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Wednesday 2 October 2024
New Orleans Woman Sentenced for Making False Statements on Individual Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on September 26, 2024, ANGELA SHELTON (“SHELTON”), age 58, of New Orleans, was sentenced for making false statements on an individual tax return, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7206(1).
According to court documents, SHELTON owned and operated “Big Easy Accommodations, LLC,” a vacation rental and property management company in New Orleans. Between 2017 and 2019, SHELTON under-reported her income on her individual tax returns from Big Easy Accommodations, by approximately $879,020. This underreporting caused a loss of approximately $294,690.00 to the Internal Revenue Service.
Chief United States District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown sentenced SHELTON to serve four (4) months probation. SHELTON was ordered to pay restitution to the Internal Revenue Service in the amount of $294,690.00. Judge Brown also imposed a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would like to acknowledge the work of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations on this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Carboni of the Financial Crimes Unit.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Being Felon in Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that EDMOND TRUEBLOOD (“TRUEBLOOD”), age 38, of New Orleans, was sentenced on September 26, 2024 by Chief U.S. District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown after previously pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). TRUEBLOOD was sentenced to 62 months imprisonment, three (3) years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, TRUEBLOOD was previously convicted of felony offenses in Orleans Parish. Due to his criminal history, he is prohibited from having a firearm. However, on May 22, 2023, TRUEBLOOD possessed a stolen Glock Model 48, nine-millimeter, semi-automatic pistol in a bag he carried around his person in New Orleans.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter. The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James N. Ollinger of the Violent Crime Unit.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that DANIEL SMITH (“SMITH”), age 55, of New Orleans, pled guilty on September 26, 2024 to Conspiracy to Distribute, and Possession with Intent to Distribute, a quantity of Fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), 846, Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A), and Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 856, and Title 18, United States Code, Section 2.
United States District Judge Carl J. Barbier scheduled sentencing for January 16, 2025. At sentencing, as to the conspiracy charge, SMITH faces up to twenty (20) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and at least three (3) years of supervised release. As to the firearm charge, he faces a minimum of five (5) years and up to life imprisonment, to run consecutive to any other sentence imposed, a fine of up to $250,000 and up to five (5) years of supervised release. Finally, as to the charge of maintaining a drug-involved premises, he faces up to twenty (20) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $500,000, and up to four (4) years of supervised release. Each of the three charges also carries a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, SMITH conspired with others to maintain multiple residences on Harmony Street as drug-involved stash houses where fentanyl and heroin were trafficked. SMITH assisted others in the distribution of fentanyl and heroin from these residences and was arrested while attempting to flee a residence. Firearms and fentanyl were later discovered within this residence.
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 part of Operation Big Easy. Operation Big Easy was a National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN) enforcement initiative of collected firearm casings for the time period of August 1, 2023 to January 31, 2023 that produced data points of high-density shootings and homicides in seven areas of New Orleans related to individuals engaged in criminal activity.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Louisiana State Police. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.
New Orleans Man Guilty of Being Felon in Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULIUS AUGILLARD (“AUGILLARD”), age 38, of New Orleans, pled guilty on September 26, 2024, before United States District Judge Carl Barbier to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).
According to court documents, on February 20, 2023, AUGILLARD possessed a firearm on the 500 block of Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras festivities, after leading Louisiana State Police Troopers on a short foot pursuit. The troopers found a Smith and Wesson Model SD40VE, .40 caliber pistol on his person. Later, on December 31, 2023, AUGILLARD possessed an International Model PT609 PRO, nine-millimeter semi-automatic pistol near 200 Tremé Street while trespassing at an apartment complex. At the time of the apprehension and arrest by Housing Authority of New Orleans police officers, AUGILLARD had been previously convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.
AUGILLARD is scheduled for sentencing on January 16, 2025. For each count, AUGILLARD faces up to 15 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
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.
The case was investigated Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department, as well as the Louisiana State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Paul J. Hubbell of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Navy Sailor Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Attempting to Entice and Meet A 13-Year-Old Child to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Michael Buck Brockway (40, Jacksonville) to 10 years in federal prison for using the internet and his cellphone to attempt to entice a 13-year-old child to engage in sexual activity. Brockway was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release, pay $48,000 in restitution to child victims, and register as a sex offender. Brockway was arrested on July 28, 2023, and has been detained since that date.
According to court documents, on July 17, 2023, an agent with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), posing as a 13-year-old child, began an undercover investigation designed to identify individuals who were seeking to meet children in person for sexual activity. The undercover agent, acting as the “child,” began an online conversation on a particular social media application (app) with user “Telly_Rider,” who was later identified as Brockway. From that day, continuing through July 28, 2023, Brockway and the “child” engaged in numerous sexually explicit conversations using two different social media apps and text messaging. During these online conversations, Brockway confirmed that the “child” was 13 years old, inquired about the “child’s” sexual experience, and asked if the “child” wanted to meet him in person for sex.
On July 27, 2023, Brockway asked the “child” if “she” was alone for the next few days, and he confirmed that the “child” was living at a particular apartment complex in Jacksonville. Brockway sent the “child” explicit videos of himself that he produced while on duty as a sailor onboard a U.S. Navy ship docked at Naval Station Mayport. The following day, Brockway drove into the apartment complex where the “child” purportedly lived, then over to a nearby restaurant where the “child” agreed to meet him. Brockway exited his car, entered the restaurant to meet the “child,” and was arrested by detectives from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. During a search incident to his arrest, Brockway’s cellphone and three condoms were found in his pockets. A search of Brockway’s car revealed a container of personal lubricant, an unopened bottle of vodka, and a sex toy. A search of Brockway’s cellphone revealed numerous photos and videos that depicted children being sexually abused.
This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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 child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Multimillion Dollar Scheme to Defraud Apple Inc. out of 6,000 iPhones Nets Prison Terms for Two Maryland ResidentsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Haotian Sun, 34, and Pengfei Xue, 34, both Chinese nationals, were sentenced today for participating in a sophisticated scheme to defraud Apple Inc. out of millions of dollars’ worth of iPhones. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy J. Kelly sentenced Sun to 57 months in prison, and sentenced Xue to 54 months in prison.
The sentences were announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Washington Division, and Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations Washington Field Office.
On February 20, 2024, after three-and-a-half days of testimony, Sun, of Baltimore, and Xue, of Germantown, MD, were found guilty by a federal jury in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and mail fraud. In addition to the prison terms, Judge Kelly today ordered Sun to serve three years of supervised release and pay $1,072,000 in restitution. Judge Kelly ordered Xue to serve three years of supervised release and pay $397,800 in restitution.
According to the government’s evidence, between May 2017 and September 2019, Sun, Xue, and other conspirators defrauded Apple Inc. by submitting counterfeit iPhones to Apple Inc. for repair to get Apple to exchange them with genuine replacement iPhones. Sun and Xue received shipments of inauthentic iPhones from Hong Kong at UPS mailboxes throughout the D.C. metropolitan area. They then submitted the fake iPhones, with spoofed serial numbers and/or IMEI numbers, to Apple retail stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers, including the Apple Store in Georgetown. Trial evidence and evidence developed after trial showed that members of the conspiracy submitted more than 6,000 inauthentic phones to Apple during the conspiracy, causing an intended loss of approximately $3.8 million and an actual loss of more than $2.5 million.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Washington Division and Homeland Security Investigations’ Washington Field Office.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi J. Kleinman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and Trial Attorney Ryan Dickey of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section. Valuable assistance was provided by Paralegal Specialist Sona Chaturvedi. Essential work also was provided by Paralegal Specialists Michon Tart, Mariela Andrade, and Liliana Villamizar.
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Monroe County Man Charged with Sexual Abuse of ChildrenRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Ivan Nicholas Baez, age 45, of Kunkletown, Pennsylvania, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on charges of sexual abuse of children.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on multiple occasions Baez produced images of child pornography.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 30 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Minneapolis Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of a MachinegunRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A member of the 10z street gang in South Minneapolis has pleaded guilty for illegally possessing a machinegun, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on March 21, 2024, Austin Joevon Toy, a.k.a. “Ace,” 23, knowingly possessed a Glock model 23 .40 semiautomatic pistol with an obliterated serial number and an attached conversion device commonly referred to as a “switch” or an “auto-sear,” which allow for the firearm to be fired as fully automatic weapons with the single pull of the trigger.
Toy pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court before Judge Nancy E. Brasel to one count of illegal possession of a machinegun. A sentencing hearing will take place at a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minneapolis Police Department and the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristian C. Weir is prosecuting the case.
Mexican National Sentenced to 15 Years for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute more than 60 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Juan Hernandez-Guzman, 31, a citizen of Mexico who is a permanent resident of the United States, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 15 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Hernandez-Guzman to forfeit to the government $13,048 that was seized by law enforcement officers, which represents the proceeds of drug trafficking.
On April 16, 2024, Hernandez-Guzman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from April 10 to April 23, 2023.
Police officers executed a search warrant at Hernandez-Guzman’s residence on April 23, 2023. Officers found a loaded Glock .357-caliber handgun, which had been modified so that it was capable of firing automatically, and a loaded Glock 9mm handgun, and a non-functioning .22-caliber revolver. Each of the Glock handguns had an extended magazine loaded with 27 rounds of ammunition. Officers also seized $4,048 in cash. Officers took protective custody of two children who were present.
Officers also found 10.9 kilograms of methamphetamine inside a cardboard box in the back seat of Hernandez-Guzman’s Tahoe. The vehicle also contained $9,000 in cash.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick C. Edwards and Megan A. Baker. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, and the Independence, Mo., Police Department.
KC Metro Strike Force
This prosecution was brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Co-located Strike Forces 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 against a continuum of priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks. These prosecutor-led co-located Strike Forces capitalize on the synergy created through the long-term relationships that can be forged by agents, analysts, and prosecutors who remain together over time, and they epitomize the model that has proven most effective in combating organized crime. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
Martin Handler Sentenced to 58 Months for Fraud on Federal Head Start Program and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that MARTIN HANDLER was sentenced today to 58 months in prison for defrauding the federal Head Start program, misappropriating over $1 million from his federally-funded childcare company, and tax evasion. HANDLER pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Jennifer H. Rearden on March 15, 2024. Judge Rearden imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Martin Handler and his co-conspirators defrauded a vital federal childcare program that aims to serve one of society’s most vulnerable populations. By secretly exploiting a non-profit entity for his own financial gain, Handler exploited the system and undermined the public’s trust in the Head Start program. My Office is committed to pursuing justice against those who place greed above their responsibility to be stewards of federal funds, and I commend our law enforcement partners and the dedicated team of career prosecutors for their outstanding work.”
According to the Indictment, public court filings, and statements made in court proceedings:
Handler participated in two related schemes involving the federal Head Start program and a third scheme to commit tax evasion.
First, between 2017 and August 2021, Handler secretly “owned” and exercised control over a non-profit entity, Project Social Care Head Start Inc. (“PSCHS”), that until recently operated in the New York City area. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”), which administers the Head Start program, annually granted to PSCHS millions of dollars that were to be used exclusively on the Head Start program and from which earning a profit is prohibited by law. Through this control over PSCHS, Handler conspired to submit multiple fictitious documents to HHS that fraudulently asserted PSCHS had an independent board and had in place controls to guard against fraud, waste, and abuse. In truth, PSCHS had neither an independent board nor sufficient controls in place, and Handler used his control over PSCHS to impermissibly direct PSCHS’s Head Start funding to his own for-profit companies through rampant undisclosed self-dealing. Indeed, through Handler’s “ownership,” he was able to secretly “sell” control over the proceeds of PSCHS’s federal funding streams for $4.7 million to a co-conspirator.
Second, between April 2019 and January 2023, as majority owner of New York City Early Learning Co. (“NYCELC”), a for-profit entity that also received Head Start grants, Handler misapplied and misappropriated NYCELC’s corporate treasury funds to, among other things, repay personal loans and finance the leasing of luxury vehicles for the benefit of two members of NYCELC’s statutorily-required Head Start board. Under the Head Start Act, members of that board owed a fiduciary duty to the Head Start program and were prohibited from having a financial conflict of interest with NYCELC. Handler corrupted NYCLEC’s Head Start program through his actions.
Third, in 2021 and 2022, Handler falsely reported to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) $2,000,000 in charitable contributions, thereby evading taxes of at least $740,000 for tax year 2021.
