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21 November 2024
Lincoln Man Sentenced for Transporting Drugs via AmtrakRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Matthew Glenn Eriksen, age 45, of Lincoln, Nebraska was sentenced on November 21, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln for possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a methamphetamine mixture and a detectable amount of marijuana. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Eriksen to 121months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Eriksen’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force investigators received information indicating Matthew Eriksen was transporting drugs to Lincoln from Denver, Colorado, on Amtrak and that Eriksen and his girlfriend would be arriving in Lincoln on December 6, 2023. On that date, investigators contacted Eriksen and his girlfriend as they got off the Amtrak train in Lincoln with multiple pieces of luggage. Eriksen had a backpack, a rolling luggage bag, and a duffel bag. His girlfriend had a purse, a backpack, and a rolling luggage bag. She admitted she had a small amount of marijuana in her purse. A search of her luggage resulted in the finding of approximately ¼ ounce of meth, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia.
Eriksen denied having any drugs. A search warrant was obtained for Eriksen’s bags. During the search of those bags, investigators found plastic bags containing meth, marijuana, additional plastic bags, and a scale. Testing at the Nebraska State Patrol Crime Lab showed a total of 2.25 kilograms, (approximately five pounds), of meth mixture.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force.
Lehigh Acres Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Engage in Sexual Activity with A MinorRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Cosme Bejaran (34, Lehigh Acres) today pleaded guilty to attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and attempted transfer of obscene matter to a minor. Bejaran faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, beginning on May 17 and continuing through May 18, 2024, Bejaran communicated with an undercover law enforcement officer, who was posing as a 14-year-old girl. After learning of the girl’s age, Bejaran engaged in a sexually explicit conversation, asked the girl for explicit photographs, and sent an explicit photo of himself. Bejaran was apprehended by deputies from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office when he arrived at a residence with the intention of engaging in sexual activity with the girl. Bejaran later admitted to deputies and the FBI that his intentions with the girl were sexual.
This case was investigated by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.
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.
Laurel County Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine Trafficking and Possession of Firearm by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. – A London, Ky., man, Kenneth Dodd, 33, was sentenced to 76 months in prison on Thursday, by U.S. District Judge Robert Wier, for the distribution of methamphetamine and the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to his plea agreement, on September 14, 2023, law enforcement received information that Dodd was a source of supply for methamphetamine in Laurel County. Law enforcement utilized two confidential informants to make controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Dodd. During one of these controlled buys, Dodd also sold a firearm to the informant; the firearm was later determined to be stolen.
As a convicted felon, Dodd was prohibited from possessing a firearm. He previously pleaded guilty in 2020 to making materially false statements to a federal agent and cyberstalking.
Under federal law, Dodd 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; Chief Jerry Hollon, London Police Department; and Sheriff John Root, Laurel County Sheriff’s Office, announced the sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by the ATF, London Police Department, and Laurel County Sheriff’s Office, as part of the Laurel County Drug Interdiction Task Force.
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Lafayette Grand Jury Returns Indictment Charging Carjacking with Intent to Cause Death or Serious Bodily HarmRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that a federal grand jury in Lafayette has returned an indictment charging Brandon Jermaine Francisco, 38, of Mansura, Louisiana, with carjacking resulting in the death of Ella Goodie.
In addition to the one count of carjacking resulting in death, the indictment charges Francisco with one count of using a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence, one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and one count of flight to avoid prosecution.
The indictment alleges that on or about March 9, 2022, Francisco, with the intent to cause death and serious bodily harm, took a 2012 Audi Q5, 2.0T, Sport Utility Vehicle from the victim, E.G., by force, violence, and intimidation, resulting in the death of the victim. It is also alleged that on or about March 9, 2022, Francisco knowingly used and discharged a SCCY handgun, Model CPX-1, 9mm caliber firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, which in this case is carjacking.
It is further alleged in the indictment that Francisco possessed the SCCY handgun, Model CPX-1, 9mm caliber with four rounds of ammunition on or about March 25, 2022, knowing he had previously been convicted of a felony crime.
The indictment also alleges that from on or about March 9, 2022, until on or about March 25, 2022, in the Western District of Louisiana, Francisco traveled in interstate commerce with the intent to avoid prosecution under the laws of the State of Louisiana for a crime punishable by death under the laws of the State of Louisiana.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, Francisco faces a sentence of up to life in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000, or both. An arraignment and initial appearance will be scheduled for Francisco at a later date.
The case is being investigated by the Louisiana State Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John W. Nickel and Casey N. Richmond.
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Kissimmee Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Meet A 13-Year-Old Child to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Pooran Ramjattan (61, Kissimmee) has pleaded guilty to attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Ramjattan faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set.
According to court documents, on May 1, 2024, an undercover agent from the Federal Bureau of Investigation posed online as a 13-year-old girl. Ramjattan contacted the undercover agent’s account and, after learning the child’s age, engaged in a sexually explicit conversation. Ramjattan then arranged to meet the “child” at a predetermined location in Orange County to engage in sexual activity. When Ramjattan arrived at the meeting location, he was arrested by law enforcement.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Orlando Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kaley Austin-Aronson.
The 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 Attorney’s 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.justice.gov/psc.
Kanawha County Woman Sentenced for COVID-19 Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jessica Nutter, 39, of St. Albans, was sentenced today to, five years of federal probation, and ordered to pay $25,830 for receipt of stolen money. Nutter admitted to a scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) of $20,830 in COVID-19 relief loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
According to court documents and statements made in court, from March 27, 2021 through on or about April 20, 2021, Nutter fraudulently obtained two PPP loans, each for $10,415, from an approved PPP lender in Texas and the SBA. Nutter falsely represented on one loan application that she had a business, Nut House Wood, and that it had received $50,000 in gross income during 2019. Nutter applied for the other fraudulent loan on behalf of her husband. Nutter falsely represented that her husband received $50,000 in gross income during 2019 as an independent contractor for an online food ordering and delivery service.
Businesses applying for PPP loans had to certify that the business was in operation on February 15, 2020, and were required to provide documentation showing their prior gross income from either 2019 or 2020. Nutter admitted that Nut House Wood was not a registered business entity in the State of West Virginia and had never engaged in legitimate business activity when she applied for that loan. Nutter further admitted that her husband was not engaged as an independent contractor for the online delivery service at that time.
The Texas lender approved both of Nutter’s loan applications. On April 9, 2021, $10,415 was transferred to Nutter’s personal bank account from a Texas bank. Nutter admitted that she transferred $1,5573.12 of those stolen funds to a North Carolina business on April 12, 2021, to cover expenses for a family vacation later that year. On April 20, 2021, $10,415 in proceeds from the second loan was transferred from a Texas bank to the personal bank account of Nutter’s husband. Nutter admitted that she and her husband used those stolen funds for general family expenses.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney J. Parker Bazzle II prosecuted the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-81.
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Kanawha County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Joseph Douglas Collier, 38, of Alum Creek, was sentenced today to eight months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 11, 2023, Collier was on the sidewalk outside of a downtown Charleston bar holding an open container of alcohol. The bar doorman asked Collier to return to the bar with the alcoholic beverage. Collier responded by lifting his sweater to reveal a pistol in his waistband. Collier brandished the firearm at the doorman, who retreated inside and closed the bar to protect patrons and employees. Responding law enforcement officers located Collier at a nearby bar and seized a Kimber model Tactical Pro II .45-caliber pistol from Collier’s possession following a pat-down search.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Collier knew he was prohibited from possession a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, cocaine, in Kanawha County Circuit Court on January 12, 2010.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Charleston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Samuel D. Marsh prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-69.
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Kanawha County Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Federal Robbery and Firearms CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Camri Calrissian White, 26, of Cross Lanes was sentenced today to 25 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for robbery, discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
A federal jury convicted White on July 25, 2024, following a three-day trial. Evidence at trial proved that White robbed a Cross Lanes convenience store shortly before 5:15 a.m. on July 11, 2023, while armed with a Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm pistol with an extended magazine.
White entered the business while wearing a mask and fired one round from the pistol into the ceiling. White held two store employees at gunpoint while ordering them to retrieve money from both registers and a locked safe under the front counter. Before fleeing the store, White told the employees that he would return and kill them if they called the police within the next 10 minutes.
Surveillance video from the store and other nearby locations helped law enforcement officers identify White as the culprit of the robbery. On July 17, 2023, officers arrived at the Cross Lanes apartment where White was staying. Officers recovered the pistol with the extended magazine after White tossed it from a rear window of the apartment following the officers’ arrival. Officers searched the apartment and found clothing worn by White during the robbery. During the search, officers learned that White had access to a vacant and unlocked apartment nearby. Officers searched that apartment and found more clothing worn by White during the convenience store robbery.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. White was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for first-degree robbery with a firearm in Kanawha County Circuit Court on December 11, 2017. In that case, White pleaded guilty to his role in a January 31, 2017, home invasion robbery, during which he pressed a sawed-off shotgun to the chest of the 84-year-old victim while threatening to kill her.
The Court cited White’s criminal history when imposing today’s sentence and agreed with the United States that “the only thing that will determine his next brazen violent crime appears to be his release date.”
“The defendant has demonstrated a penchant for violence and a shocking disregard for the law and other people,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “The sentence imposed today protects the public from further crimes of the defendant.”
Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the South Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys JC MacCallum and Jennifer Rada Herrald prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-168.
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Justice Department, EPA and Pennsylvania Announce Settlements to Reduce Climate- and Health- Harming EmissionsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced two settlements with oil and gas operators in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In separate agreements, XTO Energy Inc. (XTO) and Hilcorp Energy Company (Hilcorp) agreed to resolve alleged Clean Air Act and Pennsylvania Air Pollution Control Act violations involving their oil and gas production operations in Pennsylvania.
Under the settlements, XTO agrees to pay a $4 million civil penalty and Hilcorp agrees to pay a $1.275 million civil penalty. Each of these amounts will be shared equally by the United States and the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which is a co-plaintiff in both cases. In addition to the civil penalties, both companies will undertake compliance measures to achieve major reductions in harmful emissions at their oil and gas production facilities in Butler County, Lawrence County and Mercer County facilities.
“These actions are the result of our continuing efforts to ensure that oil and gas operators comply with the Clean Air Act,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The commitments under the settlements will significantly reduce pollution from these companies’ operations, including volatile organic compounds that contribute to ground-level ozone, and methane, a potent greenhouse gas.”
“Hilcorp and XTO Energy’s violations contributed to smog that reduces air quality, as well as methane releases that are a primary driver of near-term climate change,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “These settlements are the latest in EPA’s urgent efforts to limit the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change and hold corporate polluters accountable for jeopardizing public health.”
“Today’s settlements reinforce a simple message: if your company contaminates the air in this district with harmful pollution, you will be held accountable under federal law,” said U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan for the Western District of Pennsylvania. “Through the hard work of our office and our law enforcement partners, XTO Energy and Hilcorp will be required not only to pay penalties related to the pollutants they already released, but also to protect against future harm through compliance measures that will reduce emissions of harmful pollutants. We remain steadfast in our efforts to protect the people of western Pennsylvania and the air they breathe.”
“Pennsylvanians have a right to clean air, and the Shapiro Administration continues to hold polluters accountable for infringing on that right,” said Acting Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) Secretary Jessica Shirley. “Today’s settlement will result in lower emissions and cleaner air for the people of the Commonwealth.”
As part of the settlement, XTO must undertake a project to mitigate harm attributable to XTO’s alleged violations. Specifically, by Dec. 31, 2027, XTO will be required to work with PADEP to identify the heaviest polluting abandoned oil and gas wells in western Pennsylvania and spend at least $1.4 million to plug or remediate them. Many of these “orphan” wells are existing significant sources of methane.
The work that XTO will do will result in the reduction of over 1,960 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per year released as methane, similar to the reductions achieved by taking 420 cars off the road for one year. The settlement will also eliminate nearly 120 tons of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions annually.
The XTO settlement resolves allegations by EPA and PADEP that XTO failed to comply with federal and state requirements to capture and control air emissions from 11 of its oil and gas production facilities in Butler County. EPA identified the alleged violations through field investigations conducted in 2018 and 2019.
Hilcorp must also undertake a project to mitigate harm attributable to the company’s alleged violations. Hilcorp will retrofit at least 164 pneumatic controllers that emit pollution with non-emitting process controllers at eight of the company’s facilities located in Lawrence and Mercer counties at least three years earlier than required under law.
EPA projects that the Hilcorp agreement will result in the reduction of over 160 tons of VOC emissions annually and 5,200 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per year released as methane. The reductions in methane from the settlement are similar to the reductions that would be achieved by taking 1,120 cars off the road for one year.
The Hilcorp settlement resolves allegations by EPA and PADEP that the company failed to comply with federal and state requirements to capture and control air emissions from six of its oil and gas production facilities in Lawrence and Mercer counties.
As a result of these alleged violations, both XTO and Hilcorp released methane and VOCs directly into the air instead of capturing and controlling the gas using specially designed equipment. Methane, a climate super pollutant, is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change, and VOCs contribute to ground-level ozone, which adversely affects human health.
XTO is a natural gas extraction and production company that is a directly held, wholly owned subsidiary of ExxonMobil. Its operations stretch from the Great Plains to Appalachia. It holds interests in more than 50,000 producing oil and natural gas wells. These holdings include operations in 15 counties (including Butler County), covering 534,000 acres in western Pennsylvania.
Hilcorp is a privately owned company registered to do business in Pennsylvania and headquartered in Houston. Hilcorp engages in oil and gas exploration, development, and production across the United States, with active production operations in Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Louisiana, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wyoming.
These settlements are part of EPA’s National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative Mitigating Climate Change. This initiative focuses, in part, on reducing methane emissions from oil and gas and landfill sources.
