Zemora called the victim 1,317 times.
In 2020, the harassment extended to some of the victim’s work colleagues and family members and included threats of violence. Hernandez-Zemora’s harassment of the victim continued even after she obtained a protective order. As a result of his threats, the victim’s workplace went into lockdown for multiple days from late April to early May 2020. Hernandez-Zemora was arrested at the end of May 2020 after he evaded the police for two days.
Hernandez-Zemora was convicted by a federal jury of the same crime in June 2024. In August 2024, U.S. District Court Judge Marco A. Hernandez of the District of Oregon was assigned to the case following the resignation of former Judge Joshua Kindred and granted Hernandez-Zemora a new trial. Judge Hernandez presided over the November 2024 retrial.
“I commend the victim for her extraordinary courage in coming forward, and we hope this conviction brings a measure of justice and closure to all those impacted by this case,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “Mr. Hernandez-Zemora represents a serious danger to the community, demonstrated by his intent to harm not only the victim, but her colleagues and family as well. My office remains resolutely committed to holding accountable those who perpetrate violence and endanger our communities.”
“The defendant’s years-long cyberstalking harassment and eventual threats of violence caused substantial emotional distress and fear of harm,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “This verdict reaffirms our commitment to hold accountable those who commit such crimes.”
The FBI Anchorage Field Office and Anchorage Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Ivers and Seth Beausang are prosecuting the case.
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Federal and Local Government Officials Announce Memorandum of Understanding to Teach LAUSD Students about Cyber SafetyRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The United States Attorney’s Office is announcing today that it has joined a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) to provide cyber security training to LAUSD students, staff, and parents.
LAUSD is the second-largest school district in the nation, serving more than 600,000 students across more than 1,000 schools, and is the largest public school system in California. To combat child sexual exploitation, HSI and the USAO are joining forces to offer trainings to the LAUSD community about how to stay safe online. The program will focus on preteens and teenagers avoiding sexual dangers online, but can be tailored to younger children, staff, or parents. Dr. Alfonzo Webb, senior director at LAUSD, is the school district’s representative for the MOU.
“Nothing is more important than protecting and uplifting our children,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Our office often works with school and youth groups to discuss our work, introduce students to the justice system, and inspire kids to achieve success. We are proud to team up with LAUSD and HSI to expand on that work so that we can educate more young people about the dangers posed by the internet and social media and encourage students to pursue higher education – after all, knowledge is power.”
“HSI has been at the forefront of investigating online crimes against children,” said HSI Los Angeles Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang. “This partnership with LAUSD and DOJ is taking a proactive approach to educating students and trusted adults about the dangers our children face online.”
“This strategic partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations developed out of the need to ensure that our students, staff, and parents are educated on the latest and most effective online safety practices,” said LAUSD Senior Director of Climate Culture Alfonzo Webb. “By working together, we will provide age-appropriate presentations, resources, and guidance to help foster safer online environments for students.”
"Our students need to be aware of online dangers in order to be protected and empowered to make informed decisions and maintain their safety while navigating the digital world," said LAUSD Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho. "This partnership will enhance our Every School Safe Module on Cyber Safety to promote a secure learning environment."
HSI rolled out its revamped Project iGuardian earlier this year. Project iGuardian is the official, in person educational program of Know2Protect, a national public awareness campaign sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to raise awareness about the rapidly escalating threat of online child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Know2Protect, which launched in April 2024, leverages the investigative experience of HSI agents to “share information about the dangers of online environments, how to stay safe online, and how to report abuse and suspicious activity.” Project iGuardian agents and staff “help kids stay safe online by providing safety tips, a number to call, and a website with links to more information and resources,” according to the Know2Protect website.
HSI Los Angeles special agents, primarily from the Child Exploitation Investigations Group led by Supervisory Special Agent Jaclyn Jacobson, will offer the iGuardian trainings. HSI Los Angeles Assistant Special Agent in Charge Eugene Villanueva worked at HSI headquarters to revamp Project iGuardian and now shepherds the project in Los Angeles.
The USAO in Los Angeles is an active and avid participant in the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood (PSC), which combats child sexual exploitation through high impact prosecutions. Passionate about community outreach, former PSC Coordinators Catharine A. Richmond and Kellye M. Ng, both of the Violent and Organized Crime Section, spearheaded the MOU and will be the USAO’s primary facilitators.
This initiative 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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Federal Law Enforcement Initiative Leads to Charges Against Six Individuals for Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. has announced that an investigation into a drug trafficking organization based out of Ascension Parish has resulted in a federal grand jury indictment leading to the arrest of six individuals on various charges, including firearm and drug trafficking offenses.
According to the Indictment, the defendants engaged in an extensive drug trafficking venture where they distributed cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, oxycodone, and heroin in the Middle District of Louisiana. During the investigation, agents seized over 443 grams of substances containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and 68.1 grams of cocaine, along with several firearms: a Springfield Armory pistol, model Saint, 5.56 Nato caliber; a Taurus, model Judge, .45 caliber and 410 gauge revolver; a Kimber pistol, model Stainless Ultra Carry II, .45 ACP caliber; and a Davis Industry Derringer, model DM-22, .22 Mag caliber pistol.
Charged and arrested as part of this initiative were the following individuals:
Leroy Miles, age 45, of Donaldsonville, Louisiana, for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon, and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Joseph Brown, age 37, of Donaldsonville, Louisiana, for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and distribution of heroin and fentanyl.
James Miles, age 47, of Donaldsonville, Louisiana, for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
Corey Powe, age 55, of Donaldsonville, Louisiana, for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Marishell Ealem, age 39, of Donaldsonville, Louisiana, for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and distribution of heroin and fentanyl.
Destiny Renee McBride, age 35, of Donaldsonville, Louisiana, for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
This investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration and task force officers from the Baton Rouge Police Department, Iberville Sheriff’s Office, Gonzales Police Department, Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office with critical assistance from Homeland Security and the Internal Revenue Service. This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy S. Johnson.
The investigation is another effort by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Program that was established in 1982 to mount a comprehensive attack against organized drug traffickers. Today, the OCDETF Program is the centerpiece of the United States Attorney General’s drug strategy to reduce the availability of drugs by disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations and money laundering organizations and related criminal enterprises. The OCDETF Program operates nationwide and combines the resources and unique expertise of numerous federal, state, and local agencies in a coordinated attack against major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations.
NOTE: An indictment is an accusation by a grand jury. The defendants are presumed innocent until and unless adjudicated guilty at trial or through a guilty plea.
Federal Jury Finds Human Smugglers Guilty in Deaths of Family of FourRead the Press Release
A federal jury in the District of Minnesota convicted two men today for their roles in a human smuggling venture that resulted in the deaths of a family of four Indian nationals, including two children.
