Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Thursday 3 October 2024
Maryland Woman Sentenced for Conspiring to Defraud the GovernmentRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Maryland woman was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for conspiracy to defraud the government of thousands of dollars between 2014 to 2018.
Chantelle Boyd, 53, of Woodsboro, Md., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to six months home confinement, followed by two years of supervised release. The government recommended a sentence of six months in prison. Boyd will also be ordered to pay restitution in an amount to be determined at a later date. In April 2023, Boyd pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy, 10 counts of theft of government funds and false declarations. Boyd was arrested and charged in July 2020 along with co-defendant Thomas Bouchard.
Bouchard was the Contracting Officer in charge of the U.S. Army Natick Contracting Division, a full-service contracting organization for the Department of Defense. According to the charging documents, in 2014, Bouchard used his long-standing relationship with Evolution Enterprise, Inc., a government contractor, to have Boyd hired for a “no show” job as an assistant that specifically supported Bouchard. Boyd’s position cost the Department of Defense more than $490,000 during her time at Evolution from 2014 to 2018, during which Boyd performed little if any useful function.
Bouchard and Boyd took numerous government-funded trips, ranging in duration from two to 15 days, under the guise that they were work related. This included 31 trips to Orlando, Fla., among other locations such as Clearwater Beach, Fla. and Stafford, Va., during which Boyd allegedly performed little if any work. For many of the trips, Bouchard and Boyd stayed in the same hotel room and spent time at the pool and Disney parks – all during business hours. In order to conceal the personal nature of the trips, Bouchard altered, created and approved false travel to reimburse the Boyd for out-of-pocket expenses. Additionally, Boyd made false statements to the grand jury in May 2018 in relation to these trips.Bouchard pleaded guilty in April 2023. In August 2024, Bouchard was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison followed by one year of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $487,658.87 in restitution.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Joseph Dattoria, Special Agent in Charge of the General Services Administration Office of Inspector General; Patrick Hegarty, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service; and Michael Connor, Special Agent in Charge of the Army Criminal Investigation Division Major Procurement Fraud Field Office made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil J. Gallagher, Jr. of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced to 63 Months in Ponzi Scheme CaseRead the Press Release
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - A former resident of Durham, NC was sentenced to 63 months of imprisonment and ordered to pay restitution totaling $6,170,045.68 after pleading guilty to one count of the use of manipulative and deceptive devices and one count of wire fraud, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina.
NAYEEM CHOUDHURY, currently of Fort Worth, TX was sentenced to a 63-month term of imprisonment by the Honorable Loretta C. Biggs, United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. In addition to prison time, CHOUDHURY was ordered to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court filings, CHOUDHURY, while a resident of Durham, NC, began soliciting option trading investments for his company, Dream Venture Capital Group, LLC, through friends and family networks, as well as through social media accounts and webpages. CHOUDHURY told potential investors that their investments were no-risk because he guaranteed the principal, that he would pay investors exorbitant monthly returns sometimes as high as twenty-five percent, and that he had a proven track record of successful options trading and won far more than he lost. None of these statements were true. In fact, of the eleven months CHOUDHURY traded investor funds before his fraud was identified, he suffered net trading losses in nine of those eleven months. Despite this, CHOUDHURY continued to solicit new investors, repeating the same misrepresentations identified above. He also paid older investors with principal invested by new investors, representing it to be trading gains, in what is colloquially known as a Ponzi scheme.
CHOUDHURY lost over $5 million dollars in investor funds and used other funds for extravagant personal purchases, including an $85,000 Mercedes Benz G63. In total, he was responsible for a loss of $6,170,045.68, victimizing 88 different individuals.
“CHOUDHURY’s mendacity knew no bounds: he mined the trust of friends and family to find new victims, even as the losses were piling up,” said U.S. Attorney Hairston. “We are grateful to the agencies that investigated this unconscionable conduct and helped hold this defendant accountable.”
“CHOUDHURY presented himself as an investment expert promising significant profits with little to no financial risks. He took money from his own family and friends to cover massive trading losses and fund extravagant personal expenses. While fraud of this magnitude can have a lasting impact, we hope CHOUDHURY’s federal prison sentence will bring a sense of justice to his victims,” said Robert M. DeWitt, the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina.
The investigation was undertaken by Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley E. Waid.
###
Man Sentenced for Attempting to Traffic Firearms InternationallyRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Sourivahn Phonthepsone, a Canadian citizen, has been sentenced to federal prison for conspiring to traffic 50 firearms to Ontario, Canada.
“Firearm traffickers present a danger to communities everywhere, both nationally and internationally,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “We remain resolute in our unwavering commitment to work with our federal law enforcement partners to identify and dismantle gun trafficking operations and to prosecute those who jeopardize the safety of our communities by funneling firearms to criminals.”
“The arrest and conviction of this individual represent a significant victory in the fight against international firearms trafficking,” said ATF Assistant Agent in Charge Alicia D. Jones. “Our agents executed a meticulously planned operation, ensuring that dangerous weapons never made it into criminal hands. ATF will continue to be relentless in its pursuit of those who endanger public safety.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Over a three-month period in 2023, Phonthepsone conspired with multiple individuals to purchase 50 firearms for $40,000 from a source in Atlanta, Georgia, with the intent of transporting the firearms to Canada for resale. In August 2023, Phonthepsone resided in Ontario, Canada and began communicating with a source in the United States about acquiring firearms. Phonthepsone asked the source to provide a quote for the price of each firearm. He also offered to travel to the United States to meet the source in person.
In September 2023, Phonthepsone flew from Toronto, Canada to Dallas, Texas and met with the source and an undercover federal agent. During the meeting, Phonthepsone and the two individuals discussed the types and prices of firearms for purchase. Phonthepsone indicated that his associates would transport 20 firearms into Canada at a time. He agreed to pay $800 per firearm and estimated they would resell for approximately $2,000 each in Canada. At the end of the meeting, Phonthepsone gave the undercover agent a $1,000 down payment. Phonthepsone returned to Canada the next day.
On October 6, 2023, Phonthepsone flew from Toronto to Atlanta and arranged to meet with the undercover agent on October 11, 2023, to make a deal to purchase the firearms. Phonthepsone met the undercover agent at a storage unit in Fairburn, Georgia, where he gave the agent $40,000 in cash for the firearms. After Phonthepsone initiated the transfer for some of the 50 firearms, ATF special agents arrested him without incident.
Sourivahn Ed Phonthepsone, 24, of Ontario, Canada, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr. to seven years, three months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Phonthepsone was convicted of the firearms trafficking conspiracy charge on April 29, 2024, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Annalise K. Peters prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted and the President signed in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Madison Man Convicted of Sexual ExploitationRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A jury has convicted a Madison man of child exploitation, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.
The jury returned a guilty verdict against Anthony Ray Lawrence, 37, of Madison, after 3 days of testimony before U.S. District Court Judge Madeline H. Haikala. Lawrence was convicted of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor.
According to evidence presented at trial, between April and May 2023, Lawrence used a social media application to engage with someone he thought to be a 14-year-old female but who actually was an undercover law enforcement officer. He told the undercover officer that he used the application to meet younger girls. On May 1, 2023, Lawrence traveled from Madison, Alabama, to Homewood, Alabama, to engage in a sexual act with a minor. At the time of his arrest, Lawrence possessed condoms and sexual lubricant. He had rented a hotel room nearby.
If you suspect or become aware of possible sexual exploitation of a child, please contact law enforcement. To alert the FBI Birmingham Office, call 205-326-6166. Reports can also be filed with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) or online at www.cybertipline.org.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The FBI investigated the case along with the Homewood Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel S. McBrayer and R. Leann White are prosecuting the case.
MS-13 Gang Members Charged in Superseding Indictment for Crimes of Deadly Violence in Nassau CountyRead the Press Release
Earlier today, a 17-count superseding indictment was unsealed in federal court in Central Islip charging seven members of the violent transnational criminal organization La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the MS-13, with multiple racketeering offenses including two murders, one attempted murder, murder conspiracies, a narcotics trafficking conspiracy and related firearms offenses (the “Superseding Indictment”). Two of those defendants, William Lainez-Duran, also known as “Chino” and “Spanky,” and Elvin Eulises Vasquez-Lopez, also known as “Pikachu,” were arrested this morning in Hempstead, New York and will be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Steven L. Tiscione. Another defendant, Jose Omar Yanes-Romero, also known as “Jose Pineda,” “Chino” and “Iron,” was arrested this morning in Culpeper, Virginia, and will be arraigned at the Charlottesville federal courthouse in the Western District of Virginia. Two of the remaining three defendants are in custody on criminal charges, and the third is in immigration custody and will be arraigned at a later date.
Defendants Henry Aquino-Hernandez, also known as “Zancudo,” an associate of the Herndon City clique, Yanes-Romero, a member of the Coronados clique and Lainez-Duran, a member of the Hempstead clique, have been charged with participating in the July 19, 2022 murder of Walter Ochoa. Defendant Gerson Hernandez, also known as “Steven Jefferson,” “Jeffrey,” “Serio,” “Serioso” and “Necio,” a member of the Hempstead clique, was previously charged with participating in the murder. Henry Canales, also known as “Thunder” and “Cruzito,” a member of the Coronados clique who is currently in New York State custody, has been charged with a related murder conspiracy, as well as with being an accessory after the fact. Additionally, Jairo Cornejo-Crespin, also known as “Flaco,” a member of the Hempstead clique, has been charged with a December 15, 2023 attempted murder, which occurred adjacent to Hempstead High School. Separately, Canales and Vasquez-Lopez, a member of the Coronados clique, are charged with a May and June 2022 conspiracy to murder rival gang members.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), William S. Walker, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI), Anne T. Donnelly, Nassau County District Attorney and Patrick J. Ryder, Commissioner, Nassau County Police Department (NCPD), announced the charges.
“The racketeering offenses alleged in the superseding indictment, including murder, murder conspiracies, drug trafficking, and a brazen shooting outside Hempstead High School at dismissal time demonstrate the MS-13 gang members’ brutality and utter disregard for human life,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “The relentless efforts of the prosecutors in my Office and our local and federal law enforcement partners to bring these offenders to justice will help reduce violence on Long Island and make our communities safer.”
Mr. Peace expressed his appreciation to the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia, the Richmond Division of the FBI, the Culpeper County Sheriff's Office and the Culpeper Police Department.
“These six MS-13 members allegedly conducted a series of retaliatory murders, shootings, and drug trafficking in furtherance of the gang’s nefarious tactics and criminal operations on Long Island,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Dennehy. “This alleged violence recklessly jeopardized public safety as it encroached on neighborhoods, school properties, and recreational spaces, placing innocent bystanders in the crosshairs. With the assistance of our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, the FBI will continue to dismantle all MS-13 cliques plaguing our communities.”“Today’s charges underscore our unwavering focus on public safety and the continued collaboration with our law enforcement partners to address the threat posed by MS-13 to Long Island communities. HSI New York will not stand idly by as the MS-13 gang attempts to strengthen its presence in Nassau County,” stated HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Walker. “With each new indictment, we continue to whittle away at MS-13 on Long Island and at its false notion of impunity from the law.”