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In addition to today’s prison sentence, HANDLER, 50, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release, ordered to pay a fine of $200,000, to forfeit $1,156,068.10, and to pay restitution of $1,156,068.10 to HHS, and to pay restitution of $740,000 to the IRS.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, IRS-Criminal Investigation, and HHS, Office of the Inspector General. Mr. Williams also thanked U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Inspector General, and the New York City Department of Investigation for their assistance with this investigation.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel H. Wolf, Catherine Ghosh, Jacob R. Fiddelman, and Stephanie Simon are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Jayda Foote.
Man admits armed meth trafficking on Rocky Boy’s Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A man accused of armed trafficking of methamphetamine and other substances on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation after he attempted to flee law enforcement during a traffic stop admitted to charges on Sept. 30, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
The defendant, David Victor Fast Horse, 36, residence unknown, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Fast Horse faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release on the drug charge and a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release on the firearm charge.
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 Jan. 30, 2025. Fast Horse was detained pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that on Aug. 30, 2022, tribal law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of a pickup truck on Upper Road on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation because officers believed the driver had a tribal warrant for her arrest. A man jumped out of the front passenger seat and began running from the truck. A Rocky Boy’s police officer caught up with the man and found him retreating around a shed. He provided a fake name but was later identified as Fast Horse. Officer retraced Fast Horse’s path and located a green pistol and black case hidden near a woodpile where he had emerged. Fast Horse said he was given the gun and stuff and told to run. Officers opened the case and found 18 blue pills, which were determined in tests later to contain a mixture of substances, two small baggies with a small amount of meth, a digital scale and a car key. Fast Horse later admitted he sold meth, but not fentanyl, and that he had come to Rocky Boy’s to buy drugs from his friend. Fast Horse is prohibited from possessing firearms because of a prior federal felony conviction for burglary.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The Rocky Boy’s Police Department, FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Marshals Service, Drug Enforcement Administration and Billings Police Department conducted the investigation.
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Man Sentenced for Supplying Machineguns to Lansing Gang MembersRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Jaquan Foreman, 22, of Lansing was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison and two years of supervised release for possessing machineguns and supplying them to fellow gang members in the Lansing area. Specifically, Foreman possessed and was selling machinegun conversion devices (MCDs), small devices – also called “switches,” “buttons,” or “auto-sears” – that quickly convert a semi-automatic firearm into a machinegun, capable of firing hundreds of rounds a minute with the single pull of a trigger.
“With this case I am sending a very clear message: if you possess a machinegun conversion device and are driving violence in your community, you are a target for federal prosecution,” announced U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “The devastation machineguns can inflict is horrific. Although violent crime rates have dropped, the spread of machineguns is a growing threat that we are attacking head on.”
WATCH: To reinforce this message, and following today’s sentencing, U.S. Attorney Totten shared a video message on social media.
Jaquan Foreman is a member of a Lansing-area gang responsible for a rash of violent incidents over the past few years, including numerous shootings and murders. Investigators discovered electronic evidence that Defendant was selling machinegun conversion devices, then searched his home and found ammunition, gun parts, a pistol, and a MCD. Reviewing the cell phones of other federal defendants, investigators learned that Foreman was distributing MCDs to other gang members. Text messages suggested that one of these buyers was Valentino Wallace, who was convicted by a federal jury on August 15, 2024, of possessing a machinegun and now awaits sentencing. Further details are available in the attached Government’s Sentencing Memorandum.
“Anyone who contributes to the gun violence in the city of Lansing will be targeted with all the resources available to the Lansing Police Department,” said Chief Rob Backus, Lansing Police Department. “This includes our violent crimes initiative partners, which include local, state, and federal agencies.”
The Lansing Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey prosecuted it.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. For more information, visit www.justice.gov/psn.
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Luzerne County Man Charged with Drug Trafficking and Ammunition ViolationsRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Wendell Freeman, age 30, of Edwardsville, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking and ammunition charges.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that in September 2024, Freeman distributed cocaine on multiple occasions in Luzerne County. The indictment further alleges that on September 25, 2024, Freeman possessed fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana for purposes of distribution. The indictment also alleges that Freeman possessed multiple rounds of various ammunition when he was prohibited by a prior felony conviction from possessing ammunition.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Luzerne County Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts is prosecuting 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.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 30 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Long Island Businessman Pleads Guilty in Bank Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, John B. Mensch, the former owner and operator of East End Bus Lines, Inc. and its affiliated entities (East End), pleaded guilty in connection with a nearly year-long bank fraud conspiracy. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Nusrat J. Choudhury. When sentenced, Mensch faces up to five years’ imprisonment as well as financial penalties, including restitution to two victim banks of approximately $9.6 million.
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), and Patrick J. Freaney, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service, New York Office, announced the guilty plea.
“Rather than take lawful steps to wind down his failing businesses, John Mensch resorted to criminality, operating a scheme to defraud two banks into advancing him millions of dollars that neither Mensch nor his company ever had, or had any realistic expectation of obtaining,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Mensch’s fraud resulted in the banks unwittingly subsidizing several months of his financial mismanagement. This Office will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute criminals like Mensch who, through fraud and deception, seek to use financial institutions as a personal piggy bank.”
“This lengthy investigation brings down a ringleader who willfully swindled banking partners through the extensive use of fraudulent checks – siphoning millions of dollars in ill-gotten gains to his own coffers,” stated Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Freaney. “"I want to commend the many investigators who saw this comprehensive case to a successful conclusion. From the Secret Service Long Island Resident Office to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and our prosecutorial partners at the Eastern District of New York, the law enforcement community in New York remains steadfast in its commitment to hold these types of insidious criminals accountable.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Dennehy stated, "Desperate to restore his failing business, John Mensch, the owner of East End Lines, defrauded two banks of more than $9 million through an elaborate check-bouncing scheme. He exploited company privileges to immediately access fraudulent funds while his business was running on empty. The FBI will continue to investigate individuals who deceptively cash in on financial assistance programs."
As set forth in the information and statements made during the plea proceeding, Mensch was the owner and operator of East End, a transportation company that provided busing services for students on Long Island and elsewhere. Between 2017 and September 2018, East End maintained numerous accounts—and was granted expedited check-clearing privileges—at banks located in Suffolk County and Orange County, New York. Those privileges meant that when East End deposited a check, the company would have near-immediate access to the deposited funds, even before the check cleared. Mensch and other East End executives abused those privileges by engaging in an elaborate “check-kiting” scheme—that is, passing fraudulent checks between East End’s various accounts to keep East End operational despite being effectively insolvent.
Specifically, Mensch and other East End executives drew checks on East End’s bank accounts at Financial Institution #1, despite those accounts having insufficient funds to cover the checks. Those bad checks were deposited into East End’s bank accounts at Financial Institution #2, which, unaware that the checks would eventually bounce, allowed East End immediate access to the funds. East End withdrew those funds to meet various financial obligations and then, before the checks bounced, conducted the same process in the reverse, drawing bad checks on its Financial Institution #2 accounts and depositing them into its Financial Institution #1 accounts to create the false impression that funds were available to cover the earlier checks. This reciprocal process continued, with the banks advancing East End non-existent funds for several months until the scheme was detected in September 2018. By that time, East End had obtained millions of dollars from Financial Institution #1 and Financial Institution #2, all of which it had spent while continuing to operate at a deficit.
In July 2022, Mr. Peace was selected as the Chairperson of the White Collar Fraud subcommittee for the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC). As the leader of the subcommittee, Mr. Peace plays a key role in making recommendations to the AGAC to facilitate the prevention, investigation and prosecution of various financially motivated, non-violent crimes including frauds directed at financial institutions, such as those Mensch committed.
The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony Bagnuola and Adam R. Toporovsky are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
JOHN B. MENSCH
Age: 54
Quogue, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-334 (NJC)
Leader of Catalytic Converter Theft Crew Sentenced to Decade in PrisonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The leader of a regional organized theft crew, who orchestrated the thefts of catalytic converters from nearly 500 vehicles across the region, multiple jewelry store robberies and the stealing of ATMs was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston. A precipitous decline in catalytic converter thefts has been reported in Massachusetts as a result of the takedown – with nine reported incidents of catalytic converter theft over the past 18 months following the arrests, in comparison to the hundreds of thefts reported during the nine-month period prior.
Rafael Davila, a/k/a “Robbin Hood,” 36, of Springfield, Mass., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 10 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Davila was also ordered to pay restitution of approximately $157,000 and complete 75 hours of community service at a food pantry. Additionally, Davila was ordered to forfeit a significant number of assets – including a Chevrolet Suburban, an Acura MDX, two motorcycles, six dirt bikes and two jet skis – that were acquired with proceeds of the offenses to which he pleaded guilty or were involved in the money laundering conspiracy. In April 2024, Davila pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport stolen property in interstate commerce; interstate transportation of stolen property; conspiracy commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit bank theft; and bank theft.
In April 2023, Rafael Davila was arrested and charged along with six others in connection with the theft, transportation and sale of stolen catalytic converters taken from nearly 500 vehicles across Massachusetts and New Hampshire in 2022 through April 2023. It is believed that a significant number of additional thefts have not been identified or were never reported to law enforcement.
“Targeting over 400 vehicles across more than 100 different communities in Massachusetts and surrounding states, Mr. Davila’s criminal enterprise wreaked havoc for hundreds of innocent people. Each victim suffered thousands of dollars in losses as a result of these thefts, on top missed personal appointments, disruption of business and unnecessary stress. Mr. Davila and his crew were equally opportunity thieves – they stole from the elderly, single parents, and even a food pantry – impacting needy families who are struggling to get food on their tables. Their conduct was simply deplorable and deserving of serious punishment,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “This case directly resulted in a very sharp decline in catalytic converter thefts across the region. Only nine catalytic thefts have been reported in the past 18 months since Mr. Davila and his crew were apprehended. I want to commend the exceptional investigative work by our partners at the Massachusetts State Police and the more than 70 local police departments across Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut. Thanks to their dedicated and collaborative work, the public is safer and the self-proclaimed Robbin Hood is now behind bars where he belongs – unable to wreak his havoc on the innocent people of Massachusetts.”
“Career criminal Rafael Davila earned his keep by leading the most prolific catalytic converter theft ring in the region that raked in millions of dollars in profits, stole ATMs, and burglarized jewelry stores – all of which is the antithesis of an honest day’s work. His actions inflicted serious financial harm and significant stress on hundreds of innocent victims and the community alike, and it’s gratifying to finally see him being sent to prison,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Davila and his crew now know that the FBI is just as committed to eradicating organized crime as they are to embracing it. Thanks to the hard work and due diligence of law enforcement agencies in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, Operation Cut and Run decimated this large-scale, multi-state property theft ring responsible for the rampant theft of catalytic converters in our region.”
“The Massachusetts State Police work closely with our public safety partners to address crime affecting the quality of life for residents and causing tremendous economic losses for business across the region,” said Colonel John E. Mawn of the Massachusetts State Police. “This investigation illustrates the impact of the Massachusetts CrimeNet Program and the Commonwealth Fusion Center to analyze crime trends across local jurisdictions and determine the full extent of criminal enterprises. Our investigators worked diligently to bring this case to fruition and we are grateful to our federal partners for their collaboration and their successful prosecution of this case.”
“The National Insurance Crime Bureau is grateful for all those who worked tirelessly to bring this case to a successful final disposition. The collaborative efforts in pursuing those responsible has created a rippling effect literally ending catalytic converter theft which had victimized so many throughout New England,” said Kevin Gallagher, Director of Operations for the National Insurance Crime Bureau, Northeast Region.
Catalytic converter theft has become a nationwide problem due to the high-valued precious metals they contain – some of which are more valuable than gold, with black-market prices being more than $1,000 each in recent years. The theft of a vehicle’s catalytic converter results in damage that renders the vehicle inoperable – both mechanically and legally under EPA regulations – until properly replaced.
The crew was led by Davila, who engaged in catalytic converter thefts and burglaries on a full-time basis – committing thefts multiple nights per week for upwards of eight hours a night. Davila was responsible for the planning of and transportation to each targeted theft – using his vehicle, determining price values for stolen converters and purchasing needed materials. Davila maintained meticulous notes accounting for the locations that he and his co-conspirators had targeted and the number of catalytic converters that had been stolen, including the makes and models and when they were dropped off for sale.
The thefts resulted in losses of approximately $5,000 per vehicle with certain trucks costing over $10,000 to repair. This amounts to an approximate $2 million in losses suffered by more than 300 separate victims who were forced to deal with their vehicles being disabled for potentially weeks on end. The more than 300 victims included businesses and individuals across Massachusetts and parts of New Hampshire, including a food pantry, automotive businesses, tradesmen, a bakery, single parents, a home healthcare provider and the elderly. Some businesses were repeatedly targeted on multiple nights.
