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Friday 27 September 2024
U.S. Attorney honors law enforcement for exceptional service in the Eastern District of VirginiaRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Today U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber recognized officers and agents from federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies from across the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA) with Public Service Awards.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office typically holds annual awards ceremonies to recognize the law enforcement officials for their service and contribution to various criminal and civil cases investigated and prosecuted in EDVA. Award ceremonies took place Sept. 4 in Alexandria, Sept. 16 in Richmond, Sept. 25 in Newport News, and Sept. 26 in Norfolk.
“This annual recognition of our law enforcement partners is truly one of my favorite events each year,” said Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This event allows us to share with these dedicated public servants our appreciation for their efforts. The gratitude we express here and now is the gratitude we hold each day.”
The awards highlighted federal cases, operations, and initiatives from 2023. The federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies listed below had officers and/or agents who were recognized for their bravery, outstanding collaboration, investigative achievement, investigative excellence, and victim assistance. Members of the following agencies were recognized at each of the ceremonies:
AlexandriaRichmondNewport NewsNorfolkArlington County Police DepartmentArmy CIDATF Washington Field DivisionATF Washington Field DivisionArmy CIDATF Washington Field DivisionDepartment of Labor OIGChesapeake Police DepartmentArmy Criminal Investigative ServiceChesterfield County Police DepartmentDiplomatic Security ServiceDrug Enforcement AdministrationATF Washington Field DivisionCity of Richmond OIGDrug Enforcement AdministrationFBI - Norfolk Field OfficeBaltimore City Police DepartmentDepartment of Labor OIGFBI - Norfolk Field OfficeFranklin Police DepartmentD.C. Metropolitan Police DepartmentDepartment of Labor OIGHomeland Security InvestigationsGreensboro Police DepartmentDefense Criminal Investigative ServiceDrug Enforcement AdministrationInternal Revenue Service - Criminal InvestigationsHomeland Security InvestigationsDOJ - Child Exploitation and Obscenity SectionFBI - Richmond Field OfficeNewport News Police DepartmentNaval Criminal Investigative ServiceDrug Enforcement AdministrationHenrico County Police DepartmentU.S. Marshals ServiceNorfolk Police DepartmentFairfax County Police DepartmentHomeland Security InvestigationsU.S. Postal Inspection ServiceNorfolk Sheriff's OfficeFBI - Washington Field OfficeICEVirginia State PolicePortsmouth Police DepartmentFederal Reserve Board of Governors and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau OIGInternal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigations Portsmouth Police DepartmentGeneral Services Administration OIGOffice of the Va. Attorney General - Medicaid Fraud Control Unit Suffolk Police DepartmentHHS OIGPetersburg Bureau of Police U.S. Postal Inspection ServiceHomeland Security InvestigationsPrince George County Police Department U.S. Postal Service OIGHyattsville Police DepartmentRichmond Police Department Virginia Beach Commonwealth's Attorney's OfficeICESmall Business Administration OIG Virginia Beach Police DepartmentInternal Revenue Service - Criminal InvestigationsU.S. Marshals Service Virginia State PoliceLabor OIGU.S. Postal Inspection Service Office of Naval Research, U.S. NavyU.S. Secret Service Office of the Va. Attorney General - Medicaid Fraud Control UnitVeterans Affairs OIG Prince William County Police DepartmentVirginia State Police Treasury OIG U.S. Air Force U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. Marshals Service U.S. Postal Inspection Service U.S. Postal Service OIG Virginia Conservation PoliceA copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
U.K. National Charged with Multimillion-Dollar Hack-to-Trade Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A United Kingdom national has been charged for his execution of a hack-to-trade scheme, through which he generated millions of dollars in profits, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Robert Westbrook, 39, of London, United Kingdom, was arrested in the United Kingdom this week with a view towards extradition to the United States so that he can face an indictment charging him with securities fraud, wire fraud, and five counts of computer fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From January 2019 through May 2020, Westbrook executed a hack-to-trade scheme through which he generated millions of dollars in profits. On at least five occasions, Westbrook gained unauthorized access to Office365 email accounts belonging to corporate executives employed by certain U.S.-based companies to obtain non-public information, including information about impending earnings announcements. Westbrook then used that information to purchase securities that he sold in short order for substantial profits after the material information became public. On several occasions, Westbrook implemented auto-forwarding rules designed to automatically forward content from the corporate executives’ compromised email accounts to email accounts controlled by Westbrook. Westbrook generated profits exceeding $3 million dollars through this scheme.
The securities fraud count carries a maximum potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $5 million. The wire fraud count carries a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of either $250,000 or twice the gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. Each computer fraud count carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a maximum fine of either $250,000 or twice the gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) also filed a civil complaint against Westbrook today based on the same conduct.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Samantha C. Fasanello, Chief of the OCDETF/Narcotics Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Tucker Man Pleads Guilty to Burglary on Choctaw ReservationRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Tucker man pled guilty to the burglary of a home in the Tucker Community of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians’ Reservation.
According to court documents, in December 2021, Sherente Tubby, 22, broke into the home of another person with intent to commit assault.
Tubby is scheduled to be sentenced on January 14, 2024, and faces a minimum of three years and a maximum of twenty-five years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Todd Gee and Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Choctaw Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin J. Payne and Brian K. Burns prosecuted the case.
Tigard Mother and Daughter Indicted for Holding Three Victims in Indentured Servitude in Adult Foster Care HomeRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A mother and daughter from Tigard, Oregon were arraigned in federal court today after they were indicted for using force and threats to compel three victims, including a minor victim, to work for little or no pay in an adult foster care home.
Marie Gertrude Jean Valmont, 66, and Yolandita Marie Andre, 30, have been charged in a seven-count indictment with conspiring with one another to commit forced labor, committing forced labor, and benefitting from forced labor.
According to court documents, Valmont and Andre, the owners and operators of Velida’s Care Home in Tigard, began their trafficking scheme in 2023 when they convinced two adults and a child from Haiti to travel to the United States to work at Velida’s.
In early September 2023, all three victims arrived in Portland and were immediately taken to Velida’s where they were forced to work long, difficult hours for little or no pay. Valmont and Andre are also alleged to have taken their victims’ immigration paperwork and forbade them from leaving Velida’s under any circumstances. Valmont is further alleged to have thrown items at the victims, threatened to send them back to Haiti and have them killed, and threatened to call the police and make false theft allegations against them.
In the summer of 2023, authorities with the Oregon Department of Justice were alerted to the situation at Velida’s following the minor victim’s disclosure of her indentured servitude to a pediatrician. Shortly after, the minor victim was removed from Velida’s and placed in a foster home. On Thursday, the FBI arrested Valmont and Andre at Velida’s without incident.
Both defendants made their first appearances in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. They were arraigned, pleaded not guilty, and released pending further court proceedings.
Committing and benefitting from forced labor are both punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison per count of conviction.
This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Tigard Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Eliza Carmen-Rodriguez, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
If you or someone you know are victims of human trafficking or have information about a potential human trafficking situation, please call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) at 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733. NHTRC is a national, toll-free hotline, with specialists available to answer calls from anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also submit a tip on the NHTRC website.
If you believe a child is involved in a trafficking situation, you can also submit a tip via the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) CyberTipline or call 1-800-THE-LOST. FBI personnel assigned to NCMEC review information provided to the CyberTipline.
Three IRGC Cyber Actors Indicted for ‘Hack-and-Leak’ Operation Designed to Influence the 2024 U.S. Presidential ElectionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department today announced the unsealing of an indictment charging Iranian nationals, and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) employees, Masoud Jalili, 36, also known as, مسعود جلیلی, Seyyed Ali Aghamiri, 34, also known as, سید علی آقامیری, and Yaser Balaghi, 37, also known as, یاسر بلاغی, with a conspiracy with others known and unknown to hack into accounts of current and former U.S. officials, members of the media, nongovernmental organizations, and individuals associated with U.S. political campaigns. The activity was part of Iran’s continuing efforts to stoke discord, erode confidence in the U.S. electoral process, and unlawfully acquire information relating to current and former U.S. officials that could be used to advance the malign activities of the IRGC, including ongoing efforts to avenge the death of Qasem Soleimani, the former commander of the IRGC – Qods Force (IRGC-QF).
As alleged, in or around May 2024, after several years of focusing on compromising the accounts of former U.S. government officials, the conspirators used some of the same hacking infrastructure from earlier in the conspiracy to begin targeting and successfully gaining unauthorized access to personal accounts belonging to persons associated with an identified U.S. Presidential campaign (U.S. Presidential Campaign 1), including campaign officials. The conspirators used their access to those accounts to steal, among other information, non-public campaign documents and emails (campaign material). The activity broadened in late June 2024, when the conspirators engaged in a “hack-and-leak” operation, in which they sought to weaponize campaign material stolen from U.S. Presidential Campaign 1 by leaking such materials to members of the media and individuals associated with what was then another identified U.S. Presidential campaign (U.S. Presidential Campaign 2), in a deliberate effort to, as reflected in the conspirators’ own words and actions, undermine U.S. Presidential Campaign 1 in advance of the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
“The Justice Department is working relentlessly to uncover and counter Iran’s cyberattacks aimed at stoking discord, undermining confidence in our democratic institutions, and influencing our elections,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The American people – not Iran, or any other foreign power – will decide the outcome of our country’s elections.”
“This indictment alleges a serious and sustained effort by a state-sponsored terrorist organization to gather intelligence through hacking personal accounts so they can use the hacked materials to harm Americans and corruptly influence our election,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “The detailed allegations in the indictment should make clear to anyone who might attempt to do the same that the Department of Justice has the ability to gather evidence of such crimes from around the globe, will charge those who commit such crimes, and will do whatever we can to bring those charged to justice.”
"The defendants' hack-to-leak scheme is one of the Iranian government's latest ploys to erode public trust in the U.S. presidential election process," said FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the Washington Field Office. "The FBI will not tolerate malign foreign influence operations targeting U.S. political campaigns or voters. We will continue to work with our partners, as we have this year and during previous elections cycles, to identify and disrupt threats to elections and protect Americans' right to vote."
As alleged in the indictment, beginning in or around January 2020, Jalili, Aghamiri, and Balaghi, working on behalf of the IRGC, commenced a wide-ranging hacking campaign that used spearphishing and social engineering techniques to target and compromise victims computers and accounts. Among the conspirators’ techniques were: using virtual private networks and virtual private servers to obscure their true location; creating fraudulent email accounts in the names of prominent U.S. persons and international institutions; creating spoofed login pages to harvest account credentials; sending spearphishing emails using compromised victim accounts; and using social engineering to obtain victims’ login information and multi-factor recovery/authentication codes. Some of the conspirators’ efforts were successful, while others were not.
In April 2019, the U.S. Department of State designated the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization. Among the purposes of the conspiracy were for the conspirators to: (i) steal victims’ data, such as information related to U.S. government and foreign policy information concerning the Middle East; (ii) steal information relating to current and former U.S. officials that could be used to advance the IRGC’s malign activities; (iii) disrupt U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East; (iv) stoke discord and erode confidence in the U.S. electoral process; (v) steal personal and private information from persons who had access to information relating to U.S. Presidential Campaign 1, including non-public campaign material and information; and (vi) undermine U.S. Presidential Campaign 1 in advance of the 2024 U.S. presidential election by leaking stolen campaign material and information.
As reflected in the September 18, 2024 joint statement released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the FBI, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency: “Iranian malicious cyber actors in late June and early July sent unsolicited emails to individuals then associated with President Biden’s campaign that contained an excerpt taken from stolen, non-public material from former Trump’s campaign as text in the emails. There is currently no information indicating those recipients replied. Furthermore, Iranian malicious cyber actors have continued their efforts since June to send stolen, non-public material associated with former President Trump’s campaign to U.S. media organizations.”
As alleged in further detail in the indictment, the conspirators’ hack-and-leak efforts involved the conspirators emailing stolen campaign material to individuals that the conspirators believed were associated with what was then U.S. Presidential Campaign 2 and members of the media.
First, between on or about June 27 and July 3, the conspirators sent or forwarded an unsolicited email message to personal accounts of three persons that the conspirators believed were associated with U.S. Presidential Campaign 2. The June 27 email was sent to two recipients, and then forwarded the same day to another account for one of those recipients (due to the earlier email being sent to an invalid account for that recipient). This email chain contained campaign material stolen from an official for U.S. Presidential Campaign 1 (U.S. Victim 11). Neither of the recipients replied to the conspirators’ email. In addition, the conspirators sent a follow up email on July 3rd to a third recipient’s account, and the recipient similarly did not reply to the conspirators.
Second, between on or about July 22, 2024, and on or about August 31, 2024, the conspirators distributed other campaign material stolen from U.S. Victim 11 regarding U.S. Presidential Campaign 1’s potential vice-presidential candidates to multiple members of the news media, in an attempt to induce the news media to publish the material. In one instance, for example, the conspirators’ message stated “I think this information is worth a good [U.S. news publication] piece with your narration. Let me know your thoughts.”
As alleged, these defendants also sought to promote the IRGC’s goals and mission by compromising and maintaining unauthorized access to the email accounts of a number of former government officials, including U.S. Victim 1, who had served in a position with responsibility over U.S. Middle East policy at the time of Qasam Soleimani’s death. Using this access, the defendants obtained information to assist the IRGC’s efforts to target U.S. Victim 1 and others, including their means of identification, correspondence, travel information, lodging information and other information regarding their whereabouts and policy positions.
Jalili, Aghamiri, and Balaghi are charged with: conspiracy to commit identity theft, aggravated identity theft, access device fraud, unauthorized access to computers to obtain information from a protected computer, unauthorized access to computers to defraud and obtain a thing of value, and wire fraud, all while knowingly falsely registering domain names, which carries a maximum sentence of 12 years in prison; conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; eight counts of wire fraud while falsely registering domain names, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 27 years in prison; and eight counts of aggravated identity theft, each of which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison. If convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Concurrent with today’s announcement, the U.S. Department of State, through the Rewards for Justice Program, issued a reward of up to $10 million for information on Jalili, Aghamiri, and Balaghi, the IRGC’s interference in U.S. elections, or associated individuals and entities. Also, concurrent with today’s announcement, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC), pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13694, as amended, and E.O. 13848 designated Jalili for being responsible for or complicit in, or having engaged in, directly or indirectly, a cyber-enabled activity originating from, or directed by persons located, in whole or in substantial part, outside the United States that is reasonably likely to result in, or has materially contributed to, a significant threat to the national security, foreign policy, or economic health or financial stability of the United States and that has the purpose or effect of causing a significant misappropriation of funds or economic resources, trade secrets, personal identifiers, or financial information for commercial or competitive advantage or private financial gain.