“For years, the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office has worked with our federal and local law enforcement partners to cripple MS-13 and other criminal organizations and has successfully diminished their impact in our communities,” stated Nassau County District Attorney Donnelly. “The defendants targeted in this wide-ranging indictment have been involved in multiple violent crimes in Hempstead and ruthless gang violence that has cost so many individuals their lives. We will continue to collaborate with our federal and local partners to take down dangerous gang members and protect our residents.”
As set forth in the superseding indictment and a detention memorandum filed earlier today, six defendants are charged with participating in the July 19, 2022 murder of Ochoa in Uniondale Park in Uniondale, New York. Ochoa was targeted by the MS-13 because he was suspected of being a member of a rival street gang. Hernandez, Aquino-Hernandez, Canales, Lainez-Duran, Vasquez-Lopez, Yanes-Romero and other MS-13 members also allegedly plotted the murder in retaliation for the killing of an MS-13 member 11 days earlier, which the MS-13 blamed on the 18th Street gang. On the evening of July 19, Ochoa was with another individual in Uniondale Park when they were approached by Hernandez, Yanes-Romero and a third MS-13 member who were armed with a .45 caliber handgun and at least one knife. The three gang members shot Ochoa to death and stabbed him in the neck, and then fled the park.
The superseding indictment also charges Cornejo-Crespin, who was previously charged in Nassau County and is currently incarcerated, with an attempted murder in Hempstead. Specifically, on December 15, 2023, near Hempstead High School, Cornejo-Crespin used a 9-millimeter semiautomatic pistol bearing no make, model or serial number (also known as a “ghost gun”) to shoot an 18-year-old male that he believed to be a rival gang member. The victim was shot five times but survived. The shooting took place at approximately 3:22 p.m., shortly after school dismissal, when numerous students were walking around the neighboring area.
Finally, the superseding indictment charges six of the defendants with conspiring to distribute cocaine and marijuana. These charges stem from the MS-13 cliques’ street-level sales of cocaine and marijuana on Long Island, the proceeds of which were used to help finance the MS-13’s criminal operations including purchasing firearms, ammunition and other weapons and sending money to MS-13 leadership in Central America.
The superseding indictment is the latest in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York targeting members of the MS-13, a violent transnational criminal organization. The MS-13’s leadership traditionally has been based in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico, but the organization also has thousands of members and an increasing number of leaders in the United States. With numerous branches, or “cliques,” the MS-13 is the most violent criminal organization on Long Island. Since 2003, hundreds of MS-13 members, including dozens of clique leaders, have been convicted on federal felony charges in the Eastern District of New York. A majority of those MS-13 members have been convicted on federal racketeering charges for participating in murders, attempted murders and assaults. Since 2010 alone, this Office has obtained indictments charging MS-13 members with carrying out more than 70 murders in the Eastern District of New York, and it has convicted dozens of MS-13 leaders and members in connection with those murders. These prosecutions are the product of investigations led by the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force, comprising agents and officers of the FBI, the NCPD, the Suffolk County Police Department, the Nassau County Sheriff’s Department, the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, the Suffolk County Probation Office, the New York State Police, the Hempstead Police Department, the Rockville Centre Police Department and the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.
If convicted, Hernandez, Aquino-Hernandez, Lainez-Duran and Yanes-Romero face up to life in prison, or the death penalty; Cornejo-Crespin faces up to life in prison; Canales faces up to 55 years in prison; and Vasquez-Lopez face up to 50 years in prison. The charges in the superseding indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Megan E. Farrell, Justina L. Geraci and Paul G. Scotti are in charge of the prosecution.
New Defendants:
HENRY AQUINO-HERNANDEZ (also known as “Zancudo”)
Age: 20
Bowling Green, Virginia (formerly of Uniondale, New York)HENRY CANALES (also known as “Thunder” and “Cruzito”)
Age: 24
Auburn, New York (formerly of Hempstead, New York)JAIRO CORNEJO-CRESPIN (also known as “Flaco”)
Age: 24
Brooklyn, New York (formerly of Freeport, New York)WILLIAM LAINEZ-DURAN (also known as “Chino” and “Spanky”)
Age: 24
Uniondale, New YorkElvin Eulises Vasquez-Lopez (also known as “Elvin Amaya” and “Pikachu”)
Age: 23
Hempstead, New YorkJose Omar Yanes-Romero (also known as “Jose Pineda,” “Iron,” “Speedy” and “Chino”)
Age: 24
Culpeper, Virginia (formerly of Hempstead, New York)Defendant Previously Indicted:
GERSON HERNANDEZ (also known as “Steven Jefferson,” “Jeffrey,” “Serio,” “Serioso” and “Necio”)
Age: 23
East Meadow, New York (formerly of Hempstead, New York)E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-369 (S-1)(JMA)
Licensed firearms dealer in King William pleads guilty to falsifying form for missing shotgunRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A federally licensed firearms dealer in King William, Virginia, pled guilty today to making false material statements regarding a missing firearm.
According to court documents, Thomas Christian Berberich owned and operated Pamunkey River Guns, LLC, (PRG). On March 14, 2023, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) began an inspection of PRG. After reconciling the firearms at PRG against the open entries in PRG’s acquisition and disposition book, investigators determined that a .410 caliber shotgun had no disposition in PRG’s records and was not present in the store. On March 22, 2023, an ATF investigator instructed Berberich to report the shotgun as lost or stolen and complete an ATF Loss/Theft Form.
On April 5, 2023, Berberich directed a co-conspirator to come to PRG to complete paperwork for the sale of the missing shotgun, which they did on April 7, 2023. Berberich signed the ATF Form 4473, certifying that the information on the form was true, correct, and complete. Neither the shotgun nor any money was exchanged. Berberich sent an email that day to the ATF investigator reporting that the missing shotgun was found on April 6, 2023, in a box in a closet at PRG, and that the shotgun was then sold to a customer on April 7, 2023.
When the investigator returned to PRG on April 12, 2023, Berberich provided him with a copy of the false Form 4473. After the investigation, Berberich forfeited his federal firearms license.
Berberich is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 5, 2025. The maximum penalty for making false statements is five years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and James VanVliet, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Wright and Peter S. Duffey are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-131.
Latham Woman Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kristy Lynne Koldis, age 46, of Latham, New York, was sentenced today to 180 months (15 years) in prison and 15 years of supervised release for sexual exploitation of a child. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.
In previously pleading guilty, Koldis admitted that she created sexually explicit content depicting the lewd and lascivious exhibition of V-1’s genitals from the time V-1 was approximately 9 years old through the time V-1 was approximately 13 years old and distributed the files to Joshua White, who pled guilty on December 13, 2023, to distribution and possession of child pornography. His sentencing is currently scheduled for December 12, 2024.
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also imposed special assessments totaling over $55,000 and ordered Koldis to pay $5,000 in restitution. Koldis will have to register as a sex offender upon her release from prison.
Homeland Security Investigations and the New York State Police investigated this case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael D. Gadarian as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Lakeland Man Charged with Ten Counts of Bank FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Abraham Othman Yacoub (26, Lakeland) with 10 counts of bank fraud. Yacoub faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison on each count. The indictment also notifies Yacoub that the United States is seeking an order of forfeiture in the amount of $181,540.51, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct.
According to the indictment, from at least January 2021 until approximately February 2023, Yacoub made dozens of fraudulent deposits and withdrawals on behalf of his companies, Visionary Auto Body LLC, and Visionary Auto Care LLC, at financial institutions throughout the Middle District of Florida. Yacoub opened and maintained business bank accounts in the name of his companies and executed two primary fraud schemes.
In the first scheme, Yacoub deposited the same previously deposited checks into various business banking accounts that he controlled at different financial institutions, knowing that the checks had previously been deposited and paid, causing the victim banks to credit his accounts for the amount of the check.
In the second scheme, Yacoub drafted fraudulent business checks from closed business bank accounts and then deposit these checks into other active business banking accounts that he controlled, causing the banks to credit him with the amount of the fraudulent business check.
Under both schemes Yacoub attempted to withdraw, transfer, or otherwise spend the funds credited to his accounts before the financial institution realized that the checks were fraudulent.
Yacoub is currently in federal custody. On July 31, 2024, he was sentenced to three years and six months in federal prison for violating airport security requirements and attempted possession of a dangerous weapon on an aircraft after bringing a Glock 19 and assorted ammunition into Tampa International Airport.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karyna Valdes.
Kearney Man Sentenced for Multiple Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Tucker Steven Harders, age 26, of Kearney, Nebraska, was sentenced October 3, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for receipt and possession of child pornography and transportation of obscene materials. Senior United States Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Harders to 96 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Harder’s release from prison, he will begin an 8-year term of supervised release and be required to register as a sex offender.
In October of 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a report of someone uploading photos depicting children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. NCMEC then received another eight reports in January 2023 for the same account. All of the NCMEC reports included the IP address of the offending accounts. Investigation identified the subscriber as Tucker Harders at an address in Kearney, Nebraska.
In May,2023, the Kearney Police Department served a search warrant on Harders’s physical address. Multiple electronic devices were seized and searched. A search of one of the computers located over 10,000 images of child exploitive and age difficult images, of these, over 1,000 were confirmed child pornography and over 400 were identified via hash values as known to NCMEC. These specific images were located in the downloads folder and indicated a last accessed date of May 5, 2023. The images depicted children as young as three-years-old. A review of additional files located a multitude of chats where Harders would ask for, share, or offer to trade child porn with others.
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 Kearney Police Department.
Kanawha County Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Federal Drug Crime and Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Carlito Harris Carter, 45, of St. Albans, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and violating supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 22, 2024, Carter sold a quantity of fentanyl to a confidential informant for $50. The transaction took place at Carter’s St. Albans residence.
On January 26, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Carter’s residence and found approximately 300 grams of methamphetamine, 200 grams of fentanyl, 300 grams of marijuana, various firearm components, ammunition, and $1,695. Carter admitted to possessing and intending to distribute the methamphetamine and fentanyl.
At the time of this offense, Carter was on supervised release following his conviction for distribution of 28 grams or more of cocaine base in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on September 2, 2011. Today’s sentence includes one year in prison for committing a crime while on supervised release.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the St. Albans Police Department.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-46.
###
KC Man Sentenced in Scheme to Steal Firearms from VehiclesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today as the final defendant in a conspiracy to steal more than 100 firearms from numerous vehicles in the Westport entertainment district and elsewhere in the metropolitan area, which were later sold on social media accounts.
Treyon Bloodsoe, 22, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to seven years three months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Bloodsoe to pay $1,500 in restitution, for which all of the defendants in this case are jointly and severally liable.
On Oct. 26, 2023, Bloodsoe pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy to receive, possess, and dispose of stolen firearms and to possessing stolen firearms.
Bloodsoe admitted that he participated in a conspiracy to break into vehicles and steal firearms and other items. Conspirators used social media to advertise the stolen firearms for sale, which included sales to individuals who were prohibited by law from possessing firearms (including Bloodsoe’s sale of a Glock handgun to a juvenile). According to court documents, Bloodsoe and his co-conspirators stole more than 100 firearms obtained from vehicle break-ins from June 18 to Nov. 19, 2021.