The consent decrees were filed with the United States District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania and are each subject to a 30-day comment period. The complaints and the proposed consent decrees are available at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
More information on these settlement agreements is available on the agency’s Hilcorp Energy Company Settlement web page and XTO Energy Inc. Settlement web page.
EPA and PADEP investigated the cases.
Attorneys from the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Enforcement Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania handled the cases.
Justice Department, EPA and Pennsylvania Announce Settlements to Reduce Climate- and Health- Harming EmissionsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced two settlements with oil and gas operators in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In separate agreements, XTO Energy Inc. (XTO) and Hilcorp Energy Company (Hilcorp) agreed to resolve alleged Clean Air Act and Pennsylvania Air Pollution Control Act violations involving their oil and gas production operations in Pennsylvania.
Under the settlements, XTO agrees to pay a $4 million civil penalty and Hilcorp agrees to pay a $1.275 million civil penalty. Each of these amounts will be shared equally by the United States and the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which is a co-plaintiff in both cases. In addition to the civil penalties, both companies will undertake compliance measures to achieve major reductions in harmful emissions at their oil and gas production facilities in Butler County, Lawrence County and Mercer County facilities.
“Today’s settlements reinforce a simple message: if your company contaminates the air in this district with harmful pollution, you will be held accountable under federal law,” said U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan for the Western District of Pennsylvania. “Through the hard work of our office and our law enforcement partners, XTO Energy and Hilcorp will be required not only to pay penalties related to the pollutants they already released, but also to protect against future harm through compliance measures that will reduce emissions of harmful pollutants. We remain steadfast in our efforts to protect the people of western Pennsylvania and the air they breathe.”
“These actions are the result of our continuing efforts to ensure that oil and gas operators comply with the Clean Air Act,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The commitments under the settlements will significantly reduce pollution from these companies’ operations, including volatile organic compounds that contribute to ground-level ozone, and methane, a potent greenhouse gas.”
“Hilcorp and XTO Energy’s violations contributed to smog that reduces air quality, as well as methane releases that are a primary driver of near-term climate change,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “These settlements are the latest in EPA’s urgent efforts to limit the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change and hold corporate polluters accountable for jeopardizing public health.”
“Pennsylvanians have a right to clean air, and the Shapiro Administration continues to hold polluters accountable for infringing on that right,” said Acting Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) Secretary Jessica Shirley. “Today’s settlement will result in lower emissions and cleaner air for the people of the Commonwealth.”
As part of the settlement, XTO must undertake a project to mitigate harm attributable to XTO’s alleged violations. Specifically, by Dec. 31, 2027, XTO will be required to work with PADEP to identify the heaviest polluting abandoned oil and gas wells in western Pennsylvania and spend at least $1.4 million to plug or remediate them. Many of these “orphan” wells are existing significant sources of methane.
The work that XTO will do will result in the reduction of over 1,960 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per year released as methane, similar to the reductions achieved by taking 420 cars off the road for one year. The settlement will also eliminate nearly 120 tons of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions annually.
The XTO settlement resolves allegations by EPA and PADEP that XTO failed to comply with federal and state requirements to capture and control air emissions from 11 of its oil and gas production facilities in Butler County. EPA identified the alleged violations through field investigations conducted in 2018 and 2019.
Hilcorp must also undertake a project to mitigate harm attributable to the company’s alleged violations. Hilcorp will retrofit at least 164 pneumatic controllers that emit pollution with non-emitting process controllers at eight of the company’s facilities located in Lawrence and Mercer counties at least three years earlier than required under law.
EPA projects that the Hilcorp agreement will result in the reduction of over 160 tons of VOC emissions annually and 5,200 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per year released as methane. The reductions in methane from the settlement are similar to the reductions that would be achieved by taking 1,120 cars off the road for one year.
The Hilcorp settlement resolves allegations by EPA and PADEP that the company failed to comply with federal and state requirements to capture and control air emissions from six of its oil and gas production facilities in Lawrence and Mercer counties.
As a result of these alleged violations, both XTO and Hilcorp released methane and VOCs directly into the air instead of capturing and controlling the gas using specially designed equipment. Methane, a climate super pollutant, is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change, and VOCs contribute to ground-level ozone, which adversely affects human health.
XTO is a natural gas extraction and production company that is a directly held, wholly owned subsidiary of ExxonMobil. Its operations stretch from the Great Plains to Appalachia. It holds interests in more than 50,000 producing oil and natural gas wells. These holdings include operations in 15 counties (including Butler County), covering 534,000 acres in western Pennsylvania.
Hilcorp is a privately owned company registered to do business in Pennsylvania and headquartered in Houston. Hilcorp engages in oil and gas exploration, development, and production across the United States, with active production operations in Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Louisiana, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wyoming.
These settlements are part of EPA’s National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative Mitigating Climate Change. This initiative focuses, in part, on reducing methane emissions from oil and gas and landfill sources.
The consent decrees were filed with the United States District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania and are each subject to a 30-day comment period. The complaints and the proposed consent decrees are available at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
More information on these settlement agreements is available on the agency’s Hilcorp Energy Company Settlement web page and XTO Energy Inc. Settlement web page.
EPA and PADEP investigated the cases.
Attorneys from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania and Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Enforcement Section handled the cases.
Justice Department Finds Civil Rights Violations by the Trenton Police Department and the City of Trenton, New JerseyRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey announced today that the Trenton Police Department (TPD) and the City of Trenton, New Jersey, engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that violates the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The city and TPD have stated that they will work with the department to implement the reform recommendations included in the report.
Specifically, the Justice Department finds that TPD unlawfully uses excessive force, including unreasonable forms of physical force and pepper spray in the absence of any significant resistance or danger. TPD also conducts stops, searches and arrests without reasonable suspicion or probable cause. In addition, the department identified deficiencies in training, supervision, policy and accountability that contribute to TPD and the city’s unlawful conduct.
“Police officers must respect people’s civil and constitutional rights and treat people with dignity,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “After an extensive review, we found that police officers in Trenton routinely failed to respect the Fourth Amendment rights of those who call Trenton home. Trenton police stop and search pedestrians and motorists without a legal basis, make illegal arrests and use excessive force without basis. We are committed to the hard work necessary to achieve constitutional policing across the country. By bringing city officials, the police department and the community together, we are confident that we can institute meaningful reforms that remedy the violations uncovered.”
“For too long, the residents of Trenton have felt afraid of the police, rather than protected by them,” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey. “The use of excessive force and unconstitutional stops, searches and arrests, sometimes with tragic consequences, have eroded public trust and undermined public safety. Today’s findings are the first step in achieving the reforms needed to rebuild public trust, so that the Trenton Police Department can effectively fight crime and keep residents safe, while respecting the constitutional rights of each and every person.”
The Justice Department found that TPD engaged in a pattern or practice of using excessive force, with police officers often escalating encounters when facing little resistance or threat. For example, in one incident from 2023, after initially using reasonable force to arrest a man, an officer stomped on the man’s hand multiple times once he was on the ground, kneeled on his head and kicked him in the shoulder.
TPD also conducted numerous stops and searches of pedestrians and cars without reasonable suspicion or probable cause, often unlawfully arresting the person they stopped and searched. TPD’s violations have eroded community trust and cost the city more than $7 million since 2021 to resolve lawsuits stemming from accusations of officer misconduct.
The Justice Department opened this investigation on Oct. 17, 2023. Career attorneys and staff in the Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey conducted the investigation. The team conducted an extensive review of TPD’s records, including hundreds of police reports and hundreds of hours of body-worn camera footage. The team also interviewed city and TPD leadership and line officers, accompanied officers on ride-alongs and met with dozens of community members.
The city and TPD cooperated fully with the Justice Department’s investigation. The department provided a comprehensive written report of its investigative findings to the city and TPD. The report acknowledges changes already made by the city and TPD, and it identifies additional remedial measures necessary to address its findings.
The Justice Department conducted this investigation pursuant to 34 U.S.C. § 12601, which prohibits law enforcement officers from engaging in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of rights protected by the Constitution or federal law. Section 12601 authorizes the Attorney General to file a lawsuit in federal court seeking court-ordered remedies to eliminate a pattern or practice of unlawful conduct.
The Justice Department will conduct outreach to members of the Trenton community to explain the findings and for input on remedies to address the findings. Individuals can also submit recommendations by email at [email protected] or by phone at 973-645-2801.
Additional information about the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is available at www.justice.gov/crt. Additional information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey is available at www.justice.gov/usao-nj. Information specific to the Civil Rights Division’s Police Reform Work can be found at www.justice.gov/crt/file/922421/download. Additional information about civil rights enforcement at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey is available at www.justice.gov/usao-nj/civil-rights-enforcement.
Spanish translation forthcoming. La traducción al español estará disponible próximamente.
Jamaican National Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering U.S.Read the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JASON CASTON WILLIAMS, also known as Jason Fitzgerald and Terry Barrington Stewart, 51, a citizen of Jamaica, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 30 months of imprisonment for illegally reentering the United States after being deported.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Williams was admitted to the U.S. as a Lawful Permanent Resident in October 1982. In June 1991, Williams was convicted in Connecticut state court of robbery in the second degree. He received a sentence of 10 years of imprisonment, execution suspended, and five years of probation for that offense. He subsequently violated his probation and, in March 1997, was sentenced to three years of imprisonment.
In September 1997, Williams was convicted in New York of burglary second degree and criminal possession of a weapon, and received a sentence or 30 months to five years of imprisonment.
In May 2001, after an immigration judge ordered Williams removed, he was deported to Jamaica.
Williams unlawfully returned to the U.S. and, on October 20, 2022, was arrested by Norwalk Police and charged with second-degree assault related to his use of a knife to assault another individual. On October 11, 2023, he was convicted of that charge and sentenced to five years of imprisonment, suspended after two years, and three years of probation.
On September 11, 2024, Williams pleaded guilty in federal court to illegal reentry. He has completed his state sentence and is now in federal custody.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shan Patel.
Jacksonville Man Pleads Guilty for Role in Drive-By Shooting on I-95 in St. Johns CountyRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that James Toney (19, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana, committing a drive-by shooting in furtherance of a major drug offense, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Toney faces a minimum sentence of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison. Toney has also agreed to forfeit $1,000, which represents illicit proceeds derived from drug trafficking.
According to court documents, between October 2022 and July 2024, Toney served as an armed distributor for a Jacksonville-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) operated and led by Toney’s brother, Nathaniel Hatcher, III. The DTO trafficked bulk marijuana from Northern California to Jacksonville by smuggling marijuana on commercial airlines, shipping marijuana through the U.S. mail system, and transporting marijuana by vehicle across state lines. Once the marijuana arrived in Jacksonville, Toney and other DTO members transported the marijuana to various short-term rental homes throughout Jacksonville. Members of the DTO rented these homes to store, package, and distribute the marijuana. Toney and other members of the DTO routinely carried and possessed firearms at these residences to protect themselves, their drugs, and their drug proceeds during drug sales. Federal agents determined that Toney was responsible for trafficking between 100 and 400 kilograms of marijuana during the conspiracy. In addition to trafficking, transporting, smuggling, and selling marijuana, Toney was also responsible for carrying out violence on behalf of the DTO.
On September 18, 2023, Toney and other DTO members arranged a drug transaction with subjects they had met that evening in Jacksonville. The drug transaction, which occurred at a gas station along Old St. Augustine Road, failed. The other subjects never provided the promised marijuana, and instead, stole approximately $45,000 in cash from Hatcher and Toney. After the failed drug transaction, Hatcher contacted a former police officer who illegally accessed law enforcement databases to provide Hatcher with the names and home addresses of the subjects who had stolen the money. In the following days, Toney and other DTO members tracked, surveilled, and cyberstalked the other subjects and their family members. In text messages, Toney and others discussed and plotted retaliation for the robbery, including committing acts of violence.
On October 17, 2023, Toney traveled to the Duval County courthouse for a scheduled court date in an unrelated pending criminal matter. Toney and other DTO members were aware that one of the subjects from the September 18 drug transaction also had a court hearing that day for a separate criminal matter. After court concluded, Hatcher, Toney, and other DTO members surveilled this subject as he exited the Duval County courthouse, accompanied by a female, and enter his white sedan. Hatcher, Toney, and other DTO members, operating multiple vehicles, including a red sedan and a gray SUV, followed the white sedan from downtown Jacksonville to I-95, traveling southbound toward St. Johns County. Toney was traveling in the red vehicle and Hatcher was traveling in the gray SUV. At approximately 11:20 a.m., during the pursuit along I-95 South, the red and gray vehicles boxed the white sedan into the left lane of traffic. Then, individuals from the red and gray vehicles discharged dozens of rounds of 7.62 caliber ammunition at the white sedan. Following the shooting, the red and gray vehicles fled the scene.
Deputies with the St. Johns County Sheriffs’ Office and emergency medical personnel arrived on scene and secured the area. The driver of the white sedan, who was the male subject from the courthouse, sustained one gunshot wound but survived and was airlifted to a trauma unit. The front passenger of the white sedan, the female subject from the courthouse, suffered injuries from broken glass. Emergency personnel also transported her to a nearby hospital. The white sedan sustained gunshots to the passenger side, the rear, the front and hood, the front windshield, the interior, and the engine block. On scene, deputies recovered approximately 25 spent 7.62 caliber shell casings. According to ballistics analyses, two different firearms were used during the shooting.
On June 28, 2024, federal agents secured a criminal complaint for Toney based on his alleged role in the drug conspiracy. On July 3, 2024, federal agents and detectives with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office attempted to arrest Toney on the federal warrant, but Toney and an associate fled, and a high-speed chase ensued through populated areas of Jacksonville. Toney ultimately escaped and fled to Gainesville. On July 8, 2024, agents located Toney in Jacksonville and arrested him. In Toney’s possession was his cellphone and $1,000 in cash.