The FBI Washington Field Office is investigating this case. The FBI Cyber Division and Springfield and Minneapolis Field Offices provided substantial assistance in this matter. For more information on threat activity as well as mitigation guidance, the FBI has released a Joint Cyber Security Advisory titled “Iranian Cyber Actors Targeting Personal Accounts to Support Operations.”
The Department of Justice would like to thank the following private sector partners for their assistance with this case: Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, and Meta.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tejpal Chawla and Christopher Tortorice for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Greg Nicosia of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section are prosecuting the case, with significant assistance from Paralegal Specialists Mariela Andrade and Kate Abrey. Josh Champagne of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section also provided valuable assistance.
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An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
hack_to_leak_indictment_20240927_.pdfFBI Most Wanted Poster English
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Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube
Three IRGC Cyber Actors Indicted for ‘Hack-and-Leak’ Operation Designed to Influence the 2024 U.S. Presidential ElectionRead the Press Release
Note: View the indictment here and the FBI Wanted Poster here.
The Justice Department today announced the unsealing of an indictment charging Iranian nationals, and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) employees, Masoud Jalili, 36, also known as, مسعود جلیلی, Seyyed Ali Aghamiri, 34, also known as, سید علی آقامیری, and Yaser Balaghi, 37, also known as, یاسر بلاغی (the Conspirators), with a conspiracy with others known and unknown to hack into accounts of current and former U.S. officials, members of the media, nongovernmental organizations, and individuals associated with U.S. political campaigns. The activity was part of Iran’s continuing efforts to stoke discord, erode confidence in the U.S. electoral process, and unlawfully acquire information relating to current and former U.S. officials that could be used to advance the malign activities of the IRGC, including ongoing efforts to avenge the death of Qasem Soleimani, the former commander of the IRGC – Qods Force (IRGC-QF).
As alleged, in or around May, after several years of focusing on compromising the accounts of former U.S. government officials, the conspirators used some of the same hacking infrastructure from earlier in the conspiracy to begin targeting and successfully gaining unauthorized access to personal accounts belonging to persons associated with an identified U.S. Presidential campaign (U.S. Presidential Campaign 1), including campaign officials. The conspirators used their access to those accounts to steal, among other information, non-public campaign documents and emails (campaign material). The activity broadened in late June, when the conspirators engaged in a “hack-and-leak” operation, in which they sought to weaponize campaign material stolen from U.S. Presidential Campaign 1 by leaking such materials to members of the media and individuals associated with what was then another identified U.S. Presidential campaign (U.S. Presidential Campaign 2), in a deliberate effort to, as reflected in the conspirators’ own words and actions, undermine U.S. Presidential Campaign 1 in advance of the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
“The Justice Department is working relentlessly to uncover and counter Iran’s cyberattacks aimed at stoking discord, undermining confidence in our democratic institutions, and influencing our elections,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The American people – not Iran, or any other foreign power – will decide the outcome of our country’s elections.”
“Today’s charges represent the culmination of a thorough and long-running FBI investigation that has resulted in the indictment of three Iranian nationals for their roles in a wide-ranging hacking campaign sponsored by the Government of Iran,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The conduct laid out in the indictment is just the latest example of Iran’s brazen behavior. So today the FBI would like to send a message to the Government of Iran – you and your hackers can’t hide behind your keyboards.”
“These hack-and-leak efforts by Iran are a direct assault on the integrity of our democratic processes,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Iranian government actors have long sought to use cyber-enabled means to harm U.S. interests. This case demonstrates our commitment to expose attempts by the Iranian regime or any other foreign actor to interfere with our free and open society.”
“This indictment alleges a serious and sustained effort by a state-sponsored terrorist organization to gather intelligence through hacking personal accounts so they can use the hacked materials to harm Americans and corruptly influence our election,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves for the District of Columbia. “The detailed allegations in the indictment should make clear to anyone who might attempt to do the same that the Justice Department has the ability to gather evidence of such crimes from around the globe, will charge those who commit such crimes, and will do whatever we can to bring those charged to justice.”
As alleged in the indictment, beginning in or around January 2020, Jalili, Aghamiri, and Balaghi, working on behalf of the IRGC, commenced a wide-ranging hacking campaign that used spearphishing and social engineering techniques to target and compromise victims computers and accounts. Among the conspirators’ techniques were: using virtual private networks and virtual private servers to obscure their true location; creating fraudulent email accounts in the names of prominent U.S. persons and international institutions; creating spoofed login pages to harvest account credentials; sending spearphishing emails using compromised victim accounts; and using social engineering to obtain victims’ login information and multi-factor recovery/authentication codes. Some of the conspirators’ efforts were successful, while others were not.
In April 2019, the Department of State designated the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization. Among the purposes of the conspiracy were for the conspirators to: (i) steal victims’ data, such as information related to U.S. government and foreign policy information concerning the Middle East; (ii) steal information relating to current and former U.S. officials that could be used to advance the IRGC’s malign activities; (iii) disrupt U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East; (iv) stoke discord and erode confidence in the U.S. electoral process; (v) steal personal and private information from persons who had access to information relating to U.S. Presidential Campaign 1, including non-public campaign material and information; and (vi) undermine U.S. Presidential Campaign 1 in advance of the 2024 U.S. presidential election by leaking stolen campaign material and information.
As reflected in the Sept. 18 joint statement released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, FBI, and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency: “Iranian malicious cyber actors in late June and early July sent unsolicited emails to individuals then associated with President Biden’s campaign that contained an excerpt taken from stolen, non-public material from former Trump’s campaign as text in the emails. There is currently no information indicating those recipients replied. Furthermore, Iranian malicious cyber actors have continued their efforts since June to send stolen, non-public material associated with former President Trump’s campaign to U.S. media organizations.”
As alleged in further detail in the indictment, the conspirators’ hack-and-leak efforts involved the conspirators emailing stolen campaign material to individuals that the conspirators believed were associated with what was then U.S. Presidential Campaign 2 and members of the media.
First, between on or about June 27 and July 3, the conspirators sent or forwarded an unsolicited email message to personal accounts of three persons that the conspirators believed were associated with U.S. Presidential Campaign 2. The June 27 email was sent to two recipients, and then forwarded the same day to another account for one of those recipients (due to the earlier email being sent to an invalid account for that recipient). This email chain contained campaign material stolen from an official for U.S. Presidential Campaign 1 (U.S. Victim 11). Neither of the recipients replied to the conspirators’ email. In addition, the conspirators sent a follow up email on July 3rd to a third recipient’s account, and the recipient similarly did not reply to the Conspirators.
Second, between on or about July 22 and on or about Aug. 31, the conspirators distributed other campaign material stolen from U.S. Victim 11 regarding U.S. Presidential Campaign 1’s potential vice-presidential candidates to multiple members of the news media, in an attempt to induce the news media to publish the material. In one instance, for example, the conspirators’ message stated “I think this information is worth a good [U.S. news publication] piece with your narration. Let me know your thoughts.”
As alleged, these defendants also sought to promote the IRGC’s goals and mission by compromising and maintaining unauthorized access to the email accounts of a number of former government officials, including U.S. Victim 1, who had served in a position with responsibility over U.S. Middle East policy at the time of Qasam Soleimani’s death. Using this access, the defendants obtained information to assist the IRGC’s efforts to target U.S. Victim 1 and others, including their means of identification, correspondence, travel information, lodging information and other information regarding their whereabouts and policy positions.
Jalili, Aghamiri, and Balaghi are charged with: conspiracy to commit identity theft, aggravated identity theft, access device fraud, unauthorized access to computers to obtain information from a protected computer, unauthorized access to computers to defraud and obtain a thing of value, and wire fraud, all while knowingly falsely registering domain names, which carries a maximum penalty of 12 years in prison; conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; eight counts of wire fraud while falsely registering domain names, each of which carries a maximum penalty of 27 years in prison; and eight counts of aggravated identity theft, each of which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of two years in prison. If convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Concurrent with today’s announcement, the Department of State, through the Rewards for Justice Program, issued a reward of up to $10 million for information on Jalili, Aghamiri, and Balaghi, the IRGC’s interference in U.S. elections, or associated individuals and entities. Also, concurrent with today’s announcement, the Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC), pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13694, as amended, and E.O. 13848 designated Jalili for being responsible for or complicit in, or having engaged in, directly or indirectly, a cyber-enabled activity originating from, or directed by persons located, in whole or in substantial part, outside the United States that is reasonably likely to result in, or has materially contributed to, a significant threat to the national security, foreign policy, or economic health or financial stability of the United States and that has the purpose or effect of causing a significant misappropriation of funds or economic resources, trade secrets, personal identifiers, or financial information for commercial or competitive advantage or private financial gain.
The FBI Washington Field Office is investigating this case. The FBI Cyber Division and Springfield and Minneapolis Field Offices provided substantial assistance in this matter. For more information on threat activity as well as mitigation guidance, the FBI has released a Joint Cyber Security Advisory titled “Iranian Cyber Actors Targeting Personal Accounts to Support Operations.”
The Justice Department would like to thank the following private sector partners for their assistance with this case: Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, and Meta.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tejpal Chawla and Christopher Tortorice for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Greg Nicosia of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section are prosecuting the case, with significant assistance from Paralegal Specialists Mariela Andrade and Kate Abrey. Joshua Champagne of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section also provided valuable assistance.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Taylorville, Illinois, Woman Sentenced to Three Years of Probation and Ordered to Pay $600,000 in Restitution for Stealing from the Christian County YMCARead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Taylorville, Illinois, woman, Lori Zeitler, 65, was sentenced on September 26, 2024, to three years of probation and ordered to pay $600,000 in restitution after being convicted of five counts of wire fraud.
At the sentencing hearing, the government presented evidence that Zeitler took advantage of her position of trust as an employee of the Christian County, Illinois, YMCA and stole at least $292,336.29 and was responsible for $600,000 in loss. Zeitler worked at the YMCA for 32 years in various roles, including bookkeeper. Zeitler’s theft was discovered when the YMCA switched to an internet-based accounting software.
Also at the hearing, U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough found that in addition to the money Zeitler took from the YMCA, she also broke the trust between the organization and the community. Judge Myerscough noted that Zeitler’s crimes against the YMCA were almost unbelievable.
On March 28, 2024, Zeitler appeared in court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen L. McNaught and pleaded guilty to all counts in the indictment.
The statutory penalties for wire fraud are up to twenty years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three years of supervised release, and restitution as set by the court.
“The impact of the defendant’s deception is wide reaching, as the money she stole deprived the Christian County YMCA of funds that should have gone towards needed facility improvements and to support programs for members,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Sierra Senor-Moore. “The restitution order is a just result that will help the YMCA to continue their mission in serving the community.”
“As a YMCA employee of 32 years, Lori Zeitler developed a long-time pattern of embezzlement, using her position of trust to steal from her employer, and ultimately shortchanging the community the YMCA serves,” said FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge Christopher Johnson. “We at the FBI and our law enforcement partners will always pursue justice in an effort to preserve the public’s trust in its valued institutions.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office; the Taylorville Police Department; and the Illinois State Police investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Senor-Moore represented the government in the prosecution.
St. Paul Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Robbery of a Cell Phone StoreRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A man has pleaded guilty to the armed robbery of a St. Paul cell phone store, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on April 5, 2024, Johnnie Ward, Jr., 33, walked into a cell phone store in St. Paul, with an accomplice who was carrying a torch lighter. While the accomplice pointed the weapon at the store clerk, Ward demanded access to the safe in the back storage room, telling his victim to “hurry up or else.” Ward and his accomplice ultimately fled the store with several cell phones.
Ward pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court before Judge Susan Richard Nelson to one count of Hobbs Act Robbery. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for January 28, 2025.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the St. Paul Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Classen is prosecuting the case.
Springfield Woman Pleads Guilty to Nationwide Controlled Substance ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Springfield woman pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to an indictment charging conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.
Denise Guyette, 31, of Springfield, Mass. was charged in February 2023 along with Gerardo Garza, a/k/a “Oso,” of Yuma, Ariz., and Nathan Boddie, Pawtucket, R.I., in an indictment alleging conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. In June 2023, a federal grand jury sitting in Boston returned a superseding indictment alleging that 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine were attributable to Guyette.
In or about April 2022, law enforcement opened an investigation into a drug trafficking organization (DTO). Guyette conspired with Garza, Boddie and others to traffic various controlled substances – including methamphetamine, fentanyl pills and cocaine – in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and elsewhere. The DTO routinely used the mail to ship drugs from Arizona to Massachusetts, often hiding the drugs within packages containing children’s items such as toy trucks, Halloween decorations and Disney items. Between May and October 2022, investigators seized seven packages containing a total of over 900 grams of methamphetamine, thousands of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, as well as suspected Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a very strong psychedelic.
At the time of Guyette’s arrest on Feb. 8, 2023, approximately 6.5 kilograms of pure methamphetamine and over 2,700 counterfeit fentanyl pills weighing over 300 grams were located in a safe in her bedroom. A digital scale as well as multiple Rhode Island and Massachusetts driver’s licenses, Social Security cards and credit cards in the names of other individuals were also found during a search of Guyette’s residence.
Boddie and Garza have both pleaded guilty. On September 19, 2023, Boddie was sentenced to 84 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and Hudson Police Chief Richard DiPersio made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration; Federal Bureau of Investigation, Imperial County Resident Agency and Yuma Resident Agency; United States Postal Service; Massachusetts State Police; and the Woonsocket (R.I.) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alathea Porter and Charles Dell’Anno of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Shipping Companies Sentenced to $2M Criminal Penalty for Concealing Oil DischargeRead the Press Release
Two corporations that operated the motor tanker P/S Dream — Prive Overseas Marine LLC and Prive Shipping Denizcilik Ticaret — were sentenced yesterday in federal court in New Orleans to pay a $2 million criminal penalty and complete four years of probation. The companies pleaded guilty in May to charges of conspiracy, obstruction of justice and violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS). The court sentenced the P/S Dream’s Captain, Abdurrahman Korkmaz, on Sept. 10 to eight months in prison for an APPS offense and obstructing the U.S. Coast Guard’s investigation.
The charges pertain to the investigation of the P/S Dream vessel when it was heading to New Orleans in January 2023. Senior corporate managers were aware that Korkmaz had arranged to discharge oil-contaminated waste from a residual tank on deck into the ocean. The captain ordered the crew to pump the waste overboard and clean the tank with soap. The seamen rigged a portable pump to empty the contents overboard over three days. The defendants falsified the vessel’s oil record book by omitting the discharge.