According to evidence presented at trial, between Dec. 12, 2021, and Jan. 19, 2022, Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel, 29, also known as Dirty Harry and Harry Patel, and Steve Anthony Shand, 50, conspired to smuggle dozens of migrants across the border of Canada and into the United States. Patel and Shand were part of a large-scale human-smuggling operation that brought Indian nationals to Canada on student visas and then smuggled them into the United States. The defendants’ roles in the smuggling operation included the coordination and transportation of people from Manitoba, Canada, into the United States. Specifically, Patel worked with co-conspirators in Canada to organize the logistics of smuggling trips, while Shand was instructed when and where to pick up migrants just south of the Canadian border in the United States. He then drove them to Chicago. They were paid for their roles in the conspiracy and disregarded the risks posed by the cold weather at the northern border.
According to evidence presented at trial, on Jan. 19, 2022, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents responded to a request for assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) based out of Pembina, North Dakota. USBP initiated a traffic stop on a white-colored, 15-passenger van that Shand was driving. The stop occurred less than one mile south of the U.S.-Canadian border in a rural area between the U.S. ports of entry located at Lancaster, Minnesota, and Pembina. A short while later, law enforcement encountered five Indian nationals approximately a quarter mile south of the Canadian border walking in the direction of where Shand had just been arrested. They explained that they had walked across the border expecting to be picked up by someone. The group estimated they had been walking around for over seven hours.
One of the members of the group was in possession of a backpack that did not belong to him. He told officers that he was carrying the backpack for a family of four Indian nationals that had walked with his group but had become separated during the night. Temperatures that night had plummeted to 36 degrees below zero. The backpack contained children’s clothes, a diaper, toys, and some children’s medication.
That family was found dead a short time later. As proven at trial, later the same day, USBP received a report from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) that four bodies — two adults and two young children — were found frozen just inside the Canadian side of the international border. As proven at trial, Patel and Shand were paid to smuggle the family into the United States.
Following a five-day trial, the jury found Patel and Shand each guilty of four counts of human smuggling. The defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the first and second counts and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the third and fourth counts. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger for the District of Minnesota; Special Agent in Charge Jamie Holt of the HSI St. Paul Field Office; and Chief Patrol Agent Scott D. Garrett of the USBP Grand Forks Sector made the announcement.
HSI and USBP conducted the investigation. The RCMP and Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided assistance.
Trial Attorney Ryan Lipes of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael McBride for the District of Minnesota are prosecuting the case.
Federal Jury Finds Human Smugglers Guilty in Death of FourRead the Press Release
FERGUS FALLS, Minn. – Two individuals have been convicted on four counts of human smuggling announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
“This trial exposed the unthinkable cruelty of human smuggling and the lengths that traffickers will go to maximize profit – putting men, woman and little children in extraordinary peril, ultimately leading to the tragic deaths of an entire family,” said U.S. Attorney Luger. “Today, we have brought those responsible to justice. For that, I thank the tenacious work of all of the law enforcement officers involved, including the prosecution team from my office and the Department of Justice.”
According to evidence presented at trial, between December 12, 2021, and on January 19, 2022, Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel, a.k.a. “Dirty Harry” or “Harry Patel,” 29, and Steve Anthony Shand, 50, conspired to smuggle dozens of people across the border of Canada and into the United States. Patel and Shand were part of a large-scale human-smuggling operation that brought Indian nationals to Canada on student visas and then smuggled them into the United States. The defendants’ roles in the smuggling operation included the coordination and transportation of people from Manitoba into the United States. Specifically, Patel worked with co-conspirators in Canada to organize the logistics of smuggling trips, while Shand was instructed when and where to pick up migrants just south of the Canadian border in the United States. He then drove them to Chicago. They were paid for their roles in the conspiracy and disregarded the risks posed by the cold weather at the northern border.
"This tragic case is a stark reminder of the horrific realities of human smuggling. The unimaginable suffering endured by this family underscores the urgent need for robust law enforcement partnerships,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) St. Paul Special Agent in Charge Jamie Holt. “These partnerships are vital in our fight against human smuggling, as they allow us to combine resources, expertise, and intelligence. By collaborating with local, state, federal, and international agencies, we can more effectively dismantle smuggling networks, bring perpetrators to justice, and provide the necessary support to victims. Working together enhances our ability to protect the most vulnerable and ensures that no family suffers such a devastating fate again."
According to evidence presented at trial, on January 19, 2022, law enforcement agents with Homeland Security Investigations responded to a request for assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) based out of Pembina, North Dakota. USBP initiated a traffic stop on a white-colored, fifteen-passenger van that Shand was driving. The stop occurred less than one mile south of the U.S./Canadian border in a rural area between the official ports of entry located at Lancaster, Minnesota, and Pembina, North Dakota. A short while later, law enforcement encountered five Indian nationals approximately a quarter mile south of the Canadian border walking in the direction of where Shand had just been arrested. They explained that they had walked across the border expecting to be picked up by someone. The group estimated they had been walking around for over seven hours.
One of the members of the group was in possession of a backpack that did not belong to him. He told officers that he was carrying the backpack for a family of four Indian nationals that had walked with his group but had become separated during the night. Temperatures that night had plummeted to -36 degrees below zero. The backpack contained children’s clothes, a diaper, toys, and some children’s medication.
That family was found dead a short time later. As proven at trial, later the same day, January 19, 2022, USBP received a report from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police that four bodies – two adults and two young children – were found frozen just inside the Canadian side of the international border. As proven at trial, Patel and Shand were paid to smuggle them into the United States.
Following a five-day trial in U.S. District Court before Judge John R. Tunheim, a federal jury found Patel and Shand each guilty on four counts related to human trafficking of foreign nationals.
“As we saw in this case involving a family of four who lost their lives attempting to illegally cross the border, human smuggling is very dangerous. I’m glad that this case came to a successful law enforcement resolution. As a reminder, anyone who puts their lives in the hands of a smuggler, is putting their life, and the lives of their family at risk,” Chief Patrol Agent Scott D. Garrett said.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by USBP and HSI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael McBride and Department of Justice Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Trial Attorney Ryan Lipes tried the case.
Federal Judge Sentences Charlotte Licensed Clinical Social Worker to 11+ Years in Prison for Medicaid Fraud, COVID-19 Fraud, and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Charlotte behavioral health services provider was sentenced yesterday to 135 months in prison for Medicaid fraud, COVID-19 fraud, and money laundering, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Ashley Nicole Cross, 42, of Charlotte, was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $481,436.08 in restitution. On May 17, 2024, following a nine-day trial, a federal jury found Cross guilty of healthcare fraud, making false statements and writings relating to a healthcare matter, promotional money laundering, wire fraud, and conspiracy.
Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Stephanie G. Opet, Director of the South Carolina Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents, evidence presented at trial, and witness testimony, Cross owned and operated Odyssey Health Group (OHG), a Charlotte-based company, which was enrolled with the South Carolina Medicaid Program (SC Medicaid) to provide outpatient behavioral health services to eligible Medicaid beneficiaries. Under SC Medicaid rules, beneficiaries are allowed to use providers within 25-miles of the South Carolina border, including Charlotte. From 2016 to 2021, Cross’s company submitted fraudulent reimbursement claims to SC Medicaid and its contracted managed care organizations for rehabilitative behavioral health services that were never provided. To carry out the scheme, Cross used the personal identifying information (PII) of qualified SC Medicaid beneficiaries to file reimbursement claims totaling more than $1.2 million. In some instances, Cross billed SC Medicaid more than 11 hours and up to 19 hours for one-on-one counseling services in a 24-hour period. To further the scheme and to give the appearance that OHG’s fraudulent claims were legitimate, Cross instructed OHG employees to create fake clinical service notes after she filed fraudulent claims in the names of Medicaid beneficiaries.
Court documents show that, in the course of the investigation, FBI agents identified and interviewed 21 Medicaid beneficiaries whose names, Medicaid numbers, and PII were used to file claims on behalf of Cross and OHG. Each of those beneficiaries stated that neither they nor their children received mental health services from Cross. Many beneficiaries stated that the information written about them in OHG’s assessments and clinical notes were not true, while others said that their signatures had been forged.
Cross engaged in money laundering and used some of the fraudulent proceeds to promote the scheme by paying for Medicaid beneficiary names and PII.
According to court documents in September 2019, Cross was informed of audits of OHG’s Medicaid claims. To cover up the fraud, Cross submitted fictitious patient medical records and made false statements to auditors. Court records show that, the fraud at OHG was so pervasive, it was impossible for investigators to distinguish the fraudulent claims from legitimate ones.
In addition to the Medicaid fraud scheme, from April 3, 2020, to May 14, 2022, Cross executed a scheme to obtain fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans on behalf of her companies, including OHG, and Gucci International Inc. (Gucci), a purported event planning business owned by Cross’s boyfriend and co-conspirator. To obtain the PPP loans, Cross submitted loan applications and supporting documents that contained false statements regarding Cross’s companies and Gucci’s payroll expenses, number of employees, and other misrepresentations. Cross obtained more than $287,000 in COVID-19 relief funds for her companies and Gucci. At the time of Gucci’s loan application, Cross’s boyfriend was under indictment for a federal offense.
During the trial, the Court heard testimony that Cross contacted prospective witnesses in violation of the conditions of her bond. One witness identified a recording of a call in which Cross suggested that the witness falsely testify that Cross had provided mental health services to the witness’s children. The court noted Cross’s attempt to obstruct justice when announcing sentence.
Cross remains in federal custody. She will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
The FBI investigated the case with substantial assistance from the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and the Small Business Administration’s Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Savage and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina Fleisch of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Ex-employee Sentenced for Arson at St. Louis Airport HotelRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Friday sentenced a St. Louis woman to two years in prison for igniting multiple fires in a hotel shortly after her employment there was terminated.
Ramona Cook, 26, was also placed on supervised release for three years and ordered to pay $119,067 in restitution.
Cook was a housekeeper at the Marriott St. Louis Airport until she was fired on Dec. 22, 2022. After being fired, she refused to leave until the police were called to escort her out. She later returned and set seven small fires in various locations within the hotel, beginning around 5 p.m. The hotel was evacuated, the sprinkler system was activated and the hotel suffered damages.
Cook pleaded guilty in August to a felony charge of use of a facility of interstate commerce with intent to commit a crime of violence.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Finlen prosecuted the case.
Elizabeth City Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Fentanyl and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Karem Felton, age 31, from Elizabeth City, was sentenced to 147 months in prison for possession with the intent to distribute forty grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl and ten grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a fentanyl analogue after investigators with Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office searched Felton’s residence on May 19, 2023, in response to shots fired a day earlier.
“Disrupting drug trafficking in our communities is a critical part of our mission. The FBI and our local partners are working very hard to take dangerous drugs off of our streets, along with the people who peddle them. This case is another great example of law enforcement working together to make our communities safer,” said Robert M. DeWitt, the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina.
“I want to thank my Deputies at the Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office, Elizabeth City Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigations and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the great work that has been done to combat the drug and violent crime issues we face on a daily basis,” said Pasquotank County Sheriff Tommy Wooten.
On May 18, 2023, Elizabeth City Police officers responded to shots fired at a vehicle. Officers collected eight .300 caliber rifle shell casings in the area and reviewed city cameras around the area of the incident. They were able to see a male step out of a BMW and fire shots at a Dodge Charger. Law enforcement saw Felton driving the same BMW with the same license plate earlier in the month on March 6, 2023.
On May 19, 2023, investigators from the Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office conducted a search of Felton’s residence. During the search, they discovered several items in the bedroom: a 7.62 x 39mm pistol hidden under the bed, a .300 Blackout pistol in the closet, and a 10mm pistol containing fentanyl inside the headboard of the master bed. Additionally, officers found two AR pistol braces in a soft-sided cooler and a .300 Blackout magazine with 18 rounds of .300 Blackout ammunition placed between the mattress and box spring.
In a spare bedroom, officers located a safe that contained $11,050 in cash, assorted ammunition, and a digital scale. In the living room, they found $1,108 in cash and two cell phones hidden inside the couch. A firearm holster was also discovered in the children's bedroom. After conducting a further search of the vehicle, officers uncovered fentanyl, cocaine, and additional cash.
Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Court Judge Louis W. Flanagan. Elizabeth City Police Department, Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie A. Childress and Katherine S. Englander are prosecuted the case.
This investigation was an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, 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.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.5:24-CR-114-M-BM.
Dual U.S. and Albanian Citizen Arrested for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIS and Distributing Instructions Regarding Homemade ExplosivesRead the Press Release
A former New York man and dual citizen of the United States and Albania was arrested yesterday in New York on criminal charges related to his alleged involvement in attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and distributing instructional information regarding the making of explosives.
According to court documents, Erald Alimehmeti, 33, of Tirana, Albania, is a former resident of the Bronx, New York, and moved to Albania in 2014. Alimehmeti was arrested by Albanian authorities and imprisoned in late 2015 to 2019 and again from late 2020 to 2022 for weapons and assault offenses.
Between prison terms, Alimehmeti created and used numerous online accounts on encrypted messaging applications and social media websites to communicate with others about planning and training for attacks on behalf of ISIS. For example, in 2019, Alimehmeti expressed interest in “DC sniper” style attacks and referenced an “op” for which he sought the participation of confidential sources, writing, among other things, “Do you know sniping akhi? The formulas and ballistics?” and “I will brief you brothers right before the op, not here akhi. Do you both know how to use red dot optics and how to zero them?” Alimehmeti also requested what he described as “tactical” equipment and “gear” for “training” and “operations” in support of ISIS, including particular models of vests capable of holding “ballistic plates,” “magazine pouches,” and “knives,” and described modifications he intended to make to his “AKM,” an apparent reference to an assault rifle.