Toney’s co-defendant, Al’Donta Easterling, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He faces a minimum of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.
Hatcher’s case is pending, and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Aakash Singh and Kirwinn Mike.
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.
Inmate at Federal Bureau of Prisons Sentenced to an Additional 10 Years' Imprisonment Following Guilty Verdict for Assault Causing Serious Bodily InjuryRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Raymond Tetzlaff, an inmate incarcerated at the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) in Forrest City, Arkansas, will spend an additional 10 years in federal prison after his current sentence is complete following his conviction for an assault causing serious bodily injury in which the victim ultimately died. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr.
Following a three-day jury trial, Tetzlaff, 41, of Great Falls, Montana, was convicted by a federal jury on June 12, 2024. The jury found Tetzlaff guilty on one count of assault causing serious bodily injury.
Tetzlaff is currently serving a 216-month federal sentence for drug crimes from a 2017 case out of Montana. That sentence is expected to expire in 2032. Tetzlaff’s 120-month sentence in the assault case will begin to run when the sentence from the drug case is complete. In addition to the 10 years’ of imprisonment, Judge Moody sentenced Tetzlaff to five years of supervised release. The sentence is the maximum amount of imprisonment under law Tetzlaff could serve. There is no parole in the federal system.
“It is my sincere hope that today’s sentence will bring a level of comfort and peace to the victim’s family,” said Jonathan D. Ross, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. “Prisoners should be safe while serving their term of imprisonment. The significant sentence handed down by the judge should serve as a warning to all inmates that if you cause harm to a fellow prisoner, our office will work to hold you accountable.
“The defendant showed no remorse and the sentence is reflective of the defendant’s callous indifference to the loss of another man’s life.”
Tetzlaff was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 1, 2023, in a two-count indictment that charged him with one count of manslaughter and one count of assault causing serious bodily injury. The jury returned a verdict of guilty on assault but did not reach a verdict on the manslaughter charge.
Through an investigation, it was revealed that on October 29, 2022, at the federal prison in Forrest City, Tetzlaff punched an inmate in the face, knocking him to the floor. The victim of the assault sustained a fractured skull when he hit the floor. Three days after the assault by Tetzlaff, the victim succumbed to the injuries. It was discovered during the investigation that Tetzlaff assaulted the victim over concerns for a missing contraband cell phone.
Witnesses at trial testified that Tetzlaff punched the victim when the victim was not paying attention and was turning away from him. After being punched, the victim was knocked unconscious and crashed to the floor, resulting in a fracture to his skull. Witnesses reported the victim later had a seizure and fell from his top bunk onto the floor. The victim was taken to the hospital, but never regained consciousness.
In pronouncing the sentence, Judge Moody pointed out Tetzlaff’s lack of remorse and violence of the act, as well as numerous previous incidents in which he had used violence in criminal activities, as reasons for the sentence.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the BOP. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Bart Dickinson and Chris Givens.
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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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ICE Supervisory Deportation Officer Arrested for Identity Theft and Disseminating Confidential Government RecordsRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James E. Dennehy, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the arrest of HENRY YAU for charges in connection with a scheme to commit identity theft, convert government records, and disclose agency records containing individually identifiable information. YAU was arrested this morning and will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stewart D. Aaron.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Henry Yau, a supervisory law enforcement officer within U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement, allegedly engaged in a years-long scheme to disseminate non-public and sensitive information from law enforcement databases to friends and acquaintances. Among other things, Yau allegedly tipped off an individual who was being investigated by the FBI; disclosed sensitive and non-public information from immigration and law enforcement databases; and, most egregiously, offered to use his authority as an ICE officer to arrest specific people at the request of, and as favors to, his friends. As I have said before, public service is a privilege, not a right, and the career prosecutors of this Office and our law enforcement partners will never stop investigating those who seek to abuse that privilege.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge James E. Dennehy said: “Henry Yau, a supervisory ICE deportation officer, allegedly disclosed confidential law enforcement information of more than two dozen individuals to unauthorized recipients for personal and financial gain. This alleged abuse of authority to satisfy unwarranted personal favors erodes the public's trust. The FBI maintains its steadfast commitment to hold accountable all government officials who engage in unscrupulous behavior infringing on the privacy and rights of others.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:[1]
YAU was a Supervisory Deportation Officer with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”), which is a law enforcement agency within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”). ICE’s stated mission includes protecting the U.S. through criminal investigations and enforcing immigration laws to preserve national security and public safety. Between in or about 2015 and in or about November 2024, YAU was employed as a Deportation Officer with ICE. In or around September 2021, YAU was promoted to Supervisory Deportation Officer. YAU was assigned to the ICE New York Field Office, located in Manhattan. As an ICE Deportation Officer, YAU was given access to several password-protected law enforcement databases operated by DHS and other law enforcement agencies, including U.S. Customs and Immigration Service (“USCIS”) databases containing the status of immigration-related applications filed by aliens, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) databases containing information about border crossings, criminal history databases containing people’s arrest and conviction records, and ICE databases containing records relating to arrests and removals of aliens from the U.S.
From at least in or about 2017 through at least in or about 2023, YAU participated in schemes to disseminate confidential government information from law enforcement databases, including multiple databases maintained by ICE, CBP, and USCIS. YAU disseminated this confidential government information to friends and acquaintances for his own personal and financial gain. In total, YAU improperly disseminated confidential government information relating to approximately 28 individuals, at least. This information came from DHS databases, and YAU disclosed it without any apparent law enforcement purpose to at least approximately 12 non-law enforcement personnel, including, among others: Tommy Lin, a former Director of Constituent Services within the New York City Mayor’s Office[2]; a former candidate for New York City Council and New York State Assembly (“CC-1”); a former target of a fraud investigation being conducted by the FBI in California (“CC-2”); and a former business partner (“CC-3”).
Between in or about 2019 and in or about 2020, YAU agreed to and did disclose confidential information from law enforcement databases about an individual (“Victim-1”) that Lin was seeking to have arrested and deported from the U.S. because Victim-1 had conflict with members of a bank fraud conspiracy in which Lin was involved. YAU shared with Lin a copy of a Field Operations Worksheet containing personal identifying information about Victim-1. YAU then arrested Victim-1 and sent Lin photographs of Victim-1, handcuffed, following the arrest. In connection with this scheme, Lin earned approximately $20,000 in cash.
Between in or about 2019 and in or about 2021, YAU agreed to and did disclose confidential information from immigration databases to CC-1 on multiple occasions, including information about the status of USCIS’s investigation of the permanent resident application of a particular individual (“Victim-2”) and the immigration status of another individual (“Victim-3”).
Between in or about 2018 and in or about 2020, YAU agreed to and did disclose confidential information from law enforcement databases to CC-2 on multiple occasions, including information about whether CC-2 would be potentially arrested by law enforcement at the border when entering or leaving the U.S. In or about January 2020, YAU disclosed to CC-2 that CC-2 was being investigated by law enforcement agents in California.
Between in or about 2019 and in or about 2021, YAU agreed to and did disclose confidential information from law enforcement databases to CC-3 on multiple occasions, including information about the immigration status of an individual (“Victim-3”), who YAU offered to arrest for CC-3. YAU also disclosed to CC-3 non-public information from law enforcement databases regarding the immigration status of another individual (“Victim-4”) and information about the border crossings of another individual (“Victim-5”) into and out of the U.S.
* * *
YAU, 41, of New York, New York, is charged with one count of identity theft conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison; four counts of conspiracy to convert government records and property and disclose agency records containing individually identifiable information, each of which carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison; one count of conversion of government records and property, which carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison; and one count of disclosure of agency records containing individually identifiable information, which carries a maximum sentence of one year 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 investigative work of the FBI. Mr. Williams also thanked the DHS Office of Inspector General and the New York City Department of Investigation for their assistance in the investigation of this case.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent & Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew K. Chan, James Ligtenberg, and Ni Qian are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
[2] As of the date of this Complaint, Lin is charged in United States v. Tommy Lin et al., S7 23 Cr. 572 (CM), with participating in a bank fraud conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349, and aggravated identity theft, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1028A and 2.
Honduran Native Pleads Guilty to Being an Illegal Alien in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JOAN E. ESCOBAR-REYES (“ESCOBAR-REYES”), age 26, a native of Honduras, pled guilty on November 19, 2024, to being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(5)(A).
According to court documents, on or about June 30, 2024, ESCOBAR-REYES, an alien illegally present in the United States, was found in possession of a Glock Model 32, .357 SIG caliber, semi-automatic pistol and a H&R Model 92, .22 LR caliber revolver.
ESCOBAR-REYES faces up to 15 years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan set sentencing for February 20, 2025.
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.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations and the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office, in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis of the General Crimes Unit oversees the prosecution.
High-Ranking Mexican Cartel Leader Arrested on Charges of International Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering After Faking Own Death to Live in California Under Assumed IdentityRead the Press Release
A federal court in the Central District of California unsealed a criminal complaint yesterday charging Cristian Fernando Gutierrez-Ochoa — a high-ranking member of the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) and the son-in-law of the CJNG’s leader, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as El Mencho — with international drug trafficking and money laundering offenses. Gutierrez-Ochoa was arrested in Riverside, California, on Nov. 19.
“The Jalisco Cartel — one of the world’s most violent and prolific drug trafficking organizations — is weaker today because of the tenacious efforts of law enforcement to track down and arrest a cartel leader who allegedly faked his own death and assumed a false identity to evade justice and live a life of luxury in California,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “As these charges allege, Gutierrez-Ochoa directed the trafficking of lethal narcotics, causing untold destruction in our communities. To those seeking to harm Americans and to profit from their pain, this arrest should serve as a reminder — we will find you and bring you to justice.”
“Over the last decade, Cristian Gutierrez-Ochoa, a close associate of CJNG’s top leader, allegedly directed the importation of tons of methamphetamine and cocaine into the United States and engaged in violence to aid the cartel’s criminal activities,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division is committed to disrupting and dismantling Mexican drug trafficking organizations. Tuesday's arrest sends a powerful message to cartel leadership: we will work tirelessly with our domestic and international law enforcement partners to hold them accountable.”
“Defeating the two cartels responsible for the deadly drug crisis in the United States is the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)’s top operational priority, and with the arrest of Cristian Fernando Gutierrez-Ochoa, we are much closer,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “We allege that Gutierrez-Ochoa, a high-ranking member of the CJNG and the son-in-law of El Mencho, conspired to import thousands of kilograms of cocaine and methamphetamine into the United States on behalf of the Jalisco Cartel. The Jalisco Cartel is responsible for unprecedented violence in Mexico and helping to fuel the deadly drug crisis in the United States. The DEA is relentlessly committed to defeating the Jalisco Cartel, and we will exhaust every tool in the justice system to fight back, to save American lives, and to bring this cartel to justice.”
According to court documents, Gutierrez-Ochoa, 37, is alleged to have started working for the CJNG, one of the most violent drug cartels in Mexico, in around 2014, and to have personally coordinated the transportation and distribution of approximately 40,000 kilograms of methamphetamine and approximately 2,000 kilograms of cocaine in Mexico, all destined for the United States.
Gutierrez-Ochoa allegedly furthered CJNG’s drug trafficking and money laundering activities through violence. In around November 2021, Gutierrez-Ochoa allegedly kidnapped two members of the Mexican Navy in an attempt to secure the release of El Mencho’s wife, who had been arrested by Mexican authorities. After being sought by Mexican authorities, Gutierrez-Ochoa allegedly fled into the United States, assumed a fictitious identity, and resided in a luxury residence in Riverside, California, purchased by CJNG’s money laundering operatives with drug trafficking proceeds.
According to court documents, El Mencho may have assisted Gutierrez-Ochoa in his scheme to fake his own death by telling associates that El Mencho murdered Gutierrez-Ochoa for lying. This helped Gutierrez-Ochoa sneak into the United States to be with El Mencho’s daughter. The Justice Department returned a superseding indictment against El Mencho in April 2022, charging him with leading a continuing criminal enterprise to manufacture and distribute fentanyl for importation into the United States. The U.S. Department of State is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to his arrest and/or conviction. El Mencho remains a fugitive.
Gutierrez-Ochoa is charged with conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, knowing, intending, and having reasonable cause to believe that those controlled substances would be unlawfully imported into the United States. Gutierrez-Ochoa is also charged with conspiracy to launder CJNG’s drug trafficking proceeds. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of ten years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison on the drug distribution conspiracy charge, and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the money laundering conspiracy charge. A federal district court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The DEA Los Angeles Field Division is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Lernik Begian and Doug Meisel of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section are prosecuting the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California provided valuable assistance.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug trafficking organizations and other criminal networks that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Guatemalan National Charged with Illegally Reentering U.S.Read the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging RAFAEL VINCENTE VINCENTE, also known as “Rafael Vicente Vicente,” “Vincente Carlos Vincente,” “Carlos Vincente,” “Carlos Vicente,” “Rafael A Vincente,” and “Rafael A Vicente,” 40, a citizen of Guatemala last residing in New London, with illegally reentering the United States after being deported.
The indictment was returned on November 19, 2024, and Vincente was arrested today. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven, entered a plea of not guilty to the charge, and was ordered detained.
As alleged in the indictment and statements made in court, Vincente was deported from the U.S. to Guatemala in July 2005 following convictions in Connecticut Superior Court for negligent homicide and evading responsibility for a motor vehicle accident resulting in death. Vincente subsequently reentered the U.S. and, on June 7, 2024, was arrested by Groton Town Police and charged with attempted commercial sexual abuse of a minor, attempted sexual assault in the second degree, and attempted risk of injury to a child.
If convicted of illegal reentry, Vincente faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
The state charges against Vincente are pending.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Gordon.