One of the crew members alerted the Coast Guard and shared videos of the discharge and resulting oil sheen. When the ship arrived in Louisiana, another crew member came forward and gave the Coast Guard a recording of an officer discussing the discharge.
The falsified logs, presented to the Coast Guard during its inspection, were intended to conceal the fact that the crew had dumped oil-contaminated waste overboard in violation of MARPOL Annex I, an international treaty regulating oil pollution from ships. Corporate representatives at Prive Shipping were aware that the oil-contaminated waste remained in the tank and were informed by the ship’s master that it had been dumped overboard.
The $2 million criminal penalty includes $500,000 in organizational community service payments that will fund various maritime environmental projects in the Eastern District of Louisiana. Those projects will be managed by the congressionally established National Fish & Wildlife Foundation.
Captain Korkmaz is a Turkish national. Prive Overseas Marine is based in Dubai and Prive Shipping is headquartered in Turkey. As a condition of probation, the corporations must also adhere to an environmental compliance plan mandating audit, safety and inspection requirements over the next four years.
Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana made the announcement.
The Coast Guard Investigative Service and EPA Criminal Investigations Division investigated the case with assistance from Coast Guard Sector New Orleans.
Senior Litigation Counsel Richard A. Udell and Senior Trial Attorney Ryan Connors of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys G. Dall Kammer and Christine M. Calogero for the Eastern District of Louisiana prosecuted the case.
Prive JFS Filed.pdf Exhibits Prive.pdfShipping Companies Sentenced to $2M Criminal Penalty for Concealing Oil DischargeRead the Press Release
Captain Received Eight Month Prison Term
WASHINGTON — Two corporations that operated the motor tanker P/S Dream — Prive Overseas Marine LLC and Prive Shipping Denizcilik Ticaret — were sentenced yesterday in federal court in New Orleans to pay a $2 million criminal penalty and complete four years of probation. The companies pleaded guilty in May to charges of conspiracy, obstruction of justice and violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS). The court sentenced the P/S Dream’s Captain, Abdurrahman Korkmaz, on Sept. 10 to eight months in prison for an APPS offense and obstructing the U.S. Coast Guard’s investigation.
The charges pertain to the investigation of the P/S Dream vessel when it was heading to New Orleans in January 2023. Senior corporate managers were aware that Korkmaz had arranged to discharge oil-contaminated waste from a residual tank on deck into the ocean. The captain ordered the crew to pump the waste overboard and clean the tank with soap. The seamen rigged a portable pump to empty the contents overboard over three days. The defendants falsified the vessel’s oil record book by omitting the discharge.
One of the crew members alerted the Coast Guard and shared videos of the discharge and resulting oil sheen. When the ship arrived in Louisiana, another crew member came forward and gave the Coast Guard a recording of an officer discussing the discharge.
The falsified logs, presented to the Coast Guard during its inspection, were intended to conceal the fact that the crew had dumped oil-contaminated waste overboard in violation of MARPOL Annex I, an international treaty regulating oil pollution from ships. Corporate representatives at Prive Shipping were aware that the oil-contaminated waste remained in the tank and were informed by the ship’s master that it had been dumped overboard.
The $2 million criminal penalty includes $500,000 in organizational community service payments that will fund various maritime environmental projects in the Eastern District of Louisiana. Those projects will be managed by the congressionally established National Fish & Wildlife Foundation.
Captain Korkmaz is a Turkish national. Prive Overseas Marine is based in Dubai and Prive Shipping is headquartered in Turkey. As a condition of probation, the corporations must also adhere to an environmental compliance plan mandating audit, safety and inspection requirements over the next four years.
Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana made the announcement.
The Coast Guard Investigative Service and EPA Criminal Investigations Division investigated the case with assistance from Coast Guard Sector New Orleans.
Senior Litigation Counsel Richard A. Udell and Senior Trial Attorney Ryan Connors of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys G. Dall Kammer and Christine M. Calogero for the Eastern District of Louisiana prosecuted the case.
exhibits_prive.pdf prive_jfs_filed.pdfSerial Sex Offender Is First Defendant Charged Under New Secure DC Law Targeting Repeat Sexual AbusersRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michael Hilliard, 65, of no fixed address, was charged by complaint today in D.C. Superior Court with one count of enhanced misdemeanor sexual abuse (a felony) and two counts of third-degree sexual abuse for sexually touching a treating nurse at George Washington University Hospital, a stranger to him. The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department. Hilliard is detained pending a September 30, 2024, preliminary hearing.
According to the complaint, at approximately 9:00 a.m., on September 26, 2024, the victim attempted to draw blood from Hilliard, where he sat inside of a hospital room. Hilliard requested to sit in a chair to get his blood drawn. As the nurse approached him, Hilliard grabbed her into a face-to-face bear hug. He then touched her on her genitalia and buttocks.
Hilliard has more than three prior convictions for misdemeanor sexual abuse. Most recently, he pleaded guilty in D.C. Superior Court on December 19, 2023, to two misdemeanor charges for sexually abusing a woman and physically assaulting another, both of whom were strangers to him.
Hilliard is the first individual charged with enhanced misdemeanor sexual abuse, a felony created by the D.C. Council’s Secure DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2024. Before this legislation went into effect, repeat offenders who committed such assaults could not be charged with a felony, no matter how many times this Office had prosecuted those defendants, often for virtually identical misdemeanor sexual abuse conduct.
“The reason we advocated so vigorously for this change and are so appreciative of its enactment is that there is a relatively small population of offenders who repeatedly commit this offense that are not deterred by misdemeanor convictions,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves. “This new law allows our Office to charge these individuals with felonies so that we can advocate for them to be removed from our community for longer periods of time.”
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Houck.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Santa Maria Man Charged in Federal Complaint Alleging He Injured Five People in Bomb Attack in Lobby of County CourthouseRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Santa Barbara County man was charged today in a federal criminal complaint alleging he committed a bomb attack at a courthouse in Santa Maria on Wednesday, in which at least five people were injured.
Nathaniel James McGuire, 20, of Santa Maria, is charged with maliciously damaging a building by means of explosive.
McGuire, who was arrested Wednesday shortly after the attack, is expected to make his initial appearance Friday afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, on September 25, McGuire entered a courthouse of Santa Barbara County Superior Court and threw a bag into the lobby. The bag exploded and McGuire left the courthouse on foot. The explosion injured at least five people who were present at the courthouse at that time.
Shortly thereafter, McGuire was apprehended and detained by Santa Barbara County sheriff’s deputies as he was trying to access a red Ford Mustang car parked outside the building. McGuire allegedly yelled that the government had taken his guns and that everyone needed to fight, rise up, and rebel.
Inside the car, a deputy saw ammunition, a flare gun, and a box of fireworks. A search of the car revealed a shotgun, a rifle, more ammunition, a suspected bomb, and 10 Molotov cocktails. Law enforcement later rendered the bomb safe.
A search of McGuire’s residence revealed an empty can with nails glued to the outside, a duffel bag containing matches, black powder, used and unused fireworks, and papers that appeared to be recipes for explosive material.
“This defendant’s alleged misconduct was chilling,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Not only did he injure five people and traumatize many more, but he possessed a cache of weapons that would have allowed him to wreak even greater destruction had he not been stopped. Attacks on our courts, law enforcement officers, and other public servants are unacceptable, and it is critical that those who carry out such assaults be prosecuted to the fullest extent.”
“The idea of intentionally setting off an explosive device to do harm and avoid justice in the process shocks the conscience,” said Akil Davis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. “Make no mistake, we are committed to holding Mr. McGuire accountable for this blatant act of violence. As always, we encourage the public to remain vigilant and to promptly report suspicious activities which could represent a threat to public safety.”
“This was a shocking and unprecedented crime in our county, but, in spite of its audacity, the security of the Santa Maria courthouse was maintained,” said Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown. “The suspect was swiftly apprehended by a court security officer, a sheriff’s deputy, two California Highway Patrol officers, and a district attorney’s investigator; we are proud of their resolute actions that almost certainly prevented further violence. We are also grateful for the substantial investigative assistance that has been provided by our colleagues with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and from U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada and his office.”
A complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted, McGuire would face a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison.
The FBI and the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Mark Takla and Kathrynne N. Seiden of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section are prosecuting this case with substantial assistance from Trial Attorney Patrick Cashman of the Counterterrorism Section in the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.
Rock Island Man Sentenced to 100 Months in Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a FelonRead the Press Release
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – A Rock Island, Illinois, man, Marques Dupree Wilson, 39, was sentenced on September 17, 2024, to 100 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possessing a firearm as a felon.
At the sentencing hearing before Chief U.S. District Judge Sara L. Darrow, the government established that Wilson not only possessed a firearm but discharged that firearm multiple times into an unoccupied home in Rock Island. During the hearing, Judge Darrow noted that Wilson had a significant criminal history, which included prior instances of inflicting harm on others.
Wilson pleaded guilty to the felon-in-possession count in July 2023. The statutory penalties for possessing a firearm as a felon are up to fifteen years’ imprisonment, up to three years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine.
The Rock Island Police Department investigated the matter, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer L. Mathew represented the government in the prosecution.
The 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.
Repeat Felon Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Prison for Illegal Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A St. Paul man has been sentenced to 92 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegally possessing ammunition as a felon, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on July 18, 2023, officers with the St. Paul Police Department responded to a residence after receiving a 911-call reporting that several males with firearms were in and around an SUV parked near the residence. Officers learned that one of the males was Travis Howard Warner, 31, who had been involved in a St. Paul bar fight the night prior where he brandished a firearm with an extended magazine and threatened two people with the firearm during the fight. When officers arrived at the residence, Warner exited the SUV and began walking toward the side entrance of the residence, ignoring officers’ commands to stop. Officers arrested Warner on an active felony warrant from a prior incident. Through the windows of the SUV, officers observed a firearm sticking out from under the driver’s seat and a box of cash on the front passenger’s seat. Law enforcement later obtained and executed a search warrant on the SUV and recovered, among other items, $3,157 in cash, a plastic bag containing 50 M30 fentanyl pills, and a ghost gun with an attached large-capacity magazine, loaded with 24 rounds of 9mm ammunition and with one round in the chamber. Warner could not be excluded from being a possible contributor to the DNA profile detected on the firearm and matched the DNA profile found on the bag containing the fentanyl pills.
Because Warner has multiple prior felony convictions in Ramsey and Dakota Counties, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
On June 18, 2024, Warner pleaded guilty to one count of illegal possession of ammunition as a felon. He was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge Paul A. Magnuson.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Paul Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar prosecuted the case.
Readout of Departments of Justice and Interior Roundtable on Media Coverage of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Peoples and Human TraffickingRead the Press Release
Senior officials from the Justice Department and Department of the Interior yesterday convened a roundtable discussion with Tribal leaders, advocates, members of the media, and federal officials to discuss how media coverage can be channeled to help address the crisis of missing or murdered Indigenous peoples (MMIP) and human trafficking (HT).
The virtual roundtable was organized as part of the federal response to the recommendations of the Not Invisible Act Commission (NIAC) — a federal advisory committee established in November 2023 under the Not Invisible Act of 2019 to recommend strategies for combating violent crime on Indian lands and against American Indian and Alaska Native people. During seven field hearings across the country as well as a virtual national hearing that informed the Commission’s recommendations, people affected by the crisis of MMIP and HT shared their concerns about lack of media coverage and whether that may contribute to cases being ignored or going unsolved. The Commission in turn recommended the Justice Department and Department of the Interior hold a roundtable discussion as a step toward developing a set of best practices.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and delivered video remarks.
“Public communication, news stories, and social media can be crucial in finding and investigating cases of missing or murdered Indigenous persons,” said Attorney General Garland. “That is why, on the Not Invisible Act Commission’s recommendation, we convened this roundtable to develop best practices and guidelines to aid law enforcement, families, advocates, and journalists when a member of a Native community is reported missing. It is our hope that this convening will strengthen those partnerships, which are essential to advancing our shared goal of ending this crisis.”
“Since day one, the Biden-Harris administration has been committed to fulfilling our promises to Indian Country,” said Secretary Haaland, who authored the Not Invisible Act while in Congress. “This roundtable is part of that promise as we act on one of the Not Invisible Act Commission’s recommendations because a crisis that exists in silence will never be solved. Today is one step of many to ensure our missing relatives’ stories are told.”
Attorney General Garland also announced that this month, the Justice Department will award more than $210 million to American Indian and Alaska Native communities through three separate programs to support a wide range of public safety challenges. These funds will go directly to efforts to support Tribal safety. They include programs dedicated to reducing domestic violence and sexual violence, supporting victims of crime, and providing resources to law enforcement, Tribal youth programs, and treatment programs.
Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer delivered opening remarks at the roundtable, saying “it is critical now, more than ever,” to work together to draw attention to the MMIP and HT crises. “The potential for immediate, real-time alerts makes media, particularly social media, a powerful tool to get the word out fast when emergencies happen. And the widespread use of media facilitates information sharing and collaboration that can help resolve missing persons cases.”
Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland opened the roundtable and said, “The overarching principle that guides our work is to make life better for people in Tribal communities and making sure that Indian people have the opportunity to live safe, healthy, and fulfilling lives in their tribal communities. Public safety is a big part of this, and addressing the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples crisis and human trafficking are at the forefront of our public safety work.”
In August, Attorney General Garland and Secretary Haaland visited New Mexico to discuss efforts to confront the MMIP crisis and human trafficking with federal and Tribal leaders. Under Attorney General Garland and Secretary Haaland’s leadership, the Biden-Harris Administration has worked to address the high rates of violent crime in Indian Country. Read more about these efforts.
The Departments plan to publish best practices stemming from this discussion by the end of the year. To submit recommendations, email [email protected] no later than Friday, Oct. 4.
Additional Background on the Departments of Justice and Interior’s commitment to addressing MMIP and HT
Law Enforcement Collaboration: At the 2022 White House Tribal Nations Summit, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and FBI announced an agreement to provide for the effective and efficient administration of criminal investigations in Indian Country. The agreement specified that BIA’s Office of Justice Services (BIA-OJS) and the FBI would cooperate on investigations and share information and investigative reports as well as establish written guidelines outlining jurisdiction and investigative roles and responsibilities. The agreement also requires that all BIA, FBI and Tribal law enforcement officers receive training regarding trauma-informed, culturally responsive investigative approaches.