Once in possession of the stolen catalytic converters, the crew would then sell them to Jose Torres, who would accumulate stolen catalytic converters from multiple theft crews and then in turn sell them to scrap dealers – handling approximately $30,000 to $80,000 in stolen catalytic converter sales per week. Torres then sold stolen catalytic converters to scrap dealers who have since been charged federally for interstate transportation of stolen property and money laundering in the District of Connecticut, the Eastern District of California and Northern District of Oklahoma. Rafael Davila admitted to conspiring with Torres in stolen catalytic converter sales.
Davila also successfully applied for food stamps while committing the thefts, lying under oath about his income and bank account balances, while he owned six motorcycles, two jet skis, three vehicles and luxury jewelry.
In addition to the catalytic converter thefts, Davila admitted to conspiring to steal from ATMs of federally insured banks in Massachusetts on three separate occasions in December 2022. This conspiracy involved the use of stolen trucks and chains to rip the ATMs from the ground and gain access to the vault.
Rafael Davila also admitted to committing burglaries at two New Hampshire jewelry stores on Jan. 12, 2023, and the theft of a trailer on Dec. 14, 2022. Davila broke into the stores by smashing the glass doors and jewelry cases and stealing the jewelry. The combined total value of the jewelry stolen during the burglaries was determined to be over $137,000, with each store facing approximately $10,000 in costs to repair damage.
Rafael Davila is the fourth defendant to be sentenced in the case. In April 2024, Zachary Marshall was sentenced to 47 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. In March 2024, Santo Feliberty was sentenced to 57 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Also in March 2024, Rafael Davila’s brother, Nicolas Davila, was sentenced to 37 months in prison and five years’ supervised release. The three remaining co-defendants, Carlos Fonseca, Alex Oyola and Jose Torres, have each pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy; FBI SAC Cohen; MSP Colonel Mawn; and NICB Director Gallagher made the announcement. Valuable assistance was also provided by the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Connecticut, Rhode Island, Northern District of Oklahoma and the Eastern District of California; Homeland Security Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office; and the New England State Police Information Network. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra W. Amrhein of the Asset Recovery Unit are prosecuting the case.
Over 70 local police departments in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut contributed to this investigation through the submission of their investigations of catalytic converter thefts in their jurisdiction. The following Massachusetts police departments contributed to the investigation: Abington, Acton, Andover, Auburn, Bedford, Bellingham, Beverly, Billerica, Burlington, Bridgewater, Canton, Carver, Chelmsford, Concord, Cranston, East Hampton, Easton, Fitchburg, Framingham, Franklin, Gardner, Hampton, Hanover, Haverhill, Hingham, Holliston, Holyoke, Hudson, Ipswich, Lawrence, Leominster, Lynn, Malden, Mansfield, Medford, Marlborough, Methuen, Middleton, Milford, Millbury, Needham, Newton, Northborough, Norwell, Norwood, Peabody, Pembroke, Plymouth, Randolph, Rockland, Sharon, Shrewsbury, Springfield, Sterling, Sturbridge, Sudbury, Tyngsborough, Walpole, Waltham, Watertown, West Bridgewater, Weymouth, Wilmington, Woburn and Worcester. The New Hampshire police departments contributing to the investigation were Bow, Concord, Derry, Hooksett, Hudson, Londonderry, Manchester, Salem and Windham. The South Windsor and Windsor Connecticut Police Departments also contributed.
Le ministère de la justice et le système judiciaire du Colorado améliorent l'accès linguistique aux tribunaux pour les personnes ayant une maîtrise limitée de l'anglaisRead the Press Release
Le ministère de la Justice a annoncé aujourd'hui que le système judiciaire du Colorado avait pris des mesures importantes pour garantir un accès linguistique approprié aux personnes ayant une maîtrise limitée de l'anglais (LEP) qui ont affaire au système judiciaire de l'État.
En juillet 2023, la division des droits civils du ministère a fait appel à l'appareil judiciaire du Colorado après avoir reçu des plaintes selon lesquelles les tribunaux ne fournissaient pas les services linguistiques nécessaires aux personnes ayant une maîtrise limitée de l'anglais, comme l'exige le titre VI de la loi sur les droits civils de 1964 (titre VI). Le titre VI interdit toute discrimination fondée sur la race, la couleur et l'origine nationale de la part des bénéficiaires de l'aide financière fédérale.
En réponse à la demande du ministère, le système judiciaire du Colorado a identifié les mesures proactives déjà prises pour répondre aux préoccupations soulevées dans la plainte et a travaillé avec la division pour apporter une série d'autres améliorations à son programme d'accès linguistique.
« Il est essentiel de fournir des services d'interprétation adéquats et opportuns à l'intérieur et à l'extérieur des tribunaux pour garantir à tous les usagers des tribunaux un accès égal à la justice », a déclaré Kristen Clarke, procureur général adjoint de la division des droits civils du ministère de la justice. « Les mesures prises par le système judiciaire du Colorado ont valeur de modèle et témoignent d'un véritable engagement en faveur de la mise en place d'un programme d'accès linguistique solide ».
Au cours de l'année qui s'est écoulée depuis que le ministère de la justice a commencé à travailler avec le système judiciaire du Colorado, le tribunal a embauché un nouveau coordinateur de l'accès linguistique, révisé la politique financière du bureau de l'accès linguistique, commencé à créer un nouveau système de planification pour les interprètes, acheté de nouveaux équipements à utiliser pour l'interprétation judiciaire, y compris des casques et des iPads, formé le personnel du tribunal et les interprètes, et mis en œuvre d'autres améliorations clés.
Le ministère continuera à surveiller la mise en œuvre de ces changements et invite le public à lui faire part de ses commentaires. Les plaintes concernant des pratiques discriminatoires peuvent être déposées sur le site web de la division des droits civils, à l'adresse suivante : civilrights.justice.gov
Pour plus d'informations sur la division des droits civils, rendez-vous sur son site web : www.justice.gov/crt. Des informations sur la maîtrise limitée de l'anglais et le titre VI sont disponibles à l'adresse suivante : www.lep.gov, et des informations spécifiques aux tribunaux sont disponibles sur : www.lep.gov/state-courts.
Large Scale Narcotics Trafficker Sentenced to Almost 20 Years in Prison on 10 Counts Related to Drug and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Antonio Christian Payne, 31, of Northeast Washington D.C., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 235 months in prison on 10 felony charges related to drug trafficking and firearms offenses in the District of Columbia, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge Jamey VanVliet of the Washington Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Payne was found guilty by a federal jury on December 18, 2023, following a five-day trial in U.S. District Court of unlawful possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl; unlawful possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; unlawful possession with intent to distribute marijuana; unlawful possession with intent to distribute cocaine hydrochloride; unlawful possession with intent to distribute cocaine base; unlawful possession with intent to distribute Oxycodone; unlawful opening and maintenance of a premises to manufacture and distribute a controlled substance; using, carrying, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense; using carrying, and possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense; and carrying a pistol without a license.
In addition to the prison term, the Honorable Tanya S. Chutkan ordered Payne to serve five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on April 18, 2022, Payne initiated an armed confrontation outside his stash house at his mother’s home in a residential neighborhood in Northeast D.C. full of young families and their children. During the incident, at 2430 Baldwin Crescent, NE, Payne brandished a firearm at a would-be intruder whom he perceived to be staking out his residence and the valuable contraband inside. The individual returned minutes later and, in broad daylight in a residential neighborhood, fired multiple rounds at the Payne’s stash house as well as at Payne’s cousin who happened to be outside. Law enforcement officers responded to the scene to investigate the reported drive-by shooting and to determine if Payne’s cousin needed medical aid. The officers entered the house by consent to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
At the same time, additional officers and detectives canvassed the area for witnesses and ultimately reviewed surveillance footage. The video revealed that minutes prior to the drive-by shooting, Payne had brandished a firearm at someone who had attempted to access Payne’s car and garage, both of which were later found to have narcotics and ammunition in them.
Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for the residence expecting to find the single handgun they believed to be present. Instead, they uncovered base of operations for Payne’s lucrative drug trafficking operation, which entailed a multitude of controlled substances, chief among them almost 750 grams of fentanyl, protected by a small arsenal of assault rifles, handguns, hundreds of rounds ammunition, firearms accessories, and a bullet proof vest. Additional warrants executed on Payne’s digital devices further fleshed out the true breadth and longevity of the Payne’s drug and firearms trafficking business.
Payne did not simply possess a large quantity of fentanyl. Officers also recovered a cornucopia of controlled substances, including more than a 125 grams of pure crystal meth; 240 grams of cocaine powder; 175 grams of crack cocaine; hundreds of illegal oxycodone pills; and 12 kilos of marijuana, along with more than $26,000 in U.S. currency.
The case was investigated by the ATF High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force and MPD.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Will Hart and Solomon Eppel of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section (VRTO). Valuable assistance was provided by paralegal Peter Gaboton, Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Gold, and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Engallena who assisted in the investigation and charging of this case. Leif Hickling and Charlie Bruce of LitTech, and VRTO supervisory paralegal Mary Downing provided valuable assistance on this case.
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Lansing Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of A Gun After Two-Year-Old Found the Gun and Killed HimselfRead the Press Release
Case Reflects Grim Reality: Gun Violence is Now the #1 Cause of Death for Kids
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Avis Coward, 44, of Lansing, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of firearms. Coward previously pleaded guilty to illegally possessing two guns. A two-year-old child found one of the guns in a car, suffered a gunshot wound and later died. Coward had previously been convicted of drug trafficking, carrying a concealed weapon, carjacking, and brandishing a weapon during the commission of a crime of violence.
“This two-year-old child is dead because Avis Coward flouted the law,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “And then – as if that was not enough – Coward attempted to hide his crime and evade justice.” Totten continued: “This case painfully represents a grim statistic that hangs over the nation: gun violence is now the #1 cause of death for our youngest Americans, ages 0-19. None of us should get used to this new reality. My team and I will use every tool we have to punish criminals who put our kids in harm’s way.”
Two other Lansing residents were also charged in the indictment. Emma Huver pleaded guilty to possessing a pistol that was in the car and was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison. Gina Schieberl pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 21.
On October 24, 2023, Coward got out of a car at a Lansing gas station and went inside, leaving a two-year-old child and the child’s mother, Emma Huver, in the car. The child found Coward’s gun while playing in the car, then shot and killed himself. Surveillance video showed a bullet hole appear in the car window a minute after Coward exited the vehicle. Huver got out of the car holding her child, who had blood on his face from the gunshot wound. As she did so, Coward’s gun fell out of the car. Huver handed the child to Coward, who then passed the child to a third person who took the victim into the gas station and attempted to control the bleeding until medical personnel arrived. Coward returned to the car, picked up the gun off the ground, and put it back in the car. The surveillance video also showed Coward use his hand to break out the front passenger window, which had the bullet hole, in his first effort to destroy evidence. Coward then drove away. The child later died from his injuries.
While in jail, Coward made several phone calls in an attempt to further hide evidence. Police later found the car, which was found burned-out and abandoned in a field in Lansing, and the barrel of Coward’s .45 caliber Springfield Armory semiautomatic pistol, which was hidden in the wall of a house in Lansing. The rest of the gun has not been recovered. Further details are available in the Government Response to Defendant’s Sentencing Memorandum, which is attached to this press release.
“This tragedy occurred because an individual who was prohibited from owning a firearm illegally possessed one, leading to a devastating outcome,” said Chief Rob Backus, Lansing Police Department. “Our thoughts are with the family affected by this loss. We appreciate U.S. Attorney Mark Totten and his team for their dedication in seeing this case through and ensuring accountability.”
Gun violence is an acute problem across the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. firearm homicide rate in 2021 was the highest documented since 1993. While the numbers have declined since 2021, no level of violence is acceptable.
Resources and information on the safe storage of firearms can be found by reviewing the U.S. Department of Justice Safe Storage of Firearms guide, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fact sheet, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives pamphlet. Anyone who possesses a gun must follow all local, state, and federal laws.
This case was investigated by the Lansing Police Department, Michigan State Police, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
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Justice Department and Colorado Judiciary Improve Language Access in Courts for Individuals with Limited English ProficiencyRead the Press Release
Note: View the release in Somali here.
The Justice Department announced today that the Colorado Judiciary has taken significant steps to ensure meaningful language access for people with limited English proficiency (LEP) who interact with the state court system.
In July 2023, the department’s Civil Rights Division engaged the Colorado Judiciary after receiving complaints that the courts were not providing needed language services to individuals with LEP as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI). Title VI prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color and national origin by recipients of federal financial assistance.