Bloodsoe also admitted that he was in possession of a Glock 10mm handgun and a KelTec 5.56x45mm rifle, both of which had been reported as stolen, when law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at his residence on Nov. 4, 2021.
Bloodsoe is the fifth and final defendant, all of whom are residents of Kansas City, Mo., to be sentenced in this case. Rayquan Duane Pettaway, 25, was sentenced to 11 years and eight months in federal prison without parole. Roy Rushing, 27, was sentenced to nine years and two months in federal prison without parole. Drevion Hooker, 22, was sentenced to seven years and one month in federal prison without parole. Bobby Lamb, 22, was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison without parole.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stefan C. Hughes. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Justice Department Sues Missouri Landlords Based on Discriminatory Criminal History PolicyRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit alleging that the owners and managers of Suburban Heights Apartments, a residential rental property in Kinloch, Missouri, near St. Louis, engaged in a pattern or practice of race and/or color discrimination against prospective Black tenants by banning tenants with any past felony conviction and certain other criminal histories, in violation of the Fair Housing Act. The defendants, Suburban Heights LLC, Crestline Property LLC, Triline Properties LLC and Jingle Properties LLC, each owned and/or managed the property at various relevant times since at least 2015.
“Rental property owners and managers that ban tenants with a criminal history risk running afoul of the Fair Housing Act,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Policies that perpetuate racial discrimination in the housing market can prove devastating for communities of color. This lawsuit should send a clear message to housing providers that certain criminal history bans on people seeking to put a roof over their heads are not just unfair but unlawful. The Justice Department is committed to enforcing the protections of the Fair Housing Act to prevent housing discrimination on the basis of race and color in all its forms.”
The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri and alleges that, during their respective periods of ownership or management of the property from at least November 2015 to January 2024, the defendants publicized and enforced a categorical ban on tenants with felony convictions and certain other criminal histories, regardless of how long ago the conviction occurred. This policy excluded prospective tenants based on their criminal histories, which are known to have significant racial disparities, and which are not accurate proxies for actual underlying criminal activity nor reliable predictors of future criminal activity. By choosing to use that policy, the defendants likely deterred prospective Black tenants from applying to rent and excluded them from housing opportunities at Suburban Heights Apartments.
The allegations were based, in part, on evidence generated by the department’s Fair Housing Testing Program, in which individuals pose as prospective renters to gather information about possible discriminatory practices.
The lawsuit seeks monetary damages to remedy the harms caused by the defendants’ policy, a civil penalty to vindicate the public interest and a court order barring future discrimination.
The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of housing discrimination at Suburban Heights Apartments or other dwellings owned or managed by the defendants, or who have other information that may be relevant to this case, may contact the Civil Rights Division’s Housing Discrimination Hotline at 1-833-591-0291. Press 1 for English, press 1 for discrimination in housing and then press 8 for Suburban Heights Apartments to leave a message. Individuals may also send an email to [email protected] or submit a report online.
Justice Department Disrupts Russian Intelligence Spear-Phishing EffortsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced today the unsealing of a warrant authorizing the seizure of 41 internet domains used by Russian intelligence agents and their proxies to commit computer fraud and abuse in the United States. As an example of the Department’s commitment to public-private operational collaboration to disrupt such adversaries’ malicious cyber activities, as set forth in the National Cybersecurity Strategy, the Department acted concurrently with a Microsoft civil action to restrain 66 internet domains used by the same actors.
“Today’s seizure of 41 internet domains reflects the Justice Department’s cyber strategy in action – using all tools to disrupt and deter malicious, state-sponsored cyber actors,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “The Russian government ran this scheme to steal Americans’ sensitive information, using seemingly legitimate email accounts to trick victims into revealing account credentials. With the continued support of our private sector partners, we will be relentless in exposing Russian actors and cybercriminals and depriving them of the tools of their illicit trade.”
“This seizure is part of a coordinated response with our private sector partners to dismantle the infrastructure that cyber espionage actors use to attack U.S. and international targets,” said U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey for the Northern District of California. “We thank all of our private-sector partners for their diligence in analyzing, publicizing, and combating the threat posed by these illicit state-coordinated actions in the Northern District of California, across the United States, and around the world.”
“This disruption exemplifies our ongoing efforts to expel Russian intelligence agents from the online infrastructure they have used to target individuals, businesses, and governments around the world,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Working closely with private-sector partners such as Microsoft, the National Security Division uses the full reach of our authorities to confront the cyber-enabled threats of tomorrow from Russia and other adversaries.”
“Working in close collaboration with public and private sector partners—in this case through the execution of domain seizures — we remain in prime position to counter and defeat a broad range of cyber threats posed by adversaries,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “Our efforts to prevent the theft of information by state-sponsored criminal actors are relentless, and we will continue our work in this arena with partners who share our common goals.”
“This case underscores the importance of the FBI’s enduring partnerships with private sector companies, which allow for rapid information sharing and coordinated action. With these seizures, we’ve disrupted a sophisticated cyber threat aimed at compromising sensitive government intelligence and stealing valuable information,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Tripp. “Today’s success highlights the power of collaboration in safeguarding the United States against state-sponsored cybercrime.”
According to the partially unsealed affidavit filed in support of the government’s seizure warrant, the seized domains were used by hackers belonging to, or criminal proxies working for, the “Callisto Group,” an operational unit within Center 18 of the Russian Federal Security Service (the FSB), to commit violations of unauthorized access to a computer to obtain information from a department or agency of the United States, unauthorized access to a computer to obtain information from a protected computer, and causing damage to a protected computer. Callisto Group hackers used the seized domains in an ongoing and sophisticated spear-phishing campaign with the goal of gaining unauthorized access to, and steal valuable information from, the computers and email accounts of U.S. government and other victims.
In conjunction, Microsoft announced the filing of a civil action to seize 66 internet domains also used by Callisto Group actors. Microsoft Threat Intelligence tracks this group as “Star Blizzard” (formerly SEABORGIUM, also known as COLDRIVER). Between January 2023 and August 2024, Microsoft observed Star Blizzard target over 30 civil society entities and organizations – journalists, think tanks, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) – by deploying spear-phishing campaigns to exfiltrate sensitive information and interfere in their activities.
The government’s affidavit alleges the Callisto Group actors targeted, among others, United States-based companies, former employees of the United States Intelligence Community, former and current Department of Defense and Department of State employees, United States military defense contractors, and staff at the Department of Energy. In December 2023, the Department announced charges against two Callisto-affiliated actors, Ruslan Aleksandrovich Peretyatko (Перетятько Руслан Александрович), an officer in FSB Center 18, and Andrey Stanislavovich Korinets (Коринец Андрей Станиславович). The indictment charged the defendants with a campaign to hack into computer networks in the United States, the United Kingdom, other North Atlantic Treaty Organization member countries, and Ukraine, all on behalf of the Russian government.
The FBI San Francisco Field Office is investigating the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California and the Justice Department’s National Security Cyber Section of the National Security Division are prosecuting the case.
The case is docketed at Application by the United States for a Seizure Warrant for 41 Domain Names For Investigation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) and Other Offenses, No. 4-24-71375 (N.D. Cal. Sept. 16, 2024).
An affidavit in support of a seizure warrant and an indictment are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Justice Department Disrupts Russian Intelligence Spear-Phishing EffortsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today the unsealing of a warrant authorizing the seizure of 41 internet domains used by Russian intelligence agents and their proxies to commit computer fraud and abuse in the United States. As an example of the Department’s commitment to public-private operational collaboration to disrupt such adversaries’ malicious cyber activities, as set forth in the National Cybersecurity Strategy, the Department acted concurrently with a Microsoft civil action to restrain 66 internet domains used by the same actors.
“Today’s seizure of 41 internet domains reflects the Justice Department’s cyber strategy in action – using all tools to disrupt and deter malicious, state-sponsored cyber actors,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “The Russian government ran this scheme to steal Americans’ sensitive information, using seemingly legitimate email accounts to trick victims into revealing account credentials. With the continued support of our private sector partners, we will be relentless in exposing Russian actors and cybercriminals and depriving them of the tools of their illicit trade.”
“This disruption exemplifies our ongoing efforts to expel Russian intelligence agents from the online infrastructure they have used to target individuals, businesses, and governments around the world,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Working closely with private-sector partners such as Microsoft, the National Security Division uses the full reach of our authorities to confront the cyber-enabled threats of tomorrow from Russia and other adversaries.”
"Working in close collaboration with public and private sector partners—in this case through the execution of domain seizures — we remain in prime position to counter and defeat a broad range of cyber threats posed by adversaries,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “Our efforts to prevent the theft of information by state-sponsored criminal actors are relentless, and we will continue our work in this arena with partners who share our common goals.”
“This seizure is part of a coordinated response with our private sector partners to dismantle the infrastructure that cyber espionage actors use to attack U.S. and international targets,” said U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey for the Northern District of California. “We thank all of our private-sector partners for their diligence in analyzing, publicizing, and combating the threat posed by these illicit state-coordinated actions in the Northern District of California, across the United States, and around the world.”
The domain names are identified below:
accutanebb[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 1albuteroltab[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 2allowdoorinto[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 3baijiapaintbrush[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 4baricitinc[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 5cbdhempoilww[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 6cbdonlineww[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 7cenforcep[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 8cialismgz[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 9delitky[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 10divisionintro[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 11dompurifycheerio[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 12fastloginway[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 13fasttruncatedoor[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 14finduscore[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 15gateallowsearch[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 16ghxsjyk[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 17gnfamotidine[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 18gnibuprofen[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 19govdoorsec[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 20hempcbdww[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 21inthetrustview[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 22ithostprotocol[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 23ivermectint[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 24londonshowcorp[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 25maxlliance[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 26myavtsim[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 27newtransfersearch[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 28outviewmachine[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 29setitcloud[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 30smartloginbreak[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 31smartscontract[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 32tipstoway[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 33toolpointtrim[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 34trustvaluespath[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 35verificationtrim[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 36viewwaypath[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 37waylogintexas[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 38webgovview[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 39wingscamein[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 40incomcorporate[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 41According to the partially unsealed affidavit filed in support of the government’s seizure warrant, the seized domains were used by hackers belonging to, or criminal proxies working for, the “Callisto Group,” an operational unit within Center 18 of the Russian Federal Security Service (the FSB), to commit violations of unauthorized access to a computer to obtain information from a department or agency of the United States, unauthorized access to a computer to obtain information from a protected computer, and causing damage to a protected computer. Callisto Group hackers used the seized domains in an ongoing and sophisticated spear-phishing campaign with the goal of gaining unauthorized access to, and steal valuable information from, the computers and email accounts of U.S. government and other victims.
In conjunction, Microsoft announced the filing of a civil action to seize 66 internet domains also used by Callisto Group actors. Microsoft Threat Intelligence tracks this group as “Star Blizzard” (formerly SEABORGIUM, also known as COLDRIVER). Between January 2023 and August 2024, Microsoft observed Star Blizzard target over 30 civil society entities and organizations – journalists, think tanks, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) – by deploying spear-phishing campaigns to exfiltrate sensitive information and interfere in their activities.