Missing and Murdered Unit (MMU): As one of her first acts as Secretary, Secretary Haaland created a new MMU within BIA-OJS to pursue justice for missing or murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. The MMU, headquartered in Albuquerque, provides leadership and direction for cross-Departmental and interagency work involving missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. The MMU has enabled the Interior Department to expand its collaborative efforts with other agencies, such as working to enhance the Justice Department’s National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) and working through strategic partnerships with the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Units (BAUs), the FBI Forensic Laboratory, the USMS’ Missing Child Unit (MCU) and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
MMIP Regional Outreach Program: Since the start of this Administration, the Justice Department has made strides in implementing systems aimed at preventing new instances of MMIP, locating individuals who are reported missing, and, where a crime has occurred, investigating and prosecuting those responsible. In Summer 2023, the Department launched an MMIP Regional Outreach Program. This program places attorneys and coordinators at U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the United States to help prevent and respond to cases of missing or murdered Indigenous people.
Not Invisible Act Commission: The Departments worked collaboratively to stand up the Not Invisible Act Commission, which was created by legislation the Secretary led in Congress, to develop recommendations on how the federal government can combat crimes against American Indian and Alaska Native people. The Commission included federal, state, and Tribal law enforcement, Tribal leaders, federal partners, service providers, family members of missing and murdered individuals, and survivors. In 2023, the Commission held seven field hearings across the country as well as a virtual national hearing to hear directly from individuals affected by the MMIP crisis. In March, the Departments released their response to the Commission’s recommendations, which they are in the process of implementing in collaboration with Congress.
Operation Not Forgotten: The FBI established this operation to focus resources on seeking justice for Tribal community members who have been victims of unresolved crimes. Operation Not Forgotten first surged resources to Tribal communities in 2023 with the mission of examining cases that have gone unresolved. The goal was to move those cases closer to resolution, provide services for victims, and to bring offenders to justice, who had so far escaped it. Due to the success of the 2023 operation, the FBI is currently partnering with the BIA-MMU to surge resources in 2024. BIA-MMU is providing significant intelligence and investigative support for the duration of the operation. Over 45 special agents and five intelligence personnel have deployed in support of the 2024 operation.
White House Council on Native American Affairs: At the 2021 White House Tribal Nations Summit, President Biden signed Executive Order 14053 on Improving Public Safety and Criminal Justice for Native Americans and Addressing the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People directing the Departments of Justice, the Interior, and Health and Human Services to work with Tribal Nations and partners to build safe and healthy Tribal communities and to support comprehensive law enforcement, prevention, intervention and support services. President Biden signed the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 into law, which built on advancements from previous reauthorizations and included new provisions to address the crisis of MMIP across the country and re-enforced Tribal sovereignty by providing means for Tribes to address the epidemic of violence within their lands and communities. The White House Council on Native American Affairs is continuing to implement this work through its Public Safety and Justice committee, which is co-chaired by the Departments of Justice and the Interior, as part of an all of government approach to address public safety and the MMIP crisis.
International Collaboration: The United States is also working with its international counterparts from Canada and Mexico to address public safety issues on a larger scale. In September 2023, Canada chaired the Fifth Convening of the Trilateral Working Group on Violence against Indigenous Women and Girls in collaboration with Indigenous leaders and government officials from Canada, the United States and Mexico and global subject-matter experts. Discussions at this year’s convening focused on human trafficking and access to justice. Officials from the three countries agreed to continue to protect and uphold the rights of Indigenous women, learn from and implement Indigenous-led approaches, provide accessible and culturally safe services, and support the preservation of Indigenous cultures and languages. A sixth gathering is expected later this year.
Physician and Office Manager Pay $450,000 to Resolve Alleged Violations of the Controlled Substance Act and the False Claims ActRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. — The physician and office manager of a medical practice in Jackson, Kentucky, have agreed to pay $450,000 to resolve civil allegations that the physician unlawfully prescribed controlled substances, and that they both defrauded federal healthcare programs by soliciting kickbacks for laboratory referrals.
Pablo Merced, M.D. owned and operated St. John Neumann’s Extended Hours Clinic, a medical practice in Jackson, Kentucky. His wife, Theresa Merced, worked as St. John Neumann’s office manager. In his practice, Dr. Merced referred laboratory testing to several laboratories, including Physicians’ Medical Center, BIOTAP Medical, and Bluewater Toxicology. Dr. Merced also prescribed controlled substances to his patients at his medical practice.
As set forth in the settlement agreement, the United States alleged that Dr. and Mrs. Merced solicited kickbacks from a lab sales representative, in exchange for Dr. Merced’s referrals of laboratory tests to Physicians’ Medical Center, BIOTAP Medical, and Bluewater Toxicology, from April 2016 to November 2021. The sales representative paid cash directly to the Merceds and to multiple laboratory specimen collectors who worked at St. John Neumann’s. The specimen collectors, who were supposed to only work for the labs, also performed office work at St. John Neumann’s.
The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits giving cash and in-kind payments, such as free office work, to induce medical providers’ referrals for services paid by federal healthcare programs. Medicare, Kentucky Medicaid, and TRICARE programs paid more than $9 million for laboratory tests referred by Dr. Merced. Submission of these tainted claims violated the False Claims Act, a federal law that prohibits knowingly submitting a false claim for reimbursement to federal programs.
The United States also alleged that Dr. Merced violated the Controlled Substances Act, by writing invalid prescriptions. The Controlled Substances Act, which was passed to combat the illegal distribution and abuse of controlled substances, requires a prescription for Schedule II controlled substances to be issued for a legitimate medical purpose, by a licensed practitioner acting in the usual course of his professional practice. Dr. Merced pre-signed 94 blank prescriptions and permitted unauthorized individuals to complete and issue those prescriptions for controlled substances to patients in his absence, which is outside the usual course of professional practice.
Dr. and Mrs. Merced agreed to pay the United States $450,000, as part of an ability-to-pay settlement, to resolve the allegations of False Claims Act and Controlled Substances Act violations. Dr. Merced further agreed to a 15-year voluntary exclusion from federal healthcare programs and to refrain from reapplying for a registration with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, which he surrendered during the investigation.
“This case involved two important principles: averting the submission of false claims to federal programs and preventing the irresponsible distribution of addictive controlled substances,” said Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Eastern Kentucky has been hard hit by the drug epidemic. And with the assistance of our partners, this case highlights our commitment to reducing that suffering, and holding professionals accountable for improperly depleting critical government resources and recklessly dispensing addictive drugs.”
"HHS-OIG is dedicated to investigating medical providers who undermine federal health care programs and jeopardize patient welfare by submitting false or fraudulent claims,” said Special Agent in Charge Kelly J. Blackmon with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Health care professionals have a responsibility to bill accurately for services and prescribe controlled substances responsibly."
“Dr. Merced’s reckless behavior in this case demonstrated a clear violation of the Controlled Substances Act,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Erek Davodowich, head of DEA’s Louisville Division. “Doctors who operate outside of accepted medical guidelines can pose a threat to the health of their patients and should expect to meet the full weight of the justice system.”
This settlement is part of a larger case brought under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, which returned more than $7.3 million to federal programs. The civil case is captioned United States ex rel. Clark et al. v. United States Medical Scientific, LLC, et al., Case No. 0:18-cv-109-KKC, which the court recently unsealed for public access on September 23, 2024.
The Government’s work in this investigation illustrates its commitment to combatting health care fraud, waste, and abuse, as well as its continued emphasis on combating the prescription opioid crisis. Tips from all sources about potential fraud, waste, and abuse can be reported to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). Anyone with concerns about prescription drug diversion can report them to the DEA by submitting a tip at https://www.dea.gov/submit-tip.
The settlement agreement resulted from the joint efforts of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office of Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Control. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Stubblebine. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
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Pennsylvania Woman Convicted of Heroin and Fentanyl ChargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jalisa Lashae Hawkins, 35, of Duquesne, Pennsylvania, was convicted today by a jury of possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Investigators were conducting surveillance on a Clarksburg residence after receiving complaints of drug activity. Officers saw Hawkins drive to the residence, interact with someone, and leave. Officers continued surveillance on Hawkins and pulled her vehicle over for multiple traffic violations. During the stop, officers seized fentanyl stamps and heroin.
Hawkins faces up to 20 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon Flower and William Rhee prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Greater Harrison Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the Mountaineer Highway Interdiction Team South investigated.
Chief U.S. District Court Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Pearl River Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Possession of Approximately 400 Images of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Jackson, MS – A Pearl River man was sentenced to nine years in federal prison for possession of child pornography.
According to court documents, William Henry, 52, possessed approximately 400 pornographic images of children that were under the age of twelve. Henry was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2020, and pled guilty in October 2023.
In addition to his term of imprisonment, Henry was ordered to pay $6,000 in restitution to victims and a $9,000 assessment pursuant to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018.
U.S. Attorney Todd Gee and Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.
The Choctaw Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin J. Payne and Brian K. Burns prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.
Owner of Oahu Physical Therapy Clinics Pleads Guilty to Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – United States Attorney Clare E. Connors announced that Stephen Timothy Wells, 41, pleaded guilty today in federal court to executing a scheme to defraud health care benefit programs through the submission of false billings. Sentencing is scheduled for January 29, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Jill A. Otake.
According to court documents and information presented in court, Wells was the owner and operator of Oahu Spine and Rehab (“OSR”), a physical therapy clinic with locations in Kailua and Aiea. From July 2013 through early 2020, Wells submitted false claims for payment for physical therapy services to TRICARE, the health care program for United States military service members and their families, and Medicare. Wells admitted he directed OSR to submit claims to these health care benefit programs using the unique provider numbers of doctors, nurses, and physical therapists, thereby falsely stating that they had personally provided the physical therapy services to patients, when in fact, the services were provided by Wells’s unlicensed staff members. These unlicensed staff members included massage therapists, athletic and personal trainers, and one individual who had no professional certifications whatsoever.
As part of the Plea Agreement, Wells stipulated that his scheme caused a loss of between $250,000 and $550,000 and agreed to pay total restitution in the amount of $392,157.20, with half to be paid before sentencing. The United States and Wells agreed that Wells should be sentenced to a term of between probation and two years in prison.
The case was jointly investigated by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Office of Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mohammad Khatib.
North Platte Woman Sentenced to 31 Months in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Nikki Guerra, age 46, of North Platte, Nebraska, was sentenced on September 26, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Guerra to a total of 31 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Guerra’s release from prison, she will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
On October 15, 2023, officers with the North Platte Police Department stopped a vehicle owned by Guerra as it entered North Platte for at traffic violation. From prior intel, officers suspected the vehicle had been involved in the distribution of narcotics and suspected narcotics were currently in the vehicle at the time of the stop.
Both Guerra and the driver were asked to step back to patrol cars while officers checked their identification, and a drug dog was deployed while the traffic stop was in progress. The dog alerted to the presence of narcotics and officers conducted a probable cause search of the vehicle. In a XL men’s sized jacket pocket, officers located a pound of meth. The jacket was located on the floor of the passenger’s side seat where Guerra was sitting at the time of the stop.
The recovered meth was sent to the state crime lab where it was tested and confirmed to meth, with a purity of 95.7% for a total of 400 grams actual meth.
In sentencing Ms. Guerra, Judge Gerrard complimented the work she had done since being arrested to address her substance abuse issues.
This case was investigated by the North Platte Police Department.
North Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Trying to Extort Millions of Dollars from D.C.-Based CompanyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — Cameron Curry, 25, of Raleigh, North Carolina, pleaded guilty today to stealing sensitive data from his prior employer, a D.C.-based company, and extorting the company by threatening to publish this data unless the company paid him $2.5 million. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division.
Curry pleaded guilty to one count of felony extortion for making an interstate threat to injure the property or reputation of another in order to extort money before U.S. District Judge Jia M. Cobb. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 28, 2025.
According to court documents, Curry admitted that he had been working as a contract employee with the victim company but was told on December 5, 2023, that his last day of employment would be December 15, 2023. On December 11, 2023, posing under the pseudonym of “Loot,” Curry began sending a series of emails to the victim company and its employees threatening to publish certain sensitive financial records and personally identifiable information of the victim company’s employees. In one email, Curry wrote, “If you wish to reclaim your data, we recommend doing so promptly at 2.5 million USD in order to save your company and stocks, as each subsequent month will incur a $100,000 USD increase.” Between December 11 and January 23, Curry allegedly sent over 60 similarly threatening emails to the company.
Law enforcement identified Curry as the individual posing as “Loot” by metadata in the communications he sent to the company, user information for the email address he used to send these communications, and account details for the cryptocurrency wallet to which he directed the victim to send him the ransom he demanded, among other evidence.
On January 24, 2024, when the FBI sought to execute a search warrant at Curry’s residence, Curry was arrested after he refused to leave the residence and then sent a series of messages to the victim company threatening to publish its data if he were to be arrested.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s Field Office in Charlotte, North Carolina.
It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Macey and Joseph “Tony” Misher for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina.
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New Hampshire Man Admits Producing Child Sex Abuse ImagesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that DAVID EDDY, 59, of Manchester, New Hampshire, has waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to child exploitation offenses stemming from his sexual abuse of a young girl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in September 2022, Eddy sexually abused a minor girl, who was approximately five years old, and used his cell phone to take photographs of his sexual abuse of the victim. Analysis of Eddy’s phone revealed more than 150 child sexual abuse images and videos of the minor victim and other child victims of sexual abuse.
On September 25, 2024, Eddy pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years, and one count of possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. A sentencing date is not scheduled.
Eddy has been detained since October 2022, when he was arrested on related state charges. The state charges are pending.
This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Simsbury Police Department, with the assistance of the Manchester (N.H.) Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anastasia King.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Naugatuck Woman Pleads Guilty to Fraud Offense Related to $865K Embezzlement SchemeRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced that JENNIFER CORMIER, 45, of Naugatuck, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to a fraud offense stemming from an embezzlement scheme.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Cormier was employed at a family-owned business, identified in court documents in “Company A,” in Naugatuck, where she performed bookkeeping and other office-related tasks. Between approximately 2017 and July 2023, Cormier stole from her employer by fraudulently creating approximately 1,000 checks made payable to her and to “cash,” forged the signature of Company A’s owner or used the owner’s signature stamp on the checks, and then cashed them or deposited them into her personal bank account. After the checks were issued, she deleted the transaction in Company A’s accounting system. Through this scheme, Cormier embezzled $865,106.17.
Cormier pleaded guilty to bank fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30. She is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing, which is scheduled for December 18.