Greensboro Man Who Entered Elementary School with Firearm SentencedRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO – JONATHAN CAMERON COLEY was sentenced today to 42 months in prison after being convicted of a firearm offense, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina.
COLEY, age 26, pleaded guilty on September 4, 2024, to possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance.
According to evidence in the court record, on April 13, 2024, a Greensboro Police Department (GPD) officer responded to Irving Park Elementary School at approximately 6:00 a.m. in reference to a burglar alarm activation. The GPD officer found the door to the gymnasium was propped open by a basketball goal. He cleared the interior of the school and did not locate any further suspicious activity or persons inside. Subsequent review of surveillance camera footage showed a newer model, blue Dodge Challenger arriving in the area at 5:23 a.m. on April 13, 2024. The Challenger was seen parking near the front entrance of the school. A white male walked into camera view and then proceeded back to the Challenger and left. The suspect was later identified by GPD as COLEY. At 5:48 a.m. on the surveillance video, COLEY reappeared on camera on the school property, this time armed with a long gun. COLEY entered the school through a door leading to the gym. The door appeared to be unlocked or unsecured. COLEY was then captured on surveillance video walking through the gym and entering the main lobby of the school, still armed with a long gun. COLEY walked down a hallway and eventually exited the school through the kindergarten entrance doors and walked away from the school with the firearm.
COLEY was arrested on state warrants for Breaking and/or Entering and Possession of a Firearm on School Grounds. During the arrest, officers detected an odor of marihuana coming from COLEY’s vehicle. A search of the vehicle produced two bags of edible THC products, multiple bags of marihuana, two marihuana cigarettes, a digital scale, marihuana grinders, and several plastic bags used to store marihuana. During interviews subsequent to his arrest, COLEY admitted to using methamphetamine two to three times a day.
COLEY was sentenced today to 42 months imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release by the Honorable Catherine C. Eagles, Chief United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina.
The case was investigated by the Greensboro Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole R. DuPré.
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Grand Jury Returns IndictmentsRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. - A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned the following indictments yesterday. You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and a person named as defendant in an indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Bayfield Man Charged With Distributing Child Pornography
Lance Andrews, 46, Bayfield, Wisconsin, is charged with distributing child pornography. The indictment alleges that on September 24, 2024, Andrews uploaded a video of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, into a Chatroom dedicated to the rape of infants and toddlers.
If convicted, Andrews faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison.
The charge against him is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Ashland Police Department, Bayfield County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wisconsin Department of Corrections. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman is handling the case.
This investigation was a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. 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.
Three Dane County Men Charged With Illegally Possessing Firearms
In separate cases, three Dane County men are charged with illegally possessing firearms as felons. Under federal law, individuals with prior felony convictions cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.
Joseph T. Harrison, 35, Madison, Wisconsin, is charged with illegally possessing a Beretta .22 caliber handgun on or about April 9, 2024.
Curtis White III, 21, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, is charged with illegally possessing a loaded Sarsilmaz 9mm handgun and 9mm ammunition on September 30, 2024.
Bobby D. Clayton, 44, Madison, Wisconsin, is charged with illegally possessing firearms and ammunition as a felon. The indictment alleges that on July 26, 2022, Clayton possessed a loaded Hi-Point C9 9mm handgun. The indictment further alleges that on June 2, 2024, Clayton possessed a loaded Taurus PT-58 .380 caliber handgun and two brands of .380 caliber ammunition.
If convicted, Harrison and White each face a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. Clayton faces maximum penalties of 15 years in prison on each gun charge.
The charge against Harrison is the result of an investigation conducted by the La Crosse Police Department, ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force, and the Wisconsin State Crime Lab. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Ginsberg is handling the case.
The charge against White is the result of an investigation conducted by the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force and the Fitchburg Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Wagner is handling the case.
The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers (TFOs) from local agencies including the Dane County and Clark County Sheriff’s Offices and the Fitchburg, Madison, Sun Prairie, and La Crosse Police Departments.
The charge against Clayton is the result of an investigation conducted by the Madison Police Department and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan is handling the case.
All cases involving firearms are brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
Illinois Man Charged With Distributing Fentanyl
Michael Greer, 44, Loves Park, Illinois, is charged with distributing fentanyl. The indictment alleges that Greer distributed 40 grams or more of fentanyl on July 25, 2024, and August 8, 2024.
If convicted, Greer faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison on each distribution charge.
The charges against Greer are the result of investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Rock County Sheriff’s Office, and the Winnebago County, Illinois, Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor L. Kraus is handling the case.
Price County Man Charged With Defrauding Federal Crop Insurance Program
Lance G. Meier, 52, Ogema, Wisconsin, is charged with defrauding the federal crop insurance program. The indictment alleges that on September 30, 2019, Meier submitted a fraudulent Wells Fargo bank statement to the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation in connection with reinstating his crop insurance.
If convicted, Meier faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison.
The charge against Meier is the result of an investigation conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Stelljes is handling the case.
Rice Lake Man Charged with Methamphetamine Trafficking Offenses
David Anderson Jr., 34, Rice Lake, Wisconsin, is charged with distributing methamphetamine, possessing methamphetamine intended for distribution, and maintaining a drug trafficking premises. The indictment alleges that Anderson distributed methamphetamine on April 8, 2024, and April 17, 2024. The indictment also alleges that Anderson possessed 50 grams or more of methamphetamine intended for distribution on April 19, 2024. The indictment finally alleges that Anderson maintained a drug trafficking residence in Rice Lake from April 8, 2024, to on or about April 19, 2024.
If convicted of the charge involving 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, Anderson faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison. The charges involving distribution and maintaining a drug trafficking premises each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
The charges against Anderson are the result of an investigation by the Barron County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Louis Glinzak is handling the case.
Madison Man Charged with Firearms Offenses and Possessing Heroin Intended for Distribution
Patrick T. Bishop, 30, Madison, Wisconsin, is charged with possessing 100 grams or more of heroin intended for distribution, possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The indictment alleges that Bishop possessed the heroin on July 31, 2024, on the same day that he possessed a loaded Glock 23 .40 caliber handgun and CBC Smith and Wesson .40 caliber ammunition. The indictment further alleges that Bishop possessed the Glock handgun in furtherance of his drug trafficking crime.
If convicted of the heroin charge, Bishop faces a minimum penalty of 5 years and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison. If convicted of the felon-in-possession charge, he faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. If convicted of the charge alleging that he possessed a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking crime, he faces a minimum penalty of 5 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life, and the sentence imposed must run consecutively to any other prison term.
The charges against Bishop are the result of an investigation conducted by the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force and the Madison Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Lennon is handling the case.
Gary Man Sentenced to 60 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Darrius L. Smith, 34 years old, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Smith was sentenced to 60 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on January 11, 2023, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Smith. During a search of the vehicle, a loaded semi-automatic .40 caliber firearm was recovered. The firearm was previously reported stolen. Smith’s criminal history revealed that he had prior felony convictions for burglary and auto theft, and as such, is prohibited from possessing the firearm in this case.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Gang Response Investigative Team with the assistance of the Lake County Sheriff’s Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Padilla.
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.
Gainesville Man Arrested for Attempting to Meet A 13-Year-Old Child to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Jose Raul Andreu Rodriguez (22, Gainesville) on a criminal complaint charging him with attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. If convicted, Rodriguez faces a minimum sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.
According to the complaint, an undercover special agent from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) posed as a 13-year-old girl on an online social media platform. Rodriguez contacted the undercover agent’s account. On November 14, 2024, after learning of the girl’s age, Rodriguez engaged in a sexually explicit conversation and sent the minor multiple videos of himself masturbating. Rodriguez arranged to meet the minor for sexual activity at a predetermined location in Marion County. When Rodriguez traveled to the location, he was arrested by law enforcement.
A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
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.
Fresno Doctors Agree to Pay $2.4 Million to Resolve Kickback AllegationsRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. – In two separate settlements, Fresno physicians have agreed to collectively pay more than $2.4 million to resolve allegations that they solicited and received unlawful kickbacks in exchange for directing prescriptions to a group of mail-order pharmacies controlled by an individual named Matthew H. Peters, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced today. The United States contends that these arrangements violated the Anti-Kickback Statute and the False Claims Act.
In the first settlement, Fresno podiatrist Dr. Jagpreet Mukker and his medical corporation, Jay Mukker, DPM Inc., have agreed to pay a total of $1,598,891 to the United States to resolve allegations that they participated in the unlawful kickback arrangement causing Dr. Mukker to issue prescriptions for beneficiaries of federal health care programs (including Medicare, TRICARE, and Medi-Cal), which the United States alleges violated the False Claims Act.
As part of the settlement, Dr. Mukker acknowledged, accepted, and agreed not to dispute certain facts surrounding the kickback scheme. In particular, Dr. Mukker agreed that from 2016 through 2020, he accepted payments in connection with prescriptions he issued to a series of indistinguishable mail-order pharmacies controlled by Matthew Peters. Under this arrangement, Dr. Mukker received financial payouts, described as investment returns, in connection with investments in “management service organizations” created by Peters. Financial payouts from those investments reached multiple times the amount of capital paid into the venture, within just the first few months. After a small initial investment, Dr. Mukker received up to $117,400 per year in kickbacks, which caused Dr. Mukker to send prescriptions to Peters’ pharmacies. These payouts were described as a “reward[] for scripts” that Dr. Mukker sent to Peters’ pharmacies.
As described in the settlement agreement, Dr. Mukker acknowledged that, as the arrangement continued, he received additional opportunities to invest in Peters’ management service organizations, which resulted in greater financial payouts. Peters awarded additional investment opportunities based on the number and value of prescriptions that Dr. Mukker had directed to the pharmacies. In connection with one such opportunity, Peters made clear that Dr. Mukker’s payout would double. Peters then explained that the scheme could offer him more shares as Dr. Mukker’s prescription “performance” increased.
The arrangement included an agreed-upon exchange of payments for prescriptions, with prescriptions being a condition of investment—described by one representative such that if a clinician “doesn’t write, he can’t have shares.” Similarly, when monthly payouts were less than expected, Dr. Mukker requested to be “made whole” and that he and another investor “have held up our end of the bargain” and “prescrib[ed] a lot of the compounding to our patients.”
The first settlement agreement also resolves separate allegations that Dr. Mukker and Jay Mukker, DPM Inc. submitted false claims for peripheral venous studies that they knew were not covered by Medicare, under the guise of covered evaluation and management services. With respect to these allegations, under the settlement announced today, Dr. Mukker also acknowledged, accepted, and agreed not to dispute that he and his practice submitted claims to Medicare for peripheral venous studies between January 2017 and November 2023 that were not reimbursable, and that Dr. Mukker and his practice billed those services to Medicare using a code for a physician evaluation and management service that was not consistent with what had been furnished to the patient.
In the second settlement announced today, Fresno pain medicine specialist Amitabh Goswami, D.O., and his medical corporation, California Pain Consultants, agreed to pay $835,000 to resolve allegations that they participated in the same unlawful kickback arrangement that the United States alleges violated the Anti-Kickback Statute and the False Claims Act.
“The payment of kickbacks corrupts medical decision-making and increases the cost of health care,” said U.S. Attorney Talbert. “We will hold accountable those who pay or receive such kickbacks, ensuring they do not profit at the expense of American taxpayers and patients.”
“Kickback schemes jeopardize medical decision-making and undermine the integrity of the Medicare program,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven J. Ryan of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “We are dedicated to safeguarding taxpayer-funded health care and ensuring the well-being of the patients who depend on it.”
“The fraudulent schemes encompassed by these settlements wasted patient care resources and taxpayer dollars,” said Special Agent in Charge Bryan D. Denny of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Western Field Office. “DCIS will continue to work with its partners to hold accountable those who seek to defraud federal health care programs, particularly as it relates to our military’s TRICARE program.”
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated investigation conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Thiess and Steve Tennyson handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The United States has also initiated a lawsuit against Peters and a number of his related pharmacies, management service organizations, and other entities, alleging violations of the False Claims Act based on the unlawful kickback scheme that formed the basis for the settlements announced today. United States v. Matthew H. Peters, et al., Case No. 2:24-cv-00287. That litigation is ongoing.
The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
mukker_settlement_executed.pdf goswami_settlement_fully_executed.pdfFrankfort Attorney Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud, Bank Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft, and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Frankfort attorney, Brian Logan, 50, pleaded guilty on Wednesday, before U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove, to wire fraud, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering.
According to court documents, Logan prepared a will for a client in August 2018. After the client passed away, Logan was appointed executor of the client’s estate, which included real property and cash. The will directed that the majority of the estate’s assets be distributed among certain charities. Instead, Logan transferred $239,600 from the estate bank account to his personal bank accounts in a series of transactions from October 10, 2018, to August 31, 2023. Logan then used these funds for personal expenses, including to make payments on his credit card.
Logan also used fraudulent transactions to transfer the ownership of the estate’s real property to himself. Using his role as executor, he caused the estate to conduct a fictitious transaction selling the property to a friend, then effected a second fictitious transaction causing the friend to sell the property to an entity Logan owned. In each transaction, Logan forged the friend’s name and signature on the deeds. Logan then collected rent on the property for nearly six years, using the funds to make payments on personal credit cards.
In addition, Logan submitted fraudulent documents to a bank in connection with a loan application for the property. He provided the bank with one of the forged deeds and a fraudulent lease that again used his friend’s name and forged signature. Logan used the loan proceeds, totaling $116,000, for his personal benefit.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Robert Holman, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service; and Russell Coleman, Kentucky Attorney General, jointly announced the guilty plea.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Secret Service and the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Mattingly Williams is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
Logan is scheduled to be sentenced on March 5, 2025. He faces a maximum of 30 years in prison, and may be ordered to pay restitution and fines. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.