In response to the department’s inquiry, the Colorado Judiciary identified proactive steps already taken to address the concerns raised in the complaint and worked with the division to make a variety of other improvements made to its language access program.
“Providing accurate and timely interpreter services in and outside of the courtroom is paramount to ensuring that all court users are provided equal access to justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The actions taken by the Colorado Judiciary stand as a model and show a true commitment to building a strong language access program.”
In the year since the Justice Department began working with the Colorado Judiciary, the court has hired a new language access coordinator; revised the Office of Language Access Financial Policy; began to create a new scheduling system for interpreters; purchased new equipment to be used for court interpretation including headsets and iPads; trained court staff and interpreters; and implemented other key improvements.
The department will continue to monitor the implementation of these changes, and it welcomes feedback from the public. Complaints about discriminatory practices may be reported through the Civil Rights Division’s website at civilrights.justice.gov.
More information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt. Information about limited English proficiency and Title VI is available at www.lep.gov, and information specific to courts can be found at www.lep.gov/state-courts.
Justice Department Secures Agreement with New Jersey to Resolve Claims of Unconstitutional Conditions in State-Run Veterans HomesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey today filed a complaint against the State of New Jersey and joined with the State in filing a proposed consent decree to address findings of unconstitutional conditions at the New Jersey Veterans Memorial Homes (Veterans Homes) at Menlo Park and Paramus.
The proposed consent decree, which must still be approved by the court, would resolve the department’s claims that New Jersey violates the Constitution by failing to keep the residents of its Veterans Homes safe from harm and an unreasonable risk of harm. The proposed consent decree requires the state to meet specific standards of clinical care, to overhaul its infection control and emergency operations practices and to implement measures for improved leadership and accountability. The proposed consent decree also asks the court to appoint an independent monitor who will oversee and assess the state’s compliance with the terms of the proposed consent decree.
“Our veterans deserve to receive appropriate care, as required by law, and their families deserve to have confidence that their loved ones’ needs will be met,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This agreement requires the state to deliver that care and have the oversight in place to provide families that confidence. The Justice Department will work diligently with the state to ensure the reforms are properly implemented.”
“Our veterans, who have sacrificed so much, should never have been subject to deficient care,” said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey. “This consent decree provides a detailed roadmap and expert oversight to ensure they are protected, so that they and their families can rely on the Veterans Homes. We look forward to working with the state and the independent monitor to implement this decree and ensure that every resident of the Veterans Homes lives with the safety and dignity that they so richly deserve.”
The Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey initiated the investigation into the Veterans Homes in October 2020 under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA). CRIPA authorizes the department to take action to address a pattern or practice of deprivation of federal rights of individuals in the custody of state or local governments.
In September 2023, the department notified the state that it found reasonable cause to believe the residents of the Veterans Homes at Menlo Park and Paramus face unreasonable harm and risk of harm due to inadequate infection control practices and inadequate medical care. The department also identified the remedial measures necessary to address those unlawful conditions. Specifically, the department concluded that the state failed to provide the residents of its Veterans Homes with conditions of reasonable care and safety, in violation of the 14th Amendment.
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt. Additional information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey is available at www.justice.gov/usao-nj/civil-rights-enforcement.
Justice Department Secures Agreement with Maryland Department of State Police to Resolve Allegations of Race and Gender Discrimination in State Trooper Hiring ProcessRead the Press Release
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The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a settlement agreement with the Maryland Department of State Police (MDSP) to resolve the United States’ claims that MDSP’s hiring process for state troopers violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Specifically, the United States alleges that MDSP uses a written test that discriminates against Black candidates and a physical fitness test that discriminates against female candidates. The agreement must still be approved by a federal judge.The settlement agreement resolves a civil pattern and practice investigation the Civil Rights Division opened on July 15, 2022. As part of the investigation, the division conducted an in-depth review of MDSP’s hiring practices, the composition of its sworn personnel, applicant data, and information received from the Maryland State Police, and concluded the State’s written and physical fitness tests do not meaningfully distinguish between applicants who can and cannot perform the position of Trooper. These tests also had the effect of disqualifying Black and female applicants from the hiring process at significantly disproportionate rates. The department thus concluded that these tests violate Title VII.
“Equal employment opportunities in law enforcement are not just a core civil right but essential to ensuring that those who serve reflect the rich racial and gender diversity of the communities they are sworn to protect,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The underrepresentation of Blacks and women in law enforcement undermines public safety and runs contrary to the principle of equal opportunity which is central in our job market. This agreement requires the Maryland Department of State Police to institute meaningful reforms, remove unlawful barriers in its hiring process, and provide restitution and relief to those already harmed, ensuring that all qualified applicants have a fair chance to serve. The Justice Department will continue working to ensure equal access to employment opportunities for all Americans.”
“This settlement agreement is a reflection of our continued mission to protect the civil rights of all Marylanders, including those of our sworn law enforcement officers,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland. “Law enforcement agencies have a responsibility to protect all citizens equally. We are pleased that MDSP is committed to ensuring that its hiring processes will not discriminate on the basis of race or gender.”
The complaint, filed today in the District of Maryland, alleges that MDSP’s use of a written test called the Police Officer Selection Test (POST) disproportionately excludes Black candidates, and its use of a physical fitness test called the Functional Fitness Assessment Test (FFAT) disproportionately excludes female candidates, from employment as troopers. The United States alleges that MDSP’s uses of the POST and the FFAT are not job related or consistent with business necessity, and thus, violate Title VII.
Under the terms of the consent decree, MDSP will:
- Adopt written and physical fitness tests that do not discriminate in violation of Title VII;
- Provide data to the United States on the administration of the new tests to ensure compliance;
- Pay $2.75 million in back pay to applicants who were disqualified by MDSP’s use of the challenged tests; and
- Hire up to 25 applicants who were unfairly disqualified by those tests and who successfully complete MDSP’s new trooper screening and selection process.
Title VII is a federal statute that prohibits employment discrimination based on race, sex, color, national origin, and religion. Title VII prohibits not only intentional discrimination but also employment practices that result in a disparate impact on a protected group, unless such practices are job related and consistent with business necessity.
You can learn more about the contents of the agreement from this fact sheet and a statement from Assistant Attorney General Clarke here.
The full and fair enforcement of Title VII is a top priority of the Civil Rights Division. The Division has issued a new fact sheet on Combating Hiring Discrimination by Police and Fire Departments to help applicants for public safety jobs understand their Title VII rights to be free from discriminatory hiring processes. More information about the Civil Rights Division can be found at www.justice.gov/crt.
Senior Trial Attorneys Emily Given and Cheyenne N. Chambers of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Phillips for the District of Maryland are handling this matter.
Justice Department Awards $4B to Support Community SafetyRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it is awarding $4 billion to support public safety and community justice activities in the states and territories and in local and Tribal communities. The grants, from the Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), will fund efforts across the country to reduce violence, expand services for crime victims and survivors, and improve outcomes for youth and adults involved in the criminal and juvenile justice systems.
“The Justice Department is working together with our law enforcement and community partners across the country to turn the tide in the fight against violent crime,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This $4 billion investment across more than 3,800 different programs will advance our efforts to drive down violent crime, support victims, build trust between law enforcement and the communities we serve, and ensure that all Americans feel safe and are safe in their communities.”
The more than 3,800 fiscal year 2024 grants that OJP is awarding will support community-driven public safety efforts and evidence-informed interventions designed to curb violent crime, address victimization, reduce recidivism, and strengthen bonds of trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. This funding continues the investments in community safety made by the Justice Department since the release of its Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime in 2021.
Last week, the White House and the Justice Department announced targeted investments to aid communities in reducing gun violence, a centerpiece of which is OJP’s Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative. This initiative has now awarded more than $270 million to support community-led violence intervention programs and related training and technical assistance and research, funded in part through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.
“The Department of Justice is committed to supporting violence prevention efforts, increasing safety and wellness for law enforcement and the communities they serve, expanding services for victims, and enhancing our research and data collection capacity to advance effective community safety strategies,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “The grants announced today further our longstanding efforts to work with our state, local, and Tribal partners to advance community-based approaches to promoting safety and justice for all communities.”
The funding announced today will expand partnerships between the justice system and community-based organizations, support collaboration between law enforcement officials and behavioral health professionals when responding to crises, help people involved in the criminal and juvenile justice systems successfully return to their communities, provide trauma-informed services to victims and survivors of crime, including those in underserved areas, make available a full range of support for children and youth, improve registration and management practices for people convicted of sex offenses, and support research and statistical activities to expand the base of knowledge and available data about the nation’s community safety challenges for years to come.
“Over the last three-and-a-half years, we have been working closely with our justice system and community partners, as co-producers of safety and justice, to advance comprehensive solutions to the most pressing public safety challenges facing America’s communities,” said OJP Acting Assistant Attorney General Brent J. Cohen. “Today, we are proud to deliver billions of dollars in additional resources to promote community safety and create a more equitable justice system for all. I look forward to the progress we will continue to make, together, to achieve safer and more just communities.”
Grants will support five major community safety and justice priorities:
- Promoting safety and strengthening trust through both long-standing programs like Project Safe Neighborhoods and the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants programs and more recent innovative efforts like the groundbreaking Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative and the Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program. Funding will also support the well-being and safety of law enforcement and public safety professionals, promote rehabilitation and reentry success through initiatives like OJP’s Second Chance Act programs and address the rise in hate crimes across the country.
- Accelerating justice system reforms designed to achieve justice and fair treatment for all. Through programs like Reimagining Justice, funding will support alternative solutions to low-level offenses in historically underserved and marginalized communities, and efforts like the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program and the Connect and Protect initiative will increase opportunities for deflection and diversion and build pathways to treatment and other recovery support services for individuals with behavioral health conditions. Funding from the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant and Substance Use Program will improve prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery options to address the substance use and overdose challenges facing communities across America.
- Improving the fairness and effectiveness of the juvenile justice system by supporting developmentally appropriate and culturally responsive interventions for youth. Programs like the Building Local Continuums of Care to Support Youth Success initiative will help build an infrastructure of support for youth, from prevention and intervention to trauma-informed services and reentry. Funding will also support programs designed to protect children from violence and abuse, and support the new Children’s Justice Project to help identify children who have been found deceased but have not yet been identified.
- Expanding access to victim services by investing in programs that provide trauma-informed and culturally responsive services to victims and survivors. In addition to supporting thousands of local victim assistance and state victim compensation programs in every state and five territories, initiatives like the Trauma Recovery Center Demonstration Project and the Meeting the Basic Needs of Crime Victims in Underserved Communities Program will help bring services to survivors of violence in neighborhoods disproportionately impacted by violence and victimization. The Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside Program will fund healing and support services for victims and survivors in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
- Advancing science and innovation to strengthen the base of knowledge that policymakers, practitioners and communities can use to design and deploy effective community safety strategies. Awards will support research and data collection on a wide range of public safety issues, from firearms violence and domestic radicalization to hate crimes and school safety. Funding will also help maintain timely and accurate criminal history records and improve the capacity of crime labs and forensic analysts to solve crimes, absolve the innocent and deliver justice to victims.
More information about the awards announced today can be found by visiting the OJP Grant Awards homepage.
Jury Convicts Coweta Resident of Making False Statement to A Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced today that Ashley Bryanne Rockwell, age 40, of Coweta, Oklahoma, was found guilty by a federal jury of one count of False Statements.
The jury trial began with testimony on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, and concluded on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, with the guilty verdict.
At trial, the United States presented evidence that Rockwell knowingly and willfully made a false statement to a Deputy U.S. Marshal as to a material fact. On August 18, 2023, while being questioned during an active investigation, Rockwell denied leaving the state with a registered sex offender who was wanted under an arrest warrant for Failure to Comply as a Sex Offender. In fact, Rockwell had recently traveled to several states with the individual, including Colorado and Oregon.
The guilty verdict was the result of investigations by the United States Marshal Service and the Muskogee County Sheriff’s Office.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the trial and ordered the completion of a presentence report. The sentencing will be scheduled following completion of the report.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dak Cohen and Joshua Satter represented the United States.
Jury Convicts Colorado City Men in Child Sexual Abuse ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Today, a federal jury in Phoenix found LaDell Jay Bistline, Jr., 45, and Torrance Bistline, 36, both of Colorado City, Arizona, guilty of multiple charges related to their participation in a years-long child sexual abuse conspiracy that spanned several states and victimized at least 10 children. The defendants committed their crimes with others, including co-defendant Samuel Rappylee Bateman, the self-proclaimed leader of a religious sect based in Colorado City. Bateman and nine of his other followers pleaded guilty to charges related to the child sexual abuse conspiracy and were not part of the trial against brothers LaDell Jay Bistline, Jr. and Torrance Bistline.