The government’s affidavit alleges the Callisto Group actors targeted, among others, U.S.-based companies, former employees of the U.S. Intelligence Community, former and current Department of Defense and Department of State employees, U.S. military defense contractors, and staff at the Department of Energy. In December 2023, the Department announced charges against two Callisto-affiliated actors, Ruslan Aleksandrovich Peretyatko (Перетятько Руслан Александрович), an officer in FSB Center 18, and Andrey Stanislavovich Korinets (Коринец Андрей Станиславович). The indictment charged the defendants with a campaign to hack into computer networks in the United States, the United Kingdom, other North Atlantic Treaty Organization member countries, and Ukraine, all on behalf of the Russian government.
The FBI San Francisco Field Office is investigating the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California and the Justice Department’s National Security Cyber Section of the National Security Division are prosecuting the case.
The case is docketed at Application by the United States for a Seizure Warrant for 41 Domain Names For Investigation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) and Other Offenses, No. 4-24-71375 (N.D. Cal. Sept. 16, 2024).
An affidavit in support of a seizure warrant and an indictment are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Jury convicts Maryland woman of taking her child to Côte d'Ivoire and leaving the child in violation of a court’s custody ordersRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal jury convicted a national of Côte d'Ivoire on Oct. 1 of taking her child out of the United States and leaving the child there to obstruct a court’s orders granting custody rights to her estranged husband.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, in August 2023, Adjoh Dorcas Manou Epse Assoko, 46, and John Franklin Assoko, who were then legally married and living in Potomac, Maryland, gave birth to a child in Washington. Adjoh filed for divorce from John in December 2023.
On December 19, 2024, Adjoh obtained a protective order against John from the Montgomery County District Court on unsubstantiated grounds of domestic violence. The protective order, which has since been rescinded, awarded primary custody of the child to Adjoh and weekend visitation to John.
On April 30, 2024, Adjoh and the child flew from Dulles International Airport (Dulles) in Virginia to France and then to Côte d'Ivoire. Adjoh did not inform John that she was leaving the country with their child and did not contact him after they departed. On May 3, 2024, at the time John’s next scheduled visitation window was to take place, Adjoh and the child had not returned to the United States, violating the custody arrangement outlined in the protective order.
On May 7, 2024, John filed an emergency motion for temporary sole custody of the child. On May 9, 2024, the Montgomery County Circuit Court held a hearing on that motion, which Adjoh attended via Zoom from Côte d'Ivoire. After Adjoh refused the court’s opportunity to bring the child back so that John could effectuate his visitation rights, the court entered an order granting John temporary primary physical custody of the child.
On June 19, 2024, Adjoh flew from Côte d'Ivoire to France and then to Dulles but left the child in Cote D'Ivoire in the care of family members. The FBI learned that Adjoh had booked a flight out of Dulles for June 26, 2024. Agents arrested Adjoh at Dulles before she could board the flight. Adjoh refused to tell the agents the child’s location within Côte d'Ivoire or the names of the relatives in whose care the child had been left.
Adjoh faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison when sentenced on Jan. 9, 2025. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and David E. Geist, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff accepted the verdict.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meredith J. Edwards and Cristina C. Stam are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-172.
Jamestown man arrested on meth chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Raymond Medina, 19, of Jamestown, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a 1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Donna M. Duncan, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on the evening of February 28, 2024, Jamestown Police officers were dispatched to an 8th Street residence for a domestic incident involving Medina. The resident living at the residence has a valid order of protection against Medina from Jamestown City Court. Medina is known to the Jamestown Police Department from several past incidents, which led to the imposition of officer safety alerts. An officer made contact with Medina, who immediately became argumentative and began to back away. The officer attempted to detain him, but Medina pulled away and the officer grabbed his hooded sweater and advised him to stop pulling away. Medina refused, yelling “I don’t got nothing bro.” Medina then pulled away and fled on foot. As a result, the officer deployed his taser with negative results. Officers tracked Medina a short time later and took him into custody. Along the route that Media fled, officers recovered a quantity of suspected methamphetamine, packaged for individual sale.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Jamestown Police Chief Timothy Jackson, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
# # # #
Inmate guilty of assaulting two correctional officersRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 31-year-old felon from Donna has been convicted of assaulting two correctional officers while housed at Coastal Bend Detention Center in Robstown, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has found Aaron Gutierrez guilty of two counts of assaulting or impeding a federal officer following a one-day bench trial that occurred Sept. 16.
On Aug. 25, 2023, Gutierrez and six other inmates escaped from a recreation area through an unlocked gate. They ran down a walkway to intercept another inmate belonging to a rival gang. Two correctional officers were escorting that inmate - who was in full restraints.
The seven escaped inmates attacked the defenseless other inmate as well as the correctional officers who were attempting to protect him. As a result, both officers suffered injuries and were transported to the hospital for treatment. One required surgery. Authorities also transported the victim inmate to the hospital for treatment.
Within a minute of the attack, multiple correctional officers converged on the attackers and restrained them.
Gutierrez attempted to convince the court that while he intended to join the fight, he never got the chance because he was the last one to leave the recreation yard. However, testimony revealed that every inmate participated in the attack. Judge Morales did not believe defense claims and found him guilty as charged.
Correctional officers at Coastal Bend Detention Center work on behalf of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) and are protected as federal officers when in the performance of their official duties.
Judge Morales will impose sentencing in January 2025. At that time, Gutierrez faces up to eight years in federal prison. He will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The other six inmates involved in the attack had previously pleaded guilty. Raul Valdez, 49, San Antonio, received 24 months, while Corpus Christi residents Benito Aguirre, 43, John Steve Espinoza, 31, Joe Isaac Espinoza, 27, and Adalberto Pena, 32, each received 18 months. Emilio Salinas, 34, Edinburg, is set for sentencing Oct. 17.
They all also remain in custody.
The FBI conducted the investigation with assistance from the USMS. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Dunn prosecuted the case.
Indianapolis Gun Trafficker Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for “Straw Purchases” of Thirty-Six GunsRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS—Kayvonn Bailey, 26, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to making a false statement to a licensed firearms importer.
According to court documents, on September 2, 2022, Bailey bought a Smith and Wesson .40 caliber pistol from a federally licensed firearms dealer in Beech Grove Indiana. The purchase was captured on store surveillance video, which showed Bailey going to the store with another person. As part of the purchase, Bailey falsely stated on required federal firearms transaction forms that he was the actual buyer of the firearm. In fact, Bailey illegally purchased the gun on behalf this other individual—a gun trafficking scheme known as “straw purchasing”—and Bailey handed the other person the gun after they left the store.
Straw purchasing occurs when a person who is allowed to legally purchase a gun from a federally licensed dealer falsely states that they are purchasing a firearm for themselves, when they know that the gun is actually intended for someone else—frequently someone who is legally prohibited from making the purchase themselves.
On October 20, 2022, the same Smith and Wesson was recovered in Pennsylvania during a traffic stop. During the stop, the driver stated that he was not a United States citizen. Many non-citizens are prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms, depending on their specific immigration status. The Pennsylvania driver told investigators Bailey was able to get him firearms, and that went with Bailey to the gun store in Beech Grove to purchase the firearm.
Bailey later confirmed to investigators that he purchased the firearm for the person who accompanied him to the store, and that he had illegally straw-purchased and sold thirty-six firearms. In May of 2023, after the illegal firearm purchases, Bailey was convicted in state court of domestic battery and intimidation using a firearm.
“Unscrupulous individuals who illegally put guns in the hands of folks who have no lawful business being armed help fuel gun violence in Indiana and across the country,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Not only did this criminal illegally traffic three dozen guns into the hands of prohibited people, but he also later engaged in armed domestic violence, demonstrating the danger he poses to his partner and our community. Together, with our partners at ATF, our office will continue to make our neighborhoods safer by targeting the sources of crime guns and holding illegal gun traffickers accountable.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James P. Hanlon.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy C. Fugate, who prosecuted this 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.
This case was brought as part of the LEATH Initiative (Law Enforcement Action to Halt Domestic Violence), named in honor of Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) Officer Breann Leath, who was killed in the line of duty while responding to a domestic disturbance call. A partnership among the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the IMPD, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana, the LEATH Initiative focuses federal, state, and local law enforcement resources on domestic violence offenders who illegally possess firearms.
###
Holmes County man sentenced to prison for illegal possession of a firearmRead the Press Release
Greenville, MS – A Holmes County man was sentenced Wednesday afternoon to more than five years in prison following his conviction for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, Tamarius Webster, 37, of Cruger, Mississippi, pled guilty in April to a charge of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. Webster was arrested in September of 2022 while Deputies with the United States Marshals Service were serving an arrest warrant for kidnapping. Webster was found in possession of a firearm in Oxford, Mississippi. Following a hearing on Wednesday, Chief U.S. District Court Judge Debra M. Brown sentenced Webster to 70 months in prison for his illegal possession of that firearm. Upon release from prison, Webster will serve a three-year term of supervised release. Webster was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals following sentencing.
Following the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner and federal law enforcement officials noted that this investigation and the sentence imposed was significant in ongoing efforts to fight violent crime. “When felons illegally possess and use guns to commit crimes or disrupt the community, we will respond,” remarked Joyner. “This office will continue to work alongside our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to hold accountable individuals who choose to illegally possess and use firearms in our District.”
“In our effort to disrupt violent gun crime in our community, ATF will continue to focus efforts on prohibited individuals who unlawfully possess firearms,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “The sentence imposed today sends a message to convicted felons who are prohibited from possessing firearms that we will continue to work to keep our neighborhoods safe as the top priority for ATF.”
This matter was investigated by the United States Marshal’s Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by AUSA Clyde McGee IV.
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.
HPL gang members sent to prison for attempting to sell machine guns to cartelRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – Two members of the Hermanos de Pistoleros Latinos (HPL) gang have been sentenced for unlawful possession of a machine gun, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Laredo residents and brothers Alberto Del Bosque, 24, and Anthony Del Bosque, 22, pleaded guilty Jan. 4, 2023, and Dec. 9, 2022, respectively. Alberto Del Bosque was also convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña has now imposed a total 120-month term of imprisonment for Alberto Del Bosque, while his brother received 63 months. Both must also serve three years of supervised release following their sentences. At the hearing, the court heard additional information about both men’s criminal histories as well as a recent shooting in another state where a machine gun similar to the ones the Del Bosque brothers were selling caused the death of four individuals and injured 22 others. In handing down the prison terms, Judge Saldaña noted the machine guns the brothers sold were very dangerous to the public.
“A small piece of plastic produced quickly and at a low cost on a 3-D printer can convert a legal firearm into a machine gun that sprays bullets indiscriminately,” said Hamdani. “The Del Bosque brothers manufactured these pieces of plastic, known as machine gun conversion devices (MCDs) and sold them to a purported cartel associate, which shows a total disregard for human life. This prosecution demonstrates my office’s commitment to disrupting MCD manufacturers and protecting the public by taking gang members, like the Del Bosque brothers, off the streets and into prison cells.” said Hamdani.
On July 5, 2022, law enforcement discovered Alberto Del Bosque was selling firearms and arranged to purchase one. He sold a Draco Nova Modul NAK9, 9mm AK pistol with 12 rounds of ammunition. As a convicted felon, Alberto Del Bosque is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition per federal law.