In addition, in 2019 and 2020, Alimehmeti regularly posted pro-ISIS propaganda online, praising specific ISIS leaders and promoting ISIS-issued publications and videos. For example, Alimehmeti’s social media posts included praise of the ISIS propagandist Shaykh ul-Haqq Musa Cerantonio and the Libyan terrorist and high-ranking al Qaeda official Abu Yahya al-Libi; photographs of various jihadist publications, such as “The Islamic Ruling of the Permissibility of Self-Sacrificial Operations: Suicide, or Martyrdom?” and “The Book of Jihad”; and a video depicting the killing of U.S. Special Forces in Niger and an accompanying comment in Albanian, which translates to: “The Islamic State in Africa killing crusaders, American and French special forces. Look at how the US special forces scream before they die!!! Hahaha!”
Alimehmeti also described his work compiling resources on mixing dangerous chemicals and making explosives to a confidential source and discussed how to make specific types of incendiaries to spray at innocent bystanders in a terrorist attack. On an encrypted messaging channel, Alimehmeti posted dozens of links and downloadable documents on topics such as explosives-making, firearms-handling, defensive tactics, and outdoor survival, with comments encouraging the use of these resources. For example, he posted a video and described it as “a video release from the official media of the Khilafa, explaining how YOU O Muwahid can make TATP explosives in your own home ... SO FIGHT THEM O MUWAHID,” an apparent reference to a well-known ISIS video titled, “You Must Fight Them O Muwahhid,” which provides step-by-step instructions for constructing a TATP-based explosive device and attacking a human target with a knife.
Alimehmeti is charged with one count of attempting to provide material support to ISIS, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and one count of distribution of information pertaining to explosives, destructive devices, and weapons of mass destruction in furtherance of a federal crime of violence, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
The FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which consists principally of agents and analysts from the FBI and detectives from the New York City Police Department, is investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, and law enforcement partners in Albania and Australia, including the Australian Attorney-General’s Department, provided valuable assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas S. Bradley and Jane Y. Chong for the Southern District of New York are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Jessica K. Fender of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Dominican National Sentenced for his Role in a Human Smuggling Event that Resulted in Child’s DeathRead the Press Release
A Dominican national was sentenced today to nine years in prison for his involvement in a deadly human smuggling conspiracy in Puerto Rico.
According to court documents, Alcibades De Paz, 34, was one of the individuals at the helm of a vessel carrying non-citizens, including a three-year-old boy, from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico. The defendant operated the vessel during the human smuggling venture. When the vessel stopped functioning, the defendant aided in starting the engine and holding the throttle of the outboard engine of the boat towards the shore of Rincón, Puerto Rico, while evading law enforcement’s attempts to safely intercept the vessel. On Dec. 23, 2022, the vessel capsized as it reached the shoreline, leading to the death of a three-year-old child who was illegally being smuggled to the United States.
On Aug. 27, De Paz pleaded guilty to one count of bringing certain aliens into the United States, resulting in death. In addition to his term of imprisonment, De Paz was ordered to serve three years of supervised release.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico; and Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Gonzalez-Ramos of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Juan made the announcement.
HSI San Juan investigated this case, with assistance from the Puerto Rico Police Bureau’s Joint Forces of Rapid Action and U.S. Border Patrol, Ramey Sector.
Trial Attorney Marie Zisa of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Emelina M. Agrait-Barreto for the District of Puerto Rico prosecuted the case.
The investigation was conducted under the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program, a partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI. The ECT program focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks, or present grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence, and prosecutorial resources. ECT coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities.
Defendants Sentenced to Prison in Separate Armed Meth Trafficking Investigations in Southwest GeorgiaRead the Press Release
ALBANY, Ga. – Two Albany residents with prior felony convictions were sentenced to federal prison this week in separate cases resulting from investigations into armed methamphetamine trafficking in Southwest Georgia.
Wallace Eric Strickland, 40, of Albany, was sentenced to serve 286 months in prison to be followed by ten years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Louis Sands on Nov. 21 after he previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in Case No. 1:23-CR-23-002 on Aug. 28.
Tanaka Grant aka “Knock-Off,” 39, of Albany, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release by Chief U.S. District Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner on Nov. 22 after he previously pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of methamphetamine in Case No. 1:22-CR-40-001 on May 15.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Armed methamphetamine trafficking endangers the communities we serve and will not be tolerated by our office,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Both cases exemplify the interagency cooperation between law enforcement at every level focused on holding the most dangerous individuals accountable for their crimes and making our communities safer.”
“Wallace Strickland is clearly a dangerous individual,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “Not only did he distribute illegal drugs while in possession of guns, but he advised a co-conspirator to continue to distribute methamphetamine on his behalf while he was in prison.”
"The illegal possession of firearms by convicted felons poses a significant threat to our communities, and we will continue to work tirelessly to remove these dangerous individuals from our streets,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka.
“These sentences send a clear message that methamphetamine trafficking has no place in our communities,” said GBI Director Chris Hosey. “The GBI remains committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners to hold those who endanger the public accountable, ensuring that criminals like Strickland and Grant face the full consequences of their actions."
According to court documents and statements made in court in the Strickland case, on Feb. 24, 2022, Americus Police Department (APD) officers initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle and encountered Strickland and co-defendant Ryan Farr. Officers found a loaded .380 caliber pistol, a .32 caliber revolver, 153 grams of 94% pure methamphetamine and quantities of other illegal controlled substances during a search of the car. After Strickland’s arrest, he was recorded on jail calls instructing co-defendant Aryn Brittany Jones to destroy evidence from his Facebook account and discussing how the methamphetamine was obtained from a Mexican drug cartel near Atlanta. Search warrants executed on Strickland’s and Farr’s cell phones detailed extensive communications of a larger conspiracy involving the distribution of methamphetamine, revealing defendant Strickland and Jones had obtained a half kilogram of methamphetamine from the Mexican source of supply for redistribution just days before Strickland’s arrest when officers found him in possession of methamphetamine on Feb. 24, 2022.
After Strickland was sent back to prison on a Georgia parole violation for another methamphetamine distribution conviction, law enforcement recovered a cell phone from a Georgia state prison inmate which revealed that Strickland continued to engage in the distribution of methamphetamine and other narcotics sourced by a Mexican drug cartel from behind bars. Strickland has a lengthy criminal history, including convictions for felony obstruction of a law enforcement officer in Worth County, Georgia, Superior Court and felony methamphetamine distribution in Dougherty County, Georgia, Superior Court. Strickland is also a validated member of the Gangster Disciples criminal organization.
One of Strickland’s co-defendants pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing:
Niki Lynn Crabtree-Booth, 31, of Albany, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on March 21, 2024, and is scheduled for sentencing on Dec. 19, 2024.