“Today’s verdict is a step towards justice for the victims of LaDell and Torrance Bistline,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino. “The Bistlines used their positions of power and trust to sexually exploit children and to profane their community. The devastating trauma and harm they inflicted is unfathomable. But today’s guilty verdicts hold them to account – for their despicable acts, for their breach of trust, and for their complete indifference to the mental and psychological scars their victims will live with for the rest of their lives. The United States Attorney’s Office, along with its state and federal law enforcement partners and other agencies, will continue to work tirelessly to protect the most vulnerable from abuse and exploitation, and to help them heal.”
“Protecting children is one of the many noble missions of the FBI,” said FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Jose A. Perez. “Adults who exploit children for illicit activities are a danger and a disgrace. Today’s verdicts reflect the unwavering dedication by the FBI and its partners to ensure those who prey on children are held accountable and brought to justice.”
LaDell Jay Bistline, Jr. was convicted of one count of Receipt of Child Pornography; one count of Transfer of Obscene Material to a Minor; two counts of Persuading or Coercing Travel to Engage in Sexual Activity; two counts of Using a Means of Interstate Commerce to Persuade or Coerce a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity; and two counts of Transportation of a Minor for Criminal Sexual Activity.
Torrance Bistline was convicted of one count of Using a Means of Interstate Commerce to Persuade or Coerce a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity; two counts of Destruction of Records in an Official Proceeding; one count of Conspiracy to Commit Destruction of Records in an Official Proceeding; one count of Tampering with an Official Proceeding; and one count of Conspiracy to Commit Tampering with an Official Proceeding.
LaDell Jay Bistline, Jr. and Torrance Bistline were followers of Bateman, who represented himself as a religious prophet. In 2020 and 2021, Bateman’s followers gave their minor daughters and wards to him as child “brides” to sexually abuse. Bateman and others transported the victims between states, including Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona to facilitate the sexual abuse. LaDell Jay Bistline, Jr. delivered two of his own daughters to Bateman to become child “brides” when the girls were nine and 11 years old. LaDell Jay Bistline, Jr. also participated in group sexual activity involving children, including one event he watched over a video livestream. Torrance Bistline, who financially supported Bateman’s group, sexually abused one of Bateman’s child “brides” during a group sexual activity. Torrance Bistline later tried to destroy and hide evidence to interfere with the investigation.
LaDell Jay Bistline, Jr. and Torrance Bistline each face a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. Sentencing for LaDell Jay Bistline, Jr. is currently scheduled for December 16, 2024, and sentencing for Torrance Bistline is currently scheduled for December 20, 2024, before United States District Judge Susan M. Brnovich. Bateman is currently scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Brnovich on October 28, 2024. Several other defendants have already been sentenced, and the remaining defendants will be sentenced in the coming months.
The Phoenix Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution. The United States Attorney’s Office continues to extend special gratitude to the Arizona Department of Child Safety for its work rescuing and protecting Arizona children impacted by this matter, the Colorado City Police Department, the Iron County (Utah) Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the St. George Resident Agency of the FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office for their assistance in this matter.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-8092-PHX-SMB
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-135_Bistline# # #
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.Jacksonville Man Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Federal Prison for Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge Harvey E. Schlesinger today sentenced Trenton Knight (49, Jacksonville) to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances. The court also ordered Knight to forfeit a revolver, assorted ammunition, and $25,000. Knight entered a guilty plea on August 29, 2023.
According to court documents, Knight was a supplier of fentanyl and methamphetamine for Geoffrey Carter, a drug dealer and Knight’s co-defendant in the case. Over approximately six months in 2022, Knight supplied Carter with more than 2 kilograms of fentanyl and 20 kilograms of methamphetamine. During that period, a confidential source, acting at the direction of law enforcement, purchased controlled substances from Carter four times at Carter’s home in Jacksonville. During these transactions, Carter sold the confidential source approximately 645 grams of methamphetamine, 3 grams of fentanyl, and a revolver.
On November 2, 2022, law enforcement agents and officers executed a federal search warrant at Carter’s home and located seven loaded handguns, two body armor vests, ammunition, a scale, baggies containing methamphetamine and marijuana, a Nazi flag, and a vest with markings associated with the “Unforgiven,” a white-supremacist prison gang. That same day, agents and officers arrested Knight at his home in Jacksonville. They located in his bedroom a loaded revolver and baggies containing methamphetamine and fentanyl. Knight had $7,240 in cash in his pocket.
Carter previously pleaded guilty. He was sentenced in January 2024 to 15 years in federal prison for the same drug conspiracy and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the St. Augustine Beach Police Department, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.
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.
Jacksonville Armed Drug Trafficker Sentenced to More Than 8 Years in Federal Prison After High-Speed ChaseRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger today sentenced Sedrick Williams, Jr. (25, Jacksonville) to 8 years and 4 months in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine. Williams entered a guilty plea on June 25, 2024.
According to court documents, detectives with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) were patrolling the area of Broadway Street and Garfield Street in Jacksonville in reference to an ongoing investigation. The detectives observed Williams driving a vehicle and committing multiple traffic violations, including running a red light. When detectives activated their emergency equipment to conduct a traffic stop, Williams led JSO on a high-speed chase that continued along multiple streets. During the chase, Williams drove into oncoming traffic, forcing vehicles and pedestrians off the road. Williams made multiple turns attempting to flee before crashing in a ditch, then attempted to flee on foot, but was apprehended after a short distance. Inside Williams’s vehicle, JSO detectives recovered multiple bags of narcotics, including fentanyl, crack cocaine, and methamphetamine. Additionally, detectives found a loaded 9mm handgun. Detectives learned the firearm was reported stolen from Jacksonville in 2022. At the time of the offense, Williams was a convicted felon and, therefore, is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Aakash Singh.
This case is part of the 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 for occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Jackson Man Sentenced to over 15 Years in Prison as Armed Career CriminalRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson man was sentenced to 188 months in prison as an Armed Career Criminal for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Bernard Caston, 54, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Jackson.
According to court documents, Caston and Fredrick Harper, also of Jackson, stole four firearms from another individual on February 24, 2018. Caston and Harper were stopped by a JPD officer when they were driving to another location in Jackson to sell the stolen guns. Caston had numerous prior felony convictions for crimes of violence, including a federal armed bank robbery conviction, which triggered the application of the Armed Career Criminal Act.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the ATF and the Jackson Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amber Jones and Dave Fulcher prosecuted the case.
Illinois man sentenced to 10 years for trafficking guns from Mississippi to ChicagoRead the Press Release
ABERDEEN, MS – Derrick Stewart, Jr., 20, was sentenced on Tuesday afternoon to 10 years in prison for firearms trafficking and conspiracy to traffic firearms.
The investigation began after agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives noticed a high volume of firearms recovered in crimes in the city of Chicago, Illinois had been purchased in the Northern District of Mississippi. Some of the firearms involved in new crimes had been purchased as recent as one day prior to use in the new offense.
Several of the firearms were recovered in violent crimes and had machinegun devices attached that converted the firearms to be able to fire automatically. In total, investigators identified over 60 firearms that were purchased illegally and transported to Chicago for resale by Stewart and others.
On October 1, 2024, U.S. District Court Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Stewart, Jr. to 120 months in federal prison for the offenses to be followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Aycock imposed a 60-month sentence for the conspiracy violation to run consecutive to the 60-month sentence for firearms trafficking.
“Illegal firearms traffickers are some of the main drivers of violence in cities like Chicago, and disrupting these networks is central to curbing gun crime,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “AUSA Julie Addison is to be commended for leading this joint prosecution involving our federal, state, and local partners to disrupt the flow of guns to Chicago.”
“This defendant perpetuated violence as law enforcement recovered dozens of firearms he trafficked between Mississippi and the streets of Chicago,” commented ATF Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon of the Chicago Field Division. “We will continue to prioritize firearms trafficking investigations alongside the United States Attorney’s Office, holding accountable those who help to arm violent individuals.”
The case was investigated by the Chicago Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the ATF Oxford, Mississippi Field Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Howell Addison 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.
Guilty Plea Entered in Connection with March 2024 Shooting in NW DCRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Taiyon Suggs, 49, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today in Superior Court for shooting at a victim, on March 25, 2024, as the victim fled in his truck, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Suggs pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Sentencing is scheduled for December 10, 2024 before the Honorable Heidi Pasichow.
According to the government’s evidence, at around 5 p.m. on March 25, 2024, Suggs fired multiple gunshots at the victim as the victim fled in his vehicle in an alley near the 3700 block of 10th Street Northwest in Washington, D.C. At least one of the bullets that Suggs fired hit the victim’s front passenger window.
The defendant was apprehended on April 10, 2024, and has been in custody ever since. Possession of a firearm during a crime of violence carries a five year mandatory minimum prison term.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony Cocuzza and Jacob Green of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
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Garden City woman indicted for drug traffickingRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging a Kansas woman on charges related to drug trafficking.
According to court documents, Nicole Rae Kiesel, 38, of Garden City is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The Drug Enforcement Administration is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi is prosecuting the case.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Enrique Alonso Estrada-Barrios, 26, of Belen, New Mexico, is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The Drug Enforcement Administration is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi is prosecuting the case.
Armando Venzor-Marquez, 37, of Great Bend is charged with one count of unlawful re-entry after deportation and one count of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. US. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###Fox Valley Man Sentenced to 10 Years’ Imprisonment for Trafficking Fentanyl and Possessing Firearms as Convicted Felon; Co-Defendant Sentenced to 15 Months’ Imprisonment for Straw Purchasing FirearmsRead the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that October 1, 2024, Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach sentenced Joseph D. Charlesworth (age: 35) to a total sentence of ten years’ imprisonment and seven years’ supervised release after Charlesworth pled guilty to Possessing Fentanyl With Intent to Distribute and Possessing Firearms as a Previously Convicted Felon, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1), and Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1).
According to court records, in August 2023, agents with the Lake Winnebago Area Metro Drug Unit and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”) investigated Charlesworth for distributing fentanyl, possessing firearms as a convicted felon, and dealing firearms without a license. In August 2023, agents arrested Charlesworth on outstanding warrants during a traffic stop and found him in possession of fentanyl that he intended to distribute and a 9-mm pistol with a loaded magazine in his waistband. Charlesworth had been previously convicted of felonies, including distributing heroin. He also faces additional charges in state court for distributing fentanyl resulting in two overdose deaths. Those cases remain pending in Outagamie and Waupaca Counties.
Charlesworth obtained the 9-mm pistol from Tyler A. Lamers (age: 28), who bought it from a Fox Valley gun dealer at Charlesworth’s request in exchange for drugs. In April 2024, Lamers was convicted and sentenced by Judge Griesbach to 15 months’ imprisonment for Making False Statements to a Federally Licensed Firearms Dealer, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(a)(6). Lamers bought the pistol by falsely claiming on the federal-background-check form that he was buying it for himself when in fact, he was buying it for Charlesworth, who was prohibited by state and federal law from possessing firearms as a convicted felon.
At sentencing, Judge Griesbach stressed that Charlesworth’s serious conduct, which involved potentially lethal drugs and possessing firearms and numerous rounds of ammunition as a previously convicted felon, required significant punishment and lengthy imprisonment to protect the public.
The case was investigated by the Lake Winnebago Area Metro Drug Unit and the ATF. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Funnell.
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Four-Time Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing A Rifle, Ammunition, Machineguns, and SilencersRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Lee Ann Roberts (43, Altamonte Springs) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon and possessing unregistered machineguns and silencers. Roberts faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon and up to 10 years in federal prison for possessing unregistered machineguns and silencers. Roberts must also forfeit the firearms, silencers, and ammunition involved the offense.
According to court documents, officers and agents with the Altamonte Springs Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives received a tip that Roberts was selling firearms, machineguns, and silencers out of a hotel room in Altamonte Springs and storing the contraband in a white sedan. Law enforcement located Roberts driving the white sedan. When questioned, Roberts admitted that there was at least one firearm in the vehicle and that she is a convicted felon.
Officers searched the vehicle and located a hunting rifle, two AR-platform receivers, three silencers, tactical gear, vests, magazines, and hundreds of rounds of assorted ammunition. The AR-platform receivers had been modified to allow fully automatic firing, making them machineguns under federal law.
(Machinegun receivers and silencers recovered from Roberts’s vehicle)
Law enforcement also searched Roberts’ phone and found evidence that Roberts had sold or attempted to sell several firearms, including many of the firearms which law enforcement found in her car.