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Fourth and Final V.C. Summer Executive Sentenced for Misconduct in Connection with Failed Nuclear Construction ProjectRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Jeffrey Alan Benjamin, 62, was sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison after pleading guilty to causing SCANA, a publicly-traded company, to keep false records in connection with the failed V.C. Summer nuclear construction project in Jenkinsville, South Carolina.
Evidence presented to the court showed that Benjamin served as senior vice president for new plants and major projects at the Westinghouse Electric Company and directly supervised all new nuclear projects worldwide during the V.C. Summer project. Westinghouse was the primary contractor on the project, tasked with designing and building two new nuclear units in Jenkinsville.
Evidence revealed that Benjamin’s failure to provide truthful information to SCANA enabled SCANA executives to deceive shareholders, regulators, and ratepayers about the schedule and costs of the new nuclear construction project. In late 2016, confronted with information that the project was delayed and that up to $2.2 billion in federal tax credits were at risk, SCANA executives withheld that information from regulators in an effort to keep the project going. Their false and misleading statements allowed SCANA to obtain and retain rate increases imposed on SCANA’s rate-paying customers.
Benjamin is the fourth and final defendant to be sentenced in this multi-year investigation. Three other executives were previously convicted and have served their respective sentences.
Kevin B. Marsh, former SCANA Corporation chief executive officer and chairman of the board of directors, was sentenced to two years in federal prison and ordered to pay a $5 million penalty after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
Stephen Byrne, former executive vice president of SCANA and former chief operating officer of South Carolina Electric & Gas Company (SCE&G) was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison and ordered to pay over $1 million after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
Carl Churchman, former Westinghouse Electric Corporation vice president and the project director of the V.C. Summer Nuclear project, was sentenced to six months of home detention after pleading guilty to lying to federal investigators.
In addition, in 2021 the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced an agreement securing Westinghouse’s cooperation in the V.C. Summer criminal investigation and payment of $21.25 million for low-income ratepayer relief.
“The defendants in this case did not simply make a corporate error. They intentionally misled, and their dishonesty in the V.C. Summer project caused a great deal of harm to the people of South Carolina,” said U.S. Attorney Adair Ford Boroughs for the District of South Carolina. “This sentence sends a clear message of deterrence to executives and corporations who believe they are above the law: deceit and fraud will be met with accountability and justice.”
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Benjamin to 12 months and one day in federal prison to be followed by a two-year term of supervised release. Benjamin was also ordered to pay a $100,000 fine.
This case was investigated by U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI Columbia Field Office, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.
First Assistant United States Attorney Brook Andrews, along with Assistant United States Attorneys Winston Holliday and Emily Limehouse, Trial Attorney Bill Schurmann, and Special Assistant United States Attorney John O’Halloran prosecuted the case.
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Four Philadelphia-Area Men Sentenced to Prison for Schemes to Wash and Alter Checks Stolen from USPS Collection BoxesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Naod Tsegay, 25, of Collingdale, Pennsylvania; Fode Bangoura, 23, of Philadelphia; and Zyier Williams, 21, also of Philadelphia, were sentenced to prison by United States District Judge Paul S. Diamond in connection with their scheme to fraudulently alter and deposit personal and business checks that they had stolen from the U.S. mail. Najae Thomas, 24, of Philadelphia, was also sentenced to prison by United States District Judge Wendy Beetlestone for related crimes.
Tsegay was sentenced yesterday to 42 months’ incarceration, five years of supervised release, and $11,811 in restitution. On January 11 of this year, he pleaded guilty to three counts of bank fraud, three counts of aggravated identity theft, one count of possession of stolen United States Postal Service (USPS) keys, and two counts of possession of stolen mail.
On October 5, 2023, Bangoura pleaded guilty to two counts of bank fraud, and on October 23, 2023, Williams pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud. They were each sentenced this March to six months’ imprisonment and five years of supervised release, with Bangoura ordered to pay $7,711 and Williams $4,100 in restitution.
Between March and June 2021, Tsegay, Bangoura, and Williams recruited individuals to provide their bank account and debit card information, and then used those recruits’ bank accounts to deposit checks that had been stolen from blue USPS collection boxes located throughout the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. After altering the stolen checks by changing the designated payees and increasing the dollar amount — often from a nominal sum to a payment of several thousand dollars — Tsegay deposited the stolen checks into the recruits’ bank accounts and later withdrew or attempted to withdraw the fraudulently deposited funds.
Tsegay was ultimately found in unlawful possession of dozens of checks and money orders stolen from USPS collection boxes, as well as three USPS Arrow Keys, which Postal employees use to access blue collection boxes throughout the District. The total amount stolen or attempted stolen as a result of the scheme exceeded $150,000.
Najae Thomas, who was charged separately, had communicated with Tsegay about Thomas’s own check-washing scheme, which involved an intended loss of over $200,000. Thomas was found in unlawful possession of hundreds of checks stolen from USPS collection boxes located throughout the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Delaware, as well as four USPS Arrow Keys.
Like Tsegay, Thomas pleaded guilty to bank fraud (five counts), aggravated identity theft (three counts), and possession of stolen mail (one count). Last month, Thomas was sentenced to 61 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution of $61,688.
“When Naod Tsegay, the ringleader of this scheme, was arrested, police recovered multiple stolen keys capable of unlocking every blue USPS box across four local zip codes,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “The amount of mail stolen and the number of checks these defendants sought to alter and cash is significant. My office, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and our partners won’t allow criminals who target the U.S. Postal Service to disrupt the nation’s mail system and commit identity theft with impunity. As these cases prove, we will prosecute, and you will be held accountable.”
The cases were investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Rice. The Yeadon Borough Police Department assisted with the Tsegay investigation.
Four Individuals Indicted for Conspiracy to Commit Healthcare Fraud at Sober HomesRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, KY- Four individuals, Delores Jordan, 56, of Charlotte, NC, Dashawn Dawkins, 33, of Lexington, Ky., Jerome Davis, 51, of Indianapolis, Ind., and Ernest Williams, 51, of Lexington, Ky., have been indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, healthcare fraud, and conspiracy to receive kickbacks.
According to the indictment, Serenity Keeper’s, LLC (“Serenity Keepers”) was a sober home company based in Fayette County, Ky., that purported to provide mental health and substance abuse treatment services and housing for individuals enrolled in its program. Serenity Keepers allegedly used urine drug tests for their clients for non-medical reasons, such as ensuring sobriety. The indictment alleges that beginning in August 2019, Jordan, Serenity Keepers’ owner, solicited kickbacks from a co-conspirator in exchange for the referral of Serenity Keepers’ urine drug tests to various laboratories. The kickbacks were allegedly paid in the form of checks, cash payments, and wire transfers of approximately $1,300 every two weeks to Jordan’s son, Dawkins. Beginning in October 2021, Jordan allegedly demanded the kickback amount increase to $5,000, based on the increased volume of urine drug tests referred by Serenity Keepers to the labs. Jordan allegedly received the increased amount through payments sent every two weeks to her boyfriend, Davis, paid through his company, X-Tremly for Christ LLC.
The indictment also alleges that the urine drug tests performed for Serenity Keepers’ clients were not used for medical diagnosis and treatment, nor were they ordered by a treating medical provider, which are requirements for reimbursement by Medicare and Medicaid. According to the indictment, the medical providers who signed orders for urine drug tests were allegedly not providing any treatment to Serenity Keepers’ clients for addiction, nor were they reviewing the results of the tests. The indictment alleges that Jordan, Dawkins, and Williams conspired to defraud Medicare and Kentucky Medicaid by causing approximately $26.7 million in these medically unnecessary urine drug tests to be fraudulently billed to Medicare and Kentucky Medicaid from August 2019 to March 2022.
In addition, the indictment alleges that Jordan, Dawkins, and Williams further defrauded Kentucky Medicaid by causing Serenity Keepers to fraudulently bill for peer support services. Between August 2019 and February 2022, Serenity Keepers allegedly billed Medicaid for six hours of peer support services per day, for every client enrolled in their program who had Medicaid coverage. The indictment alleges that a majority of the services billed were not provided by registered peer support specialists, not supervised by appropriate personnel, not provided at all, or not provided in accordance with state regulations governing such services.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Michael Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office, and Russell Coleman, Kentucky Attorney General, jointly announced the indictment.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the FBI and the Kentucky Attorney General, Office of Medicaid Fraud and Abuse. The indictment was presented to the grand jury by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Smith.
Dawkins, Davis, and Williams’ initial appearances have already been held. Jordan’s initial appearance is scheduled for December 4. Jordan, Dawkins, and Williams each face a maximum of 10 years in prison, and Davis faces a maximum of 5 years in prison. They each face a $250,000 fine, plus any restitution determined by the Court. However, any sentence following a conviction would be imposed by the Court, after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.
Any indictment is an accusation only. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Fort Myers Woman Pleads Guilty to Possessing A Loaded Firearm as A Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Melina Ariel Maldonado (28, Fort Myers) has pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. Maldonado faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, on September 4, 2024, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop of Maldonado, who had active felony arrest warrants. Deputies located a loaded pistol under Maldonado’s seat, and she told deputies the pistol belonged to her. Maldonado has previously been convicted of armed robbery and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription. As a convicted felon, Maldonado is prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
This case was investigated by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.
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 out 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 first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Former U.S. Navy Officer Sentenced in Conspiracy to Steal and Sell U.S. Military Gear to Countries Around the WorldRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A former United States Navy Petty Officer First Class who served for more than 20 years in the Navy has been sentenced to eighteen months in federal prison for orchestrating a conspiracy that stole more than $850,000 worth of military gear earmarked for fellow Navy members and then sold the goods to high bidders from more than fifty countries, including China and Russia, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Richard Allen, 53, of Citrus Heights, CA, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Providence, RI, by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to eighteen months of incarceration to be followed by three years of federal supervised release. Allen pleaded guilty on August 29, 2024, to conspiracy and six counts of money laundering.
“Sworn to serve his country, Richard Allen instead chose to serve his own shameless greed at the expense of the taxpayer and his fellow men and women in uniform,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. “Today’s reckoning is a testament to the tenacity of our law enforcement partners and it should serve as a warning: stealing from the United States is a path to prison, not profit.”
“Mr. Allen betrayed his oath to the Navy and defrauded the American taxpayer by initiating and perpetuating an illegal scheme to steal and sell U.S. Government property to unauthorized buyers for his and his co-conspirators’ private financial benefit,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael T. Wiest of the NCIS Northeast Field Office. “NCIS remains committed to rooting out criminality within the ranks that threatens warfighter capabilities and readiness.”
"The Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the law enforcement arm of the Department of Defense (DoD) Office of Inspector General, is fully committed to protecting the integrity of the DoD supply chain,” said Patrick J. Hegarty, Special Agent in Charge of the DCIS Northeast Field Office. "Profiting from the sale of stolen DoD property betrays the public's trust and negatively impacts our military members. Today’s sentencing demonstrates DCIS' ongoing commitment to working with its law enforcement partners to hold individuals who harm the DoD accountable."
“Allen was driven by greed to not only steal and attempt to profit from his crime, but to endanger the very national security he was sworn to uphold. Today’s sentence holds him accountable for this egregious betrayal,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol for Homeland Security Investigations in New England.
Court documents detail that, while stationed at Naval Weapons Station Yorktown-Cheatham Annex, in Williamsburg, VA, Allen used his familiarity with the base – a base responsible for supplying ships in the Navy’s Atlantic Fleet with military gear – and unfettered access to warehouses to devise and execute a scheme to steal and sell $856,433 worth of Navy gear and supplies, including working uniforms, winter gear, flame retardant shirts and pants, soft body armor, goggles, infrared flag patches, Navy SEAL Trident insignia, and Small Arms Protective Insert plates. Allen and his co-conspirators stored the items in various locations, including in Rhode Island.
Allen and others identified bulk-sale domestic and international customers for the stolen goods and arranged for delivery either in person or via commercial shipping. Payment for the stolen goods was frequently made and received via PayPal, including dozens of payments made from an account in China. The proceeds were transferred to co-conspirators bank accounts, including Allen’s, in increments of less than $10,000, in an effort to avoid bank reporting requirements.
As part of the scheme, the stolen goods were delivered to paying customers in China, Russia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, Bahrain, Vietnam, Ukraine, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Germany, Singapore, Taiwan, the Czech Republic, Poland, Australia, New Zealand, France, Spain, Ireland, Portugal, Italy, Greece, the United Kingdom, Norway, Switzerland, Finland, Turkey, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, Slovakia, Belgium, Brazil, Philippines, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden, Uruguay, Chile, Estonia, Malta, Lithuania, Bermuda, and Canada, and conspirators assisted him in also distributing to Argentina, Luxembourg, Latvia, Belarus, Denmark, and Martinique.
Allen continued to direct the conspiracy and to receive payments after he retired from the U.S. Navy.
“Richard Allen decided to steal from the United States Navy and selfishly profit from selling the goods globally. Today, he was held accountable for his actions,” said Special Agent in Charge James Guanci, U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement, Boston Field Office. “The Office of Export Enforcement will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who commit export-related crimes.”
“Americans – especially the men and women who have served in uniform – deserve public employees who do their jobs honestly and with integrity,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Richard Allen failed to do both when he selfishly took advantage of his position with the Navy to commit fraud, cheating both his fellow officers and taxpayers. This sentence holds him accountable for his crimes and sends a message loud and clear that this is not the way to go about boosting your bank account.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christine D. Lowell and Paul F. Daly, Jr.
The matter was investigated by Naval Criminal Investigative Service-Northeast Field Office; Defense Criminal Investigative Service-Northeast Field Office; Homeland Security Investigations; Department of Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement-Boston Field Office; and the FBI.