Two of Strickland’s co-defendants pleaded guilty and have been sentenced:
Aryn Brittany Jones, 31, of Leesburg, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release on May 22 after she previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine on Dec. 12, 2023; and
Ryan Daniel Farr, 33, of Leesburg, was sentenced to serve 70 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on June 27 after he previously pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice on March 20.
According to court documents and statements made in court in the Grant case, agents investigating armed drug trafficking in the Southwest Georgia community used a confidential informant (CI) while under surveillance to purchase a total of approximately 100 grams of methamphetamine from Grant on two separate occasions in May and July 2022. Agents ultimately arrested Grant at the Araamda Inn in Albany on April 18, 2023. Grant was concealing a fully loaded Glock 19 handgun with an extended magazine in his waistband; he was also carrying quantities of illegal drugs, a digital scale and a box of plastic bags. Grant has several prior felony drug convictions in the Superior Court of Dougherty County, Georgia, as well as a prior burglary conviction.
The Strickland case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI) and the Americus Police Department (APD) with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Redavid prosecuted the case for the Government.
The Grant case was investigated by DEA and GBI with assistance from ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica Hansis prosecuted the case for the Government.
DOJ and U.S. Health and Human Services settle claims that MultiCare Health System violated Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)Read the Press Release
Seattle – MultiCare Health Systems of Washington will change procedures and set aside more than $2 million to compensate patients whose civil rights were violated by a failure to provide appropriate interpreter services, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. An investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) revealed that two patients, who are deaf-blind, failed to receive appropriate interpreter services both before and after surgery. The two patients will each receive $100,000. The family members of each patient who were forced to become interpreters in these stressful situations are each being compensated with $40,000.
“This settlement with MultiCare not only compensates those whose rights were violated, it also ensures better care in the future for patients who are deaf and deaf-blind,” said U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “MultiCare is designating a point person who will be responsible for providing appropriate assistive devices and ensuring the health system has resources, including three interpreter firms, who can be called on to ensure effective communication with all patients.”
Under the terms of the settlement, MultiCare will provide training to employees about assessing and meeting the communication needs of patients who are deaf or deaf-blind. The settlement calls for MultiCare to put information on its website and in its handbook about interpreter services for those who are deaf or deaf-blind. The detailed agreement will be in place for three years and requires reporting every four months to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and HHS about requests for assistive devices or interpreters and how those needs were met.
This investigation began in 2020 when the U.S. Attorney’s office received a complaint that a patient who is deaf-blind, failed to receive appropriate communication assistance at multiple appointments both before and after surgery. MultiCare had the patient’s spouse who is deaf and visually impaired act as an interpreter – something she was not qualified or prepared to do. While that investigation was underway, a second deaf-blind patient reported that his rights were also violated when MultiCare failed to provide appropriate communication aids both before and after his surgery. That patient’s son had to act as an interpreter, something he too was not trained to do.
While not admitting fault, MultiCare acknowledges that there may be additional patients whose rights under the ADA were violated. MultiCare will establish a fund of $2 million and will seek to identify any patients who failed to receive appropriate interpreter services. Under the terms of the settlement, MultiCare will establish a third-party claims administrator to allocate the settlement funds based on the harm suffered by each complainant. The administrator will work with MultiCare records to locate claimants. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will review the allocations after the claims have been submitted and reviewed.
In addition to the settlements to claimants, MultiCare will pay $95,000 to the U.S. Attorney’s office.
This is the 8th settlement in the last eight years regarding failure to provide appropriate interpreter services in the health care setting. The U.S. Attorney’s Office investigated and resolved complaints against PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver, Washington, University of Washington Medical Center – Northwest (UWMC-NW) in Seattle, and Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington (KFHPW) among others.
The matter was investigated, and the settlement was negotiated, by Assistant United States Attorneys Susan Kas and Matt Waldrop. AUSA Kas serves as the Civil Rights Coordinator for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Washington.
You can learn more about our Civil Rights work here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdwa/civil-rights
Colombia-Based Alien Smuggling Coordinator Indicted for Smuggling Colombian Nationals into the United StatesRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Janine Torres-Centeno, a Colombian national, was indicted on November 6, 2024, by a federal grand jury on charges of Conspiracy to Encourage and Induce an Alien to Unlawfully Enter the United States and Bringing an Illegal Alien to the United States for Profit.
According to the criminal Complaint and subsequently-filed Indictment, in approximately 2022, United States Border Patrol Sector Intelligence and Homeland Security Investigations began investigating Torres-Centeno after arresting numerous Colombian nationals who identified her as their smuggling coordinator.
The smuggled individuals contacted Torres-Centeno after learning from others who had successfully crossed into the United States illegally that she could coordinate their illegal entry into the United States. Torres-Centeno informed the Colombian nationals they would need to travel to Sonoyta, Sonora, Mexico and pay a fee between $1,200.00 USD to $2,000.00 USD per person to cross into the United States. Once the Colombian nationals were in Sonoyta, Torres-Centeno coordinated their transportation to local stash houses, while others ultimately crossed illegally into the United States.
Conspiracy to Encourage and Induce an Alien to Unlawfully Enter the United States carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Bringing an Illegal Alien to the United States for Profit carries at least a three-year mandatory minimum prison sentence and a fine of up to $250,000.
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Customs and Border Protection’s United States Border Patrol, Alien Smuggling Unit – Tucson Sector and Homeland Security Investigations – Casa Grande conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stuart Zander and Matthew Doyle, District of Arizona, Phoenix, are handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-24-007816-TUC-SHR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-159_Torres-Centeno# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Co-founder of Medical Charity in St. Joseph Sentenced for $8 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A co-founder of a so-called Christian health care sharing ministry in St. Joseph, Mo., has been sentenced in federal court for his role in an $8 million wire fraud conspiracy that cheated hundreds of members, and for making false statements on a personal tax return.
James L. McGinnis, 78, of St. Joseph, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays on Thursday, Nov. 21, to 12 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered McGinnis to pay restitution of $7,758,908 to the victims, $143,141 to the Internal Revenue Service, and $10,787 to the Missouri Department of Revenue. The Court also ordered McGinnis to forfeit to the government a 2021 Ford F-250 truck.
On April 2, 2024, McGinnis pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of making false statements on a tax return.
McGinnis co-founded Medical Cost Sharing, a tax-exempt organization, and served as its chief operating officer from 2014 through December 2022.
Another co-founder, Craig Anthony Reynolds, 62, of St. Joseph, has pleaded guilty and been sentenced on the same charges. Reynolds incorporated and ran Medical Cost Sharing as its president and chief executive officer from 2014 through December 2022.
McGinnis and Reynolds each admitted that he and his co-conspirators used false and fraudulent promises to market Medical Cost Sharing as a “Health Care Sharing Ministry” to defraud hundreds of “ministry members.” They collected more than $8 million in member “contributions,” yet paid only 3.1 percent in health care claims so that they could personally profit and take most of the members’ contributions for themselves.