(Image of firearms, magazines, and ammunition recovered from Roberts’s phone)
As a convicted felon, Roberts is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. None of the machineguns or silencers were registered to Roberts in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Altamonte Springs Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard Varadan.
This case is part of the 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 for occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Four Leaders of Notorious Nuestra Familia Prison Gang Convicted of Racketeering and Related CrimesRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – A federal jury found David Cervantes (aka “DC”), James Perez (aka “Conejo”), Guillermo Solorio (aka “Capone” aka “Caps”), and George Franco (aka “Puppet”) guilty of racketeering, for their roles as senior members of the Nuestra Familia criminal enterprise, which engaged in murder conspiracies, attempted murder, drug distribution, and money laundering. The jury’s verdict follows a 12-week trial before the Hon. Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, U.S. District Judge.
“Prison gangs are a blight on the criminal justice system and on society,” said Martha Boersch, Chief of the Office of the U.S. Attorney’s Criminal Division. Prisons are supposed to protect the community from further crime and offer people the chance for rehabilitation, but prison gangs frustrate both goals. They perpetuate violence and criminality inside prisons, and through the use of contraband cell phones, gang leaders are able to oversee vast criminal networks on the streets. Successful prosecutions like this send an unmistakable message that this will not be tolerated simply because it’s happening behind prison walls.”
“These convictions are the culmination of eight years of complex investigative work by the FBI-led Santa Clara County Safe Streets Task Force. Through tireless investigative efforts and collaboration with our law enforcement partners, we have dismantled a core part of this criminal enterprise, whose illicit drug distribution and violent crime have long plagued our community,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Tripp. “The FBI remains committed to ensuring that those who lead and engage in such violence, no matter where they operate, are brought to justice.”
The evidence at trial established that the four defendants—Cervantes, 76; Perez, 70; Solorio, 45; and Franco, 59 – all were senior members of the Nuestra Familia (NF) prison gang, all serving on the General Council, the primary decision-making body for the gang. Through the testimony of more than 50 witnesses and dozens of wiretapped phone calls, the trial evidence revealed a lucrative and violent criminal enterprise with a presence in every Bay Area county and the roles that each defendant played in it.
The trial evidence established that Cervantes was one of the NF’s three “Generals.” As outlined in the Nuestra Familia’s written Constitution, the three generals sat atop the NF organizational structure and made final decisions on serious matters involving governance of the enterprise. As the sole member of the General Advocates Office, Cervantes oversaw member discipline—a role that at times included deciding when members should be attacked or killed for violating gang rules. Further, the trial evidence established that Cervantes was responsible for (1) receiving “complaints” containing allegations of member wrongdoing within the NF, (2) appointing investigators to look into alleged wrongdoing of gang members, (3) accepting and modifying “findings and recommendations” of the investigators, and (4) forwarding final recommendations regarding member discipline to a seven-member General Council. Cervantes also was the “Regimental Commander” of the NF street gangs in Kings County. As Regimental Commander, Cervantes was responsible for overseeing, managing, directing, and otherwise controlling criminal activity conducted by Norteño street gang members in Kings County. In addition to convicting Cervantes of Racketeering Conspiracy, the jury found Cervantes responsible for the conspiracies to murder Lorenzo “Lencho” Guzman in 2015 and John “Shanks” Reyna in 2019, as well as the attempted murders of Antonio “Sombras” Villagrana in 2015, John “Knockers” Muzquiz in 2016, and Matt Rocha in 2019.
The trial evidence demonstrated Perez was another General of the prison gang, specifically, the “General of Prisons.” In this role, Perez was responsible for maintaining authority over all NF regiments within the California prison system. His responsibilities included appointing NF members and associates to leadership positions within California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) facilities, as well as overseeing and regulating criminal activity occurring in these facilities. In his role as General of Prisons, Perez collected a portion of profits from the prison regiments. He also was the Regimental Commander of the San Mateo County Street Regiment. In addition to convicting Perez of Racketeering Conspiracy, the jury found Perez responsible for the conspiracy to murder Lorenzo “Lencho” Guzman, as well as the attempted murders of Antonio “Sombras” Villagrana, John “Knockers” Muzquiz, and Matt Rocha.
At trial, the evidence established that Franco was a member of the NF’s “Inner Council” and was Regimental Commander of San Joaquin County. As a member of the Inner Council, Franco was an advisor to the three NF Generals (two of whom were Cervantes and Perez) and was part of the General Council that, in addition to member discipline, made other significant decisions in conducting the affairs of the NF. In addition to convicting Franco of Racketeering Conspiracy, the jury found Franco responsible for the conspiracy to murder Lorenzo “Lencho” Guzman, as well as the attempted murder of Matt Rocha.
Solorio also was part of the NF “Inner Council” and was an advisor to the NF Generals. Solorio also was the Regimental Commander over the Monterey County Street Regiment. The evidence at trial demonstrated Solorio oversaw a prolific drug trafficking operation in Fresno, Calif. In addition to convicting Solorio of Racketeering Conspiracy, the jury found Solorio responsible for the attempted murder of Matt Rocha.
In sum, all four defendants were found guilty of racketeering conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1962, along with various special findings pertaining to the acts involving murder described above. The maximum statutory sentence for each defendant is life in prison. Judge Gonzalez Rogers scheduled the defendants’ sentencings for Mar. 6, 2025.
The trial of these four defendants marks the culmination of the prosecution of the NF leadership in the Northern District of California. The prosecution stems from a five-year investigation by the FBI, which resulted in the indictment of 54 Nuestra Familia members and associates, including defendants both on the streets and in California state prisons. With the jury’s verdict this week, the government has now obtained convictions of all 7 members of the NF’s General Council, its entire senior leadership team.
This case is being prosecuted by Mari Overbeck, Leif Dautch, and Aseem Padukone of the Organized Crime Strike Force for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI (San Francisco, Sacramento, and Phoenix Divisions), the DEA, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshal Service, with the assistance of the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, and the San Jose Police Department, and with support from the Alameda County Sheriff's Office, Antioch Police Department, Campbell Police Department, Fremont Police Department, King’s County Sheriff’s Office, Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, Mountain View Police Department, Sacramento Police Department, Salinas Police Department, Menlo Park Police Department, Santa Clara County Parole Department, Santa Clara County Probation Department, Santa Clara Police Department, Santa Cruz County District Attorney's Office, Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office, Modesto Police Department, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, San Francisco Police Department, the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department, Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety, and the FBI’s Cryptanalysis and Racketeering Records Unit.
This investigation and prosecution are part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), which 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.
Former University of Delaware Student Who Stalked Women and Defrauded the Government Out of $1.5 Million Sentenced to over 7 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware announced today that a former University of Delaware student was sentenced yesterday to 87 months in prison and three years of supervised release for cyberstalking and threatening to kill two women while, in the same timeframe, filing fraudulent applications for pandemic relief loans and laundering the proceeds. In addition to the term of imprisonment, the Court ordered the forfeiture of $1,428,664.14 in fraud proceeds from Stevens’ bank accounts. The Honorable U.S. District Judge Richard G. Andrews pronounced the sentence.
According to court documents, Kyle Stevens, 30, met Victims 1 and 2 while they were all students at the University of Delaware during the 2018-2019 school year. The two Victims did not give Stevens the attention he felt he deserved, and he became fixated on them, building a grudge that lasted four years and stretched overseas.
Stevens wrote a document entitled “Stalker Notes,” which showed that he knew he would be arrested eventually but believed he would be able to avoid repercussions by acting a certain way. Stevens’ talking points included: “right after arrest, repentant . . . can be productive instead of being a waste of tax dollars . . . [and] maybe this won’t have to end as a tragedy of me not doing anything productive with my life.” His focus was on the impact of his actions on himself, rather than the women he threatened or the community at large.
PPP Fraud
Stevens moved to Germany in October 2020 to study abroad. While there, Stevens submitted ten fraudulent applications for COVID-19 pandemic relief loans for small businesses that did not exist. He successfully diverted $1,520,164.14 intended to aid small businesses struggling through the pandemic.
In a note to himself, Stevens wrote that his “current priorities” included mundane tasks like getting a German phone number, as well as “more fraud . . . What’s stopping me from fraud and taking out many 50k loans?”
Cyberstalking
In September 2021, Stevens wrote down a plan to stalk Victims 1 and 2: “vocal harassment bu[i]lds confidence, so steal, move to [h]er, harass, . . . also harass others/family.” Stevens began sending emails and social media messages to Victims 1 and 2, threatening that he “tried to forgive” them for their perceived slights, but that they would get “payback” and “revenge one way or another.” These messages kicked off a months-long stalking campaign which included repeated threats to put a “bullet in your head,” to “kill you,” or to fire a “gunshot” no one would be “able to block.”
Stevens used any means he could to reach these women, including numerous email accounts, phone numbers and social media platforms. He went so far as to find Victim 1’s father’s Facebook page and send him a message stating he couldn’t “wait to bash your daughter’s skull in.” And Stevens planned in advance, setting a calendar reminder for himself a month into the future with the heading: “Death threat??”
On September 15, 2021 – the same day that he submitted his ninth fraudulent application for a pandemic relief loan - Stevens sent Victim 1 his most explicitly violent threat:
I’m going to slaughter you. I’m going to string you up. I’m going to put you on hooks in the back of a freezer like a f[***]ing cow. . . . I could eat your f[***]ing kidneys like Jack the f[***]ing Ripper, dance in your entrails on the UD mall. . . I can jam a barrel down your throat and see how well you can lie to me then. . . . I’m going to come to you. . . . the police can’t help you. I’m going to come to you. I’m going to kill everyone in the way.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office, working with the U.S. Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, coordinated with the German Ministry of Justice to extradite Stevens from Germany to face two indictments, for stalking and fraud, on May 23, 2023. German authorities provided further assistance in restraining Stevens’ German bank accounts into which he had deposited pandemic fraud proceeds.
At the time of Stevens’ arrest, German law enforcement agencies seized his cell phone, laptop, and other electronic devices. Within Stevens’ electronic materials, law enforcement found numerous diatribes written by Stevens, with titles like “I Did Not Build This Wall,” “I Hate Pretty Girls,” and “Stalker Notes.” Those writings detailed Stevens’ worldview and justification for his crimes: he believed his life had been unfair, so he was justified in seeking retribution by any means. Because he grew up without the financial resources he desired, he felt justified in stealing as much as he could through fraud. And because the women he met didn’t love him, he vowed to make sure they feared him. Consistent with that worldview, Stevens’ writings also noted that he identified with “incels” or “involuntary celibates” – men whose primary grievance is a lack of sexual attention from women.
U.S. Attorney Weiss stated, “The defendant terrorized multiple women and committed over $1.5 million in pandemic relief fraud. He perpetrated this months-long crime spree, harming individual women and the community at large, all from behind a computer in a foreign country. Today’s sentence demonstrates Stevens is not above the law. Our office is committed to rooting out criminals wherever they are, and we will continue to fight for victims.”
“Numerous innocent victims suffered greatly, enduring years of emotional distress and torture, because of Kyle Stevens’ violent harassment and stalking,” said Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office. “In addition to his menacing and predatory behavior, Stevens targeted taxpayers by stealing more than a million dollars of pandemic relief aid. The FBI will always hold accountable those seeking to victimize others for their personal gain and gratification.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly A. Hudson prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 1:22-CR-65 and 1:22-CR-66.
Former Union Treasurer Sentenced for Embezzlement of Funds and Falsifying of Financial RecordsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Blaine, Minnesota, has been sentenced in federal court to six months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release that includes in-home incarceration for the first 180 days, on his conviction of embezzlement and theft of union assets, and falsification of financial records required to be kept by labor unions, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge Robert J. Colville imposed the sentence on Donald W. Byers, 50, formerly of Tyrone, Pennsylvania, on October 1, 2024.
According to information presented to the Court, Byers was the treasurer of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers Division 287. From June 2017 through December 2020, Byers used his position to embezzle over $44,000 of union money by issuing more than 50 unauthorized checks to himself. Byers also falsified a financial report filed with the Department of Labor’s Office of Labor-Management Standards and forged the signature of a union officer on many of the checks.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Colville stated that Byers’s crime was serious and that incarceration was warranted because of Byers’s criminal history, among other factors.
Assistant United States Attorneys Robert Cessar and Jacqueline Brown prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Department of Labor’s Office of Labor-Management Standards for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Byers.