This investigation has been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Naugatuck Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. McGarry.
Muskogee Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm CrimeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Deland Ray Sam, age 64, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition.
The Indictment charged Sam with knowingly possessing one .40 caliber pistol and 10 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition on June 21, 2021, after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Muskogee Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Sam will remain in the custody of the United States Marshal Service pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Jacob R. Parker represented the United States.
Minneapolis Man Sentenced to over 11 Years Prison for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to 135 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, beginning on October 27, 2022, through January 18, 2023, Jackie Gerald Smith, 55, knowingly and willingly entered into a conspiracy with his co-defendant, Damon Antone Young, 49, to distribute methamphetamine in and around the state of Minnesota. Between November 2022 and January 2023, an undercover agent arranged a series of controlled substance buys through Smith and Young, and on two separate occasions, those controlled substances were delivered by Smith. On January 11, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a residence in Minneapolis and found 368 grams of methamphetamine and 12 grams of fentanyl. On January 18, 2023, law enforcement executed search warrants at two self-storage units rented by Young and found 1.35 kilograms of fentanyl powder and approximately 2.83 pounds of methamphetamine. Smith later admitted that they were using the residence and storage units to facilitate their drug trafficking conspiracy scheme.
On April 9, 2024, Smith pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. He was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge Joan N. Ericksen. Young pleaded guilty on August 27, 2024, to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine; he will be sentenced at a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Homeland Security Investigations and the Ramsey County Violent Crime Enforcement Team.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Raphael B. Coburn prosecuted the case.
Minneapolis Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of a Machine GunRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man has pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a machine gun, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on October 17, 2023, officers with the Minneapolis Police Department responded to a report of two men with guns near the intersection of 17th Avenue south and Cedar Avenue. When officers responded, they attempted to stop one of the men, later identified as Brandon Lee Tahahwah, 21, as he fled on foot. Officers observed a black handgun in Tahahwah’s possession and, after he was arrested, officers found that the gun was equipped with an attached machine gun conversion device, commonly known as a “switch” or “auto sear,” which is designed to convert a semiautomatic weapon to shoot automatically.
Tahahwah pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court before Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan to one count of possession of a machine gun. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Minneapolis Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David P. Steinkamp is prosecuting the case.
Member of U.S. Attorney’s Office Receives J. Michael Bradford Memorial Award from National Association of Former United States AttorneysRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of New Jersey was recognized by the National Association of Former U.S. Attorneys (NAFUSA) today during their annual meeting in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
NAUFA selected AUSA John Romano to receive the J. Michael Bradford Memorial Award for Most Outstanding Assistant U.S. Attorney, which recognizes an AUSA for outstanding performance in a significant civil or criminal matter, or a series of matters, that have had a significant impact and merit special recognition.
AUSA Romano was selected for his outstanding advocacy from 2015 through 2024 in United States v. Carolyn Jackson and John Jackson, a case involving two defendants’ horrifying treatment of their three very young foster children while living at the Picatinny Arsenal and elsewhere. The three children were all less than 4 years old and developmentally delayed when the defendants committed neglectful and cruel acts, including breaking their bones, denying them medical attention, withholding water, and force-feeding them hot sauce.
“The defendants’ foster children suffered gut-wrenching abuse and neglect. AUSA Romano’s work – specifically, his continuous and dogged efforts to seek justice for these vulnerable victims – exemplifies his devotion to the department’s mission and warrants this award.”
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger
For more than nine years, AUSA Romano has played a pivotal role in this effort to secure justice for the defendants’ victims. He initially helped advise the trial team. When, despite the defendants’ grievous conduct, the district court sentenced them leniently, AUSA Romano successfully appealed. The district court again imposed a lenient sentence, and so AUSA Romano appealed again. After a third, lenient sentencing, AUSA Romano appealed and sought reassignment to a different judge, which the Third Circuit Court of Appeals granted.
These appeals required reviewing tens of thousands of pages of transcripts and exhibits and conducting exhaustive legal research. AUSA Romano also composed appellate briefs for all three appeals, which totaled in excess of 60,000 pages of briefing, and twice argued the case before the Court of Appeals.
In October 2023, AUSA Romano handled the fourth resentencing hearing before the newly assigned district judge. As a result of his compelling advocacy, both written and oral, he secured sentences of 140 months’ imprisonment for Carolyn Jackson and 108 months’ imprisonment for John Jackson.
MS-13 Members Charged with Racketeering and MurderRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Three alleged members of La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, have been charged for their alleged roles in two separate murders in Massachusetts in December 2010 and July 2020.
William Pineda Portillo, a/k/a “Humilde,” 31, of Everett, and Jose Vasquez, a/k/a “Cholo,” a/k/a “Little Crazy, 31, of Somerville, are charged in a second superseding indictment with one count of conspiracy to conduct racketeering affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity (more commonly referred to as RICO or racketeering conspiracy) and one count of violent crime in aid of racketeering activity. Franklin Antonio Amaya Paredes, a/k/a “Tony,” 27, of New Bedford, was charged in a separate indictment with racketeering and violent crime in aid of racketeering. Pineda Portillo and Vasquez are currently in federal custody. Amaya Paredes is current in state custody on related charges. All three will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
“The charges announced today reflect the relentless commitment of this office and our law enforcement partners to holding violent criminals accountable, no matter how much time has passed. The brutal acts of violence these defendants are accused of committing demonstrate a complete disregard for human life and the rule of law. We will not allow MS-13 or any other violent criminal organization to terrorize our communities,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Our office, alongside our law enforcement partners, will use every tool available to disrupt and dismantle these operations piece by piece and bring those responsible for senseless violence to justice.”
“What these men allegedly did to their victims was particularly heinous – so much so that, over a decade later, the circumstances still stand out,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Today’s charges should make it clear to MS-13 members and their associates that medieval-style violence and senseless murder will not be tolerated in Massachusetts. The FBI’s North Shore Gang Task Force and its partners have put years of hard work into rooting out all the violence this transnational criminal organization has created and bringing those responsible to justice.”
According to the charging documents, Pineda Portillo and Vasquez allegedly conspired with other members of MS-13 to murder a 28-year-old man on Dec. 18, 2010, in Chelsea, Mass. Specifically, Pineda Portillo drove the victim and a group of MS-13 members to the murder scene –in Chelsea. There, the victim was found with 12 stab wounds to his head and chest. It is further alleged that Vasquez was one of the individuals who stabbed the victim and that his palm print was on the handle of a silver kitchen knife left at the murder scene.
During a 2016 investigation that targeted dozens of leaders, members and associates of MS-13 in Massachusetts, Vasquez pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy and was sentenced to 212 months in prison – a sentence he is currently serving. Vasquez was a member and local leader of the Trece Locos Salvatrucha, or TLS, clique of MS-13. In addition to being a leader of an MS-13 clique, Vasquez personally participated in racketeering activity and multiple acts of violence on behalf of MS-13.
Pineda Portillo was also indicted for RICO conspiracy as a result of that same investigation, during which he was recorded discussing the need to locate and murder a member of MS-13 who he believed (incorrectly) was cooperating with law enforcement. Pineda Portillo was deported to El Salvador shortly before that indictment was returned. Approximately five years after the indictment, on May 10, 2022, Pineda Portillo was arrested as he crossed into Texas from Mexico. According to court documents, after being arrested at the border, Pineda Portillo admitted that he was a member of MS-13 and fingerprint analysis determined that there was an active arrest warrant for him. Pineda Portillo was then returned to the District of Massachusetts where he remains in federal custody pending trial.
On Sept. 11, 2024, Pineda Portillo and Vasquez were indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with the 2010 murder.
According to the charging documents, Amaya Paredes allegedly murdered a second victim who was 27 years old in July 2020 near Horseneck Road in Dartmouth, Mass. Specifically, it is alleged that Amaya Paredes lured the victim to a family party, after which Amaya Paredes drove the victim to the murder scene where he shot and killed the victim.
Surveillance video and location information allegedly showed that Amaya Parades and the victim entered a Honda Pilot minivan that was tracked to the scene of the murder at the time gunfire was heard. According to court filings, the victim was found lying face down with multiple gunshot wounds. Several 9-millimeter shell casings were recovered near the victim’s body.
In the days following the 2020 murder, Amaya Parades was charged by state authorities with murder. During the investigation, Amaya Parades was allegedly identified as a member of MS-13 and determined that he had allegedly murdered the victim in order to gain influence and improve his position in MS-13. The investigation also allegedly revealed that Amaya Parades conspired to murder a witness following Amaya Parades’ arrest on state murder charges. On Sept. 11, 2024, Amaya Parades was indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with the 2020 murder and his alleged conspiring to murder a witness.
According to court documents, MS-13 is a violent, transnational criminal organization involved in murder, assault, extortion, kidnapping, obstruction of justice and drug trafficking. MS-13 operates in the District of Massachusetts as well as in New York, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, Texas and California. The gang also maintains a large presence in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico. MS-13 members commit violence, threats of violence and intimidation, including murder and assault with deadly weapons, often firearms. MS-13 members maintain and enhance their status in the gang, and the overall reputation of the gang, by participating in such violent acts.
The charge of racketeering and racketeering conspiracy involving murder provides for a sentence of life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of violent crime in aid of racketeering involving murder provides for a sentence of life in prison or death and a fine of $250,000. The charge of racketeering conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
These indictments were brought as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy; FBI SAC Cohen; John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, in New England; Chelsea Police Chief Keith Houghton; Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden; and Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Pohl, Brian A. Fogerty and Meghan C. Cleary of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the cases.
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.
Lewiston Man Pleads Guilty to Fraudulently Obtaining PPP Loan During PandemicRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Lewiston man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to filing a fraudulent application for a loan from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
According to court records, in April 2021, Shahied Golden, 29, filed a fraudulent PPP loan application and received approximately $20,833 in PPP funds. The application listed a false gross income for 2020 and falsely stated the loan proceeds were needed to make payroll payments for his alleged business. He also submitted a fraudulent document in support of his application, which falsely stated his gross income, among other things. Further, Golden caused the funds to be deposited into his own personal bank account, quickly withdrew the funds, and did not use the PPP proceeds for approved expenses.
Golden faces up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP): The PPP was a COVID-19 pandemic relief program administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA) that provided forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses. The PPP permitted participating third-party lenders to approve and disburse SBA-backed PPP loans to cover payroll, fixed debts, utilities, rent/mortgage, accounts payable and other bills incurred by qualifying businesses during, and resulting from, the COVID-19 pandemic. PPP loans were fully guaranteed by the SBA.
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Leader of 2021 Tennessee Clinic Blockade Sentenced for Federal Conspiracy Against Rights and Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act ConvictionsRead the Press Release
Chester Gallagher, the leader of a March 5, 2021, blockade of a Mount Juliet, Tennessee, reproductive health clinic was sentenced yesterday to 16 months in prison and three years of supervised release following his convictions for federal conspiracy against rights and Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act offenses.
“This defendant, like everyone else, has a right to his personal views regarding reproductive healthcare, and the right to speak, write and demonstrate about those views,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “But he does not have the right to impose his views on others by using intimidation and physical obstruction to prevent access to reproductive health care. This defendant is being held accountable for leading both a conspiracy to blockade a reproductive health clinic and the actual blockade, which physically obstructed patient access. The Justice Department will continue to protect patients seeking reproductive health services and the providers delivering those services.”
“The defendant and his co-conspirators knowingly chose to violate a law that was enacted to protect health care providers and patients in an effort to impose their views about reproductive healthcare on others” said U.S. Attorney Henry Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee. “While we are all entitled to our personal views, yesterday’s sentence is a reminder that we cannot pick and choose which laws we follow and that those who violate the law will be held accountable.”
“This sentencing should send a clear message that the FBI will always work to bring to justice those who violate the civil rights of others,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Memphis Field Office. “The FBI will continue to investigate FACE Act violations to protect the rights of those who receive or provide lawful reproductive health care without the threat of violence or intimidation.”
Gallagher and five co-defendants were previously convicted at trial of all charges. A sixth co-defendant previously pleaded guilty. Evidence presented at trial proved that Gallagher and his co-defendants engaged in a conspiracy to prevent employees at the Mount Juliet reproductive health clinic from providing, and patients from receiving, reproductive health services, a civil right secured by the FACE Act. As part of the conspiracy, Gallagher and others traveled to Tennessee from other states to participate in the clinic blockade, and Gallagher and another co-defendant stalled the Mount Juliet Police Department through phony negotiations. Evidence at trial further proved that the defendant violated the FACE Act by using physical obstruction to interfere with the clinic’s employees and a patient, because the clinic provided, and the patient sought, reproductive health services.
Gallagher was also convicted of conspiracy against rights and FACE Act offenses in the Eastern District of Michigan on Aug. 20.
The FBI Memphis Field Office, Nashville Resident Agency, investigated the case.
The U.S Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee and Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
Lead Defendant in Federal Case Against High-End Brothel Network Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The manager responsible for operating an interstate prostitution network of sophisticated high-end brothels in greater Boston and eastern Virginia pleaded guilty today.
Han Lee, 42, of Cambridge, Mass., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce one or more individuals to travel in interstate or foreign commerce to engage in prostitution; and one count of money laundering conspiracy. U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick scheduled sentencing for Dec. 20, 2024. Han Lee was arrested and charged in November 2023 with co-defendants Junmyung Lee, 31, of Dedham, Mass., and James Lee, 69, of Torrance, Calif. The defendants were subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2024.
From at least July 2020, Han Lee operated an interstate prostitution network with multiple brothels in Cambridge and Watertown, Mass., as well as in Fairfax and Tysons, Va. The defendant established the infrastructure for these brothels in multiple states for the purposes of persuading, inducing and enticing women – primarily Asian women – to travel to Massachusetts and Virginia to engage in prostitution.
Specifically, Han Lee and, allegedly, her co-defendants, rented high-end apartments as brothel locations, which they furnished and regularly maintained. It is further alleged that the defendants coordinated the women’s airline travel and transportation and permitted them to stay overnight in the brothel locations so they did not have to find lodging elsewhere, therefore enticing women to participate in their prostitution network. To protect and maintain the secrecy of the business and ensure that the women did not draw attention to the prostitution work inside apartment buildings, Han Lee and, allegedly, her co-defendants established house rules for the women during their stays.
The defendants allegedly advertised their prostitution network and offered appointments with women in either greater Boston or eastern Virginia via bostontopten10.com and browneyesgirlsva.blog, respectively. Both websites purported to advertise nude models for professional photography at upscale studios as a front for prostitution offered through appointments. Investigators searched and seized the domain names for both websites pursuant to search warrants executed in November 2023.
Additionally, each website described a verification process that interested sex buyers undertook to become eligible for appointment bookings– including requiring that clients complete a form providing their full names, email address, phone number, employer and reference if they had one. Han Lee and, allegedly, her co-defendants persuaded the women to work for their prostitution network because the business maintained a regular customer base of men that were adequately screened, ensuring that the customers were not members of law enforcement or men who posed a risk to the safety and security of the commercial sex workers.
Han Lee and, allegedly, her co-defendants maintained local brothel phone numbers which they used to communicate with verified customers and schedule appointments via text messages; send customers a “menu” of available options at the brothel, including the women and sexual services available and the hourly rate; and to text customers directions to the brothel’s location where they engaged in commercial sex with the women.
According to the charging documents, the defendants charged sex buyers a premium price for appointments with the women advertised on their websites, which ranged from approximately $350 to upwards of $600 per hour depending on the services and were paid in cash.To conceal the proceeds of the prostitution network, Han Lee deposited hundreds of thousands of dollars of cash proceeds into personal and third-party bank accounts and peer-to-peer transfers. Additionally, it is alleged that the defendants regularly used hundreds of thousands of dollars of the cash proceeds from the prostitution business to purchase money orders (in values under an amount that would trigger reporting and identification requirements) to conceal the source of the funds. These money orders were then used to pay for rent and utilities at brothel locations in Massachusetts and Virginia.
Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should contact [email protected].
The charge of conspiracy to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce one or more individuals to travel in interstate or foreign commerce to engage in prostitution provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $500,000 fine or twice the value of funds laundered, whatever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Cambridge Police Commissioner Christine Elow made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Central District of California; Eastern District of Virginia; U.S. Postal Service; and Watertown Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Weinstein of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Raquelle Kaye, of the Asset Recovery Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.Lawrence Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for 42 Months for Distributing 25 Pounds of Methamphetamine via a RideshareRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Lawrence, Massachusetts man was sentenced in federal court for trafficking methamphetamine in New Hampshire, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Narquin Sanchez-Unbes, 24, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Landya B. McCafferty, to 42 months in federal prison and one year of supervised release. On June 6, 2024, Mr. Sanchez-Unbes pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of a controlled substance, specifically methamphetamine.
“The defendant used a ride-share to transport an enormous quantity of methamphetamine into the state,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “The sentence imposed today holds the defendant accountable for his brazen criminal conduct. The District of New Hampshire will continue to identify those who intend to traffic controlled substances to our state, investigate them, and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”
“DEA stands committed to keeping highly addictive drugs like methamphetamine off the streets of New Hampshire,” said Acting DEA Special Agent in Charge Stephen Belleau, Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division. “Today’s sentence not only holds Mr. Sanchez-Unbes accountable for his crimes but serves as a warning to those traffickers who are contributing to the drug crisis in America. This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative law enforcement efforts and our strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
On July 10, 2023, an undercover agent attempted to purchase 25 pounds of methamphetamine from a suspected drug broker. The agreed-upon price was $2200 per pound, with a separate $3000 delivery fee, for a total cash price of $58,000. The delivery was made to the undercover agent by the defendant. Sanchez-Unbes was arrested shortly after arriving to the agreed upon location in Rochester via a ride share, while in possession of the 25 pounds of methamphetamine.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation that led to Mr. Sanchez-Unbes’ conviction. The New Hampshire State Police also assisted with the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Strelzin prosecuted the case.
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Las Vegas Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Federal Prison for Bank Fraud Related to Stolen U.S. Treasury ChecksRead the Press Release
BOISE – Brendon McCormick, 31, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison for bank fraud, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today.
According to court records, in May 2023, McCormick engaged in a fraud scheme by obtaining two stolen U.S. Department of Treasury checks issued to a California nonprofit. The checks were in the amount of $161,966.49 and $189,957.49 for a total of $351,923.98. At approximately the same time, McCormick obtained (1) a business entity registration with the Idaho Secretary of State using the name of the California nonprofit, and (2) an apparent Internal Revenue Service Employer Identification Number (EIN) in the name of the California nonprofit.
Using this information, McCormick fraudulently opened a business checking account at a bank in Idaho under the name of the California nonprofit. In June 2023, McCormick then deposited the stolen U.S. Department of Treasury checks into the newly opened bank account to use for his personal benefit.
U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also sentenced McCormick to serve five years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. McCormick pleaded guilty to the charge on July 8, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the work of the United States Secret Service and the Boise Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Mazorol prosecuted the case.
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KC Man Charged with Possessing Hundreds of Illegal Machine Gun Conversion DevicesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man has been charged in federal court with possessing hundreds of homemade devices to convert semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic machine guns.
“Law enforcement agencies in our area and nationwide report a disturbing increase in the number of machine gun conversion devices that quickly and easily transform a semi-automatic firearm into a fully automatic machine gun,” said U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore. “Machine gun conversion devices are often cheap and homemade, just a small piece of metal or plastic that converts a run-of-the-mill firearm into a weapon of war. These dangerously lethal and illegal weapons pose a threat to both public safety and the safety of law enforcement officers.
“Using these devices is illegal. Selling these devices is illegal. And being in possession of these devices is also illegal,” added Moore. “The Department of Justice is making it a priority to combat the spread of these deadly weapons as a focus of our strategy to drive down violent crime.”
Dalton R. Johnston, 27, was charged in a three-count criminal complaint filed under seal in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., on Tuesday, Sept. 24. That complaint was unsealed and made public today following Johnston’s arrest.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, Johnston used his 3-D printer to manufacture machine gun conversion devices, which he sold in the Kansas City metropolitan area.
Machine gun conversion devices, or MCDs, also known as a “switches” or “auto sears,” are used to convert semi-automatic weapons into machine guns that fire multiple shots automatically through a single pull of the trigger, enabling more rapid and often less accurate gunfire. Whether or not they are attached to a firearm, these devices constitute machine guns under federal law.
“In support of the DOJ’s newly established Action Network to Terminate Illegal Machine Gun Conversion Devices, ATF will continue to work nonstop to disrupt the manufacturing and possession of machine gun conversion devices,” said Bernard G. Hansen, ATF Special Agent in Charge, Kansas City Field Division.
“What ATF saw 10 years ago with the emergence of the ghost gun phenomena,” said Hansen, “is now what ATF is seeing with the emergence of machine gun conversion devices. These highly dangerous devices can transform a street corner into a combat zone, devastating entire communities and the brave members of law enforcement who put their lives on the line every day. Machine gun conversion devices are now the most frequently recovered type of illegal firearm. If you are manufacturing or in possession of these deadly devices, we will identify you and arrest you; we will not let up. ATF’s mission is to protect the public from violent crime, and getting these devices off the streets does just that.”
On Aug. 2, 2024, Johnston allegedly sold 10 Glock conversion devices and an AR-type conversion device for a total of $70 to an undercover agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. At the time of the transaction, the affidavit says, Johnston told the undercover agent the devices were incomplete as he did not manufacture the selector rod for them (though he later provided those to the undercover agent).
Johnston agreed to manufacture and sell 100 AR-type conversion devices for $250 after the undercover agent said he would be trafficking the devices to Chicago and selling them for a large profit. Johnston stated that he printed the machine gun conversion devices himself and it would take him approximately a week. Johnston also explained that he could manufacture AR-type firearms as well, but it would take him weeks to complete them.
On Aug. 15, 2024, Johnston met the undercover agent in a gas station parking lot on Blue Ridge Cutoff and gave him a clear vacuum-sealed package that contained 100 AR-type machine gun conversion devices. The undercover agent paid Johnston $250 for the devices. Johnston allegedly told the undercover agent he could manufacture and sell 300 AR-type conversion devices within the next two weeks for $750.
On Aug. 30, 2024, Johnston met the undercover agent in the same gas station parking lot on Blue Ridge Cutoff for the transaction. The undercover agent told Johnston he/she wanted to purchase 500 AR-type conversion devices in the next few weeks. Johnston said he could manufacture that many in approximately a week. Johnston explained that he can 3-D print 45 AR-type conversion devices at one time, and can print up to three batches per day. Johnston also told the undercover agent he could produce silencers, which he sells for $20, and agreed to manufacture a silencer for the undercover agent.
The federal criminal complaint charges Johnston with three counts of possessing machine guns, that is, 3D-printed machine gun conversion devices. Johnston allegedly was in possession of 10 3-D printed Glock machine gun conversion devices on Aug. 2, 2024; in possession of 100 3-D printed AR-type machine gun conversion devices on Aug. 15, 2024; and in possession of 300 3-D printed AR-type machine gun conversion devices on Aug. 30, 2024.
The charges contained in this complaint are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert M. Smith. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Justice Department and EPA Announce Settlement to Reduce Benzene and Volatile Organic Compounds from Wastewater at Lima Refining Company’s Refinery in OhioRead the Press Release
The Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a settlement with the Lima Refining Company (LRC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Canadian-based Cenovus Energy, to address violations of the Clean Air Act at its refinery in Lima, Ohio.
Under the settlement, LRC must pay a civil penalty of $19 million and implement an estimated $150 million in capital investments, including control technology expected to reduce emissions of benzene by an estimated 4.34 tons per year, other hazardous air pollutants (HAP) by 16.26 tons per year, and other volatile organic compound emissions (VOC) by 219 tons per year. The Lima Refinery is surrounded by a community with environmental justice concerns.
“This settlement is part of an ongoing initiative to curtail illegal benzene and VOC emissions at refineries that have failed to allocate the necessary personnel and capital investments to ensure compliance with rules they have long been subject to,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Under the settlement, the refinery will implement controls that will greatly improve air quality and reduce health impacts on the overburdened community that surrounds the refinery.”
“Lima Refining unlawfully exposed the surrounding community to toxic benzene emissions and other hazardous pollutants,” said Assistant Administrator David Uhlmann of the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Today’s settlement demonstrates how monitoring can help protect overburdened communities from harmful emissions from refineries. Lima will pay a substantial penalty for its violations and install $150 million in emissions controls that will provide cleaner air to a community that deserves nothing less.” *
“Environmental justice is a core priority of our Office and of the Department. Through its illegal emissions of benzene, VOCs and other pollutants from its facility, the LRC impermissibly violated the Clean Air Act and jeopardized the health of Ohio’s residents,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “We will continue to be vigilant and strictly enforce environmental laws and regulations to protect our district’s residents from toxic pollutants. Ohioans should not have to worry about living and working in an area where air pollution from local industry could make them sick.”
As part of the settlement, LRC will install one or more flash columns to reduce benzene in wastewater streams leading to its wastewater treatment plant and will cease operating, replace or upgrade other units at the refinery. LRC will also install six air pollutant monitoring stations to monitor air quality outside of the refinery fence line and make the results publicly available.
The United States’ complaint, filed simultaneously with the settlement, alleges that LRC violated federal regulations limiting benzene in refinery wastewater streams, and HAP and VOC emissions at its Lima Refinery, as well as the general requirement to use good air pollution control practices.
Benzene is known to cause cancer in humans. Short-term inhalation exposure to benzene also may cause drowsiness, dizziness, headaches, as well as eye, skin and respiratory tract irritation, and, at high levels, unconsciousness. Long-term inhalation exposure can cause various disorders in the blood, including reduced numbers of red blood cells and anemia in occupational settings. Reproductive effects have been reported for women exposed by inhalation to high levels, and adverse effects on the developing fetus have been observed in animal tests.
VOCs, along with nitrous oxide, play a major role in the atmospheric reactions that produce ozone, which is the primary constituent of smog. Ground-level ozone exposure is linked to a variety of short- and long-term health problems, including difficulty breathing, aggravated asthma, reduced lung capacity and increased susceptibility to respiratory illnesses like pneumonia and bronchitis.
This settlement is part of EPA’s and the Justice Department’s ongoing focus to assist communities that have been historically marginalized and disproportionately exposed to pollution.
For more information about the settlement, please visit www.epa.gov/enforcement/2024-lima-refining-clean-air-act-benzene-waste-neshap-and-volatile-organic-compounds.
The proposed consent decree, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, is subject to a public comment period and final court approval. Information on submitting comment and access to the settlement agreement is available at: www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
The EPA investigated the case.
Attorneys with the Environment and Natural Resources Division's Environmental Enforcement Section are handling the case.
*Editor's note: this quote has been updated for accuracy to remove "fence line," “the oil and gas sector” and “healthier water.”
Justice Department and EPA Announce Settlement to Reduce Benzene and Volatile Organic Compounds from Wastewater at Lima Refining Company’s Refinery in OhioRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a settlement with the Lima Refining Company (LRC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Canadian-based Cenovus Energy, to address violations of the Clean Air Act at its refinery in Lima, Ohio.
Under the settlement, LRC must pay a civil penalty of $19 million and implement an estimated $150 million in capital investments, including control technology expected to reduce emissions of benzene by an estimated 4.34 tons per year, other hazardous air pollutants (HAP) by 16.26 tons per year, and other volatile organic compound emissions (VOC) by 219 tons per year. The Lima Refinery is surrounded by a community with environmental justice concerns.
“This settlement is part of an ongoing initiative to curtail illegal benzene and VOC emissions at refineries that have failed to allocate the necessary personnel and capital investments to ensure compliance with rules they have long been subject to,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Under the settlement, the refinery will implement controls that will greatly improve air quality and reduce health impacts on the overburdened community that surrounds the refinery.”
“Lima Refining unlawfully exposed the surrounding community to toxic benzene emissions and other hazardous pollutants,” said Assistant Administrator David Uhlmann of the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Today’s settlement demonstrates how monitoring can help protect overburdened communities from harmful emissions from refineries. Lima will pay a substantial penalty for its violations and install $150 million in emissions controls that will provide cleaner air to a community that deserves nothing less.” *
“Environmental justice is a core priority of our Office and of the Department. Through its illegal emissions of benzene, VOCs and other pollutants from its facility, the LRC impermissibly violated the Clean Air Act and jeopardized the health of Ohio’s residents,” said U.S Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “We will continue to be vigilant and strictly enforce environmental laws and regulations to protect our district’s residents from toxic pollutants. Ohioans should not have to worry about living and working in an area where air pollution from local industry could make them sick.”
As part of the settlement, LRC will install one or more flash columns to reduce benzene in wastewater streams leading to its wastewater treatment plant and will cease operating, replace or upgrade other units at the refinery. LRC will also install six air pollutant monitoring stations to monitor air quality outside of the refinery fence line and make the results publicly available.
The United States’ complaint, filed simultaneously with the settlement, alleges that LRC violated federal regulations limiting benzene in refinery wastewater streams, and HAP and VOC emissions at its Lima Refinery, as well as the general requirement to use good air pollution control practices.
Benzene is known to cause cancer in humans. Short-term inhalation exposure to benzene also may cause drowsiness, dizziness, headaches, as well as eye, skin and respiratory tract irritation, and, at high levels, unconsciousness. Long-term inhalation exposure can cause various disorders in the blood, including reduced numbers of red blood cells and anemia in occupational settings. Reproductive effects have been reported for women exposed by inhalation to high levels, and adverse effects on the developing fetus have been observed in animal tests.
VOCs, along with nitrous oxide, play a major role in the atmospheric reactions that produce ozone, which is the primary constituent of smog. Ground-level ozone exposure is linked to a variety of short- and long-term health problems, including difficulty breathing, aggravated asthma, reduced lung capacity and increased susceptibility to respiratory illnesses like pneumonia and bronchitis.
This settlement is part of EPA’s and the Justice Department’s ongoing focus to assist communities that have been historically marginalized and disproportionately exposed to pollution.
For more information about the settlement, please visit www.epa.gov/enforcement/2024-lima-refining-clean-air-act-benzene-waste-neshap-and-volatile-organic-compounds.
The proposed consent decree, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, is subject to a public comment period and final court approval. Information on submitting comment and access to the settlement agreement is available at: www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
The EPA investigated the case.
Attorneys with the Environment and Natural Resources Division's Environmental Enforcement Section are handling the case.
*Editor's note: this quote has been updated for accuracy to remove "fence line," “the oil and gas sector” and “healthier water.”
Justice Department Sues Alabama for Violating Federal Law’s Prohibition on Systematic Efforts to Remove Voters Within 90 Days of an ElectionRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against the State of Alabama and the Alabama Secretary of State to challenge a systematic State program aimed at removing voters from its election rolls too close to the Nov. 5 general election, in violation of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA).
“The right to vote is one of the most sacred rights in our democracy,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “As Election Day approaches, it is critical that Alabama redress voter confusion resulting from its list maintenance mailings sent in violation of federal law. Officials across the country should take heed of the National Voter Registration Act’s clear and unequivocal restrictions on systematic list maintenance efforts that fall within 90 days of an election. The Quiet Period Provision of federal law exists to prevent eligible voters from being removed from the rolls as a result of last-minute, error-prone efforts. The Justice Department will continue to use all the tools it has available to ensure that the voting rights of every eligible voter are protected.”
Section 8(c)(2) of the NVRA, also known as the Quiet Period Provision, requires states to complete systematic programs aimed at removing the names of ineligible voters from voter registration lists by no later than 90 days before federal elections. The Quiet Period Provision applies to certain systematic programs carried out by states that are aimed at striking names from voter registration lists based on a perceived failure to meet initial eligibility requirements — including citizenship — at the time of registration. The Quiet Period is an important protection for voters, because systematic removal programs may be error-ridden, cause voter confusion and remove eligible voters days or weeks before Election Day who may be unable to correct the state’s errors in time to vote or may be dissuaded from voting at all. States may remove names from official lists of voters in various ways and for various reasons, but they may not carry-on this kind of systematic removal program so close to a federal election.
On Aug. 13, the Secretary of State announced the launch of a “process to remove noncitizens registered to vote in Alabama.” This was 84 days before the Nov. 5 general election. The Justice Department’s review found that both native-born and naturalized U.S. citizens have received letters stating that their voter record has been made inactive and that they have been placed on a path for removal from Alabama’s statewide voter registration list. The letter directs recipients who are in fact U.S. citizens and eligible to vote to complete and submit an attached State of Alabama Voter Registration Form. In turn, that form instructs that people may not register to vote in the 14 days before an election. This systematic voter removal program, which the State is conducting within 90 days of the upcoming federal election, violates the Quiet Period Provision.
The Justice Department seeks injunctive relief that would restore the ability of impacted eligible voters to vote unimpeded on Election Day and would prohibit future Quiet Period violations. The department also seeks remedial mailings to educate eligible voters concerning the restoration of their rights and adequate training of local officials and poll workers to address confusion and distrust among eligible voters accused of being noncitizens.
More information about voting and elections is available at www.justice.gov/voting. More information about the NVRA and other federal voting laws is available at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section. The department recently announced a new guidance document addressing limits on when and how jurisdictions may remove voters from their voter lists. Complaints about discriminatory voting practices may be reported to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section through the internet reporting portal at civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-3931.
Justice Department Awards $900,000 to Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians to Support Victims of Domestic Violence and Sexual AssaultRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – The U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) has awarded $900,000 to the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians to support victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, announced U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee.
The grant was awarded through the OVW Tribal Governments Program, which provides funding to tribes to develop and enhance effective governmental strategies to curtail violent crimes against and increase the safety of Indian women.
The funds will support the Family Violence and Victims Program, an agency of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians Tribal Government, which provides shelter and support services for Choctaw women who are victims of domestic violence or sexual assault.
“This DOJ grant will assist the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians with reducing domestic violence and other violent crime through collaboration with community organizations, tribal law enforcement, and prosecutors,” said U.S. Attorney Gee.
“The Family Violence and Victim Services program, a vital initiative within our Department of Family & Community Services, plays a crucial role in supporting individuals during their most vulnerable moments,” said Chief Cyrus Ben of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. “This grant will enable us to sustain and enhance our efforts in the community. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Department of Justice for this generous award, which allows us to continue our important work.”
Additional information about the Office on Violence Against Women can be found at www.justice.gov/ovw.
Justice Department Announces an Organizational Assessment of the Hackensack, New Jersey, Police Department under the COPS Office’s Collaborative Reform InitiativeRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) today announced that it will provide an Organizational Assessment of the Hackensack, New Jersey, Police Department through its Collaborative Reform Initiative. This is a voluntary program that is offered at the request of law enforcement agencies that are seeking to ensure fair, impartial, and effective policing for the communities they serve. Over the next year, the Hackensack Police Department will work in partnership with the COPS Office Collaborative Reform Initiative team to focus on:
- Data-Driven Policing;
- Employee Wellness, Training, and Professional Development;
- Community Engagement and Problem-Solving Strategies;
- Internal and External Communications;
- Leadership and Organizational Structure; and
- Accountability and Oversight Systems.
“The in-depth assessments undertaken as part of the Collaborative Reform Initiative benefit both the Hackensack Police Department and the community,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “By taking an honest look at what might need to be strengthened or reformed, agencies can continue to improve public safety and trust.”
“By examining an agency’s historical practices, their current practices, and their goals for the future, a solid plan for moving forward can be put in place,” said Director Hugh T. Clements Jr. of the COPS Office. “It is this kind of strategic thinking and planning that is critical in helping agencies meet the standards that the community has set for them.”
Regular updates on the Collaborative Reform Initiative team’s work with the Hackensack Police Department will be provided at www.cops.usdoj.gov/active-oa-site-hackensack-nj-police-department as part of the transparency and public accountability of this new Organizational Assessment effort.
The Collaborative Reform Initiative encompasses three programs offering expert services to state, local, territorial, and Tribal law enforcement agencies: the Collaborative Reform Initiative Technical Assistance Center, Critical Response, and Organizational Assessment programs (complete details of these programs can be found at www.cops.usdoj.gov/collaborativereform). Managed out of the COPS Office, this continuum of services is designed to build trust between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve; improve operational efficiencies and effectiveness; enhance officer safety and wellness; build agencies’ capacity for organizational learning and self-improvement; and promote community policing practices nationwide.
The Organizational Assessment program provides the most intensive form of technical assistance on the continuum, involving in-depth assessments and long-term assistance to improve the fairness, effectiveness, and efficacy of agency operations that build trust with communities. A continual assessment and implementation process ensures that time and resources are used to focus on identifying areas for improvement, reinforcing agency strengths, and assisting with the implementation of improvements expeditiously. At the same time, the process provides transparency and accountability with routine public reporting and community input. Each engagement will be supported by a multidisciplinary assessment team composed of subject matter experts with diverse experience and perspectives, including in law enforcement, community engagement, research and evaluation, program management, and organizational reform.
The COPS Office is the federal component of the Justice Department responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. The only Justice Department agency with policing in its name, the COPS Office was established in 1994 and has been the cornerstone of the nation’s crime fighting strategy with grants, a variety of knowledge resource products, and training and technical assistance. Through the years, the COPS Office has become the go-to organization for law enforcement agencies across the country and continues to listen to the field and provide the resources that are needed to reduce crime and build trust between law enforcement and the communities served. The COPS Office has been appropriated more than $20 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local, territorial, and Tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 138,000 officers.
Justice Department Announces Significant Milestone in Policing Reform Efforts for the City of New Orleans and New Orleans Police DepartmentRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it, together with the City of New Orleans (the City), has jointly moved for the City to enter into a two-year “sustainment period” according to the terms of a negotiated plan, bringing the consent decree concerning the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) closer to successful resolution.
The joint motion and proposed plan, which must be approved by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, recognize the significant progress NOPD and the City have made that supports entry into the two-year sustainment period required by the consent decree. The two-year sustainment period is designed to ensure that reforms will continue even after the consent decree’s eventual termination. During this time, NOPD and the City have an opportunity to demonstrate that they have the systems in place to monitor their own compliance with the decree and take meaningful corrective actions when necessary. The agreement also requires the City and NOPD to complete important obligations under the consent decree to continue the reform process.
“Today’s filing recognizes the significant progress the City of New Orleans and the New Orleans Police Department have made to ensure constitutional and fair policing,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We look forward to continuing to work with NOPD, the City and the Court Monitor to achieve full and enduring compliance with the consent decree, an outcome that helps strengthen public safety and enhance police-community relations.”
“After years of hard work and intense collaboration, the City of New Orleans and the New Orleans Police Department are well on the path to demonstrate compliance and sustainability of policing reforms required by the consent decree,” said U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “Constitutional policing standards are essential to preserving community trust and confidence in law enforcement. Our office, along with the Justice Department, will continue to work with the NOPD, the City of New Orleans and the Court Monitor to a positive resolution.”
NOPD has made notable progress in achieving compliance with the consent decree, including reforms that go beyond the requirements of the decree. For example:
- Reduced Use of Force: Since entry of the consent decree, NOPD’s total use of force has declined, and its serious use of force has declined by 47% from 2015 to 2023.
- Improved Stop, Search and Arrest Practices: NOPD’s 2023 Stop, Search and Arrest audit — which used a comprehensive protocol approved by an independent monitor and the Justice Department — found an overall 95.4% rate of compliance with the Stop, Search and Arrest requirements of the decree.
- Improved Response Times: NOPD responded quicker to calls for service after NOPD piloted a program this year which added a new platoon to one of its busiest districts during peak service times. NOPD has committed to evaluating whether it can add a new platoon to other districts.
- Improved Language Access: NOPD has translated key policies and forms into Spanish and Vietnamese (two of New Orleans’ commonly spoken languages besides English), increased the number of their certified Spanish and Vietnamese interpreters, rolled out a smart phone application to enable telephonic translation in the field and committed to periodically assessing the translation services needed throughout the city.
- Policing Free of Gender Bias: NOPD added 11 new investigators to help reduce individual caseloads in cases involving sexual violence. NOPD has also implemented a call‑back process for callers who were gone on arrival when NOPD responded on scene.
- Crisis Intervention Team: The City developed a Mobile Crisis Intervention Unit to help respond to incidents involving people in crisis. The Mobile Crisis Intervention Unit handles calls in place of NOPD or as a co-responder with NOPD. The City’s dispatch system has diverted 3,360 calls for service to this unit from June 1, 2023 to July 17, 2024.
The Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana handled the matter.
The Civil Rights Division continues to prioritize constitutional policing and currently has pending investigations into police departments across the country, including in Memphis, Tennessee; New York City; and Rankin County, Mississippi. The consent decree, as well as additional information about the Civil Rights Division, are available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt/special-litigation-section.
Justice Department Announces Significant Milestone in Policing Reform Efforts for the City of New Orleans Police DepartmentRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced today that it, together with the City of New Orleans (the City), has jointly moved for the City to enter into a two-year “sustainment period” according to the terms of a negotiated plan, bringing the consent decree concerning the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) closer to successful resolution.
The joint motion and proposed plan, which must be approved by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, recognize the significant progress NOPD and the City have made that supports entry into the two-year sustainment period required by the consent decree. The two-year sustainment period is designed to ensure that reforms will continue even after the consent decree’s eventual termination. During this time, NOPD and the City have an opportunity to demonstrate that they have the systems in place to monitor their own compliance with the decree and take meaningful corrective actions when necessary. The agreement also requires the City and NOPD to complete important obligations under the consent decree to continue the reform process.
“Today’s filing recognizes the significant progress the City of New Orleans and the New Orleans Police Department have made to ensure constitutional and fair policing,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We look forward to continuing to work with NOPD, the City and the Court Monitor to achieve full and enduring compliance with the consent decree, an outcome that helps strengthen public safety and enhance police-community relations.”
“After years of hard work and intense collaboration, the City of New Orleans and the New Orleans Police Department are well on the path to demonstrate compliance and sustainability of policing reforms required by the consent decree,” said U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “Constitutional policing standards are essential to preserving community trust and confidence in law enforcement. Our office along with the Justice Department will continue to work with the NOPD, the City of New Orleans and the Court Monitor to a positive resolution.”
NOPD has made notable progress in achieving compliance with the consent decree, including reforms that go beyond the requirements of the decree. For example:
Reduced Use of Force: Since entry of the consent decree, NOPD’s total use of force has declined, and its serious use of force has declined by 47% from 2015 to 2023.
Improved Stop, Search and Arrest Practices: NOPD’s 2023 Stop, Search and Arrest audit — which used a comprehensive protocol approved by an independent monitor and the Justice Department — found an overall 95.4% rate of compliance with the Stop, Search and Arrest requirements of the decree.
Improved Response Times: NOPD responded quicker to calls for service after NOPD piloted a program this year which added a new platoon to one of its busiest districts during peak service times. NOPD has committed to evaluating whether it can add a new platoon to other districts.
Improved Language Access: NOPD has translated key policies and forms into Spanish and Vietnamese (two of New Orleans’ commonly spoken languages besides English), increased the number of their certified Spanish and Vietnamese interpreters, rolled out a smart phone application to enable telephonic translation in the field and committed to periodically assessing the translation services needed throughout the city.
Policing Free of Gender Bias: NOPD added 11 new investigators to help reduce individual caseloads in cases involving sexual violence. NOPD has also implemented a call‑back process for callers who were gone on arrival when NOPD responded on scene.
Crisis Intervention Team: The City developed a Mobile Crisis Intervention Unit to help respond to incidents involving people in crisis. The Mobile Crisis Intervention Unit handles calls in place of NOPD or as a co-responder with NOPD. The City’s dispatch system has diverted 3,360 calls for service to this unit from June 1, 2023 to July 17, 2024.
The Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Eastern District of Louisiana handled the matter.
The Civil Rights Division continues to prioritize constitutional policing and currently has pending investigations into police departments across the country, including in Memphis, Tennessee; New York City; and Rankin County, Mississippi. The consent decree, as well as additional information about the Civil Rights Division, are available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt/special-litigation-section.
Jury Finds Man Guilty of Child Sexual Abuse of a 15-Year-Old Girl in 2005-2006Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Lucius Kearney, 52, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty today by a D.C. Superior Court jury of first-degree sexual abuse of a child, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves. The sexual assault took place nearly 20 years ago when the victim was 15 years old, and the defendant was approximately 33 years old. The Honorable Maribeth Raffinan scheduled sentencing for December 10, 2024.
According to the government’s evidence at trial, in the 2005-2006 school year, when the victim was in tenth grade, she met the defendant – then a Fourth District Metropolitan Police Department officer – while doing a school project. At their initial meeting at the Fourth District Police Station, the defendant and victim exchanged phone numbers and began communicating about the school project. Their conversations turned sexual, and ultimately the defendant engaged in sexual acts with the victim in his truck near a D.C. public library, where the victim was volunteering to complete her high school community service hours.
The victim disclosed the abuse in 2020 after randomly encountering the defendant while he was on duty in the area where the victim lived. Kearney’s body worn camera showed that after this coincidental encounter, which occurred in 2019, Kearney ran the tags from the victim’s car and said to himself: “How in the world did I f**king manage to do that?!?” The defendant was charged in 2021.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Peter Taylor and Richard Kelley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
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Jury Finds DC Man Guilty of Aggravated Assault while Armed for Southeast DC ShootingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Calvon Brown, 30, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a Superior Court jury yesterday of aggravated assault while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and other related firearm charges for a late-afternoon shooting that took place on March 22, 2024, in Southeast DC, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves.
The verdict was returned on September 26, 2024, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Judge Erik Christian scheduled sentencing for December 10, 2024.
According to the government’s evidence, on March 22, 2024, the victim walked into a corner store in the 2300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue SE in which the defendant and his associates were dealing suspected drugs. The defendant verbally confronted the victim about his loud music playing from a portable Bluetooth speaker, and the two agreed to go outside to what the victim thought was a fistfight. When they got outside, the victim put his things down to ready himself, but the defendant indicated that they needed to go around the corner and into the alley. When they did so, the defendant pulled out a gun and shot at the victim several times, one shot of which hit the victim in the upper thigh/buttocks. The victim and the defendant then wrestled over the gun. Ultimately, the victim was able to recover it and tried to fire back at the defendant, but the gun jammed. The defendant then fled the scene. The victim then called his girlfriend, who encouraged him to go to the police station to report the incident. The defendant was arrested on April 25, 2024, and has been held since.
This aggravated assault charge was brought as a result of the D.C. Council’s Secure DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2024. The change in the law recognizes that all gunshot wounds are serious bodily injury for purposes of aggravated assault.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lizzy Van Haasteren and Mark Levy.
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Judge Sentences 20-Year-Old Man to Nine Year Prison Term for Shooting Two Minor Victims in Northwest D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Eric Lemus, 20, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today by the Honorable Maribeth Raffinan for shooting two minor victims on March 22, 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Lemus pleaded guilty on February 9, 2024, to one count of assault with intent to kill while armed and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office requested a sentence of 219 months (18.25 years) of incarceration. The Court sentenced the defendant to 108 months (nine years) incarceration, with an additional 39 months suspended and two years of supervised probation. The Court sentenced Lemus under the Youth Rehabilitation act, over the government’s objection.
According to the government’s evidence, on March 22, 2023, Lemus encountered the two minor victims, ages 15 and 17, at Park Road Park in the Columbia Heights neighborhood in Northwest D.C. Lemus produced a handgun and opened fire on the two victims, who were both struck and later treated for gunshot wounds. After firing multiple rounds at the two victims until the magazine was empty, Lemus attempted to flee the scene. The defendant was immediately apprehended by officers with the Metropolitan Police Department, who discovered the handgun that Lemus used to commit the shooting, located inside of his sweatshirt pocket. The crime was captured on video by a bystander who had witnessed the incident.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caroline Coates Huether and Carlos A. Valdivia, who prosecuted the case.
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Jackson Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson man was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, Marcus Allen Brown, 44, was found with a firearm after Jackson Police responded to a reported disturbance at an apartment complex. At the time, Brown already had multiple previous felony convictions spanning more than two decades, including the burglaries of homes and businesses, drug possession, and felon in possession of a firearm. Federal law prohibits a convicted felon from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
Brown pled guilty on March 19, 2024. The sentence he received, 10 years, is the statutory maximum for the offense at the time it was committed. The statutory maximum has since been changed to 15 years. He will not be eligible for parole because there is no parole in the federal system.
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 is being investigated by the ATF and the Jackson Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Allen 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.
Inspector Indicted for Fraudulent Permitting and Corruption SchemeRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - The United States Attorney’s Office announced today that RANDY A. FARRELL, SR. (“FARRELL”), age 61, a resident of Metairie, and his company, IECI & ASSOCIATES LLC (“IECI”)¸ were charged today in a twenty-five count indictment with conspiracy, wire fraud, and honest services fraud. The charges stemmed from FARRELL’s acceptance of bribes to allow unlicensed electricians to obtain fraudulent permits and fraudulent home inspections on their unlicensed work, as well as FARRELL’s attempts to thwart investigations into his scheme by offering gifts to public officials.
According to the indictment, FARRELL used his status as a third-party inspector at IECI to orchestrate a years-long scheme in which he accepted bribes to let unlicensed electricians work on hundreds of New Orleans homes using licensed electricians’ names and permits, and then FARRELL and IECI fraudulently passed the inspections of the unlicensed electricians’ work. FARRELL also conspired with others to offer bribes to public officials to thwart the investigation into his scheme, including by having a City of New Orleans employee fired.
FARRELL and IECI are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1343 and 1349; twenty counts of wire fraud concerning specific fraudulent permits and inspections, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343; and one count of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud regarding FARRELL’s accepting and offering of bribes, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1343, 1346, and 1349. FARRELL was also charged with three counts of honest services fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1343 and 1346, in connection with specific bribes he accepted and paid.
For each count, FARRELL faces up to twenty years in prison and up to three years of supervised release. FARRELL and IECI also each face a fine of up to a $250,000 or twice the gross gain to them or loss to any person, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee per count.
An indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter and expressed appreciation for the support provided by the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors and the City of New Orleans Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas D. Moses, of the Financial Crimes Unit and Health Care Fraud Coordinator, is in charge of the prosecution.
Husband and Wife Found Guilty of Murder and Car-JackingRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that, on Friday, September 27, 2024, a jury found JAMIE ORSINI and NICHOLAS ORSINI guilty of carjacking resulting in death and conspiracy to commit carjacking. The ORSINIs were found guilty following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Philip M. Halpern.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Over four years ago, in Beacon, New York, Jamie and Nicholas Orsini killed Jamie’s ex-husband, Steven Kraft, and engaged in a sophisticated scheme to hide their crime. Indeed, Kraft’s body still has not been found. For more than four years, Kraft’s family has waited for justice. Their wait is now over. With its verdict, the jury has now held Kraft’s ex-wife—Jamie Orsini—and her husband—Nicholas Orsini—responsible for that murder and subsequent cover-up. This should serve as a lesson: if you commit a crime—if you commit a murder—it does not matter how well you cover your tracks, or how successfully you think you destroyed the evidence, law enforcement will not give up, and the career prosecutors of this Office and our law enforcement partners will never stop investigating and prosecuting these righteous cases. If any member of the public has information that they wish to share with us about any unsolved murder, then we encourage you to come forward.”
According to the Indictment, public court filings, and the evidence presented at trial:
In 2020, JAMIE and NICHOLAS ORSINI plotted the murder of JAMIE ORSINI’s ex-husband, Steven Kraft. As part of that murder, they planned a sophisticated cover-up, involving the use of burner phones, the movement of Kraft’s car to a different city, and the destruction and disposal of all physical evidence. Among other things, they purchased items—such as a 1,000-square-foot tarp and a full-body coverall—to allow them to commit the murder and dispose of evidence, they repeatedly practiced “dry runs” for how they would move Kraft’s car, and they purchased a “burner phone” to use without law enforcement being able to trace the phone to them. On April 28, 2020, in Beacon, New York, after Kraft dropped his daughters off with the ORSINIs, who had custody of their children, the ORSINIs killed Kraft and took his car and cellphone. NICHOLAS ORSINI then drove the car into Newburgh, New York, leaving it in a high-crime neighborhood, got rid of Kraft’s cellphone, and used the burner phone to call a taxi to bring him back to Beacon, throwing the burner phone out before getting into the taxi.
After the murder, the ORSINIs managed to destroy or dispose of evidence—including Steven Kraft’s body—buying a new burner phone to use when they repeatedly drove to and from upstate New York, and creating large homemade incinerators. JAMIE ORSINI sent multiple text messages to make it look like she believed that Kraft was still alive, and, having dumped Kraft’s car in Newburgh, when speaking with the police, professed ignorance, but kept hinting that, maybe if Kraft went to Newburgh after leaving her home, something might have happened to him there.
If you believe you have information related to the ORSINIs, or the location of Steven Kraft’s body, please consider reporting using the following link: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/report-crime.
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JAMIE ORSINI, 38, and NICHOLAS ORSINI, 36, both of Amsterdam, New York, were each convicted of: carjacking resulting in death; and participating in a conspiracy to commit carjacking. The carjacking count carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, and the conspiracy count carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York State Police, which also supported the prosecution through trial. He also thanked the Dutchess County District Attorney’s Office, the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office, the City of Beacon Police Department, the Town of Marlborough Police Department, and the City of Newburgh Police Department.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaiya Arroyo, Michael D. Maimin, and Kathryn P. Wheelock are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialists Shannon Becker and Liam Ronan.
Houston “Problem Gang” member heads to prison for possessing machine gunRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 21-year-old man has been sentenced for illegal possession of a machine gun, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Latravion Knighten aka pg_tray pleaded guilty on April 29.
U.S. District Judge Sim Lake has now ordered Knighten to serve 33 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court observed social media posts where Knighten bragged about the sound of his “switch” and appeared armed. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that a sentence at the higher end of the guidelines consecutive to his state court probation violation was appropriate in this case.
On May 10, 2023, law enforcement conducted surveillance on Knighten, a documented Problem Gang member, who was staying at an AirBNB location and had a warrant for his arrest. They witnessed flashes from a green light, akin to the type used as laser sights on firearms, on the wall within the back porch of the residence.
The next day, law enforcement saw Knighten leave the location and enter a silver Pontiac Grand Prix with a handgun in the waistband of his pants. As authorities began surveilling the vehicle, the Pontiac proceeded to make what appeared to be “heat runs,” signaling to law enforcement that the occupants of the vehicle noticed their mobile surveillance.
Authorities observed Knighten exit the vehicle and run to the side of the street where they saw him concealing something in an overgrown area around a tree. Knighten suddenly turned and ran into the path of the oncoming surveillance vehicle. The vehicle struck him, causing his feet to go over his head. Despite being hit, Knighten immediately stood up and approached authorities, proclaiming his innocence.
After placing him under arrest, law enforcement returned to the tree and found a .40 caliber Glock model 23 with a machine gun conversion device with attached green laser sight. Authorities also seized an extended magazine capable of accepting 17 rounds of ammunition.
They test fired the firearm and confirmed it met the definition of a machine gun.
Knighten has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Houston Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Hanes and Kelly Zenon-Matos prosecuted the case.
This case was investigated as part of the Houston Law Enforcement Violent Crime Initiative, which combines personnel and resources from numerous federal, state and local agencies to include the Harris County District Attorney’s Office referring violent offenders released on state bonds to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for possible federal prosecution. The goal is to reduce violent crime across the Greater Houston area by targeting the region’s most violent offenders, augmenting investigative and prosecutorial efforts and enhancing training, public awareness and education. It stems from the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Under the PSN umbrella, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN partners focus enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and work with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Houston sex trafficker convicted of luring minor through social mediaRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 25-year-old man has pleaded guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Michael Ramone Hooks, Houston, admitted to recruiting the 16-year-old victim to engage in prostitution via Instagram, text messages and video calls.
He communitated via cell phone with the minor and lured her away from a known sex trafficker, Antonio Dario Osario-Avelar aka Pressure. Prior to Hooks’ attempt to lure the minor victim away to work for him, Osario-Avelar had caused to her to engage in commercial sex.
Hooks knew the victim was a minor. Law enforcement discovered text messages revealing that they discussed her age. The victim agreed to pay Hooks a “choosing fee,” which is a fee the victim pays a trafficker for them to be their “pimp.”
In August 2023, authorities arrested Hooks and recovered the minor victim before she could join up with him.
Osario-Avelar was previously sentenced to 375 months in federal prison for his conduct in a separate case before U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks.
U.S. District Judge Sim Lake accepted the plea and has set sentencing for Dec. 20. At that time, Hooks faces up to life imprisonment and a possible $250,000 fine maximum fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance (HTRA) and Houston Police Department (HPD).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri Zack is prosecuting the case.
HTRA law enforcement includes members of HPD, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Attorney General’s Office, IRS Criminal Investigation, Department of Labor (DOL), DOL – Wage and Hour Division, Department of State, Texas Alcoholic and Beverage Commission, Texas Department of Public Safety, Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General (OIG), Social Security Administration – OIG and Sheriff’s Offices in Harris and Montgomery counties in coordination with District Attorney’s offices in Harris, Montgomery and Fort Bend Counties.
Established in 2004, the United States Attorney’s office in Houston formed HTRA to combine resources with federal, state and local enforcement agencies and prosecutors, as well as non-governmental service organizations to target human traffickers while providing necessary services to those that the traffickers victimized. Since its inception, HTRA has been recognized as both a national and international model in identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking and prosecuting those engaged in trafficking offenses.