During August and September 2022, the Del Bosque brothers were also selling 3D-printed drop in auto sears and privately made AR-15s with drop in auto sears. The purchaser of the drop in auto sears and privately made AR-15s claimed to be a procurer of firearms for the Cartel Del Noreste.
A drop in auto sear aka MCD turns a semi-automatic firearm into a machine gun.
On Oct. 6, 2022, authorities executed a search warrant on Anthony Del Bosque’s residence and located a 3D printer with an MCD in the printer, a paper diagram of an AR-15 drop in auto sear, numerous MCDs, multiple calibers of ammunition, AR-15 and 9mm magazines, $18,071 in U.S. currency and a device for making AR-15 lowers.
The HPL translates to Brotherhood of Latin Gunmen. HPL members maintain ties to the cartels and have involvement in the trafficking of controlled substances into the United States.
The Del Bosque brothers have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Border Patrol and Laredo Police Department conducted the investigation. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Former (AUSA) Angel Moreno and AUSA Steven Chamberlin prosecuted the case.
Government Contractor Pays $450,000 to Resolve Breach of Contract AllegationsRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Science Applications International Corporation (“SAIC”) entered into a settlement agreement to resolve breach of contract claims related to work to be performed in Bahrain in 2019. The settlement was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“American taxpayers work hard each day to provide for their families and through their efforts fund both the security and essential functions of our government,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “Accordingly, our fellow citizens should receive the full measure of those services. This resolution demonstrates our continuing commitment to ensure that government contractors fulfill all contract obligations and are held accountable for the failure to do so.”
The United States contended that SAIC was responsible for breach of a government contract awarded in January 2019 to Engility Holdings, Inc. (“Engility”), a publicly traded company that provided mission support services to federal agencies. In 2019, SAIC acquired Engility. The United States contended that Engility breached the Contract when three employees of its subcontractor, Trace Systems, Inc. (“Trace”), failed to regularly report to work while abroad in Bahrain from September 2019 to November 2019. The United States contended Engility thereafter billed the Government (and the Government paid) for the Trace employees’ work.
“When companies do not provide the items or services they were contracted for, it can pose an unacceptable threat to warfighter readiness and to our national security,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross, NCIS Economic Crimes Field Office. “NCIS and our partners remain diligent in our efforts to ensure allegations of procurement fraud that could lead to mission failure are thoroughly investigated.”
SAIC agreed to pay $450,000 to resolve the United States’ claims.
This civil settlement agreement is not an admission of any liability by SAIC, nor a concession by the United States that its claims were not well-founded.
Assistant United States Attorney Mary Ann Couch represented the United States in this matter, with assistance from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service Economic Crimes Field Office and Defense Criminal Investigative Service.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Georgia Man Convicted of Illegally Possessing a Destructive DeviceRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – On October 2, 2024, a federal jury convicted 43-year-old Waylon Blake Gilreath, Sr., a resident of Williamson, Georgia, for possession of an unregistered destructive device, announced Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson.
According to court records and evidence presented during Gilreath’s trial, on March 20, 2024, Montgomery County law enforcement responded to a Hope Hull, Alabama residence following reports of a domestic disturbance. Deputies arrived and found Gilreath sitting on the front porch of the residence. Responding officers were advised of a protection from abuse order prohibiting Gilreath from being on the property. Deputies eventually arrested Gilreath on charges related to the domestic disturbance.
During a search of Gilreath’s vehicle, which was parked on the property, deputies found nine firearms — including handguns and AR-style firearms — numerous rounds of ammunition, several ammunition magazines, and two sets of body armor. Several of the magazines were high-capacity drum style magazines. In addition, deputies located four prescription medication bottles that contained what appeared to be an explosive mixture of some type. Lab analysis later confirmed that the bottles contained two common substances used in exploding targets. Three of the devices were also found to contain shrapnel, which would enhance the destructive power of the devices.
Following this conviction, Gilreath faces a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison with no parole. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled in the coming months.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and Montgomery Police Department investigated this case, which Assistant United States Attorneys Brandon W. Bates and Christopher P. Moore prosecuted.
Fourteen indicted in multi-state drug trafficking conspiracy linked to deadly fentanyl distributed to members of the Lummi NationRead the Press Release
Seattle – Law enforcement fanned out across the country and in western Washington yesterday arresting 17 people on indictments and criminal complaints for a multi- state drug trafficking conspiracy. The two-year investigation alleges that the trafficking ring has been linked to a fatal fentanyl overdose on the Lummi Nation reservation in Whatcom County. Law enforcement in Georgia, Missouri, Texas, and Arizona executed search warrants and some arrests. Ten of 13 defendants arrested in Washington remain detained at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac, pending hearings later this week and next week. Three defendants were released on bond.
“This investigation revealed that the trafficking organization was a supplier to a community that was rocked by four fentanyl overdose deaths in just four days,” said U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “Fentanyl continues to claim lives in our community – especially in our Tribal communities. We will do all we can to stop the flow of this deadly drug.”
"The significance of this case is that a family drug trafficking organization expanded from Seattle beyond Washington state to locations across the country,” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “This group distributed more than 800,000 fentanyl pills throughout the United States, including in Arizona, Texas, Missouri, Montana, and Georgia. Together with our partners, this demonstrates the national impact of today’s operations by disrupting this source of supply.”
The drug ring was led by Marquis Jackson, 31, who splits time between Atlanta and the Renton, Washington home of his parents, defendants Mandel Jackson, 50, and Matelita (Marty) Jackson, 49. Also linked to the Renton family home were defendants Markell Jackson, 21, and Miracle Patu-Jackson, 22. Members of the Jackson family are indicted for various conspiracy counts including drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracies. Records filed in the case link some of the Jacksons to a Seattle area street gang.
Markell Jackson is a fugitive still being sought by law enforcement. Matelita (Marty) Jackson, Miracle Patu-Jackson and Adean Batinga were released on bond.
The other defendants indicted for drug trafficking include:
Edgar Valdez, 26, of Phoenix
Keondre Jackson, 29, Wichita, Kansas
Michael Young Jr., 43, Tacoma, Washington
Sir-Terrique Devon Milam, 20, Federal Way, Washington
Tyrell Lewis, 32, Federal Way, Washington – a fugitive
Robert Johnson, 20, Renton, Washington
Diyana Abraha, 22, Seattle – a fugitive
Adean Batinga, 20, Burien, Washington
Tianna Karastan, 21, Seattle -a fugitive
Diallo Redd, 34, Tacoma, arrested in Montana on a Montana indictment.
Two additional defendants were arrested in the Seattle area in connection with the serving of yesterday’s search warrants:
Chad Conti, 47, Covington, Washington
Phillip Lamont Alexander, 48, Des Moines, Washington
Over the course of the investigation law enforcement seized more than 846,000 fentanyl pills, nearly 7 kilograms of fentanyl powder, 7 kilograms of cocaine and 29 firearms. They also seized more than $116,000 in cash.
In Whatcom County, teams led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) arrested four people on criminal complaints for fentanyl distribution. According to the complaints, the Whatcom drug traffickers were linked by phone communication and surveillance to the Jackson drug trafficking organization.
In September 2023, four tribal citizens died of fentanyl overdose within a period of just four days, prompting the Lummi Indian Business Council to declare a state of emergency in response to the escalating fentanyl crisis.
Tribal and federal partners examined the phone of one of the overdose victims and found connections to the Jackson Drug Trafficking Organization. DEA, the Whatcom Gang and Drug Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Bureau of Indian Affairs have continued to work closely with the Lummi Nation Police to identify additional members of this drug trafficking organization with the goal of stopping the flow of fentanyl into Indian Country and elsewhere.
Those arrested on complaints this week include:
Robert Bellair, 41, Ferndale, Washington
Thomas J. Morris, 42, Bellingham, Washington
Patrick James, 40, Bellingham, Washington
Ronald Finkbonner, 50, Bellingham, Washington
All four are charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute.
“The Drug Enforcement Administration’s top priority is to combat fentanyl traffickers responsible for deaths and misery in our communities,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “This case highlights the lengths to which DEA and our partners will go to ensure people trafficking fentanyl are held accountable for the suffering they cause.”
“The Seattle Police Department appreciates the collaboration with our federal partners in combatting the scourge of the fentanyl crisis and the proliferation of guns from drug trafficking organizations,” said Deputy Chief Eric Barden of the Seattle Police Department. “Fentanyl caused over 1,000 overdose deaths in King County last year. Seattle Police are delighted to partner with the FBI, DEA, USAO and other state and local jurisdictions to dismantle a drug distribution network undoubtedly responsible for deaths in our community.”
The charges contained in the indictment and criminal complaints are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case is being investigated by the FBI, (Seattle, Phoenix, Atlanta, Kansas City, Dallas, Las Vegas, Montana), DEA (Seattle, Kansas City, Wichita, Montana), the Seattle Police Department, King County Sheriff’s Office, Whatcom Gang and Drug Task Force, the Lummi Police Department, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and United States Border Patrol Blaine Sector Targeting and Intelligence Division.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Zach Dillon, Crystal Correa, and Michael Harder.
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 180 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE –Marcus B. Roberson, 45 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Roberson was sentenced to 180 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, during 2021 and 2022, Roberson sold and supplied methamphetamine. In March 2022, a search warrant was served at Roberson’s residence where 330 grams of methamphetamine, $4,500, and a pistol were found. Roberson was previously convicted of a serious violent felony, that being robbery in 1998 in Whitley County, Indiana.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Allen County Sheriff’s Department, the Fort Wayne Police Department, the Indiana State Police, and the Auburn Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith.
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.
Former Postal Carrier Indicted for Throwing Baskets of Mail into a Trash Dumpster in Antioch, TennesseeRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – DuJuan Butler, 33, of Antioch, Tennessee, was charged by a federal grand jury yesterday with unlawfully detaining and delaying the mail, announced United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee.
According to publicly available information, on August 3, 2024, Butler was driving a U.S. Postal Service truck while delivering the mail in Antioch. A woman happened to look out her window and saw Butler take baskets of mail from the Postal truck and throw them into dumpsters behind a strip mall. The woman filmed Butler and then uploaded her video to TikTok where it was viewed millions of times. Other Postal Service employees were later able to recover the discarded mail from the dumpsters.
If convicted, Butler faces up to five years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
This case is being investigated by the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Goldin is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until convicted.
# # # # #
Former Gardiner postmaster admits stealing office bank depositsRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — The former postmaster of the Gardiner post office admitted today to allegations that she stole office bank deposits, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Tanya Lee Holbrook, 42, of Emigrant, pleaded guilty to misappropriation of postal funds and theft of government property as charged in an indictment. Holbrook faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on each charge.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Holbrook was released pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that Holbrook began working as a postmaster of the Gardiner post office in September 2022. In February 2023, the manager of postal operations in Montana contacted the U.S. Postal Services Office of Inspector General regarding concerns that Holbrook was stealing office bank deposits.