Former Seattle tech worker, who created and promoted website urging incest and child sexual abuse, sentenced to 30 years in prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 40-year-old Seattle woman was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for five federal felonies related to the sexual abuse of children, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Shabnam Dawn Pilisuk was convicted following a four-day jury trial in March 2023. At today’s sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Tana Lin told Pilisuk, “You committed one of the most heinous crimes, committed against the most vulnerable members of the community: children.”
According to records filed in the case, a Seattle Police detective uncovered information about a website that included discussion of incest and child abuse. The investigation revealed that Pilisuk was the founder and operator of the website. The investigation further revealed that Pilisuk had traveled with an 11-year-old and sexually molested the child. The website is no longer functioning.
In March 2019, Seattle Police and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) served a judicially authorized search warrant on Pilisuk’s Seattle Home. They seized her electronic devices. The devices were forensically examined and determined to have images of child sexual abuse. In November 2021, a victim disclosed the sexual abuse that began when the child was 11 years old.
The jury convicted Pilisuk of: Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor under 12, punishable by a mandatory minimum 30 years to life in prison; Production of Child Pornography punishable by a mandatory minimum 15 years in prison to 30 years in prison; two counts of Transportation of a Minor with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity punishable by a mandatory minimum ten years to life in prison; and Possession of Child Pornography, punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
In asking for a 45-year sentence Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Harmon wrote to the court, “The seriousness of Pilisuk’s crimes cannot be overstated: she raped and molested a child..., made (the child) available for like-minded friends to also abuse (the child), and organized an online community in support of incest and child sexual abuse.”
Pilisuk has been in custody since her arrest in 2021.
The case was investigated by the Seattle Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matt Hampton and Special Assistant United States Attorney Laura Harmon. Ms. Harmon is a Senior King County Deputy Prosecutor specially designated to prosecute child exploitation cases in federal court.
Former Jail Nurse Indicted on Federal Charges for Fraud, Drug Distribution, and PerjuryRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS - United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that TONYA DENISE BROWN (“BROWN”), age 48, of Tangipahoa Parish, a licensed practical nurse, has been charged on September 26, 2024 in a nine-count indictment.
The indictment charges BROWN with four counts of wire fraud, with each count alleging a different scheme. In one alleged scheme, BROWN obtained money with false promises of assistance with state criminal prosecutions. The indictment alleges that BROWN used a nursing job at the Tangipahoa Parish Jail to conduct the scheme. The other three alleged schemes relate to disaster assistance. Specifically, BROWN is accused of defrauding people by claiming that, in exchange for money, she would help them obtain disaster assistance benefits. BROWN is also accused of defrauding the HUD-funded Restore Louisiana Homeowner Assistance Program, which provided grant funding to homeowners affected by disasters. Additionally, BROWN is accused of defrauding FEMA’s rental assistance program that provided grants to help displaced disaster victims pay their rent. BROWN is also charged with Aggravated Identity Theft for allegedly misusing a notary’s identity in the rental assistance scheme.
Further, BROWN is charged with two counts related to the sale of controlled substances. Specifically, she is charged with Use of a Facility in Interstate Commerce in Aid of an Unlawful Activity, by using the internet to sell drugs, including oxycodone and dextroamphetamine-amphetamine. She is also charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance by offering to sell oxycodone hydrochloride pills.
Finally, BROWN is charged with two counts regarding false statements. One count charges BROWN with making a False Statement to the FBI. The other count charges her for making a False Declaration Before the Court by allegedly lying to a judge.
The wire fraud counts alleging false promises of assistance with state criminal cases and false promises of assistance with disaster benefits are each punishable by up to 20 years’ imprisonment and three years’ supervised release. The wire fraud counts related to the Restore program and the FEMA rental assistance program are each punishable by up to 30 years’ imprisonment and five years’ supervised release due to enhanced penalties for fraud involving disaster benefits. The aggravated identity theft count is punishable by two years’ imprisonment and up to one year’s supervised release. The False Statement count, the False Declaration Before the Court count, and the Use of a Facility in Interstate Commerce in Aid of an Unlawful Activity count are each punishable by up to five years’ imprisonment and three years’ supervised release. A fine of up to $250,000 may be imposed for each count except the Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance count, for which a fine of up to $1,000,000 may be imposed. As to each charged count, BROWN also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
United States Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the defendant’s guilt must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
United States Attorney Evans thanked the FEMA Fraud Investigations & Internal Inspections Division, Fraud Prevention and Investigations Branch for its assistance in this matter.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Office of Inspector General - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chandra Menon of the Public Integrity Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Former Federal Inmate Sentenced to Eight Months for Possessing a Weapon and Alcohol in Butner PrisonRead the Press Release
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – A former federal inmate previously housed at the Federal Medical Center in Butner, North Carolina (“FMC Butner”) was sentenced to eight months incarceration for possessing a weapon and alcohol inside the federal prison.
“We are prioritizing prison contraband cases for prosecution, and proud of our tight partnership with the Bureau of Prisons on these cases,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Taking a hard line on prison contraband - especially drugs, weapons, and cellphones – is vital to the safety of our corrections professionals and other inmates. We won’t stop till our federal facilities are as safe and secure as they can possibly be.”
According to court documents, Gencis Martinez-Rodriguez, 30, an inmate located at FMC Butner at the time of the offense, was found by Federal Bureau of Prisons (“BOP”) staff to be in possession of a homemade sharpened weapon, which Martinez-Rodriguez had attempted to conceal in the waistband of his pants. After conducting a search of his cell, BOP staff also discovered that Martinez-Rodriguez was in possession of an alcoholic liquid. Martinez-Rodriguez was charged by way of a two count indictment for possession of contraband in prison. On June 20, 2024, Martinez-Rodriguez pled guilty to both counts. Martinez-Rodriguez received eight months incarceration on each count to be served concurrently.
Martinez-Rodriguez’s convictions for possession of a weapon and alcohol also make him ineligible to earn time credits under the First Step Act, which allows federal inmates to earn up to 365 days off of their sentence for participating in eligible programming while incarcerated.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Prisons investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Merrill Ward prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-CR-00041-BO-BM.
Former Corrections Officer Charged with Conspiring to Smuggle Narcotics into Rikers IslandRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jocelyn E. Strauber, the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”), and James E. Dennehy, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the unsealing of a Complaint charging GHISLAINE BARRIENTOS with conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and false statements as part of a scheme to smuggle narcotics into Rikers Island. BARRIENTOS was arrested today and will be presented before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn later today.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Rikers Island is less safe, for inmates and officers alike, when corrections officers and others in positions of public trust accept bribes to smuggle contraband. As alleged, the defendant in this case engaged in corruption for her own enrichment. In our relentless pursuit of justice, we leave no stone unturned, especially within the confines of jails and prisons, where the safety and dignity of all individuals must be safeguarded. We will not tolerate any breach of trust or corruption that jeopardizes the well-being of inmates and staff.”
DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber said: “The contraband trade destabilizes the City’s jails, and City Correction Officers play a vital role in maintaining order and keeping persons in custody, and their fellow officers, safe. But this defendant, as charged, ignored her obligations and violated the trust the City placed in her when she took bribes in exchange for smuggling dangerous narcotics and other contraband into Rikers Island jail facilities. I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the FBI for their partnership with DOI in the effort to stop illegal contraband smuggling in the City’s jails.”
As alleged in the Complaint:[1]
BARRIENTOS, a former New York City Department of Correction (“DOC”) correction officer, conspired with others to smuggle contraband, including cocaine, smokeable synthetic cannabinoids (known as “K2”), and food, to inmates housed at the Robert N. Davoren Complex on Rikers Island in exchange for thousands of dollars in bribe payments.
For example, on April 11, 2024, CC-1, an associate of an inmate (“Inmate-1”), and BARRIENTOS discussed CC-1 sending BARRIENTOS a package through a delivery service. On April 15, 2024, surveillance footage showed BARRIENTOS entering Inmate-1’s cell, where surveillance footage could not capture her actions. Two days later, DOC searched Inmate-1’s cell and recovered sheets of paper that tested positive for the presence of cocaine.
On April 24, 2024, CC-1 sent BARRIENTOS another package using the delivery service. When BARRIENTOS went to work later that day, a drug-detecting canine alerted for the presence of narcotics. DOC employees searched BARRIENTOS’s belongings and found approximately 10 sheets of paper that tested positive for the presence of K2. In an interview with law enforcement, BARRIENTOS falsely stated, among other things, that no inmate had ever asked her to bring them contraband. Law enforcement officers then searched BARRIENTOS’s vehicle and recovered additional sheets of paper, as well as approximately $2,466 in cash, as shown in the following photographs:
* * *
BARRIENTOS, 37, of Mount Vernon, New York, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of false statements, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The statutory maximum sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and DOI.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption and Narcotics Units. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Coyle and Sheb Swett are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint constitutes only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation.
Florida Company Charged with Conspiring to Sell Misbranded N95 Masks to Hospital in Early Months of COVID-19 PandemicRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Florida company, and two individuals associated with the company, have been charged and agreed to plead guilty to charges associated with shipping facemasks that were misbranded as N95 respirators, and price gouging hospitals, during the earliest phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.
JDM Supply LLC (JDM) has been charged with one count of conspiracy to introduce misbranded devices into interstate commerce with intent to defraud or mislead, in violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Daniel Motha, 40, of Miami, Fla., and Jeffrey Motha, 36, of Norfolk, Mass., were charged with one count of introduction of misbranded devices into interstate commerce and one count of conspiracy to commit price gouging in violation of the Defense Production Act. Plea hearings have not yet been scheduled by the Court. In August 2023, a third individual, Jason Colantuoni, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit price gouging in connection with this investigation.
According to the charging documents, in the spring of 2020, during the earliest phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, JDM and a company identified as “Company 1” conspired to ship facemasks that were misbranded as National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)-approved, N95 respirators. It is alleged that one hospital accepted and paid for hundreds of thousands of purported N95 masks that were manufactured by Company 1 and sold by JDM. Ultimately, the hospital did not use the masks, which were eventually returned to Company 1. It is further alleged that JDM misled the hospital into believing that the Company 1 masks were NIOSH-approved N95s, when in fact they were not.
In August 2020, a NIOSH lab tested a sample of the Company 1 masks that had been shipped to the hospital. All 10 Company 1 masks fell under the 95% minimum level of filtration efficiency required for N95 respirators.Daniel Motha and Jeff Motha allegedly conspired to use JDM to exploit and profit off of the critical need of hospitals and healthcare workers for scarce N95 masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is alleged that they accumulated N95 masks from various sources and then sold the N95 masks through JDM to hospitals in Massachusetts, and elsewhere, at prices in excess of the prevailing market price.
The charge of conspiracy to introduce or deliver for introduction into interstate commerce a misbranded device with intent to defraud or mislead, brought against JDM, provides for a fine of $500,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss of the offense, whichever is greater and up to five years of probation. The charge of introduction or delivery for introduction into interstate commerce a misbranded device provides for a sentence of up to one year in prison; up to one year of supervised release; and a fine of $100,000. The charge of conspiracy to commit price gouging in violation of the Defense Production Act provides for a sentence of up to one year in prison; up to one year of supervised release; and a fine of up to $10,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; Fernando McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bill Brady and Howard Locker of the Health Care Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Federal jury convicts Shepherd man of making threats to assault former U.S. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, harassing phone callsRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A federal jury convicted a Shepherd man today of charges accusing him of making repeated threatening and harassing phone calls, including threatening to injure former U.S. Congressman and Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
After a three-day trial that began on Sept. 30, the jury found the defendant, Richard Lee Rogers, 45, guilty of threatening to assault a member of Congress and two counts of harassing telephone calls as charged in a superseding indictment. Rogers faces a maximum of six years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the charge of threatening to assault a member of Congress, and a maximum of two years in prison, a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised release on the charge of harassing phone calls.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Jan. 31, 2025. Rogers’ release was continued pending further proceedings.
In court documents and at trial, the government alleged that on Feb. 3, 2023, Rogers made repeated and harassing phone calls to staff members who worked for former Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who was then Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. The jury found that during one of the calls, Rogers threatened to assault the Speaker. In addition to the harassing and threatening calls placed to the Speaker’s office, Rogers placed at least 150 harassing phone calls to telephone operators at the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center (NTOC) between Dec. 31, 2021 and Oct. 13, 2022.
On Feb. 3, 2023, the U.S. Capitol Police received a report from Speaker McCarthy’s office advising it had received a high volume of phone calls from Rogers. In the calls, Rogers identified himself and said he resided in Billings, Montana. U.S. Capitol Police identified the number used and confirmed it was associated with Rogers.