McGinnis and Reynolds pocketed at least $5,168,268 from the member contributions from December 2015 through December 2022. Thus, McGinnis and Reynolds took at least 64 percent of total member contributions for their personal profit.
McGinnis and Reynolds marketed Medical Cost Sharing as a “Christian Health Care Sharing Ministry” through insurance brokers, radio stations, social media, and its website. Medical Cost Sharing sales materials promoted its 501(c)(3) tax-exempt designation, advertising that it was different from for profit health insurance. The Medical Cost Sharing website claimed, “while we are not an insurance company, many think of us as a Christian Health Insurance, or Christian Medical Insurance because, like conventional insurance plans, we help you pay your healthcare costs. We help you protect your family. But unlike these corporate, profit based plans, we are a healthcare sharing ministry … your healthcare costs are shared with other Christians enrolled in our medical sharing plans.”
Medical Cost Sharing promised its member that if they paid monthly “contributions,” Medical Cost Sharing would pay claims after the members’ “personal responsibility” (deductible) was met.
In reality, McGinnis and Reynolds admitted, Medical Cost Sharing rarely paid members’ health care claims. Sometimes Medical Cost Sharing would pay a part of a claim if the member filed a complaint with their state attorney general and/or hired an attorney to represent them against Medical Cost Sharing.
Medical Cost Sharing paid no claims at all for nearly two years from Feb. 22, 2021, through December 2022, although it collected a total of nearly $1.2 million in dues in 2021 and 2022.
On Dec. 13, 2022, federal agents served search warrants on the Medical Cost Sharing business location and the residences of McGinnis and Reynolds and seized property generated from Medical Cost Sharing proceeds. Medical Cost Sharing continued to try to collect membership dues after the search and seizure warrants. On Dec. 27, 2022, the court entered a temporary restraining order that prohibited Medical Cost Sharing, McGinnis, and Reynolds, from continuing to perpetrate a fraudulent scheme and from processing Medical Cost Sharing member payments, among other actions.
In addition to the wire fraud conspiracy, McGinnis also admitted that he filed a federal income tax return that claimed he had no taxable income in 2019. McGinnis actually received at least $140,881 in taxable income in 2019.
Reynolds was sentenced, in a separate but related case, on June 26, 2024, to 17 years and six months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Reynolds to pay $7,758,908 in restitution to the victims, $253,474 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service, and $46,550 in restitution to the Missouri Department of Revenue. The court also ordered Reynolds to forfeit to the government $462,771, which includes proceeds from the sale of a St. Joseph residence, cash representing his interest in another St. Joseph residence, the values of a Lincoln Navigator, and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle which will all be sold, and the contents of several bank accounts.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen D. Mahoney, Patrick Daly, and John Constance. It was investigated by the FBI and IRS-Criminal Investigation.
FBI Website for Victims of Medical Cost Sharing Fraud
Those who believe they are victims of this fraud and wish to receive restitution for any losses suffered as a result may provide their information through the MCS Victim Information Page that has been established by the FBI.
https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/victim-services/seeking-victim-information/mcs-victim-information-page
Co-Founders of Paycheck Protection Program Lender Service Provider Charged for COVID-19 Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
An indictment was unsealed yesterday in the Northern District of Texas charging two co-founders of Blueacorn, a lender service provider, in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain COVID-19 relief money guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
According to court documents, Nathan Reis, 45, and Stephanie Hockridge, 41, also known as Stephanie Reis, both of Puerto Rico and previously of Arizona, allegedly submitted false and fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of themselves and their businesses, including by fabricating documents that they submitted in their loan applications in order to receive loan funds for which they were not eligible.
The indictment also alleges that Reis and Hockridge, who are married, co-founded Blueacorn in April 2020, purportedly to assist small businesses and individuals in obtaining PPP loans. In order to obtain larger loans for certain PPP applicants, Reis and other co-conspirators allegedly fabricated documents, including payroll records, tax documentation, and bank statements. Reis and Hockridge allegedly charged borrowers illegal kickbacks based on a percentage of the funds received.
As part of the alleged scheme, Reis, Hockridge, and others expanded Blueacorn’s operations through lender service provider agreements (LSPAs) with two lenders. Under the LSPAs, Blueacorn collected and reviewed PPP applications from potential borrowers on behalf of the lenders and worked with the lenders to submit applications to the SBA in exchange for a percentage of the fees that the SBA paid to the lenders for approved PPP loans. Blueacorn also had a program called “VIPPP” in which Hockridge and others offered a personalized service to help potential borrowers complete PPP loan applications. Reis and Hockridge allegedly recruited co-conspirators to work as VIPPP referral agents and coach borrowers on how to submit false PPP loan applications. In order to obtain a greater volume of kickbacks from borrowers and percentage of lender fees from the SBA, Reis, Hockridge, and their co-conspirators submitted PPP loan applications that they knew contained materially false information.
Reis and Hockridge are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton for the Northern District of Texas; Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; Special Agent in Charge Chris Altemus of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Dallas Field Office; Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery (SIGPR) Brian Miller; Special Agent in Charge John Ellwanger of the Western Division, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (FRB-OIG); and Inspector General Hannibal “Mike” Ware of the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG) made the announcement.
FBI, IRS-CI, SIGPR, FRB-OIG, and SBA-OIG investigated the case.
Acting Assistant Chief Philip Trout of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, Trial Attorneys Elizabeth Carr and Ryan McLaren of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS), and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Weybrecht for the Northern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
MLARS’s Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers, and employees, whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the PPP. Since the enactment of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 200 defendants in more than 130 criminal cases and has seized over $78 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/ppp-fraud.
In May 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Justice Department in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Chicago Man Sentenced to 120 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Tido Kirby, 44 years old, of Chicago, Illinois was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to distributing fentanyl, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Kirby was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by 6 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on three occasions between March and April of 2021, law enforcement purchased fentanyl from Kirby in Hammond, Indiana. Kirby’s criminal history includes 8 prior felony convictions involving firearms, drugs, and an aggravated fleeing offense. He was also on federal supervision during this time period.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Toth.
Cherokee County Man Sentenced to 3 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Krystopher Cordeiro, age 23, from Cherokee, Iowa, was sentenced November 20, 2024, to more than 3 years in federal prison.