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Former Southern Illinois Police Chief Facing Federal Charges, Accused of Public CorruptionRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging the former Wayne City police chief with selling forfeited items confiscated by the department for his personal benefit.
Anson Fenton, 46, of Belle Rive, is facing one count of misapplication of property from federally funded programs and one count of interstate transportation of stolen property.
“Officials in positions of power must be held to the highest ethical standard, and those accused of defrauding the public will be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe.
Asset forfeiture is a legal process to confiscate the means or proceeds of a crime and can apply to a range of property, including money, vehicles, and real estate, among other assets. Wayne City stores forfeited items at the Wayne City Police Department until city officials pass an ordinance to authorize the sale of the property.
“During our investigation, the ISP Special Investigations Unit found evidence of a public official trying to defraud Wayne City," said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. "The public must be able to trust those who work in public service and ISP will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney's Office to investigate violations of the public trust."
According to court documents, Fenton is accused of selling two motorcycles valued at more than $5,000 and trading one motorcycle for a 1991 Ford Mustang for his personal benefit.
“The cornerstone of the public’s trust in law enforcement relies on the expectation that each person who takes the oath to protect and serve the public will do so with integrity,” said FBI Springfield Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher Johnson. “The FBI Is committed to investigating anyone who undermines the rule of law and tarnishes the reputation of the many dedicated, honest, and hard-working officers who serve their communities every day.”
An indictment is merely 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.
If convicted, Fenton could face up to 10 years’ imprisonment and fines up to $250,000 per count.
Wayne City is a village in Wayne County in the Southern District of Illinois.
The Illinois State Police is leading the investigation with support from the FBI Springfield Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Weinhoeft is prosecuting the case.
Former NYPD Officer Turned Forex Investment Fund Operator Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire FraudRead the Press Release
Yesterday, in federal court in Brooklyn, former New York Police Department (NYPD) officer Jason Rodriguez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to his role as the Chief Operating Officer of Technical Trading Team, LLC (Technical Trading Team). The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Ramon E. Reyes, Jr.
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 guilty plea.
“With this guilty plea, the defendant has accepted responsibility for taking advantage of close friends and family members and defrauding them out of millions of dollars,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “The defendant deceived retail investors into investing with his company based on false promises that he would invest their money in accordance with clear guardrails and that he had left the NYPD because of his success as a trader. In reality, there were no guardrails, he resigned from the NYPD in disgrace, and he lost most of the money, inflicting substantial harm on his victims.”
According to the indictment, Rodriguez founded Technical Trading Team in April 2020. Rodriguez, who served as Chief Operating Officer, pitched the fund as focused on foreign exchange (forex) investment, and represented that he was in charge of all trading. Rodriguez promised investors that Technical Trading Team would have a “loss reserve account” that could be used to repay investors if the company lost money trading; that Rodriguez would never risk more than 1% of assets under management on any single trade; and that he would not hold positions open overnight. Each of these promises was meant to assure investors that their investments would be safe. However, Rodriguez and Technical Trading Team broke all of these promises, and as Rodriguez lost more and more money in the forex markets, he used new investor money to pay older investors the promised investment returns. In total, between April 2020 and September 2022, Rodriguez solicited approximately $4.8 million in investor funds that were wired to accounts he controlled; to date, approximately $3.5 million of those funds have not been paid back to the investors.
Prior to founding Technical Trading Team, Rodriguez served as an NYPD officer for approximately seven years. During the solicitation process, Rodriguez told prospective Technical Trading Team investors that he had quit the NYPD because he had become so successful at forex trading. The Technical Trading Team presentation similarly represented that Rodriguez’s “zealous ambition for trading took precedence resulting in the end of his law enforcement career.” However, Rodriguez failed to disclose that he resigned from the NYPD after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor crime and incurring several disciplinary infractions.
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 securities fraud, wire fraud and money laundering, as charged here.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Weintraub is in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Special Liam McNett.
The Defendant:
JASON RODRIGUEZ
Age: 38
Bellerose, QueensE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-079 (RER)
Former KC Individual Sentenced to 20 Years for Attempting to Produce Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former Kansas City, Mo., individual who moved to Mexico and lived under another name, has been sentenced in federal court for producing and selling child pornography online.
Wyatt Christopher Maxwell, also known as “Louis Whitaker,” 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark on Wednesday, Nov. 20, to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Maxwell to pay a $10,000 fine. Maxwell will be required to register as a sex offender upon release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements.
Maxwell, a nonbinary transgender individual, pleaded guilty on April 17, 2024, to one count of attempting to produce child pornography. Maxwell lived in Kansas City, Mo., at the time of the offense, but afterward moved to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where they went by the name “Louis Whitaker” as a cabaret singer. Maxwell was arrested in Mexico following indictment and has remained in federal custody since arrest.
The Overland Park, Kansas, Police Department received tips in February 2021, via the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers tipline, that Maxwell was producing child pornography with a 16-year-old victim in Overland Park. Maxwell reportedly uploaded the child pornography to various online accounts. The child victim told investigators that Maxwell had been recording sexually explicit videos of the two of them for several months. Some of the recordings were created at Maxwell’s residence and some were created in a nearby park.
Law enforcement agents interviewed Maxwell on Feb. 3, 2021. Maxwell confirmed they uploaded videos to their accounts on OnlyFans and JustForFans, for which Maxwell estimated they made from $3,000 to $10,000 per month from subscribers. Maxwell admitted they created approximately 20 videos where they was engaged in some type of sex act with the child victim. Those videos were uploaded to Maxwell’s OnlyFans and JustForFans accounts.
Investigators found 39 videos of child pornography that were downloaded on Maxwell’s cell phone, 96 videos of child pornography involving the child victim, and 24 images of child pornography involving the child victim.
Investigators confirmed payments from Maxwell’s OnlyFans account totaling $49,151, and from Maxwell’s JustForFans account totaling $2,954. There were 153 videos uploaded to the JustForFans account, 16 of which depicted sexual activity involving the child victim.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison D. Dunning. It was investigated by the FBI and the Overland Park, Kan., Police Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Former Bridgeport City Councilman Sentenced for Civil Rights Violation Related to 2017 and 2018 Primaries and ElectionRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MICHAEL DeFILIPPO, 38, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven for a civil rights offense related to DeFilippo’s run for Bridgeport City Council in 2017 and 2018. DeFilippo was ordered to serve one year of probation, including three weekends of incarceration, and to pay a $15,000 fine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from June 2018 until July 2021, DeFilippo was a member of the Bridgeport City Council representing the 133rd District, which is near the Sacred Heart University campus. DeFilippo also owned several rental properties that he leased to students at Sacred Heart University. Although Bridgeport’s City Council elections are typically held in odd-numbered years, because of repeated absentee ballot irregularities in the Democratic primary for the 133rd District, the September 2017 primary was re-run in November 2017, and re-run again in April 2018, and the general election took place in June 2018. On April 10, 2018, DeFilippo was selected as one of the two Democratic nominees for the 133rd District and, on June 26, 2018, he was elected to the Bridgeport City Council.
In the 2017 and 2018 primaries and the 2018 general election, DeFilippo stole and falsified Voter Registration Applications (“VRAs”) and absentee balloting documents, forged signatures, and submitted fraudulent election documents to election officials in the name of some of his tenants who resided in the 133rd District. DeFilippo’s conduct caused Bridgeport and Connecticut election officials acting under color of law to deprive DeFilippo’s tenants of their right to vote (by counting stolen ballots), and to deprive all 133rd District voters of their right to have their votes fully counted (by diluting election results with fraudulent registrations and ballots).
On May 6, 2024, DeFilippo pleaded guilty to deprivation of rights under color of law.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan N. Francis and Heather L. Cherry.
Former Blue Springs Woman Pleads Guilty to $220,000 Covid FraudRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former Blue Springs, Mo., woman pleaded guilty in federal court today for her role in a conspiracy that resulted in more than $220,000 in fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans being issued under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Daisha Sanders, 33, who now resides in Royse, Texas, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
By pleading guilty today, Sanders admitted she participated in a conspiracy to submit false and fraudulent applications for PPP loans from February 2021 to July 2022. The conspiracy caused more than $220,000 in fraudulent PPP loans to be issued to ineligible borrowers, most of which were forgiven even though the funds were not used for the purposes specified in the PPP.
Sanders created PPP loan applications for herself and for each of her co-conspirators in exchange for a payment from the loan proceeds. The applications falsely stated either the existence of a sole proprietorship prior to the pandemic or greatly inflated the revenues of any “businesses” that did exist in 2019. Sanders created fictitious bank records, IRS forms and other false financial documents to support the fraudulent PPP loan applications.
Sanders prepared 14 false PPP loan applications that were funded and numerous other false applications that were rejected. Generally, she charged fees between $2,000 and $5,000 for her assistance in filing false and fraudulent PPP loans, earning a total of at least $40,832 from the scheme. Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Sanders must forfeit to the government at least $40,832, representing the proceeds she personally obtained from the scheme, and must pay restitution to the Small Business Administration as determined by the court.
Sanders is the eighth defendant in this case to plead guilty; each of the convicted co-defendants admitted they applied for a PPP loan of approximately $20,833.
Under federal statutes, Sanders is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Former Arizona Elected Official Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement of More than $38M of County FundsRead the Press Release
A former Santa Cruz County, Arizona, official pled guilty today to embezzlement, money laundering, and tax evasion for her role in stealing more than $38 million of Santa Cruz County funds between 2014 and 2024 and failing to pay income tax of more than $13 million while she was serving as Santa Cruz County Treasurer.
According to court documents, Elizabeth Gutfahr, 62, who served as Santa Cruz County Treasurer from 2012 through 2024, embezzled and laundered approximately $38 million by wiring funds from Santa Cruz County’s Account directly to accounts in the name of companies that Gutfahr had created for purposes of stealing the county funds. Gutfahr then wired the money from these fraudulent business accounts to her personal account, where she used the money to purchase real estate, pay operating expenses for and renovate her family ranch, pay expenses for her cattle business, and purchase at least 20 vehicles.
“Elizabeth Gutfahr stole $38 million from the people of Santa Cruz County, Arizona, during the 12 years she served as their County Treasurer,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “We expect public officials to serve as stewards of the government fisc — not to loot it. Today’s plea demonstrates yet again that the Justice Department remains committed to rooting out public corruption at all levels of government.”
“Local property taxes fund our communities, enrich our schools and shape our futures,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona. “In her plea agreement the defendant admits to defrauding her County by embezzling those taxes. We look forward to working with the Receiver appointed by the Superior Court to recoup the County’s funds.”
“Today’s guilty plea is a reminder that those entrusted with public funds are not above the law,” said Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “Gutfahr deliberately calculated a scheme to embezzle taxpayer dollars and then launder those funds for her own personal use. This breach of trust not only robs taxpayers but undermines the integrity of public office. The FBI remains unwavering in its pursuit to hold accountable those who exploit their positions for selfish purposes.”
“We cannot overemphasize our dedication to rooting out public corruption from our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Carissa Messick for IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI)’s Phoenix Field Office. “I am proud of the dedicated work IRS-CI special agents put into investigating this case alongside our fellow law enforcement agencies. Through her embezzlement scheme, Elizabeth Gutfahr stole from the very constituents who elected her. Let this guilty plea serve as a reminder to all who are tempted to use their positions of power to enrich themselves at the cost of the American people: IRS-CI special agents are experts at following the money, and we will continue to investigate allegations of fraud at all levels.”
Court documents detailed that the scheme involved approximately 187 wire transfers, which Gutfahr completed by subverting the two-step approval process for the wire transfers by using the token of a subordinate Santa Cruz County employee so that Gutfahr could both initiate and approve the wire transfers. Additionally, to cover up the scheme, Gutfahr falsified accounting records, cash reconciliation records, and reports of the County’s investment accounts to conceal the millions of dollars that she had stolen from Santa Cruz County. Gutfahr also failed to report any of the stolen funds as income for tax purposes.
Gutfahr pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement by a public official, one count of money laundering, and one count of tax evasion. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 6, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for the embezzlement count, 20 years in prison for the money laundering count, and five years in prison for the tax evasion count, as well as restitution to Santa Cruz County or other identified victims for all losses. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
FBI and IRS-CI are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Nicholas W. Cannon of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jane Westby for the District of Arizona are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carson R. Gilbert, formerly for the District of Arizona, provided assistance.
Former Alliance, Nebraska Man Sentenced to Nearly 22 Years for Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Tyler Denby, 39, formerly of Alliance, Nebraska, was sentenced on November 21, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for one count of transportation of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Denby to 262 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Denby’s release from prison, he will begin a 10-year term of supervised release. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
On July 30th of 2021, Alliance Police Department received two separate calls for assistance concerning an individual threatening others in the Alliance area. Denby, who was then a Montana resident visiting the town of Alliance, was identified as the suspect, and was contacted at a local gas station. During the encounter, responding officers gained probable cause to search Denby’s vehicle when a marijuana pipe was spotted in his pocket. A stolen firearm was then located on Denby’s person. During the search of his vehicle, a large number of electronic devices, and a pillowcase filled with stained children’s underwear, were discovered by the searching law enforcement officers with the Alliance Police Department and Box Butte County Sheriff’s Office. The items were seized from the vehicle and Denby was arrested for several state crimes.
A search warrant was received for the numerous electronic devices. The devices were later reviewed by the Alliance Police Department. Three microSD cards which had been located in Denby’s wallet contained a substantial amount of child pornography files. While Denby was in custody, he was interviewed by law enforcement, and he admitted to having child pornography on those devices. He also admitted to travelling from Montana to Nebraska with the child pornography on his devices.
The case proceeded to a jury trial in August of 2024, and Denby was convicted of possessing and transporting child pornography.