A staff member who spoke to Rogers reported that the calls consisted of Rogers harassing and swearing at the employees who were answering the calls in the Speaker’s office that day. The staff member reported that Rogers’ comments were at first sexual in nature prior to threatening to assault the former Speaker. An investigation determined that the phone number associated with Rogers called the Speaker’s office 147 times in 75 minutes on Feb. 3, 2023.
The government further alleged that records showed Rogers contacted the FBI’s NTOC more than 100 times between December 2021 and October 2022. During many of the calls, Rogers identified himself and provided his phone number and address when speaking to operators. Rogers behavior with the NTOC operators in many instances consisted of his yelling, berating, being uncooperative and using obscenities toward the employees. During several of the calls, NTOC operators informed Rogers that they were terminating the call because he was being abusive and harassing. During the investigation, an FBI special agent contacted Rogers on Oct. 13, 2022 regarding his numerous calls to NTOC. During the call, Rogers admitted to calling NTOC “thousands of times” and expressed anger with various political officials.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The FBI and U.S. Capitol Police conducted the investigation.
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Federal Judge Sentences Rockford Man to Eight Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A federal judge has sentenced a Rockford man to eight years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm in Rockford.
TYRONE SMITH, 37, pleaded guilty earlier this year to a charge of illegal firearm possession. As a previously convicted felon, Smith was prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm. Smith admitted in a plea agreement that while in Rockford in September 2022, he possessed a handgun that was loaded with 13 rounds of ammunition, including one in the chamber.
U.S. District Judge Lindsay C. Jenkins imposed the sentence Monday in U.S. District Court in Rockford.
The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and Carla Redd, Chief of the Rockford Police Department. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodora Anderson.
Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) – the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction strategy. In the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Attorney's Office and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to attack a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses.
FCI Schuylkill Inmate Charged with Possession of A WeaponRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Rasaan Gourrier, age 29, an inmate at the Schuylkill Federal Correctional Institution, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury for possessing a weapon in prison.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on August 7, 2024, Gourrier was discovered to be in possession of a homemade plexiglass weapon, known as a “shank.”
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). Assistant United States Attorney Sarah R. Lloyd is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for possessing a weapon in prison is 5 years imprisonment, a term of supervision following release, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Election Officer Named for District of Colorado’s Effort to Ensure Voting IntegrityRead the Press Release
DENVER – Acting United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Matt Kirsch announces that Assistant United States Attorney Alison Connaughty will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election.
AUSA Connaughty has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the District of Colorado, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
“Voting is the cornerstone of American democracy, and our office takes seriously its role in making sure that everyone who is entitled to vote gets to vote,” said Acting United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Matt Kirsch.The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.
Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English.
In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, the District Election Officer will be on duty in the District of Colorado while the polls are open and can be reached at (303) 454-0159.
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ .
In the event of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
El Departamento de Justicia y el Poder Judicial de Colorado mejoran el acceso lingüístico en los tribunales para personas con un dominio limitado del inglésRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que el Poder Judicial de Colorado ha tomado medidas importantes para garantizar un acceso lingüístico significativo para las personas con un dominio limitado del inglés (LEP, por sus siglas en inglés) que interactúan con el sistema judicial estatal.
En julio del 2023, la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento se enfrentó al Poder Judicial de Colorado después de recibir quejas de que los tribunales no estaban proporcionando los servicios lingüísticos necesarios a personas LEP según lo requerido por el Título VI de la ley de Derechos Civiles de 1964 (Título VI). El Título VI prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de raza, color de piel y origen nacional por parte de entidades que reciben apoyo financiero federal.
En respuesta a la consulta del Departamento, el Poder Judicial de Colorado identificó pasos proactivos que ya se han tomado para abordar las inquietudes planteadas en la queja y ha trabajado con la División para realizar una variedad de otras mejoras en su programa de acceso lingüístico.
«La provisión de servicios de interpretación precisos y oportunos dentro y fuera de la sala judicial es primordial para poder garantizar que todos los usuarios del tribunal tengan acceso igualitario a la justicia», afirmó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «Las medidas adoptadas por el Poder Judicial de Colorado sirven como ejemplo y muestran un verdadero compromiso con la creación de un sólido programa de acceso lingüístico».
En el año desde que el DOJ comenzó a trabajar con el Poder Judicial de Colorado, el tribunal ha contratado a un nuevo coordinador de acceso lingüístico; ha revisado la política financiera de la Oficina de Acceso Lingüístico; ha comenzado a crear un nuevo sistema de programación para intérpretes; ha comprado nuevos equipos para su uso en la interpretación judicial, incluidos auriculares y iPads; ha capacitado a personal e intérpretes del tribunal; y ha implementado otras mejoras clave.
El Departamento continuará a supervisar la implementación de estos cambios y recibirá con agrado los comentarios del público. Las quejas sobre prácticas discriminatorias pueden notificarse a través del sitio web de la División de Derechos Civiles en civilrights.justice.gov
Puede encontrar más información sobre la División de Derechos Civiles en su sitio web en www.justice.gov/crt. La información sobre el dominio limitado del inglés y el Título VI está disponible en www.lep.gov y la información específica de los tribunales se puede encontrar en www.lep.gov/state-courts.
Des Moines Woman Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Federal Prison for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Pamela Brownell, 64, from Des Moines, Iowa was sentenced on October 1, 2024 to 152 months in federal prison after a May 28, 2024, guilty plea in federal court in Sioux City, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings, showed that from September 2022 through October 2023, Brownell and others conspired to distribute more than 65 kilograms of methamphetamine in the Des Moines/Fort Dodge, Iowa areas. In October 2023, law enforcement purchased 3 ounces and ½ pound of methamphetamine from Brownell in two controlled drug transactions. In October 2023, a traffic stop of Brownell, followed by a search warrant at her residence resulted in the seizure of 2½ pounds of methamphetamine which she intended to distribute to others. In 2006 Brownell was previously convicted in federal court of an attempt to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Brownell was sentenced to 152 months’ imprisonment and must serve a term of eight-years of supervised release following the imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Brownell remains in custody of the United States Marshal until she can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Iowa State Patrol, the Iowa DCI Laboratory, and the Polk, Hamilton, and Webster County Sheriffs’ Offices.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-3007. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Department of Justice Awards Additional $16 Million in Grants to Support Public Safety Efforts in NevadaRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson today announced awards totaling $16,231,466 in Department of Justice grants to support public safety efforts in the District of Nevada. The grants were awarded by the Department’s Office on Violence Against Women.
“These grant awards will be used to support survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, stalking, and sex trafficking,” said United Sates Attorney Frierson for the District of Nevada. “We are committed to working with local, state, and Tribal governments, and community organizations to address and reduce violence against women in our communities.”
The following organizations received funding:
- Nevada Attorney General’s Office – $3,232,136
- OVW Fiscal Year 2024 STOP Formula Grant Program – $1,877,858
- OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Sexual Assault Services Formula Program – $854,278
- OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Local Law Enforcement Grants for Enforcement of Cybercrimes Program – $500,000
- Reno-Sparks Indian Colony – $1,322,192
- OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Grants to Indian Tribal Governments Program
- Shoshone-Paiute Tribes – $1,549,951
- OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Grants to Indian Tribal Governments Program – $799,951
- OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Program – $750,000
- Walker River Paiute Tribe – $871,600
- OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Grants to Indian Tribal Governments Program
- Fallon Paiute Shoshone Tribe – $738,793
- OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Grants to Indian Tribal Governments Program
- Washoe Tribe of Nevada & California – $601,681
- OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Grants to Indian Tribal Governments Program
- Nevada Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence – $367,379
- OVW Fiscal Year 2024 State and Territory Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions Program
- County of Elko – $700,000
- OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Program
- Gay & Lesbian Community Center – $599,927
- OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Grants for Outreach and Services to Underserved Populations Program
- Board of Regents of Nevada System of Higher Education – $397,807
- OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Grants to Reduce Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking on Campus Program
- Nevada Outreach Training Organization No to Abuse – $500,000
- OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Transitional Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking Program
- National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges – $5,350,000
- OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Training and Technical Assistance Initiative – $1,450,000
- OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Training and Technical Assistance Initiative – $1,800,000
- OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Training and Technical Assistance Initiative – $1,600,000
- OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Training and Technical Assistance Initiative – $500,000
The awards announced above are being made as part of the regular end-of-fiscal year cycle. More information about these and other OVW awards can be found on the OVW Grant Awards Page.
About the Office on Violence Against Women
OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent reauthorizing legislation. Created in 1995, OVW has awarded more than $11 billion in funding to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies, and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW supports policy development and undertakes special initiatives in response to community-identified needs. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.
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- Nevada Attorney General’s Office – $3,232,136
Connecticut Orthopedic Practice Makes Changes to Ensure Effective Communication with Persons with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that SPORTS MEDICINE & ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY, P.C. (“SMOS”), an orthopedic medical practice with offices in Manchester and Tolland, has entered into a settlement agreement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”).
The matter was initiated by a complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Justice by an individual who is deaf and speaks American Sign Language alleging that SMOS did not provide them with a qualified interpreter for American Sign Language at medical appointments. The government’s investigation determined that SMOS did not provide an American Sign Language interpreter for three medical appointments, and that SMOS offered to communicate with the complainant by typing back and forth on a computer, which did not provide effective communication for a medical appointment.
Under the terms of the settlement agreement, SMOS has agreed not to discriminate based on disability in the future and will provide persons with disabilities with full and equal enjoyment of its services. As part of that obligation, SMOS will provide auxiliary aids and services, including American Sign Language interpreters, to ensure effective communication with its patients and their companions who have disabilities. SMOS has also agreed to provide reasonable modifications to policies and procedures for individuals with disabilities consistent with the ADA.
U.S. Attorney Avery noted that SMOS has worked cooperatively with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to improve their ADA compliance without litigation.
The settlement agreement is effective for three years, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will monitor compliance during that time.
Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that any place of public accommodation or public entity in Connecticut is not accessible to persons with disabilities may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 203-821-3700 and ask for the Civil Rights Intake Specialist.
Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov, or by calling the Justice Department’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 and (800) 514-0383 (TTY). More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.
This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stewart C. Dearing.
Claremore Man Sentenced to 50 Years in Prison After Sharing Video of Himself Sexually Abusing a ToddlerRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Brayden Kent Bull, 26, for Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor Under 12 in Indian Country, Production of Child Pornography, and for the Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography. Judge Russell ordered Bull to be sentenced to 600 months imprisonment, followed by a lifetime supervised release. Upon his release, Bull will also be required to register as a sex offender.
“This 50 year sentence of imprisonment is direct consequence of the severity and depravity of Bull’s criminal conduct,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “To combat child predators it takes a community effort. Parents, teachers, caregivers, and law enforcement are vital players in this effort. I want to commend all those that helped bring this sexual predator to justice.”
“Those who produce, share, and view images of child sexual abuse materials create a lasting cycle of trauma and victimization, making these offenses extremely harmful," said acting Special Agent in Charge Travis Picard HSI Dallas. "Identifying child predators particularly those involved in the sexual abuse of innocent children requires a collaborative effort in bringing them to justice. We greatly appreciate the strong partnerships we have with our law enforcement colleagues, ensuring this individual will never harm a child again."
According to court documents, Bull admittingly filmed himself sexually abusing a toddler he was babysitting. Bull then shared the video on social media. Law enforcement received several CyberTips that led them to Bull. After a search warrant was conducted, law enforcement found additional material that showed explicit videos of children being sexually abused.
Bull is a citizen of the Navajo Nation and will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Rogers County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashley Robert and Christopher J. Nassar prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Chinle Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Kidnapping and AssaultRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Jared Josh John, 32, of Chinle, was sentenced on September 11, 2024, by United States District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 25 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. After a jury trial in May 2023, John was convicted of Carjacking, Kidnapping, Robbery, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, Assault with Intent to Commit Murder, Assault with Intent to Commit a Felony, and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury.
In July 2020, the victim was passing through the Navajo Nation on a road trip when John and a co-defendant broke into his car while he was resting for the night. Led by John, the two co-defendants drove the victim into the desert, where John slit the victim’s throat three times and left him to die. The victim survived by playing dead until the defendants left, and then used his clothes to fashion a tourniquet for his neck before going to find help.
John’s co-defendant, Everickk Matthew Begay, 55, of Chinle, pleaded guilty to Kidnapping, Robbery, and Assault with Intent to Commit a Felony on March 20, 2023. Begay was sentenced on August 14, 2023, to 97 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Navajo Division of Public Safety conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alanna R. Kennedy and Tracy Van Buskirk, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handed the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-21-08113-PCT-DJH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-134_Begay et al.# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
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