An investigation determined that Holbrook routinely issued money orders to herself and others but did not submit the funds for them to USPS. Between November 2022 and September 2023, Holbrook delayed approximately 48 bank deposits, totaling $46,755, from the Gardiner post office. While Holbrook usually sent the cash later when she was paid, she never provided funds for eight deposits, which totaled $24,443, from January 2023 to September 2023. When interviewed, Holbrook confessed to the thefts. Holbrook stated that she issued herself or family members money orders without remitting payment and then delayed sending the funds. Holbrook eventually fell so far behind that she was unable to pay for several deposits.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The USPS Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation.
XXX
Former Cape Girardeau City Councilman IndictedRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – A former Cape Girardeau city councilman has been indicted on drug and gun charges.
Rhettney B. Pierce, 54, was indicted Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau on one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm. The indictment accuses Pierce of possessing more than 50 grams of meth between September 26 and 27, and possessing two 9mm handguns while a user of illegal drugs.
Pierce was arrested on the federal charges Thursday and pleaded not guilty.
A motion seeking to have him held in jail until trial says that a confidential source working with investigators said Pierce had purchased about four ounces of meth in the previous month and was scheduled to buy more. The confidential source contacted Pierce and the two arranged for the purchase of four more ounces at a Cape Girardeau hotel on September 26, the motion says. Pierce paid $300 and was arrested immediately after leaving the hotel room, the motion says.
Investigators found more meth and the two handguns in a court-approved search of Pierce’s home, the motion says.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.This case was investigated by the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force, the Cape Girardeau Sheriff’s Office and the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Shelton is prosecuting the case.
Federal Jury Finds Utah Man Guilty of Stalking the Salt Lake County Sheriff and Other Government OfficesRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah –A federal jury in Salt Lake City returned a guilty verdict against a Salt Lake County resident after he made repeated death threats to the Salt Lake County Sheriff, and other government offices in the spring of 2024.
Ryan Gregory Bracken, 44, of West Valley City, Utah, was convicted of four counts of stalking and one count of interstate communication of threats. Bracken was originally charged by way of complaint on April 4, 2024, and arrested on April 5, 2024. On April 17, 2024, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Bracken. On August 21, 2024, a grand jury returned a superseding indictment against Bracken.
According to evidence presented at trial, Bracken repeatedly called the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office prior to April and left threatening voicemails. The Information Technology Specialist with Salt Lake County government revealed that between March 20, 2024 and April 2, 2024, Bracken called multiple Salt Lake County government offices, including the Sheriff’s Office, the County Recorder’s Office and the Assessor’s Office 37 times. Twenty-nine of those calls occurred on April 1, and April 2, 2024, and were verbally abusive and threatening.
For example, On April 2, 2024, Bracken called the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office to speak with the elected Sheriff regarding a “fraudulent Sheriff’s sale” on his property and called it a “criminal act.” Bracken threatened to “open fire” on the first person who shows up to his property to evict him. Bracken made specific reference to having a 7.62 millimeter firearm. In a separate call on the same day, Bracken made multiple threats that if the Sheriff’s sale of his property occurred, he would hold the Sheriff responsible for treasonous acts and she would swing from a rope.
Additionally, on April 1, 2024, the Salt Lake County Recorder’s Office received an aggressive, verbally abusive and threating voicemail from a phone number identified as Bracken’s. Bracken also repeatedly called the Salt Lake County Assessor’s office and made numerous threats using abusive, and vulgar language.
Bracken’s sentencing is scheduled for January 7, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated jointly by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.
Federal Jury Convicts Former Law Enforcement Officer of Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Jesse Rance Moore, 47, of Bell, Florida, was found guilty by a federal jury for possession of short-barreled rifles not registered to him in the National Firearm Registration and Transfer Record. The guilty verdict was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
According to court documents, Moore was employed as a Florida Highway Patrol Trooper from January 13, 2003, to February 27, 2017. FBI Jacksonville was investigating Moore in relation to a string of pharmacy robberies that occurred in 2021. A search warrant was obtained and executed at Moore’s residence in Gilchrist County, Florida. While searching for evidence related to the robberies, law enforcement discovered numerous firearms, boxes of ammunition, and firearms accessories throughout the property. ATF identified three of Moore’s firearms as short-barreled rifles (barrels less than 16 inches) that Moore did not have registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
Sentencing in the case is set for January 7, 2025, at 1:00 p.m., at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville before United States District Judge Allen Winsor. Moore is already serving a 21-year prison sentence out of the Middle District of Florida for offenses related to the pharmacy robberies, and faces up to 10 additional years in prison, 3 years on supervised release, and a $10,000 fine.
This conviction was the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorneys James McCain and David Byron 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.
As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Federal Inmate Convicted of Drug Distribution Offenses Conducted from Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Antoine D. Wilson, 41, currently incarcerated in Yazoo City, Mississippi, was found guilty by a federal jury for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine and conspiracy to use communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense. The guilty verdict was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Wilson is currently serving his second federal prison sentence for drug distribution conspiracy at the Federal Correctional Institute in Yazoo City, Mississippi. In 2023, law enforcement discovered Wilson was using a contraband cell phone to orchestrate a large-scale cocaine trafficking organization operating in the Northern District of Florida from his prison cell. Trial testimony demonstrated Wilson’s coordination of multiple cocaine shipments and the receipt of drug payments for in excess of 50 kilograms of cocaine into Pensacola, Florida.
Sentencing is set for January 2, 2025, at 9:00 a.m., at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida, before the Honorable United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II. Wilson faces a mandatory minimum 25 years up to life imprisonment based upon his two prior federal drug trafficking convictions out of Pensacola, Florida.
This conviction was the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Task Force (HIDTA). Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Jessica S. Etherton prosecuted the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
FBI Baltimore Makes 14 Arrests, Seizes Guns and Drugs in Multi-Jurisdictional TakedownRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Fourteen people were arrested yesterday in a large-scale drug and gun bust throughout Annapolis, Anne Arundel County and Baltimore City.
During the operation – which involved over 500 officers, agents and personnel from federal, state and local agencies – law enforcement seized distribution levels of narcotics including cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and oxycodone, one shotgun, three handguns, nearly $40,000 in cash and drug paraphernalia.
“This operation is yet another example of how the teamwork among our law enforcement partners is stronger than ever,” said Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, “If we work together, with our community-based partners, our neighborhoods will be safe and secure.”
"Thanks to diligent and comprehensive investigative work by the FBI’s Annapolis Safe Streets Task Force, a significant drug trafficking organization has been dismantled," said William J. DelBagno, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “In a coordinated effort across three jurisdictions, the FBI and our law enforcement partners worked seamlessly to thwart the capabilities of this criminal enterprise that profited from peddling poison within our communities. We are working hard to identify and stop the most violent offenders and facilitators."
14 people were arrested. 11 of the 14 are facing federal charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled dangerous substances. Additional charges could follow.
A complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
U.S. Attorney Barron commended the FBI-Baltimore Field Office, the Office of the State's Attorney for Anne Arundel County with the assistance of FBI national and regional assets, the Annapolis Police Department, Anne Arundel County Police Department, Baltimore Police Department, Anne Arundel County Sheriff’s Office, Maryland State Police, Maryland Army National Guard, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the United States Marshals Service. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys LaRai Everett and Jonathan Tsuei, who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
# # #
Ellsworth Repeat Offender Sentenced to 10+ Years, Ordered to Pay $90,000 in Restitution for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: An Ellsworth man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for possessing child pornography.
Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Kevin Lee Ross, 62, to 121 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered him to pay $90,000 in restitution. Ross was found guilty by a federal jury on June 14, 2024, following a two-day trial. Ross was also sentenced to 24 months for violating his supervised release from an earlier conviction. The sentences will be served consecutively.
According to court records, in March 2023, a relative of Ross called the United States Probation and Pretrial Services Office in Bangor to express concerns that Ross had a cell phone and was using it to view pornography. Ross was on federal supervised release following a 2014 federal conviction for possessing child pornography and was prohibited from possessing any unapproved or unmonitored internet-capable devices.
In April 2023, probation officers conducted an unannounced home inspection at Ross’s residence. During the inspection, the officers discovered a cell phone as well as a trash bag containing drug paraphernalia. When the phone was powered on, its screen displayed a sexually explicit image of a young child and further investigation revealed more than 500 images and videos containing child sexual abuse material. A search of a vehicle used by Lee since his 2021 release from prison revealed a laptop and external hard drive hidden in the spare tire wheel well. The laptop was found to have 187 images and videos of child sexual abuse material while the external hard drive contained 761 images and videos.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – in legal terms, "child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are shared or viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at https://report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.
###
Dubois couple sentenced for tax fraudRead the Press Release
Tammy Bushnell, 59, and Scott Bushnell, 64, of Dubois, Wyoming, were sentenced yesterday to eight months of home confinement with three years of probation for conspiracy to defraud the United States by underreporting gross income and filing a false tax return.
According to court documents, the Bushnells owned and operated Trails End Guns and Trails End Motel in Dubois. During the 2017 through 2021 tax years, the Bushnells failed to provide all their gross receipts to their CPA and inflated some expenses, thus understating their tax liability for those years. The investigation began in 2021 when the couple listed the motel for sale. Undercover agents posed as potential buyers and were provided with financial statements that reflected substantially more receipts and profits for both businesses than what was reported on the couple’s tax returns. In furtherance of the conspiracy to defraud, the couple routinely destroyed business documents that would reveal true cash receipts and submitted false business records/reports to their accountant.
“Scott and Tammy Bushnell had many chances to correctly report their income; however, they instead used a variety of tactics to conceal income and falsify business expenses,” said Tom Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation Denver Field Office. “Tax evasion will continue to be a priority for IRS-CI and we will aggressively pursue those who do not comply with their income tax obligations.”
Both defendants waived indictment and pleaded guilty to an Information earlier in the year. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentences and ordered the defendants to pay $122,112.46 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service and $57,882 to the State of Wyoming. They were both fined $13,161 by the court as well. This crime was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.
Case No. for Tammy Bushnell: 24-CR-00052; Case No. for Scott Bushnell: 24-00090.
Department of Justice Awards More Than $172 Million in Grants to Western District of Texas RecipientsRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza today announced that the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs awarded a total of $172,686,219.00 in grant funds to agencies and services across the Western District of Texas. The funding, distributed among 53 applications, addresses priorities such as mental health response, law enforcement training, improving forensic service processes, supporting rural crime victims, and more. Recipients include the Texas Office of the Governor, the Attorney General of Texas, Texas State University, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Bexar County Auditor, the Council on At-Risk Youth, and various county and city offices along with universities and programs.
“The Justice Department’s OJP grants program is a testament to our federal government’s commitment to enhancing the safety, well-being and security of communities across the Western District of Texas,” said U.S. Attorney Esparza. “These grants provide crucial support to initiatives that ensure public safety, promote justice, provide support to crime victims, and improve the lives of Americans.”
The awards announced above are being made as part of the regular end-of-fiscal year cycle. More information about OJP awards can be found on the OJP Grant Awards Page.
About the Office of Justice Programs
The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime; advance equity and fairness in the administration of justice; assist victims; and uphold the rule of law. More information about OJP and its program offices – the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Institute of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office for Victims of Crime, and SMART Office – can be found at www.ojp.gov.
###
Decatur Man Sentenced for Attempting to Sell Thousands of Counterfeit Pills Containing FentanylRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Gregory Buckner has been sentenced to federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin and attempting to sell thousands of fentanyl pills disguised as oxycodone tablets.