In pronouncing Denby’s sentence, Judge Bazis told him “There is no question in my mind you are a danger to the public and to children.” Stressing the need of a sentence to protect the public, the Judge also commented “I don’t think you think you did anything.”
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 www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Alliance Police Department.
Former Acting Director of Lynchburg Community Corrections and Pretrial Services Indicted for Conspiring with SuperviseeRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – A federal grand jury returned a nine-count indictment yesterday charging the former Acting Director of Lynchburg Community Corrections and Pretrial Services and one of the men she was supervising with conspiring to illegally access protected information in order to aid further criminal activity.
In an indictment returned yesterday, Jennifer Leigh Peters, 42, of Madison Heights, Virginia is charged with conspiracy against the United States, accessing a protected computer without authorization, obstruction of a proceeding before a United States Agency, destruction of evidence, and making false representations to an agency of the United States.
Also charged is Brendon Cole Webber, 27, of Lynchburg, Virginia. Webber is charged with two counts of conspiracy against the United States and four counts of accessing a protected computer without authorization.
According to court documents, Peters was employed by the Lynchburg Community Corrections and Pretrial Services (LCCPS) since 2007. LCCPS supervised probation for pretrial criminal defendants and certain post-conviction defendants charged in Lynchburg General District Court. In 2023, Peters assumed the role of Acting Director of LCCPS, the most senior role in the office.
Beginning in 2022, Webber was on probation and, at times, was directly supervised by Peters. Sometime in 2023, while on probation and supersized by LCCPS, Peters and Webber began a romantic relationship. Peters did not report the relationship to her employer.
According to the indictment, around November 2023, Webber used Peter’s access to the Lynchburg Police Department’s Records Management System (RMS) to run searches and review non-public, law enforcement material related to himself and his associates. This information was gathered by Webber and distributed to others.
In addition, Peters made certain entries into Webber’s official probation case file indicating that Webber had completed certain probation milestones, and instructed a subordinate to sign a letter that was sent to the Lynchburg General District Court terminating Webber’s probation.
On November 29, 2023, members of the Lynchburg Fire Department responded to an overdose at the Lynchburg Grand Hotel. First responders observed a man -- later identified as Weber -- lying face down on a hotel room bathroom. Firefighters observed needles and a glass pipe in the room. When Lynchburg Police arrived, Webber fled the scene, running from officers before being apprehended outside of the hotel. Later in the evening, officers searched the hotel room and recovered a bag containing suspected methamphetamine and a loaded Glock 38 handgun. Webber was subsequently charged with a state firearm offense.
Following the hotel incident, Peters made several false statements to a U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force seeking to apprehend Webber. Peters then assisted Webber in fleeing Lynchburg by driving him out of state.
When questioned about the incident, Peters made several false statements to law enforcement regarding her relationship to Webber and her knowledge of his whereabouts.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation, with assistance from the Virginia State Police and the City of Lynchburg Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Vito Iaia is prosecuting the case.
A criminal indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Florida Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Computer Intrusion CaseRead the Press Release
Rutland, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on November 20, 2024, Desmond Ipaye Adebiyi, age 37, of Miami, Florida was sentenced by United States District Judge Joseph N. Laplante to a term of 18 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. Ipaye previously pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting unauthorized access of a computer.
According to court records, Ipaye worked with others who infiltrated the email system of a Vermont business to receive emails intended for the company’s president and to send emails masquerading as from the company’s president. This ruse allowed Ipaye’s confederates to misdirect $450,000 intended for the Vermont business to a bank account that Ipaye and his conspirators had established for receiving crime proceeds. Fortunately, fast action by the Vermont business and law enforcement enabled complete recovery of the $450,000.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Drescher and Colin Owyang. Ipaye was represented by Heather E. Ross, Esq. from the law firm of Sheehey Furlong & Behm.
Federal Jury Convicts Muskegon Man of Conspiracy to Distribute Kilograms of Cocaine and Other Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
Conspirators used the U.S. Postal Service to Mail Kilograms of Cocaine from Texas to Michigan
LANSING – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that a federal jury convicted Srecko Darnell Walker, 35, of Muskegon, of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, distribution of cocaine, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Walker is scheduled to be sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Hala Y. Jarbou on April 9, 2025, and faces a statutory mandatory minimum term of 15 years in prison and a maximum term of life in prison.
“Mr. Walker and his associates were trafficking large quantities of drugs into Michigan, which ruin lives and fracture neighborhoods,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “As part of our mission to keep Michigan safe, we’re focused on disrupting the supply lines that bring these poisons into our communities. This case is a good example of that work.”
Evidence admitted at trial showed that in 2021 and 2022, Walker worked with Steven Rasic, a Muskegon-based U.S. Postal Service mail carrier, to import kilograms of cocaine into West Michigan from Hugo Benavides, their Texas-based cocaine supplier. Walker coordinated the cocaine shipments, which were sent to vacant addresses on Rasic’s mail route. Both Rasic and Benavides pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge prior to trial and await sentencing.
During trial, the jury heard that over the course of the investigation, law enforcement agents seized five kilograms of cocaine from the mail that Walker and his co-conspirators intended to distribute in West Michigan. In March 2022, investigators seized two kilograms of cocaine. After the seizure, Rasic tried to recover the parcel containing cocaine, falsely stating that he was acting on behalf of the U.S. Postal Service. In fact, Rasic was trying to recover the cocaine on Walker’s behalf, and text messages from Rasic’s phone showed that Rasic had alerted Walker to the cocaine seizure. Months later, in October 2022, investigators saw Walker distribute cocaine to a woman in Muskegon, and later, inside Walker’s residence, investigators found more cocaine, a cutting agent, and digital scale used to weigh cocaine.
The jury also learned that after the search of his residence, Walker admitted to importing cocaine through the mail, and told investigators that he sold his first kilogram of cocaine sometime in 2021. Walker also admitted to tracking some of the mail parcels that contained cocaine, including one parcel with over one kilogram of cocaine inside.
“Today’s verdict sends a clear message that the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, alongside our law enforcement partners, is committed to dismantling drug trafficking organizations that misuse the U.S. Mail for their illegal activities, including drug distribution,” said Acting Inspector in Charge Felicia B. George of the Detroit Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. "Our inspectors will aggressively pursue individuals like Walker, who recruit U.S. Postal Service employees to exploit their trusted positions in the distribution of dangerous drugs within our communities. Walker and his co-conspirators will now be held accountable for their role in spreading these dangerous substances across West Michigan."
“The men and women of the DEA Detroit Division remain committed to working with our state and federal partners to make our communities a safer place,” said Orville Green, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Division of DEA. “Individuals like Mr. Walker who are distributing multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine into our communities must be held accountable for their actions.”
The United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Michigan State Police (MSP) West Michigan Enforcement Team (WEMET) are investigating this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Austin J. Hakes and Stephanie M. Carowan are prosecuting it.
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Federal Jury Convicts Minnesota Man of Advertising and Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material over the Dark WebRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — A federal jury convicted a Minnesota man yesterday for advertising, distributing, and possessing material depicting the sexual abuse of children.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Craig James Myran, 47, of Bemidji, was an active participant on a website on the dark web that was dedicated to discussing and trafficking in child sexual abuse material. For years, Myran used an account with a unique username to make over a thousand posts on this site, including at least one post in which he requested specific files of child sexual abuse material from other users, and another post in which he distributed files of child sexual abuse material to other users. FBI special agents executed a search warrant on Myran’s apartment in Bemidji on Dec. 8, 2022, where they found numerous hard drives and a cell phone. A forensic examination of these devices uncovered evidence tying Myran to his unique account on the dark web site — including files of the child sexual abuse material that he shared and requested on the website, as well as a message directed to his unique alias — and thousands of other images of child sexual abuse material.
A federal jury found Myran guilty after a three-day trial on two counts of advertising child pornography, one count of distributing child pornography, and one count of possessing child pornography. Myran faces a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison on each count of advertising child pornography, a minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the count of distributing child pornography, and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the count of possessing child pornography. 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; and Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Minneapolis Field Office is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney William G. Clayman of the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Green for the District of Minnesota are prosecuting 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 Justice Department. 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 www.justice.gov/psc.
Federal Jury Convicts Bemidji Man of Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material over the Dark WebRead the Press Release
DULUTH, Minn. — A federal jury convicted a Minnesota man for advertising, distributing, and possessing material depicting the sexual abuse of children, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Craig James Myran, 47, of Bemidji, Minnesota, was an active participant on a website on the dark web that was dedicated to discussing and trafficking in child sexual abuse material. For years, Myran used an account with a unique username to make over a thousand posts on this site, including at least one post in which he requested specific files of child sexual abuse material from other users, and another post in which he distributed files of child sexual abuse material to other users. FBI law enforcement agents executed a warrant to search Myran’s apartment in Bemidji on Dec. 8, 2022, where they found numerous hard drives and a cell phone. A forensic examination of these devices uncovered evidence tying Myran to his unique account on the dark web site — including files of the child sexual abuse material that he shared and requested on the website, as well as a message directed to his unique alias — and thousands of other images of child sexual abuse material.
A federal jury found Myran guilty yesterday after a three-day trial on two counts of advertising child pornography, one count of distributing child pornography, and one count of possessing child pornography. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
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 www.justice.gov/psc.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI.
DOJ Trial Attorney William G. Clayman of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Green for the District of Minnesota prosecuted the case.
Fairbury Man Sentenced for Possession of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Nicholas Heitman, age 38, of Fairbury, Nebraska, was sentenced on November 21, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. United Sates District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Heitman to 188 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Heitman’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. Heitman was also ordered to forfeit $4,580.00 in cash to the United States.
On December 6, 2022, Heitman was driving a vehicle with no license plates or in-transits. He was stopped by police and did not have a driver’s license or the title of the vehicle with him. Heitman had an active warrant for his arrest for felony theft out of Jefferson County, Nebraska. When the officer advised Heitman to place his hands behind his back, he resisted.
During the search of Heitman’s pants pockets, officers located a large bag of meth which pre-tested positive for the substance. The bag weighed approximately 73.7 grams. Officers searched the vehicle and found $4,580 in US currency in the center console.
The drugs were sent to the Nebraska State Patrol Crime Lab for purity testing. A forensic scientist found the bag of meth to contain at least 72 grams of pure methamphetamine.
While Heitman was detained in the Gage County jail, investigators reviewed his phone calls. Heitman, while on a recorded line from jail, told others about additional meth and a gun he had hidden.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol, the Gage County Sheriff’s Office, the Beatrice Police Department, and the Lincoln-Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force.
Extradited Nigerian National Sentenced to 7 Years and Ordered to Pay 2.8 Million in Restitution for Cyber Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Sunday Daniel Ganyo, 38, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and transportation of stolen property. Judge Hill ordered Ganyo to 84 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Ganyo was further order to pay $2,829,878.40 in restitution.
Ganyo was the organizer of an expansive cyber fraud scheme that targeted numerous companies throughout the United States. Ganyo used fictitious email addresses to impersonate actual officials at large companies and place orders with technology suppliers and other vendors. He would then redirect the shipments to South Africa where the stolen goods would be sold. Investigators uncovered this scheme after Ganyo placed an order with a Tulsa company worth more than $400,000 that was determined to be fraudulent mid-transit. FBI agents were able to intercept the package before it was redirected overseas and placed a tracking device in the shipment, which led to a warehouse controlled by Ganyo in South Africa. Court records show that Ganyo attempted to steal nearly 8 million dollars worth of products and ship them to South Africa and was successful in obtaining at least $2,329,144.40 worth of goods.
Ganyo, who was arrested in South Africa in January 2021 and extradited to the United States in July of 2023, pled guilty in November of 2023 and will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. Following completion of his sentence, he will be deported back to his home country of Nigeria.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners from the South African Police Service to secure the arrest and extradition of Ganyo. The FBI investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Nassar and Thomas Buscemi prosecuted the case.
Eleven Charged in Federal Indictment Following Takedown of Indianapolis Meth Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS— Eleven individuals have been charged in a federal indictment alleging a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Indianapolis and elsewhere. The charges follow a successful law enforcement operation in which 10 of the 11 individuals were arrested and federal agents and local officers seized eight firearms and quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and marijuana. The following lists the individuals indicted and charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine:
- Matthew R.P. Fishman, 38, Bloomington
- Megan L. Gaskin, 29, Indianapolis
- Joseph A. Grubb, 37, Bloomfield
- Amanda N. Hornaday, 40, Indianapolis
- Candace L. Rich, 44, Indianapolis
- Ashley N. Russell, 38, Indianapolis
- Colton K. Shorkey, 33, Franklin
- James M. Sublett Jr., 39, Westfield
- James L. Tyus Jr., 39, Indianapolis
- Kelly A. Willis, 52, Indianapolis
- Thomas R. Winkley, 45, Indianapolis
This was a multiagency operation, involving 16 agencies, who executed 22 arrest and search warrants at 11 locations in Central Indiana on the morning of November 20, 2024. Ten individuals were arrested and are in federal custody. Joseph A. Grubb still remains a fugitive.
According to the indictment, from February 2024 through November 14, 2024, all eleven defendants allegedly conspired together to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. James L. Tyus Jr. allegedly acted as the leader of the operation and was supplied methamphetamine by James M. Sublett Jr. The remaining nine defendants allegedly served as dealers and distributers.
The alleged meth deals took place at several locations across Indianapolis including parking lots, gas stations, apartment complexes, motels, and a gentleman’s club.
If convicted, each defendant faces up to life in federal prison.