Evidence in the case established that between January 1, 2023, and September 26, 2023, Cordeiro possessed child pornography. In April and May of 2023, the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children received a CyberTip that Cordeiro’s account had uploaded child pornography on four occasions. When law enforcement executed a search at Cordeiro’s residence in September of 2023. Cordeiro admitted to searching for “teen porn”, as well as possessing videos depicting sadistic and masochistic conduct, prepubescent children, and toddlers. Agents discovered over 200 images and 10 videos of actual child pornography and over 1,000 images and 133 videos of simulated children. Some of the simulated images were of such high quality they were virtually indistinguishable from real children engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
Cordeiro was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Cordeiro was sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay $6,100 in fines and assessments. He was also ordered to pay $6,000 in restitution to the victims in the case. He must serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Cordeiro is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
The case was investigated by the Iowa Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Investigation, Cyber Crime Bureau and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-4080. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Campbell County Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. – A Newport, Ky., man, Antonio Fox, 37, was sentenced to 30 months in prison on Friday, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to Fox’s plea agreement, on May 23, 2024, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on Fox’s vehicle. Upon searching the vehicle, law enforcement found a loaded gun with an extra, loaded magazine. Fox admitted that he possessed the firearm and he knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm, because he had previously been convicted of a felony.
Fox was previously convicted of two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm or ammunition by a felon, in 2019, and possession with intent to distribute marijuana, in 2010.
Under federal law, Fox must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; and Chief Brian Valenti, Covington Police Department, announced the sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by the ATF and Covington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew Spievack is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
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Calumet City Man Sentenced to 12+ Years in Prison for Carbondale Mail Theft and Bank Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BENTON, Ill. – A district court judge sentenced a Calumet City man to 154 months’ imprisonment for engaging in a bank fraud scheme using mail stolen from blue collection boxes in Carbondale.
Isaiah Jordan, 31, pleaded guilty in June to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, one count of theft of mail and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
“Communities depend on the U.S. Postal Service to communicate with loved ones and pay bills, but when thieves target collection boxes to steal checks and disrupt the public mailing system, the effects are evident throughout the region,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “I commend the Carbondale Police Department and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for leading this complex investigation and ultimately holding these criminals accountable.”
Charged co-conspirators Brian R. Nevils, 25, of South Holland, and Quentin S. Abrams, 25, of Charleston, each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of mail theft. The federal judge sentenced Abrams to time served in April and sentenced Nevils to 18 months’ imprisonment in September.
According to court documents, the defendants used a stolen master key to gain access to mail collection boxes throughout Carbondale. The conspiracy involved altering the payees and amounts of stolen checks, depositing the checks into bank accounts of co-conspirators and then transferring the funds into their own accounts or of their associates.
“This sentencing illustrates that individuals who engage in mail theft will be held accountable for their actions. The Postal Inspection Service will continue to partner with other law enforcement agencies to collectively pursue criminals who victimize postal customers,” stated Inspector in Charge, Ruth Mendonça, who leads the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which includes the St. Louis Field Office.
Nevils, Jordan and Abrams stole and altered more than 100 checks sent by more than 50 individuals through USPS from March through July 2020. The total estimated loss is $396,971.83.
“Our success as law enforcement officers relies in part on the strong partnerships between local and federal agencies in investigating complex crimes that affect our community,” said Carbondale Police Chief and Interim City Manager Stan Reno. “The collaboration between the Carbondale Police Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service was key in bringing these offenders to justice. Together, we are committed to ensuring the safety and integrity of our city, protecting both our residents and our institutions from fraudulent schemes.”
Following imprisonment, Jordan was ordered to serve three years of supervised release. In addition, the Court ordered Jordan to pay $396,971.83 in restitution to the affected banks.
Demarius L. Flakes, 31, of Blue Island, was also charged in the indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, three counts of mail theft, six counts of bank fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. He is in custody in Cook County on separate charges.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
The Carbondale Police Department and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service jointly investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Verseman prosecuted the case.
Brooklyn Business Owner Convicted of Multi-Million Dollar Real Estate Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal jury in Brooklyn returned a guilty verdict yesterday against Avraham Tarshish for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, and related wire fraud counts, in connection with a scheme to defraud mortgage loan holders, including the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) and other mortgage lending businesses. The verdict followed a 12-day trial before Chief United States District Judge Margo K. Brodie. When sentenced, the defendant faces up to 30 years in prison.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Robert Manchak, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region (FHFA-OIG), Vicky Vazquez, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region (HUD-OIG) and Thomas M. Fattorusso, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI) announced the verdict.
“The defendant defrauded taxpayer-funded mortgage loan holders out of millions of dollars and took advantage of programs designed to help distressed property owners in need,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Short sale mortgage fraud not only harms lending intuitions, it also depresses real estate values throughout our neighborhoods and prevents community members from gaining fair access to housing. Today’s guilty verdict should serve as a reminder that my Office, together with our law enforcement partners, will continue to vigorously prosecute those who corruptly line their pockets at the expense of mortgage lenders and borrowers.”
Mr. Peace expressed his appreciation to the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, New York Field Office (HSI), and the HSI El Dorado Financial Crimes Task Force for their work on the case.
“The defendant and his co-conspirators corrupted a process meant to assist homeowners facing foreclosure. By undermining the integrity of this process, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and other lenders were deprived of millions of dollars,” said Robert Manchak, Special Agent-in-Charge of FHFA-OIG’s Northeast Region. “Today's verdict demonstrates the resolve of the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General and its law enforcement partners to pursue those who defraud the government-sponsored enterprises.”
“Tarshish and other co-conspirators engaged in a $2.4 million scheme to cause FHA-insured mortgage lenders to approve short sale transactions at fraudulently depressed prices by misrepresenting material information for his own enrichment,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Vicky Vazquez with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG). “No one is above the law. HUD OIG will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to investigate individuals who jeopardize the integrity of FHA mortgage programs.”
“In this elaborate scheme to prey on people facing foreclosure and manipulating the mortgage loan system, Tarshish’s fraud resulted in a multi-million dollar loss to his victims. With this conviction, Tarshish now faces time behind bars where he can longer line his pockets at the expense of his community and their lenders,” said Thomas M. Fattorusso, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-CI New York.
The defendant was an employee of My Ideal Property Inc. and an owner of Exclusive Homes Realty Group, Inc., Exclusive Homes NY, LLC and Homeowners Solutions Group LTD, Queens- and Brooklyn-based companies formed to buy and sell real property. As proven at trial, between March 2013 and November 2018, the defendant and others conspired to defraud mortgage lenders, misleading them into approving short sale transactions at fraudulently depressed prices. In a short sale, with the approval of the mortgage lender or servicer, a mortgage loan borrower sells his or her property for less than the outstanding balance of the mortgage loan. The proceeds from the short sale, less approved closing costs, are applied to the outstanding mortgage loan balance owed to the lender, who typically agrees to forgive the borrower’s remaining mortgage loan balance. Here, the defendant fraudulently manipulated the short sale process and immediately flipped properties for prices well above the short sale prices.