“Fentanyl and heroin pose an especially insidious danger to the public because they are so often disguised as counterfeit pills,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “This investigation and prosecution are the product of our collaborative efforts with our law enforcement partners to remove these deadly drugs from our communities and hold accountable individuals, such as Buckner, who attempt to distribute and profit from them.”
“Keeping our communities safe is our highest priority,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “The investigation and subsequent conviction of this drug dealer demonstrates the DEA’s commitment to fight drug traffickers who have no regard for the citizens of our community.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges, and other information presented in court: In April 2023, Buckner attempted to sell 10,000 pills that purported to be oxycodone, but actually contained fentanyl. When investigators confronted Buckner in a vehicle just prior to this drug transaction, he jumped out of his car and fled on foot. DEA special agents then searched a storage unit rented by Buckner and found a kilogram of fentanyl and more than a kilogram of heroin. Buckner was arrested three months later as part of a fugitive operation.
Gregory Buckner, 48, of Decatur, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May to six years, 11 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release. Buckner was convicted of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, after he pleaded guilty on May 23, 2024.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with valuable assistance provided by the Georgia State Patrol and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric J. White and John T. DeGenova prosecuted the case.
The Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia recommends that parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following websites: www.justthinktwice.gov; www.operationprevention.com/; and www.dea.gov/onepill.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Crip Gang Member Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Crip Gang member from Winston Salem was sentenced today to 480 months in prison for trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Raleigh area. On April 25, 2024, Marquis Peterson, age 30, was convicted by a federal jury of three charges including conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, possession with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Peterson was identified as a source of supply for fentanyl and methamphetamine with accomplice, Twalondus Simmons (5:23-CR-00023-D-RN-2). Simmons pled guilty for his trafficking role in March of 2024, and was sentenced to 84 months in June. During the investigation, law enforcement conducted a number of controlled purchases of fentanyl and methamphetamine from Peterson.
While in custody and pending trial, Peterson orchestrated the sale and transport of drugs into the Piedmont Regional Jail in Farmville, Virginia and engaged in witness intimidation by trying to coerce his girlfriend to lie to the grand jury. When she told him that she told the truth, he called her a “rat” and told her “you dead.” Peterson, a convicted felon, was accountable for over 9 kilograms of methamphetamine, and 428 grams of fentanyl. His previous conviction was for robbery with a deadly weapon.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly L. Sandling and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Aria Q. Merle prosecuted the case.
The prosecution of Peterson was a part of Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force Operation (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-00023-D-RN-1.
Cornville Man Pleads Guilty After Sending Covert FBI Agent Child Sexual Abuse Material over Kik MessengerRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Cornville man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to accessing child sexual abuse material.
According to court records, in August 2020, an individual using the Kik Messenger app contacted an FBI online covert employee (OCE) after the OCE posted on an online bulletin board known to be frequented by people with a sexual interest in children and/or child pornography. The username for the Kik account and associated email address were traced to Wade Willette, 46. In January 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a cyber tip from Kik revealing that the same username had uploaded three videos containing child sexual abuse material the previous month.
In March 2023, investigators executed a search warrant at Willette’s residence, and FBI agents interviewed Willette. In the interview, he confirmed the Kik account was his, that he had searched for and viewed child sexual abuse material on his phone, and that he had engaged in online conversations about child pornography in the past. Two images of young children being sexually abused were recovered from his phone.
Willette faces up to 20 years imprisonment and a fine up to $250,000. Any sentence will be followed by five years to life of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI investigated the case.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – in legal terms, “child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are shared or viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at https://report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.
###
Convicted Felon Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison on Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A convicted felon has been sentenced for illegally possessing a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson.
Chief U.S. District Court Judge R. David Proctor sentenced Antony Daizshaun Zyquan Kirksey, aka “Antony Carson Kirksey,” 24, of Anniston, to 37 months in prison. In June, Kirksey pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on October 12, 2023, an Anniston Police Department officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle. Kirksey was a passenger in the vehicle. When asked by the officer if there were weapons in the vehicle, Kirksey admitted to having a firearm in a bag he was wearing across his chest. The officer recovered a loaded Glock 9mm pistol and a loaded extra magazine.
Kirksey is prohibited from possessing a firearm because of prior felony convictions.
The ATF investigated the case along with the Anniston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristy M. Peoples prosecuted the case.
Construction Company CEO and Foreperson Charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud in Connection with Newark Lead Service Line Replacement ProgramRead the Press Release
Video Statement
NEWARK, N.J. – The chief executive officer of a construction company and a foreperson for the company were arrested today for their roles in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with the Newark Lead Service Line Replacement (LSLR) Program, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Michael Sawyer, 57, of Burlington, New Jersey, and Latronia Sanders, aka “Tee,” 55, of Roselle, New Jersey, are each charged by complaint with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. They are scheduled to appear today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael A. Hammer in Newark federal court.
“As our complaint alleges, Michael Sawyer and Latronia Sanders worked for a company hired by the city of Newark to replace lead pipes, but instead, they intentionally left lead pipes in the ground. By causing misleading photographs and verification forms to be submitted, Sawyer and Sanders concealed that they intentionally did not replace lead pipes and defrauded Newark by collecting payment for work they did not properly perform. Today, we begin the process of holding them accountable.”
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger
“For years, lead pipes that transport drinking water to homes in Newark remained buried in the ground after the city hired a company to replace them,” Newark FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado said. “The business, along with others, were paid to replace the water service lines because any amount of lead exposure is detrimental to people's health, particularly for children. We allege the subjects in this investigation knew they were not replacing the lead pipes, and then passed off misleading photos to conceal the ones they left in the ground. We are asking anyone who sees something or knows something they want to report to please call FBI Newark at 973-792-3000. We will hold accountable anyone who sees a payday in ripping off governmental agencies entrusted to protect the communities they serve.”
“These defendants allegedly undercut Newark’s lead service line replacement project that sought removal of all lead lines throughout the city,” Special Agent in Charge Tyler Amon with Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Criminal Investigation Division in New Jersey said. “Violators who employ deception to compromise the integrity of important public drinking water related projects will be criminally investigated and held to account.”
“The EPA OIG is committed to doggedly pursuing criminal activity that targets critical water infrastructure funding," said Special Agent in Charge Nicolas Evans of the EPA Office of Inspector General. "Taking government funds but failing to replace lead service lines defrauds the program and hurts Americans’ access to safe drinking water.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Beginning in 2016, high levels of lead were found in the drinking water in some of Newark’s schools. From 2017 to 2019, periodic testing of Newark’s drinking water by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) showed lead levels that were among the highest of any major city in the United States.
In March 2019, Newark announced plans to replace approximately 18,000 lead service lines within city limits as part of its LSLR Program. Newark hired an engineering firm to oversee the implementation of the program and contractors to complete the replacement work. JAS Group Enterprise Inc. (JAS) was one of the contractors hired by Newark. Prior to being hired as a contractor, JAS also worked on the LSLR Program as a subcontractor for another construction company.
Sawyer was the president and chief executive officer of JAS and responsible for overseeing and managing JAS’s operations. Sanders was employed by JAS as a foreperson of JAS crews assigned to replace lead pipes in Newark during the LSLR Program. Sawyer, Sanders, and others conspired to defraud Newark and others in connection with JAS’s performance as a contractor and as a subcontractor during the LSLR Program.
As alleged in the complaint, Sawyer, Sanders, and others intentionally failed to replace all lead pipes at certain locations as required under the terms of the relevant contracts, yet caused the submission of payment applications to Newark falsely representing that JAS completed the work in accordance with the contracts. Sawyer, Sanders, and others submitted false or misleading documents to support payment applications with respect to certain work sites. These materials included photographs that visually represented that the lead replacement was done or was unnecessary, but in fact were taken in a way to conceal that lead pipes were left in place.
At other sites where the water service lines already consisted entirely of copper pipes, Sawyer, Sanders, and others conspired to falsely represent that JAS had installed those copper pipes after removing lead pipes. Sawyer, Sanders, and others then caused the submission of fraudulent payment applications for work that JAS never completed, and induced Newark to pay JAS for work that JAS did not perform.
The charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, twice the gross profits, or twice the gross loss suffered by the victims of the offense, whichever is greatest.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Delgado in Newark; the EPA, Criminal Investigation Division Northeast Area Branch, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Amon; the EPA Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Evans, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edeli Rivera, Clara Kim, and Katherine Calle of the Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.
The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
sawyersanders.complaint.pdfCo-Conspirators Sentenced to Multiple Years in Prison for Possessing MachinegunsRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Alfredo Macias, 20, Daniel Alfredo Galvan, 20, both of Phoenix, and Jesus David Vega-Rivera, 26, of Mexico, were sentenced to prison last week by United States District Judge Krissa M. Lanham for Conspiracy to Possess Machineguns. Macias and Vega-River were each sentenced to 51 months in prison, and Galvan was sentenced to 42 months in prison. All three defendants were also sentenced to 36 months of supervised release following their release from prison.
Macias and Galvan negotiated with another person to purchase machineguns, with the intention of trafficking those firearms to Mexico. The parties exchanged text messages depicting the firearms and cash. At the time of the in-person exchange, Vega-Rivera was present with the cash for the machineguns. All three individuals were arrested by ATF agents.
Before handing down the sentence, Judge Lanham explained the seriousness and danger of machineguns being able to fire many rounds in rapid succession and the capability to cause immense injury to multiple people.
Macias pleaded guilty to Possession or Transfer of a Machinegun on July 2, 2024. Galvan pleaded guilty to Possession or Transfer of a Machinegun on June 7, 2024. And Vega-Rivera pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Possess or Transfer a Machinegun on June 7, 2024.
This case was 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-24-00258-PHX-KML
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-136_Macias# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Clearfield County Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A former resident of Morrisdale, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 70 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, on his conviction of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Davin Gower, 30.
According to information presented to the Court, from December 2019 to April 2020, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Gower conspired to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Gower was intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of methamphetamine that he distributed to others.
Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Olshan commended the Drug Enforcement Administration and Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Gower. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Clearfield County District Attorney’s Office, Erie County District Attorney’s Office, Millcreek Police Department, Erie Bureau of Police, and other local law enforcement agencies.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
City Man Pleads Guilty to Robbing a Northeast Philadelphia Business, Carjacking a Mother and Daughter Outside Their Home in September 2022Read the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Amir Harvey, 24, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Court Judge Paul S. Diamond to Hobbs Act robbery, carjacking, and felon in possession of ammunition, in connection with the robbery of a commercial business and a carjacking, both in Northeast Philadelphia.
Harvey was arrested and charged by complaint in September of 2022 and then indicted on these charges in October of that year.
On September 9, 2022, at approximately 11 p.m., the defendant and three others approached the Hook and Reel restaurant, located at 9763 Roosevelt Boulevard. Upon encountering an employee of the restaurant outside, Harvey and the others forced him inside, ransacked the office, stole about $400 from the cash drawers, and fled.
In the early morning hours of September 19, 2022, Philadelphia police officers responded to a report of a robbery in progress on the 8900 block of Maxwell Place, where the victim reported that her car had just been stolen by an armed individual as she and her teenage daughter were about to leave for school.