The following investigative agencies collaborated to make this investigation and recent warrant execution possible:
- Drug Enforcement Administration
- Internal Revenue Service
- Metropolitan Drug Task Force
- Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department
- United States Marshal’s Service
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Lawrence Police Department
- Hamilton/Boone County Drug Task Force
- Franklin Police Department
- Indiana State Police
- Beech Grove Police Department
- Johnson County Sheriff’s Office
- Brownsburg Police Department
- Indiana National Guard
- Bloomington Police Department
- Greene County Sheriff’s Department
“Getting deadly drugs like methamphetamine and fentanyl off our streets is a top priority for our office,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “That is why working with our partners at DEA, IMPD, and all across federal, state, and local law enforcement is so important. We are committed to identifying drug traffickers and holding them accountable in federal court.”
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley Blackington and Jeremy Fugate, who are prosecuting this case.
An indictment or criminal complaint are merely allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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El Departamento de Justicia encuentra vulneraciones de los derechos civiles por parte de la Policía de Trenton y la Ciudad de Trenton, New JerseyRead the Press Release
La División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia y la Fiscalía Federal para el Distrito de New Jersey anunció hoy que la Policía de Trenton (TPD, por sus siglas en inglés) y la Ciudad de Trenton, New Jersey, están incurriendo en un patrón o una práctica de conducta que vulnera la Cuarta Enmienda de la Constitución. La Ciudad y la TPD han declarado que trabajarán con el Departamento para implementar las recomendaciones de reforma incluidas en el informe.
En concreto, el Departamento de Justicia ha encontrado que la TPD emplea, de forma ilegal, una fuerza excesiva, lo que incluye formas irrazonables de fuerza física y aerosol de pimienta en ausencia de cualquier resistencia o peligro significativo. La TPD también realiza paradas, registros y detenciones sin sospechas razonables o motivos fundados para lo mismo. Asimismo, el Departamento identificó deficiencias en políticas, capacitación, supervisión y rendición de cuentas que contribuyen a la conducta ilícita de la TPD y la Ciudad.
«Los agentes de policía deben respetar los derechos civiles y constitucionales de las personas y tratar a las personas con dignidad», dijo Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «Después de una revisión dilatada, descubrimos que los agentes de policía en Trenton no respetaban, de forma rutinaria, los derechos de la Cuarta Enmienda de los residentes de Trenton. La policía de Trenton para y registra a peatones y automovilistas sin fundamento jurídico, realiza detenciones ilegales y emplea fuerza excesiva sin motivos fundados para lo mismo. Estamos comprometidos con el arduo trabajo necesario para lograr una aplicación constitucional de vigilancia policial en todo el país. Al reunir a funcionarios municipales, la policía y la comunidad, estamos seguros de que podemos instituir reformas significativas que remedien las infracciones descubiertas».
«Durante demasiado tiempo, los residentes de Trenton han sentido miedo a la policía, en lugar de estar protegidos por ellos», comentó Philip R. Sellinger, el Fiscal Federal para el Distrito de New Jersey. «El uso de fuerza excesiva y paradas, registros y detenciones inconstitucionales, a veces con consecuencias trágicas, han minado la confianza pública y socavado la seguridad pública. Los hallazgos de hoy son el primer paso para lograr las reformas necesarias para reconstruir la confianza pública, de modo que la Policía de Trenton pueda luchar de forma eficaz contra la delincuencia y mantener a los residentes seguros, al tiempo que respeta los derechos constitucionales de cada persona».
El Departamento de Justicia descubrió que la TPD incurrió en un patrón o práctica de uso de fuerza excesiva, con agentes de policía que a menudo intensificaban los encuentros cuando se enfrentaban a poca resistencia o amenaza. Por ejemplo, en un incidente en el año 2023, después de emplear inicialmente una fuerza razonable para detener a un hombre, un agente pisoteó la mano del hombre varias veces estando este en el suelo, arrodillado sobre su cabeza y lo pateó en el hombro.
Asimismo, la TPD llevó a cabo numerosas paradas y registros de peatones y carros sin sospecha razonable o causa probable, a menudo deteniendo ilegalmente a la persona a la que detuvo y registró. Las infracciones de la TPD han socavado la confianza de la comunidad y han costado a la Ciudad más de $7 millones desde el 2021 para resolver demandas derivadas de acusaciones de mala conducta de agentes de policía.
El Departamento de Justicia inició esta investigación el 17 de octubre del 2023. La investigación fue llevada a cabo por abogados profesionales y personal en la Sección de Litigios Especiales de la División de Derechos Civiles y en la Fiscalía Federal para el Distrito de New Jersey. El equipo realizó una revisión exhaustiva de los registros de la TPD, incluidos cientos de informes policiales y cientos de horas de grabaciones de cámaras corporales. El equipo también entrevistó a líderes municipales y de la TPD, así como policías de línea, acompañó a los oficiales en los recorridos y se reunió con docenas de miembros de la comunidad.
La Ciudad y la TPD cooperaron plenamente con la investigación del Departamento de Justicia. El Departamento proporcionó a la Ciudad y la TPD un informe completo por escrito de sus hallazgos de investigación. El informe reconoce los cambios ya realizados por la Ciudad y la TPD e identifica medidas correctivas adicionales que son necesarias para poder abordar sus hallazgos.
El Departamento de Justicia llevó a cabo esta investigación de conformidad con la Sección 12601 del Título 34 del Código de los EE. UU. (Sección 12601), que prohíbe a los agentes del orden público participar en un patrón o una práctica de conducta que prive a las personas de los derechos protegidos por la Constitución o las leyes federales. La Sección 12601 autoriza al Fiscal General a presentar una demanda ante un tribunal federal que solicite recursos ordenados por un tribunal para eliminar un patrón o una práctica de conducta ilegal.
El Departamento de Justicia estará en comunicación con los miembros de la comunidad de Trenton para explicar los hallazgos y obtener sus comentarios sobre soluciones que puedan abordar los hallazgos. También se puede enviar recomendaciones por correo electrónico a [email protected] o por teléfono al 973-645-2801.
Hay más información disponible sobre la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia en www.justice.gov/crt. Información adicional sobre la Fiscalía Federal para el Distrito de New Jersey está disponible en https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj. Puede encontrar información específica sobre el Trabajo de Reforma Policial de la División de Derechos Civiles en www.justice.gov/crt/file/922421/download. Información adicional sobre la aplicación de los derechos civiles en la Fiscalía Federal para el Distrito de New Jersey está disponible en www.justice.gov/usao-nj/civil-rights-enforcement.
Dubuque Man Who Distributed Fentanyl Resulting in an Overdose Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who sold fentanyl pills and possessed a firearm as a prohibited person was sentenced today to more than five years in federal prison.
Jonathan Luna, age 29, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 20, 2024 guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm as a prohibited person and one count of distribution of a controlled substance.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that, in April 2023, Luna distributed pills that contained fentanyl to another person, which caused the person to suffer an overdose. About two weeks later, law enforcement officers searched Luna’s residence and located a stolen pistol in his bedroom. Luna is a felon and was an unlawful user of methamphetamine at the time he possessed the firearm.
Luna was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Luna was sentenced to 63 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Luna is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was also investigated as part of the Northern Iowa Heroin Initiative and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Dubuque Drug Task Force, comprised of the Dubuque Police Department and the Dubuque Sheriff’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-1030.
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Detroit Man Sentenced to over 7 years in Prison for Two-Day Crime SpreeRead the Press Release
DETROIT –A Detroit man was sentenced to 7 ½ years in prison yesterday for stealing nearly 50 firearms from a gun store in Dearborn Heights, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced.
Ison was joined in the announcement by James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF).
Deon Bell, 29, was sentenced to 90 months’ imprisonment, which will run consecutive to a 102-month sentence imposed on Bell in a separate armed robbery case involving a T-Mobile store.
According to court documents, for the first burglary, Bell recruited three young men, one of whom was a juvenile, to help him steal guns from a licensed gun store in Dearborn Heights. The group stole a car, crashed it into the front of the store, and stole 22 weapons. Bell did it again the next night, this time recruiting two other juveniles to join his crime spree. The group again stole a car, crashed it into the front of the gun store, and stole 25 more weapons. After this second robbery, Bell led police officers on a high-speed chase, putting all on the road at risk. Several of the stolen guns were recovered by law enforcement in other investigations, but many are still unaccounted for.
This was the most recent conviction for Bell, who has a long criminal history including drug trafficking, carrying a concealed weapon, criminal sexual conduct 3rd degree, and armed robbery.
“Stealing cars, crashing them into gun stores to rob them, and putting nearly 50 stolen guns on the street endangered our community in so many ways,” U.S. Attorney Ison said. “Worse still is the fact that Bell recruited juveniles to commit these crimes with him. Deon Bell’s repeated, reckless violent conduct has no place in our community.”
“Deon Bell is a menace to our community’s safety. He concocted a burglary scheme to funnel illegal weapons into our community. Furthermore, Mr. Bell cowardly recruited and manipulated juveniles in our community to further perpetrate his criminal acts putting our community’s safety at risk. Burglaries of federal firearms licensees continue to be one of ATF’s top priorities,” said Detroit Field Division Special Agent in Charge James Deir Simply put: “Greed is bad. There is no place in our community for illegal firearms traffickers whose personal greed to make a quick buck leads them to burglarize firearm dealers in our community. They will be held accountable.”
This case was investigated by agents from ATF, but started with Dearborn Heights Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin Ramamurthy, Meghan Bean, and Hank Moon.
Department of Justice Awards Nearly $1 Million to Spokane County Sheriff’s Office to Implement New Technology and Improve Deputy TrainingRead the Press Release
Spokane Washington - Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced a Department of Justice grant award for the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office. The grant allocates $945,520 for a project to implement new technology to integrate body-worn camera data analysis in Spokane County Sheriff’s Office’s training programs.
Funding for the grant was awarded by Bureau of Justice Assistance Fiscal Year 2024 Body-Worn Camera Policy and Implementation Program to Support Law Enforcement Agencies.
The project description for the $945,520 grant awarded to Spokane County Sheriff’s Office says the funds will be used to implement technology called “TrustStat”. TrustStat will analyze body-worn camera video and identify key behaviors and language related to de-escalation, use of force, and other critical areas of deputy performance. The project will help the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office to evaluate the effectiveness of deputies’ training during three career learning phases: basic academy training, field training, and post-probation in-service training.
By using TrustStat to evaluate training outcomes and associated behavioral changes SCSO seeks to achieve increased public trust, increased frequency and effectiveness of de-escalation efforts, and a decrease in the frequency and severity of the use of force.
“The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office is leading the way for law enforcement across the nation with this innovative project,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “I commend the Sherriff’s Office for seeking this Department of Justice grant award, and for implementing a project that uses cutting edge technology to support effective training to best serve and protect our community.”
“I am excited about the body-worn camera analysis program we are implementing at the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office,” said Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels. “The funding from the Department of Justice will provide us with new technology and expertise, positioning us at the forefront of police training in the United States. Our citizens expect professionalism from their law enforcement, and this funding and technology will enable us to meet those expectations.”
Additional information about grants and funding through the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs is available at https://www.ojp.gov.
Department of Justice Awards $1 Million to NEWESD 101 to Enhance School Safety in Eastern WashingtonRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – Vanessa Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced a Department of Justice grant award for the NorthEast Washington Educational Service District (NEWESD) 101. The grant allocates $1,000,000 to enhance safety and support for 59 public school districts, 45 state-approved private schools, and four charter schools in a seven-county region.
Funding for the grant comes from the Bureau of Justice Assistance fiscal year 2024 STOP School Violence Program. The project description for the $1,000,000 grant awarded to NEWESD 101 details that the money will be used for The Safer Schools Northeast Project. The project will include annual threat assessment training for school staff, law enforcement and community partners, as well as hosting an annual School Safety Summit to provide advanced training and the latest research on school safety. The project will also implement a bystander training program to educate students and staff on recognizing and reporting concerning behaviors.
“All children deserve the right to attend school and learn in a secure environment. Teachers should be free to do the critical work of educating students without fear for their safety,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “This award will be used to ensure educators, administrators, and law enforcement in our communities have the most effective tools to recognize and respond to concerning behaviors or threats to protect our students, teachers and community.”
“Thanks to the Department of Justice's STOP grant award, NEWESD 101 can sustain and expand essential school safety support for districts across northeast Washington state,” said Brittany Roetcisoender, Director of the Center for Student Support and Regional School Safety Center for the NorthEast Washington Educational Service District (NEWESD) 101. “This funding will enhance Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management, promote Bystander Awareness among students and staff, and support an annual School Safety Summit, providing educators, law enforcement, counselors and school safety personnel with the latest information, training and resources.”
Additional information about grants and funding through the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs is available at https://bja.ojp.gov/funding.
Convicted Felon on State Parole Caught with More Than Two Kilograms of Methamphetamine, A Machinegun, and Three Guns Is Sentenced to 17 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Scottie Alan Keith Frady, 27, of Morganton, N.C., was sentenced today to 204 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release, for trafficking methamphetamine and illegal possession of firearms, including a machinegun, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Sheriff Banks Hinceman of the Burke County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and court proceedings, on May 17, 2023, investigators were making an arrest of Frady for a post-release supervision warrant alleging that, among other things, Frady had absconded supervision. Law enforcement located Frady at a residence in Morganton and the defendant was taken into custody. During a search of the residence, law enforcement found more than 2.1 kilograms of methamphetamine, two loaded firearms and $1,518 in cash that belonged to the defendant. Investigators recovered from another residence in Rutherford County a machinegun and an AR type pistol that also belonged to Frady. During the investigation, law enforcement found pictures of some of the firearms that Frady had posted on social media. Law enforcement also recovered text messages between Frady and other individuals, where Frady discussed possessing some of the seized firearms.
On December 20, 2023, Frady pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a machinegun, and possession of a firearm by a felon. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the ATF and the Burke County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case, and the U.S. Marshals Service’s Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force and the North Carolina Department of Public Service’s Division of Community Supervision for their invaluable assistance with Frady’s apprehension.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Hess of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.