Among other things, the defendant and his co-conspirators paid homeowners in foreclosure to lock them in to conducting short sales with them; took steps to preclude other prospective purchasers from making higher offers for properties by failing to market properties as required by the lenders; placed fraudulent liens on properties; and further depressed the properties’ values by removing toilets and plumbing, and causing other forms of property damage—a process that the defendant and his co-conspirators referred to as making the homes “pretty.” In furtherance of the scheme, the defendant and his co-conspirators also provided the mortgage lenders and servicers with false and misleading information in transaction documents and failed to disclose either payments made to the borrower and others related to short sale or contemporaneous agreements to transfer the properties at inflated prices. Many of the affected mortgage loans were insured by the Federal Housing Administration, or owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.
At trial, the government introduced evidence that the defendant participated in a conspiracy spanning years that involved dozens of fraudulent short sale transactions. From among those dozens of transactions, the government introduced specific evidence relating to eleven examples of Brooklyn short sales through which the defendant and his co-conspirators defrauded lenders and servicers of more than $2.4 million.
When sentenced, Aronov, Konstantinovskiy and Dafna face up to a 30-year max sentence. Herskowitz faces up to a 5-year sentence.
Anyone with information concerning similar mortgage-related fraud can report it by contacting the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General Hotline at 800-793-7724 or via the web at: https://www.fhfaoig.gov/ReportFraud#hotlineform.
In July 2022, Mr. Peace was selected as the Chairperson of the White Collar Fraud subcommittee for the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC). As the leader of the subcommittee, Mr. Peace plays a key role in making recommendations to the AGAC to facilitate the prevention, investigation and prosecution of various financially motivated, non-violent crimes including bank fraud and wire fraud.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Shannon C. Jones, John Vagelatos, Joshua B. Dugan and Russell Noble are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Liam McNett. Assistant United States Attorney Tanisha Payne of the Office’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters.
The Defendant:
AVRAHAM TARSHISH (also known as “Avi Tarshish”)
Age: 45
Queens Village, New YorkCo-Defendants Who Previously Pleaded Guilty:
ISKYO ARONOV (also known as “Isaac Aronov”)
Age: 37
Miami, FloridaMICHAEL KONSTANTINOVSKIY (also known as “Michael Kay”)
Age: 38
Rego Park, QueensTOMER DAFNA
Age: 53
Great Neck, New YorkMICHAEL HERSKOWITZ
Age: 45
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 19-CR-408 (MKB)
Bradenton Man Pleads Guilty to Firearms and Narcotics OffensesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Terry McDonald, Jr. (32, Bradenton) today pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. McDonald faces a minimum penalty of 5 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court records, on October 5, 2023, deputies from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at a home in Bradenton based on a series of controlled fentanyl purchases from another individual at the residence. At the time of the execution, McDonald was the sole occupant of a vehicle backed into the driveway. The vehicle was searched, and McDonald was found to be in possession of a loaded Smith and Wesson handgun, a digital scale, fentanyl, and cocaine. At the time, McDonald had multiple prior felony convictions, including possession of cocaine with intent to sell or deliver, fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer, and carrying a concealed firearm. Therefore, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
McDonald has agreed to forfeit a Smith & Wesson firearm and ammunition which were used in the commission of the offenses.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Chang.
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.
Billings construction company owner admits to tax evasionRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Billings construction company owner accused of not paying federal income tax on his business and directing his bookkeeper to improperly categorize personal expenses as business expenses admitted to a tax crime today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Clay Wayland Buckmiller, 60, appeared for arraignment on and pleaded guilty to an information charging him with tax evasion. Buckmiller faces a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Buckmiller was released pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that Buckmiller owns and runs a company he started in 2000 called Moonlight Construction. Buckmiller earned money through the company but has not filed taxes since 2009 for the 2007 tax year. Buckmiller knew of the requirement to file taxes. The IRS repeatedly notified him of his overdue taxes, including a notice he received in 2018 that he owed more than $88,000 in unpaid taxes—the balance of which the IRS has since written off because expired collection statutes.
In 2020, Moonlight earned taxable income, and Buckmiller’s bookkeeper notified him that he would be required to pay federal income tax. Buckmiller willfully made affirmative attempts during and after 2020 to evade paying taxes for that year:
- Buckmiller deposited customer checks into Moonlight’s bank account, but immediately withdrew large sums of cash, which he stored in a safe in his residence. Despite requests by his bookkeeper, Buckmiller refused to provide information about the source and use of these funds.
- Buckmiller instructed the bookkeeper to improperly categorize the withdrawals as business expenses, when in fact they were personal.
- Buckmiller deleted emails containing business-related invoices and instructed his bookkeeper to improperly categorize personal expenses as business expenses.
- Buckmiller lied to the bookkeeper by stating that the deposits he withdrew as cash were used to pay business vendors, when in reality, he used the money on personal expenses, including to buy a house in his girlfriend’s name.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The IRS conducted the investigation.
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Armed Carjacker Gets 20 Years in Prison for Robbery and Carjacking SpreeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Deangelo Richardson, 22, of Washington, DC, was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for committing an armed carjacking on July 14, 2022 and armed robbery on November 26, 2022, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Richardson pleaded guilty on August 2, 2024, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of armed carjacking and one count of armed robbery. Today, Judge Erik Christian sentenced Richardson to 20 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 14, 2022, Richardson, along with two unidentified co-conspirators, committed a series of violent offenses in Washington, D.C., ending with an armed carjacking near the 600 block of Morton Place NE. During the commission of each violent crime, all three assailants covered their faces. Richardson and his unidentified co-conspirators, armed with firearms, attempted to carjack two separate individuals before proceeding to the 600 block of Morton Place NE at approximately 6:49 p.m. Once at the location, they approached the victim who was parking her car at the location. One of the co-conspirators brandished a handgun and stated, “Give me everything!” Richardson and two associates took the victim’s car keys, phone, and credit cards attached to her phone, and other property. Then they took her car. Richardson later used the victim’s credit card at gas stations and a restaurant.
Richardson also committed an armed robbery that took place on November 26, 2022, near the 1300 block of South Carolina Avenue SE. At approximately 7:54 p.m., Richardson parked a car ahead of the victims who were walking their dog after dinner. When the couple walked near his car, the defendant jumped out with a gun and robbed the husband of his phone. Richardson was arrested that evening after a vehicle pursuit.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department’s Carjacking Task Force Unit. Valuable assistance provided by the FBI Washington Field Office Violent Crimes Task Force. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Evans and former Assistant United States Attorney Omeed Assefi.
Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Perry Ivory Wims (39, Tampa) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute it and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Wims entered a guilty plea in August 2024.
According to court records, the Tampa Police Department (TPD) learned that Wims was selling fentanyl out of his motel room in Tampa and obtained a search warrant for the room. Prior to the execution of the warrant, officers observed Wims point a firearm at individuals in the motel parking lot. Inside the motel room, officers located fentanyl, cocaine, two firearms, ammunition, and a drum magazine.
Wims previously served a 15-year federal sentence for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He completed serving that sentence less than three months before his arrest in this matter. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David P. Sullivan and James A. Muench.
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.