The victim stated that around 6:15 a.m., she started her vehicle using an application on her cell phone. A short time later, she and her daughter exited their house and walked to the car parked in the front driveway, when they were approached by an armed individual, later identified as the defendant, who pointed a firearm, later found to be a replica, at their heads.
The defendant grabbed the victim’s keys and purse and sped away in her vehicle. The victim then used its location tracking feature on her cell phone app and informed police, who responded to that location on the 2000 block of Griffith Street, about 2½ miles from the victim’s home. Using neighborhood video surveillance footage, investigators traced the movement of the victim’s vehicle and the defendant to a nearby apartment complex.
“Amir Harvey ambushed a worker just trying to wrap up his shift, and a mom and daughter looking to start their day,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Robbing innocent people at gunpoint, even if the gun’s not real, is no game. It’s a serious crime — and an excellent way to earn an extended stay in federal prison. My office and our partners on the Philadelphia Carjacking Task Force will continue to make Philly safer, as we lock up violent criminals with regard for neither the law nor other people.”
“Violence against innocent Philadelphia victims — in this case a business employee, mother, and daughter — will not stand,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Philadelphia Field Office. “ATF is on the frontline in the fight against violent crime, particularly carjackings and robberies. We hope this case deters those willing to use violence in our community. We will continue to work with our local, state, and federal partners to prevent and prosecute violent crime when it occurs.”
The swift action to investigate and federally charge this defendant is the work of the Philadelphia Carjacking Task Force, which comprises members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Violent Crime Unit; the FBI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Philadelphia Police Department. The goal of the Task Force is to stem the wave of armed carjackings and violent crimes through investigative and enforcement techniques meant to identify, and refer for federal prosecution, all who terrorize innocent victims through commission of these offenses within Philadelphia and surrounding areas.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert E. Eckert and Lauren E. Stram.
Cincinnati man pleads guilty to conspiring to steal mail from USPS collection boxes, faces 4 years in prisonRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – DuJuane L. Samuels, 25, of Cincinnati, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to conspiring to commit mail theft.
The plea agreement includes a recommended sentence of 48 months in prison.
According to court documents, at 3am on March 11, Samuels unlawfully possessed a postal key, which he used to access mail collection boxes on Cornell Road in Cincinnati.
Samuels stole mail from the boxes, including a GPS device that was monitored by the United States Postal Inspection Service.
The GPS data led investigators back to Samuels’s residence on Republic Avenue in Cincinnati.
During a subsequent search of the property, agents discovered a stolen USPS arrow key, a firearm and numerous stolen checks.
Samuels was indicted on March 25.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Pittsburgh Division announced the guilty plea entered today before Senior U.S. District Judge Timothy S. Black. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy S. Mangan is representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Carencro Man Sentenced to More than 38 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking NarcoticsRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Oliver J. Martin, 40, of Carencro, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Robert R. Summerhays to 465 months (38 years, 9 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and for related firearms crimes.
Law enforcement agents with the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit began an investigation into Martin and his drug trafficking activities in Lafayette Parish in 2019. Agents conducted surveillance of Martin’s residence and on October 5, 2019, executed a search warrant for his residence located on LA Highway 1252 in Carencro. Inside the residence, agents discovered multiple narcotics, which included approximately 320 grams of heroin, 445 grams of methamphetamine, 970 grams of cocaine, 2,925 grams of marijuana, and ecstasy tablets. In addition, agents found an SKS rifle with an obliterated serial number, a Ruger LCP handgun with an obliterated serial number, a Beretta 92 pistol, a Smith & Wesson .38 caliber revolver, numerous rounds of ammunition, and over $250,000 in cash, along with a notebook used as a drug ledger, a digital scale and money counter. Martin was not present at the time that the search warrant was executed. The suspected narcotics were sent to the crime lab for testing and were confirmed to be scheduled narcotics.
On October 9, 2019, agents located Martin at a gas station in Carencro and when officers with the Carencro Police Department attempted to approach Martin’s vehicle, he fled the scene and a chase ensued with Martin driving at high rates of speed in excess of 100 miles per hour. During the pursuit, Martin lost control of his vehicle and his vehicle overturned. He was subsequently taken into custody and law enforcement agents found a large amount of narcotics in his possession. At the time of his arrest, Martin had other outstanding warrants for his arrest. He has a lengthy criminal history dating back to 2001.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Carencro Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Craig R. Bordelon and LaDonte A. Murphy.
# # #
Canonsburg Resident Indicted on 11 Counts Involving Sexual Exploitation of MinorsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal laws regarding the sexual exploitation of minors, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
The 11-count Indictment named Justin A. Darby, 36, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, Darby received and attempted to receive material involving the sexual exploitation of a minor on five separate occasions during September and October of 2021, as well as on one occasion in February 2024. Darby is also alleged to have distributed such material on one occasion in September 2021. The Indictment further alleges that, from September 20, 2021, through October 29, 2021, Darby accessed with intent to view material involving the sexual exploitation of minors, and that, on February 6, 2024, Darby induced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct. Additionally, Darby is charged with altering, destroying, concealing, or covering up records and documents associated with a messaging application on his cellular telephone on two separate dates.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Darby was ordered to be detained.
Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
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.justice.gov/psc.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Camden Businessman and Associate Charged with Conspiracy to Commit Tax FraudRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – Two men from Camden, New Jersey, were indicted for their roles in conspiring to defraud the IRS by concealing cash wages paid to a business’s employees, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Tri Anh Tieu, 53, and Andy Tran, 49, both of Camden, New Jersey, were both charged with one count of conspiring to defraud the United States. They were arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth A. Pascal in Camden federal court on Oct. 2, 2024, and were each released on $100,000 unsecured bond.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Tieu owed Tri States Staffing LLC, a business based in Pennsauken, New Jersey. Tran was an employee of Tri States Staffing who, at times, served as its representative. Tri States Staffing provided temporary workers to New Jersey businesses located in Gloucester and Burlington Counties. As part of its agreement with its customer businesses, Tri States Staffing was responsible for collecting and paying over to the IRS the payroll taxes due and owing on the wages paid to the temporary workers provided by Tri States Staffing.
Between the third quarter of 2018 and the second quarter of 2022, Tri States received more than $2.5 million in payments from its customer businesses. Tieu and Tran paid Tri States’s employees in cash and failed to pay over the payroll taxes due and owing on those wages. Tieu and Tran also filed false individual income tax returns that falsely omitted the income each received from Tri States Staffing. Tieu spent at least some of the unpaid payroll taxes on personal expenditures, including gambling.
The count of conspiracy to defraud the United States carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Amy MacNeely in Philadelphia and Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charge.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
tieutran.indictment.pdfCalifornia woman charged with international parental kidnapping after attempting to flee to Canada with 12-year-old-daughterRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Mei Tian, 55, of Irvine, CA, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with international parental kidnapping and making a false statement to Customs and Border Protection officers. The charges carry a maximum penalty of eight years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on the evening of September 27, 2024, Tian and her 12-year- old daughter were riding in an Uber vehicle, and attempted to make entry into Canada, but were refused because an officer had suspicions related to Tian’s admissibility as a visitor. She presented a letter indicating that she had permission from her husband to bring her daughter to Canada, but the officer questioned the authenticity of the letter and believed the signature on it was forged. As a result, Tian and her daughter re-entered the United States at the Rainbow Bridge Port of Entry in Niagara Falls, NY. Customs and Border Protection primary queries returned a positive alert, with records indicating that Tian had no legal right to take her daughter out of the country. The vehicle was referred to secondary for additional processing. During secondary inspection, CBP officers discovered several alert records related to Tian and her daughter. One indicated that Tian’s daughter was prohibited by court order from departing the United States, and that Tian and her daughter had been “on the run” since August 2024 and were not supposed to leave Orange County, California, without court approval.
Tian and her daughter were traveling with multiple pieces of luggage and multiple travel documents, including a U.S. Passport, a People’s Republic of China Passport, several cancelled People’s Republic of China passports, an Orange County Certificate of Live Birth, and a handwritten letter with a signature and notarized in the name of the father that purportedly gave permission to Tian to travel out of the country with her daughter.
Subsequent investigation determined that once in Canada, Tian was allegedly planning to travel to China with her daughter. In addition, investigators learned that the Riverside County, California, District Attorney’s Office was investigating the abduction of Tian’s daughter, and that the daughter’s father is the sole custodian of the minor child. The daughter was on a visitation with Tian, and was scheduled to be returned to her father on August 11, 2024, but was never returned.
Tian made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. and is being held pending a detention hearing on October 3, 2024, at 1:00 p.m.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy, and Homeland Security Investigations Border Enforcement and Security Task Force (Best), under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
# # # #
Butte County Man Indicted for Child EnticementRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned an indictment today against Kevin Leslie Gipson, 58, of Oroville, charging him with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Gipson attempted to persuade, coerce, and entice a minor to engage in oral copulation and to commit lewd and lascivious acts on a child under 14 years old.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Sacramento Sheriff’s Office, the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force/Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Delaney is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Gipson faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.
Browning woman admits lying to FBI in investigation of apartment fire on Blackfeet Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Browning woman admitted today to lying to the FBI during an investigation of a fire at an apartment building on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Amorette Diederika Ground, 33, pleaded guilty to false statement. Ground faces a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Feb. 5, 2025. Ground was released pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that on July 23, 2023, law enforcement and emergency services responded to multiple calls to Blackfeet dispatch of a fire at the Death Row apartments in Browning, on the Blackfeet Reservation. The burned apartment belonged to Blackfeet Housing Authority and had been rented previously by Ground. A state fire investigator arrived the next morning and determined that the fire was deliberately set. An FBI agent also arrived the same day and conducted interviews in conjunction with the fire investigator and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services. A witness reported that Ground had been at the witness’ house the evening before and that the fire broke out right after Ground left. That same day, the FBI interviewed Ground regarding her whereabout the night before. Ground denied being near the apartments on the previous evening. The agent advised Ground that it was a federal crime to lie to a federal agent. Ground continued to deny being at the witness’ house the day before. Eventually, Ground admitted to having been at the residence the night before.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The FBI, Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services and Montana Division of Criminal Investigation’s Fire Prevention and Investigation Section conducted the investigation.
XXX
Bronx Man Sentenced to More Than Two Years in Prison for Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Bronx man was sentenced yesterday for travelling to the Worcester area to distribute approximately one kilogram of fentanyl.
Jose Luis Lopez Genao, 32, of Bronx, N.Y., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 30 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release. In June 2024, Genao pleaded guilty today to one count of distribution of and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 23, 2024. Genao was arrested and charged in December 2022.
In and around June 2021, Genao and other subjects were identified as receiving large shipments of fentanyl from outside the United States and then distributing it throughout the Springfield and New England areas. On Dec. 8, 2022, Genao travelled from New York to the Worcester area to deliver approximately one kilogram of fentanyl. Genao was arrested immediately after he delivered the fentanyl to a government witness.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Massachusetts State Police; the Chicopee, West Springfield and Easthampton Police Departments; and the Berkshire, Hampden and Franklin County Sherriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil L. Desroches of the Springfield Branch Unit prosecuted the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf.