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4 November 2024
Leader of Area Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 260 Months in Federal Prison for Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced Corey Terrell Gardner, age 33, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 260 months in federal prison following his convictions for conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The Court further sentenced Gardner to serve five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered that the proceeds from his drug trafficking crimes, as well as firearms and ammunition seized by law enforcement, be forfeited. As part of the sentence, the Court found that Gardner operated a stash house and was an organizer, leader, manager, or supervisor.
This case was the result of an extensive federal, state, and local investigation by the Middle District Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) aimed at a drug trafficking network based and operating in East Baton Rouge Parish and surrounding areas.
According to admissions made as part of his guilty pleas, from March through September 2019, Gardner operated a drug distribution organization in the Baton Rouge area where he and others distributed methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin. When law enforcement raided his home and other locations associated with him, over 27 ounces of methamphetamine, 2.7 ounces of heroin and 1.6 ounces of fentanyl was seized, as well as four firearms and 130 rounds of ammunition from Gardner that he illegally possessed to protect himself, his drugs, and his cash proceeds from drug sales.
Gardner was a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing the firearms and ammunition. In January 2018, prior to possessing the four firearms and ammunition, he was convicted in the U.S. Middle District Court of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to over twelve months in prison.
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Baton Rouge City Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lyman E. Thornton, III and Jessica Jarreau, who also serves as Deputy Chief of the Organized and Violent Crime Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
This effort 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.
Leader of International Stock Manipulation Ring Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that RONALD BAUER pled guilty to conspiring to commit securities fraud in connection with his role in a long-running “pump-and-dump” stock manipulation scheme. BAUER pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 20, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “For years, Ronald Bauer orchestrated a sprawling ‘pump-and-dump’ scheme involving the shares of numerous U.S.-based issuers that preyed on ordinary, retail investors. While Bauer and his co-conspirators lived outside of the United States, they took advantage of the U.S. markets to perpetrate their fraud and reaped millions upon millions in profits at the expense of the victims. Today’s guilty plea should send a clear message that this Office is committed to holding market manipulators accountable no matter how hard they try to conceal their crimes.”
According to allegations in the Indictment, public filings, and statements made in court:
BAUER, a/k/a “Patek,” a citizen of Canada and the United Kingdom who resided in the United Kingdom, orchestrated numerous “pump-and-dump” schemes, controlling various aspects of the plans. The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) had previously filed securities fraud claims against BAUER in 2005 for engaging in an alleged market manipulation scheme that was alleged to have issued false and misleading press releases while secretly dumping tens of millions of shares into the inflated market that BAUER and his associates had created. In 2006, without admitting or denying the allegations, BAUER consented to the entry of a judgment against him providing for injunctive relief, barring BAUER from serving as an officer or director of a public company or participating in an offering of penny stock for a period of five years, and payment of disgorgement of $840,000.
As he admitted in connection with his guilty plea, BAUER and his co-conspirators participated in a conspiracy to commit securities fraud with respect to seven issuers: Cantabio Pharmaceuticals Inc. (CTBO) (previously Lion Consulting Group (LIOC)); Virtus Oil and Gas Corp. (VOIL) (previously Curry Gold Corp. (CURGD)); Steampunk Wizards (SPWZ) (previously Freedom Petroleum (FPET)); Black Stallion Oil and Gas Inc. (BLKG) (previously Secure IT Corp.); PetroTerra Corp. (previously Loran Connection Corp (LRNC)); Black River Petroleum (BRPC) (previously American Copper Corp. (AMCU)); and Cyberfort Software Inc. (CYBF) (previously Patriot Berry Farms (PBFI)) (collectively, the “Issuers”).
To perpetrate the “pump-and-dump” scheme, BAUER and his co-conspirators obtained ownership and control of all or the vast majority of the unrestricted (i.e., free trading) stock of the Issuers. BAUER and his co-conspirators sought to conceal their beneficial ownership of these controlling interests in the shares of the Issuers by causing their shares to be distributed to and divided amongst nominee entities that had been established by a Swiss corporation called Blacklight, S.A. These entities were nominally owned by unrelated third parties but were, in fact, controlled by BAUER or his co-conspirators. Thereafter, BAUER and his co-conspirators retained trading authority over the blocks of shares of the Issuers held by the Blacklight nominee entities and BAUER regularly provided trading instructions with respect to these shares to executives or employees at Blacklight. In addition, BAUER and his co-conspirators effectively controlled or otherwise maintained significant influence over the management of the Issuers during the “pump-and-dump” scheme.
At times, BAUER and his co-conspirators caused nominees to engage in “match trades”—i.e., place both buy and sell orders in the same stock on the same day—for no legitimate economic purpose. Furthermore, BAUER and his co-conspirators financed and coordinated promotional campaigns touting the Issuers to stoke trading interest in the Issuers’ stock, though without publicly disclosing their relationship to the promotional campaigns, their controlling interest, or their intent to sell a significant percentage of their holdings into the buying interest that they intended the promotional campaigns would generate. BAUER and his co-conspirators took steps to conceal the fact that the nominee entities they controlled were the true funding source for the promotional campaigns.
During or shortly after the promotional campaigns, BAUER and his co-conspirators caused the Blacklight nominee entities to engage in trading activity in the Issuers’ stock, including selling a large percentage of their holdings of the Issuers’ stock, then caused the Blacklight nominee entities they controlled to remit to them the proceeds of the stock sales.
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BAUER, 49, of London, United Kingdom, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. As part of his guilty plea, a money judgment in the amount of $4,377,228.74 was entered against BAUER.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is 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. He further thanked the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs of the Department’s Criminal Division, as well as authorities in the United Kingdom, in particular the Crown Prosecution Service’s National Extradition Unit. Finally, Mr. Williams also thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission, which separately initiated civil proceedings against BAUER.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Richman, Matthew R. Shahabian, Noah Solowiejczyk, and Vladislav Vainberg are in charge of the prosecution.
Law Enforcement Officers Join Students for A Day of LearningRead the Press Release
BLAST
(Building Lasting Relationships Between Police and Community)
The BLAST Program Brings Law Enforcement and Communities Together
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – The United States Attorney’s Office, the Tallahassee Police Department, and Leon High School will present a BLAST event at Leon High School on Thursday, November 7. The BLAST event offers students an opportunity to meet and ask questions of prosecutors and law enforcement officers. The program is based on the belief that young people and law enforcement officers can benefit from spending time together discussing challenges and perspectives on law enforcement to reach a better understanding of each other. This productive interaction enhances relationships and replaces doubt with familiarity and trust.During the three-hour program, law enforcement officers share the challenges in responding to dangerous or uncertain circumstances and the actions officers and civilians can take to de-escalate situations.
Agencies participating in the program include the ATF, DEA, FBI, United States Marshals Service, and the Tallahassee Police Department.
Members of the media are welcome to attend and photograph/video most segments of the BLAST (Building Lasting Relationships Between Police and Community) program.
Event: BLAST
(Building Lasting Relationships Between Law Enforcement and Community)
Location: Leon High School
550 East Tennessee Street
Tallahassee, FL 32308Date: Thursday, November 7, 2024
Time: 8:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. EST
Media: Please RSVP to [email protected] if you plan to attend.
The BLAST program schedule includes the following discussion sessions, during which students have a chance to participate in role-play with law enforcement officers. (Students with media permissions will be identified)
• Federal Crimes Scenario: Students evaluate video scenarios and learn about each phase of a federal criminal case, including investigation, prosecution, and sentencing. This session is open to the media, and videography and photography are permitted.
• Domestic Response / K-9 Demonstration: Students participate in a scenario in which law enforcement officers respond to a domestic disturbance. The discussion includes the challenges officers face, the rights of witnesses and suspects, and the benefits of providing information to law enforcement. Officers explain the role and capabilities of police K9s. This session is open to the media, and videography and photography are permitted.
• Traffic Stop Simulation: Students and officers alternate playing the roles of civilians and officers in a traffic stop. The discussion includes de-escalation and the uncertainty officers and vehicle occupants face during a traffic stop. This session is open to the media, and videography and photography are permitted.
• Use of Force: Facilitators and students discuss when law enforcement officers may use force and an officer’s reaction time when confronted with a life-threatening situation. This session is closed to the media. Reporters may try the simulator equipment after the event ends.
• The Way Forward - Returning from Prison: A formerly incarcerated individual shares his journey from prison to a productive citizen.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Justice Department to Monitor Compliance in Wake County, North CarolinaRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr., announced today that the Justice Department will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in Wake County for the Nov. 5 general election.
The Justice Department enforces federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all eligible citizens to access the ballot. The department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities all across the country.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will coordinate the effort. Monitors will include Justice Department personnel, who will contact state and local election officials as needed throughout Election Day.
The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act and Civil Rights Acts. The division’s Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure that persons with disabilities have a full and equal opportunity to vote. The division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter suppression based on race, color, national origin or religion.
On Election Day, Civil Rights Division personnel will be available all day to receive questions and complaints from the public related to possible violations of federal voting rights laws. Reports may be made through the department’s website www.civilrights.justice.gov or by calling toll-free at 800-253-3931. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina will also be available to receive complaints on Election Day at 919-856-4808 or [email protected].
Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the department’s toll-free ADA information hotline at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or submit a complaint through a link on the department’s ADA website at www.ada.gov.
Complaints related to any disruptions at a polling place should always be reported to local election officials (including officials based in the polling place). Complaints related to violence, threats of violence or intimidation at a polling place should be reported immediately to local police authorities by calling 911. These complaints should also be reported to the department after local authorities have been contacted.
More information about voting and elections, including guidance documents and other resources, is available at www.justice.gov/voting. Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.
Justice Department Awards over $3 Million to the Louisiana Commission on Law EnforcementRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance, has awarded $3,364,666 to the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement (“LCLE”) to provide resources to help Louisiana agencies fight the drug epidemic and violent crime throughout the state of Louisiana.
The project activities include providing state and local units of government funding to enforce drug control laws and to improve the functioning of the criminal justice system, with an emphasis on violent crime and serious offenders. Expected outcomes for this program include continuing programs to improve drug control via enforcement of the laws against violent and non-violent crime; addressing recidivism by strengthening the areas of the criminal justice system that focus on prevention of crime and on drug abuse intervention; and responding to the need for specialized law enforcement and prosecution training. Subrecipient activities will be determined by data gathered from district planning meetings, as well as information collected by the Louisiana Law Enforcement Commission staff and policy board. These activities along with other statutory program areas will include promoting law enforcement, prosecution and adjudication efforts necessary to provide for a safe and drug-free society.
LCLE is a foundation located in Baton Rouge dedicated to improving the operations of the criminal justice and juvenile justice systems and to promoting public safety by providing progressive leadership and coordination within the criminal justice community.
For more information about this award, please contact the OJP Office of Communications at 202-307-0703 or [email protected].
Jefferson Parish Man Sentenced for Heroin, Tapentadol and Marijuana Distribution Conspiracy and PossessionRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – RODNEY COOPER (“COOPER”), age 33, a resident of Metairie, Louisiana was sentenced on October 30, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Jane T. Milazzo, to time served in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a $200 mandatory special assessment fee. COOPER previously pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, heroin, tapentadol, and marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), 841(b)(1)(D), and 846; and possession with intent to distribute those substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 841(b)(1)(D).
According to court documents, on January 6, 2022, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office (JPSO), conducted surveillance in the 500 block of N. Elm Street in Metairie, Louisiana. COOPER was observed selling drugs, both individually, and with his co-conspirators, to customers who arrived in the area. When JPSO detectives approached COOPER, he fled and discarded a backpack containing heroin, tapentadol, and marijuana.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco, and Explosives and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.
Jamestown man going to prison for selling methRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Mark R. Maio, 40, of Jamestown, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, was sentenced to serve 121 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that in January 2019, investigators executed a search warrant at the residence of Maio and co-defendant Brittany Dellahoy. During the search, law enforcement recovered quantities of methamphetamine, marijuana, crack cocaine, heroin, drug paraphernalia, and $2,036 in cash. Brittany Dellahoy was previously convicted and sentenced.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson, the Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force, under the direction of Cattaraugus County Sheriff Timothy Whitcomb, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarantino, New York Field Division.
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Jacksonville Medical Records Technician Sentenced to 35 Years for Sexually Exploiting Numerous Children OnlineRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Chief United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Arin Caleb Ellis (27, Jacksonville) to 35 years in federal prison for producing and distributing videos depicting children being sexually abused. Ellis was also ordered to serve a lifetime term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender. Ellis was arrested on August 29, 2022, and has been in federal custody since that date. On February 28, 2024, Ellis pleaded guilty to persuading and coercing a child to engage in producing visual depictions of sexually explicit conduct and to distributing a video depicting a child being sexually abused.
According to court documents, from January 2018 through August 29, 2022, Ellis was an active member of several online groups on social media applications (apps) dedicated to the sexual exploitation of children and the sharing of child sexual abuse materials. Ellis and other members of these groups conspired and worked together to locate and sexually exploit minors across a variety of online social media platforms. During online text conversations, Ellis and other members discussed and strategized on how to pressure and coerce targeted children into producing sexually explicit photos and videos and engaging in sexually explicit conduct live on social media apps. Ellis and the other members also exchanged information about the identity of children who had an online presence, such as the minors’ names, ages, locations, and online user identifiers. Ellis told other group members that he preferred targeting female children who were 8 to 11 years old. Posing as minor children, Ellis and the other members persuaded and coerced the targeted children to engage in sexually explicit conduct and to live-stream the conduct that Ellis and his co-conspirators would covertly record. When Ellis and the other members obtained the sexually explicit recordings, they shared these materials through online group chats and other cloud-based file storage apps and websites.
Ellis developed and used certain recording tools to capture live-streaming content over the internet that depicted the targeted children engaging in sexual acts. These tools allowed Ellis to simultaneously record multiple streaming video feeds from different children, and he shared these tools with other members for their use. Ellis used a variety of social media apps to communicate with the targeted minors across the United States and portrayed himself as a 10 or 11-year-old female child named “nova” from Florida. Ellis initially sent the targeted child sexually explicit photos and videos depicting an actual minor female that he was pretending to be and asked the child to be his “girlfriend.” After gaining some measure of trust, he then asked the child to send him sexually explicit photos and videos and recorded the child as she live-streamed sexually explicit conduct at his direction. Ellis also threatened some of the targeted children who refused to provide him with sexually explicit materials.
Ellis and the other group members also collaborated to hack into baby monitors, “nanny” cameras, and other internet-enabled cameras within private residences. The co-conspirators periodically provided Ellis with internal protocol addresses, which he developed his own computer code to remotely hack into these devices, allowing him to capture streaming video from compromised baby monitors.
During this investigation, the FBI executed multiple search warrants and seized the contents of the accounts used by Ellis and other group members. That content, combined with the evidence recovered from Ellis’ electronic devices, revealed that Ellis potentially targeted thousands of minor children for online sexual exploitation.
On August 29, 2022, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at Ellis’ residence and seized his computers and electronic devices, several of which were encrypted. Forensic examination of one of Ellis’ cellphones revealed that he used a particular online app to send two videos of child sexual abuse to a co-conspirator just hours before FBI agents arrived at his residence. In total, the FBI recovered at least 1,700 photos and 700 videos depicting children engaging in sexually explicit conduct that Ellis maintained on his electronic devices and in his online social media accounts. Many of these materials depict young children, some as young as 6 years old.
Roger B. Handberg, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Assistant Director B. Chad Yarbrough of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Special Agent in Charge Kristin Rehler of the FBI Jacksonville Field Office, made this announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI Child Exploitation Operational Unit in Linthicum, Maryland, and the FBI Jacksonville Field Office, with assistance from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown for the Middle District of Florida, and Trial Attorneys Kaylynn Foulon and McKenzie Hightower of the DOJ Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Hazelwood Man Sentenced to 24 Years in Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Monday sentenced a man to 24 years in prison for producing child pornography involving two victims.
Antjuan Potts, 27, of Hazelwood, Missouri, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in August to two counts of sexually exploiting a child and admitted his crimes spanned from 2019 to 2022.
The first victim told a St. Louis County Police Department detective in 2023 that she was 14 when she met Potts and engaged in sexual contact with him. Potts recorded that sexual contact and used Snapchat to send those videos to the victim on two occasions. The victim also said Potts was in a relationship with another juvenile. Police interviewed Potts, who admitted having sex with both juveniles and recording both with his phone.
A sentencing memo says that Potts had sexual intercourse with two other minors, part of a pattern of behavior involving the sexual exploitation of minors. A 15-year-old told police Potts sexually assaulted her in 2020. He said it was consensual. He had sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old in 2021. She told police that she was drugged and sexually assaulted.
“You have caused a tremendous amount of harm,” Judge Ross told Potts, referring to the four victims.
The St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Chapman is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Guatemalan National Pleads Guilty to Heroin and Methamphetamine Delivery to FresnoRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Donis Ariel Maldonado, 28, a Guatemalan national residing in El Monte, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Maldonado agreed with other members of the conspiracy to distribute 22 pounds of heroin and over 80 pounds of methamphetamine sourced from Mexico. On June 24, 2019, Maldonado delivered the drugs to an informant in Fresno.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, and the High Impact Investigation Team (HIIT), a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Initiative (HIDTA), which consists of personnel from the California Department of Justice, Fresno Police Department, Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, California Highway Patrol, Madera County Sheriff’s Office, Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, Kings County Sheriff’s Office, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.
Maldonado is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on Feb. 18, 2025. Maldonado faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $2 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
Georgia Poll Worker Arrested for Making Bomb Threat to Election WorkersRead the Press Release
MACON – A Georgia poll worker was arrested today for mailing a letter to the Jones County Elections Superintendent threatening poll workers.
According to the criminal complaint, Nicholas Wimbish, 25, of Milledgeville, Georgia, was serving as a poll worker at the Jones County Elections Office on Oct. 16 when he allegedly had a verbal altercation with a voter. Later that evening, Wimbish conducted online research to determine what information about himself would be publicly available. The following day, Wimbish mailed a letter addressed to the Jones County Elections Superintendent, purportedly from a “Jones County Voter.”
The letter was allegedly drafted to make it appear as if it came from the voter, such as by stating that Wimbish had “give[n] me hell” and that Wimbish was “conspiring votes” and “distracting voters from concentrating.” The letter threatened that Wimbish and others “should look over their shoulder,” that “I know where they go,” that “I know where they all live because I found home voting addresses for all them,” and that the “young men will get beatdown if they fight me” and “will get the treason punishment by firing squad if they fight back.” Further, the letter threatened to “rage rape” the “ladies” and warned them to “watch every move they make and look over their shoulder.” The letter concluded with a handwritten note, “PS boom toy in early vote place, cigar burning, be safe.”
Wimbish is charged with mailing a bomb threat, conveying false information about a bomb threat, mailing a threatening letter, and making false statements to the FBI. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary for the Middle District of Georgia made the announcement.
The FBI Atlanta Field Office is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Jacob R. Steiner of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Will R. Keyes for the Middle District of Georgia are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed, or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. Three years after its formation, the task force is continuing this work and supporting the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they carry on the critical work that the task force has begun.
Under the leadership of Deputy Attorney General Monaco, the task force is led by PIN and includes several other entities within the Justice Department, including the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Civil Rights Division, National Security Division, and FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General’s memo.
To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at www.tips.fbi.gov. Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Georgia Poll Worker Arrested for Making Bomb Threat to Election WorkersRead the Press Release
A Georgia poll worker was arrested today for mailing a letter to the Jones County Elections Superintendent threatening poll workers.
According to the criminal complaint, Nicholas Wimbish, 25, of Milledgeville, Georgia, was serving as a poll worker at the Jones County Elections Office on Oct. 16 when he allegedly had a verbal altercation with a voter. Later that evening, Wimbish conducted online research to determine what information about himself would be publicly available. The following day, Wimbish mailed a letter addressed to the Jones County Elections Superintendent, purportedly from a “Jones County Voter.”
The letter was allegedly drafted to make it appear as if it came from the voter, such as by stating that Wimbish had “give[n] me hell” and that Wimbish was “conspiring votes” and “distracting voters from concentrating.” The letter threatened that Wimbish and others “should look over their shoulder,” that “I know where they go,” that “I know where they all live because I found home voting addresses for all them,” and that the “young men will get beatdown if they fight me” and “will get the treason punishment by firing squad if they fight back.” Further, the letter threatened to “rage rape” the “ladies” and warned them to “watch every move they make and look over their shoulder.” The letter concluded with a handwritten note, “PS boom toy in early vote place, cigar burning, be safe.”
Wimbish is charged with mailing a bomb threat, conveying false information about a bomb threat, mailing a threatening letter, and making false statements to the FBI. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary for the Middle District of Georgia made the announcement.
The FBI Atlanta Field Office is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Jacob R. Steiner of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Will R. Keyes for the Middle District of Georgia are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed, or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. Three years after its formation, the task force is continuing this work and supporting the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they carry on the critical work that the task force has begun.
Under the leadership of Deputy Attorney General Monaco, the task force is led by PIN and includes several other entities within the Justice Department, including the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Civil Rights Division, National Security Division, and FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General’s memo.
To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at www.tips.fbi.gov. Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Georgia Man Indicted for Traveling to Meet A Minor for SexRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Troy Lyn Everett (62, Smyrna, Georgia) on an indictment charging him with attempted production of child sex abuse material and attempted online enticement of a minor. If convicted of both offenses, Everett faces a minimum sentence of 25 years, up to life, in federal prison.
According to court records, from August 22 to October 25, 2024, an undercover detective from the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office posed as a 14-year-old girl on an online messaging application. During the first few minutes, Everett asked about the child’s age, and when he found out she was 14, he asked multiple times for sexually explicit photos of the child. In addition to asking for the photos, he set up a time and place for them to meet for sex. Everett then purchased a bus ticket and traveled from Atlanta to Jacksonville under the belief that he would be meeting the child once in Jacksonville. Upon arrival at the bus station, Everett was arrested by law enforcement. He is currently being held without bail awaiting trial.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, and the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Fresno Woman Who Managed Her Husband’s Orthodontics Practice Pleads Guilty to Tax Charges and Agrees to Forfeit Her Mansion and BMWRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Pilar Rose, 51, formerly of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to tax evasion and obstructing an IRS audit, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. Rose also agreed to forfeit her interest in more than $2.5 million of proceeds from the sale of her and her husband’s mansion and BMW that authorities previously seized.
According to court records, from 2012 through 2015, Rose prepared false financial statements for her husband’s orthodontics practice that significantly underreported the practice’s profits. As a result, Rose evaded more than $870,000 that she and her husband owed in federal taxes.
Then, in early 2016, Rose obstructed an IRS audit of her and her husband’s taxes. She altered hundreds of checks that were for the couple’s nondeductible personal expenses, such as their mortgage, utilities, landscaping, pool cleaning, cars, credit cards, and children’s college tuition, to make it appear as though the checks were for deductible business expenses. She also created false financial statements for her husband’s orthodontics practice to match the altered checks. She provided the altered checks and false financial statements to the IRS auditors to try to avoid paying the federal taxes that she and her husband actually owed.
In June 2015, Rose had sought a $1.5 million home mortgage refinance loan on the couple’s mansion located on Van Ness Boulevard in Fresno. To assure the bank of their creditworthiness and induce the bank to make the loan, Rose submitted copies of her and her husband’s federal tax returns that showed significantly greater income than was reported on the actual returns they filed with the IRS. The bank declined the loan after discovering the discrepancies.
Then, in July 2015, Rose applied to a second bank for a $1,475,000 home mortgage refinance loan on the Van Ness Boulevard residence. In the application, she represented that their bank accounts had a combined balance of more than $250,000 when they actually had less than $3,000. She also submitted copies of her and her husband’s federal tax returns, and a profit and loss statement, that significantly exaggerated the profitability of her husband’s orthodontics practice. As a result, the second bank approved the loan, and Rose and her husband received $1,475,000 to which they were not entitled. Authorities later seized the residence.
Moreover, in September 2017, Rose purchased a new BMW sedan for approximately $90,000. She made a $25,000 down payment and financed the remaining $65,000 through a loan she obtained from a third bank. In the loan application, Rose represented that she was an attorney who made more than $600,000 per year when she actually was not an attorney. She also used the Social Security number belonging to her husband’s former dental school classmate because she knew that using her real SSN would result in her having a low credit score, which may have disqualified her from receiving the loan. As a result, the loan was approved, and Rose received more than $65,000 to which she was not entitled. Authorities later seized the BMW.
This case is the product of an investigation by IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Barton, Michael Tierney, Alyson Berg, and Kevin Khasigian are prosecuting the case.
Rose is scheduled to be sentenced on March 17, 2025. She faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and $100,000 fine for the tax evasion charge and an additional three years in prison and a $5,000 fine for the obstruction charge. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Fresno Man Sentenced to 21 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Todd Eric Mumma, 61, of Fresno, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston to 21 years in prison for sexual exploitation of a minor, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release during which time his access to minors, computers, and the internet will be restricted, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
Mumma was also ordered to register as a sex offender and pay a forfeiture money judgment, representing the proceeds of property subject to forfeiture totaling $160,000. The court also ordered that Mumma pay $71,200 in restitution to a victim and $55,100 in special assessments.
In March 2024, a federal jury found Mumma guilty of actual and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor. According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, Mumma used hidden digital video recording devices in a residence to create sexually explicit images of a minor. He edited recordings on a computer and then transferred the most sexually explicit images onto a cellphone where the images were stored in a password‑protected application and viewed numerous times.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Central Valley Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, specifically, Homeland Security Investigations and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Gappa prosecuted the case along with Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS).
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.
Fresno County Farmer and Owner of Fruit Packing Company Convicted of Crop Insurance FraudRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Jatinderjeet “Jyoti” Sihota, 37, of Selma, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to commit crop insurance fraud, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court records, for many years, Sihota’s family’s farming operation produced table grapes and other crops in Fresno and Tulare Counties, and it sold many of those crops through a fruit packing company where Ralph Hackett was a member and manager. The farming operation also entered into financial agreements with the fruit packing company where various costs that the farming operation incurred selling its crops were advanced and covered by the company. The farming operation then had to pay the fruit packing company back by a certain date.
Beginning in 2012, Sihota became involved with her family’s farming operation. Thereafter, from 2012 through 2016, she and Hackett carried out a fraud scheme to obtain more than $650,000 in crop insurance payments to which they were not entitled. They caused false information that underreported the amount of crops the farming operation sold through the fruit packing company to be provided to the insurance company to make it appear as though the farming operation had suffered significant crop losses when that was not true.
Hackett, 69, of Clovis, was separately charged and has pleaded guilty for his role in the fraud scheme. He agreed to certain sentencing enhancements because he directed lower-level employees at the fruit packing company to participate in the scheme and hid his misconduct from other principals at the company. Hackett also agreed to pay criminal restitution of $650,000 and a separate civil settlement of $605,000.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General and Risk Management Agency Special Investigations Staff. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton is prosecuting the case.
“The USDA OIG is committed to combatting crop insurance fraud through criminal investigations and civil enforcement. Fraudulent activity within the crop insurance program undermines its intent and misdirects taxpayer dollars from where they were intended. We thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California for pursuing justice until these conspirators were held accountable,” said USDA OIG Special Agent-in-Charge Shawn Dionida.
Sihota is scheduled to be sentenced on March 3, 2025, and Hackett is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 27, 2025. They each face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The actual sentences, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Fraudulent Tax Preparer Sentenced to Ten Years on Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A Roanoke woman who prepared and filed false tax returns for others, committed wire fraud, distributed fentanyl, and illegally sold firearms, was sentenced last week to 120 months in federal prison.
Alisha Warrick, 40, pled guilty in November 2023 to filing a false and fictitious claim against the United States, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, distribution of fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
According to court documents, beginning in 2015 and continuing at least through 2019, Warrick prepared and filed tax returns for other individuals, and she deliberately included false and fraudulent information in the tax returns. As part of this scheme, Warrick would "boost" the tax returns she filed on behalf of other individuals by including false employment and wage information or false information about the named filer's dependents, or both. Warrick knew the information was false when she submitted the tax returns.
Warrick also filed tax returns for certain individuals without their knowledge, and used those individuals' names and personal identifying information to file the tax returns.
While on bond pending trial, Warrick arranged with a confidential informant to sell the informant heroin (which later testing showed to contain fentanyl), and two firearms, one of which was connected to a prior fatal shooting in the Roanoke area.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanagh and Kareem Carter, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington, D.C. Field Office made the announcement today.
The Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Jones and Kelly McGann prosecuted the case.
Former U.S. Capitol Police Officer Sentenced for Violating a Citizen’s Civil Rights in 2020Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Thomas Smith, 47, a former United States Capitol Police (USCP) officer, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 21 months in prison for violating an individual’s civil rights by recklessly engaging in a dangerous pursuit that resulted in a vehicular crash involving a motorist.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the Washington Field Office.
Smith pleaded guilty on October 18, 2023, to deprivation of rights under color of law. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Nichols ordered 24 months of supervised release, 40 hours of community service, and restitution of $4,455.
“Thomas Smith abused his position of trust by engaging in a dangerous pursuit that could have been deadly – and made matters worse by obstructing the investigation into the collision he caused,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “Most police officers uphold the oath they took upon becoming officers, but when police officers break that oath and violate the public trust they must be held accountable.”
"Smith's actions violated his oath to protect and serve our communities and uphold the Constitution," said David Sundberg, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office. "Today's sentence demonstrates the FBI's commitment to hold accountable those who misuse their power and deny the public their civil liberties."
“This defendant recklessly pursued two motorcyclists, struck one of them with his car, left the victim unconscious on the asphalt, fled the scene and then switched out his cruiser and filed no report in an attempt to cover up his violent misconduct,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Endangering community members in this manner and disregarding the law violates the victims’ civil rights and erodes trust by those the police are sworn to protect and serve. The Justice Department will aggressively prosecute officials who engage in abuses of their authority, including federal law enforcement officers.”
According to court documents, on the evening of June 20, 2020, Smith was on duty conducting security checks at the homes of members of Congress in Georgetown when he began pursuing two individuals riding motorized cycles. Though USCP policies prohibit vehicular pursuits outside of the Capitol grounds, except in emergencies and upon supervisory approval, Smith conducted the pursuit without seeking such approval.
While following the motorcyclists closely, but without his emergency lights on, Smith’s USCP cruiser struck one of the motorcyclists at the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and M Street, Northwest. The crash knocked the cyclist into the air before he hit the asphalt roadway. As the victim lay in the intersection unconscious, Smith drove his cruiser around the victim and left the scene of the collision. Contrary to USCP policies, Smith did not notify anyone of the incident, take any action to seek medical assistance for the victim or ensure that no further harm came to the victim as he lay on the road. Hours after the collision, Smith falsified several USCP records in an attempt to cover up the events related to the incident.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case. This matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Visser and Trial Attorneys Sanjay Patel and Laura-Kate Bernstein of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section. Valuable assistance from former Assistant U.S. Attorney Kendra Briggs.
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Former U.S. Capitol Police Officer Sentenced for Federal Civil Rights Violation Related to Vehicular Crash Involving a MotorcyclistRead the Press Release
A former U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) Officer was sentenced today to 21 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, related to a vehicular crash involving a motorist in Washington, D.C.
Thomas Smith, 47, pleaded guilty on Oct. 18, 2023, to deprivation of rights under color of law.
“This defendant recklessly pursued two motorcyclists, struck one of them with his car, left the victim unconscious on the asphalt, fled the scene and then switched out his cruiser and filed no report in an attempt to cover up his violent misconduct,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Endangering community members in this manner and disregarding the law violates the victims’ civil rights and erodes trust by those the police are sworn to protect and serve. The Justice Department will aggressively prosecute officials who engage in abuses of their authority, including federal law enforcement officers.”
“Thomas Smith abused his position of trust by engaging in a dangerous pursuit that could have been deadly – and made matters worse by obstructing the investigation into the collision he caused,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “Most police officers uphold the oath they took upon becoming officers, but when police officers break that oath and violate the public trust they must be held accountable.”
"Smith's actions violated his oath to protect and serve our communities and uphold the Constitution," said David Sundberg, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office. "Today's sentence demonstrates the FBI's commitment to hold accountable those who misuse their power and deny the public their civil liberties."
According to court documents, on the evening of June 20, 2020, Smith was on duty conducting security checks at the homes of members of Congress in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., when he began pursuing two individuals riding motorized cycles. While following the motorcyclists closely, but without his emergency lights on, Smith’s USCP cruiser struck one of the motorcyclists at the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and M Street, Northwest. The crash knocked the cyclist into the air before he hit the asphalt roadway.
As the victim lay in the intersection unconscious, Smith drove his cruiser around the victim and left the scene of the collision. Smith did not notify anyone of the collision, take any action to seek medical assistance for the victim or ensure that no further harm came to the victim as he lay on the road. Hours after the collision, Smith falsified several USCP records related to the incident and lied to his superior officers about being involved in the crash.
The FBI and USCP investigated the case, with assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department.
Trial Attorney Sanjay Patel of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Visser for the District of Columbia prosecuted the case.
Former Mexico City Resident Who Oversaw International Drug Money Laundering Conspiracy Sentenced to More Than 7 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The lead defendant in a criminal case who oversaw a money laundering conspiracy that moved millions of dollars in narcotics-related funds from the United States to international drug trafficking organizations was sentenced today to 87 months in federal prison.
Daniel Shaun Zilke, 49, a.k.a. “The Englishman,” most recently a resident of Mexico City, was sentenced by United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner, who also ordered him to pay $150,000 in restitution to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and fined him $50,000.
Zilke pleaded guilty in December 2023 to conspiracy to aid and abet drug distribution, conspiracy to launder money, and obstruction of an official government proceeding for stealing and attempting to cover up the theft of $150,000 in DEA undercover funds. Zilke has been in federal custody since May 2023.
Federal prosecutors have secured two other convictions in this case. Gustavo Adolfo Aldana-Martinez, 58, of Pico Rivera, is serving a four-year prison sentence and was fined $25,000 after a jury in December 2023 found him guilty of money laundering conspiracy to conceal drug proceeds. Jeffrey Mark Thompson, 63, of Dallas, Texas, pleaded guilty in November 2023 to conspiracy to aid and abet drug distribution, money laundering conspiracy, and concealment money laundering of drug trafficking proceeds and is awaiting sentencing when he will face up to life imprisonment.
Beginning in 2015 and continuing until approximately February 2020, Zilke laundered money on behalf of drug trafficking organizations. According to court documents, the investigation into Zilke’s operation started in late 2015 when an undercover DEA agent posing as a money launderer contacted Zilke. When he pleaded guilty, Zilke admitted telling the undercover “he had a client in Europe who needed hundreds of millions of dollars moved to Mexico, and that he could use the bank account of a charity in Dallas, Texas to assist in laundering the money.”
The undercover agent agreed to assist Zilke by allowing him to use bank accounts associated with cash-intensive businesses. Subsequently, Zilke and his associates arranged numerous pickups of large sums of cash from drug traffickers in cities all over the country, funds that were deposited at Zilke’s direction into various bank accounts, including one controlled by Aldana-Martinez and another in the name of a purported charity, Peace Through Water Foundation.
Zilke and other co-conspirators each earned a commission that was a percentage of the amount laundered through their respective accounts, according to court documents.
During the investigation, Zilke approached the DEA in 2019 and offered his cooperation to expose the money laundering organization. After being made a cooperator and agreeing to always be truthful, Zilke received $200,000 in official government funds to be delivered to defendant Thompson. The intent was for Thompson to launder the money through his bank accounts and return the money to DEA undercover accounts. However, approximately two weeks after the cash delivery, Zilke returned to Thompson’s residence and took back $150,000 without telling the DEA agents. After this theft of government funds, he repeatedly lied to the agents about the money and made excuses for why it was taking so long to receive the wire transfers for the full $200,000.
DEA Seattle and DEA San Ysidro investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Julie J. Shemitz of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section is prosecuting this case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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.
Former Coffeewood Prison Guard Sentenced to 40 Years on Child Exploitation, Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – A former prison officer at Coffeewood Correctional Center in Mitchells, Virginia, was sentenced recently to 40 years in federal prison on a series of federal charges related to child sexual exploitation and child pornography.
Davey Jonathan Sisk, 30, of Culpeper, Virginia, pled guilty in June to two counts of sexually exploiting and attempting to sexually exploit a child as well as one count of receiving child pornography.
According to court documents, Sisk used the social media application “Telegram” to engage another individual, Anna Layher, to create videos and photos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and then send to him. These videos and photos involved victims as young as three years old. Anna Layher, who was prosecuted in the Eastern District of Virginia for her role in sexually exploiting these victims, also received a 40-year sentence in September 2024.
In addition, from 2021 through 2022, a 12-year-old minor living in Texas engaged in sexual intercourse with another minor child and then sold videos and images of these sexual encounters on the internet through various social media applications, including Snapchat. Sisk admitted to using the Snapchat username “JAKESMOOT2021” and to paying over $450 through Cash App to the 12-year-old minor in exchange for multiple sexually explicit images and videos.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations in Harrisonburg, VA and Washington, D.C. investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sally J. Sullivan prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the 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.justice.gov/psc.
Florida Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Passport Card Fraud, Bank Fraud, Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that on November 1, 2024, defendant Scott Jamie Ashness, 44, most recently of Stuart, Florida, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 48 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Ashness previously pleaded guilty to bank fraud, passport fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
According to court records, in September and October of 2023, Ashness entered fifteen different bank branches in Vermont, New York, and New Hampshire and pretended to be a total of eight different individuals in order to withdraw U.S. currency from those individuals’ accounts. On twelve of those fifteen occasions, Ashness was successful and walked out of the banks with the cash that he requested. In total, Ashness stole $80,150 from other individuals’ bank accounts, and he attempted to steal another $22,800. In some instances, Ashness presented to bank employees falsified U.S. passport cards or state driver’s licenses containing others’ biographical information and Ashness’s photograph.
U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest stated: “Fraud and identity theft are among the most serious crimes. They have the potential to cause significant financial harm to individual victims and also undermine the integrity and trust that institutions and individuals rely on every day in the United States. The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to raise awareness about crimes like those committed by the defendant and will work with our federal partners to vigorously investigate and prosecute these types of offenses.” U.S. Attorney Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Diplomatic Security Service’s St. Albans Resident Office. He also thanked the Derry, New Hampshire Police Department, the Vermont State Police, the South Burlington Police Department, the Essex Police Department, the Winooski Police Department, the Burlington Police Department, the Newport Police Department, and the Barre Police Department for their assistance in the investigation.
Special Agent in Charge Matthew O’Brien of the U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Boston Field Office said, “The Diplomatic Security Service is firmly committed to working with the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate allegations related to passports in identity theft crimes. And DSS’s global network of special agents working together to interdict passport crimes is vital to bringing those who commit these crimes to justice.”
The prosecutor was Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Cate. Ashness was represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Steven Barth and Christopher Dall, Esq.
Florida Man Indicted for Posting Threats on the InternetRead the Press Release
An indictment was unsealed charging Nathaniel James Holmes, 51, of Jacksonville, Florida, with four counts of transmitting interstate threats to injury other persons. If convicted on all counts, Holmes faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, on four dates in October, Holmes transmitted threats to injure others, including threats to kill three particular victims, the children of one victim, and Jewish and African American individuals generally. A federal grand jury charged Holmes in a sealed indictment on Oct. 24. He was arrested on Nov. 1, made his initial appearance in court, and ordered detained pending a competency evaluation.
The FBI; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Naval Criminal Investigative Service; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and U.S. Secret Service are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly S. Milliron and Michael J. Coolican for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Jacob Warren of the Justice Department's National Security Division are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Indictment
Final men sent to prison for their roles in international cocaine and drug money conspiracyRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – Two Texans have been sentenced for their roles in distributing and conspiring to distribute cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Guillermo Fernando Rojo, 39, Laredo, and Gilbert Zambrano Saldivar, 45, Dallas, each pleaded guilty March 5 and April 4, respectively.
U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña has now imposed 120-month-terms of imprisonment for both men. They must also serve five years of supervised release following their sentences.
Two others - Omar Acosta, 41, Laredo, and Juan Ambrosio Barrientos-Cano, 34, Austin, were previously sentenced to the same terms of imprisonment.
Between November and December 2021, Acosta and Rojo directed another individual to travel from Laredo to Austin to retrieve five kilograms of cocaine and $9,000 in cash from Barrientos-Cano. He was to deliver the cocaine to their courier in Dallas and the money to the two men.
The cocaine had an approximate street value of $81,150.
In Dallas, he actually delivered bundles of sham cocaine to Saldivar, who was also acting on instructions from the two men and reported the bundles had been successfully delivered. Authorities intercepted the delivery and arrested Saldivar.
Several days later, Rojo contacted the individual to make payment arrangements for picking up cocaine from Barrientos-Cano and delivering the drugs to Saldivar. Law enforcement arrested the remaining three co-conspirators who confessed to their roles in the crime.
The investigation revealed previous incidents where co-conspirators delivered multikilogram quantities of cocaine from the Laredo border to major cities in Texas, Illinois, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri and Mississippi.
The co-conspirators also collected several hundred thousand dollars of drug proceeds and delivered it to Acosta and Rojo to fund the organization’s operations in the United States and Mexico.
Additionally, truck drivers smuggled cocaine bundles from Mexico and delivered them to Acosta, Rojo or to couriers who the men recruited, gave orders to and paid.
Acosta and Rojo transported approximately $280,000 in cash proceeds three weeks before their arrest and occasionally delivered up to $500,000 to Mexico in single smuggling episodes.
The investigation also revealed Mexican organizers paid Acosta and Rojo 5% of money collections from outside Texas and 2% of proceeds collected within Texas.
Rojo was permitted to remain on bond while Saldivar will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Marshals Service and police departments in Laredo and Austin.
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose Angel Moreno prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose Homero Ramirez handled the sentencings.
Fifth Member of Bakersfield Drug Ring SentencedRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Jorge Calderon-Campos, aka Americano, 42, a Mexican national residing in Bakersfield, was sentenced today to eight years and one month in prison by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston for his involvement in a drug distribution operation in Bakersfield and for unlawfully possessing animals for the purpose of cockfighting, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on March 30, 2021, Calderon supplied 26 pounds of methamphetamine to co-defendants Mark Garcia, 24, of Lamont, and Alberto Gomez-Santiago, 38, a Mexican national. On April 7, 2021, Calderon was involved in a 60-pound methamphetamine transaction with co-defendants Byron Adilio Alfaro-Sandoval, 47, of Bakersfield; Francisco Javier Torres Mora, aka Johnathan Benjamin Torres, 31, a Mexican national; and Alberto Gomez-Santiago, 39, a Mexican national. In addition, on Jan. 27, 2022, Calderon obtained more than 2 pounds of heroin from co-defendant Jose Angel Beltran-Chaidez, 68, a Mexican national, after Calderon negotiated for the drug with Beltran’s brother and co-defendant Antonio Beltran-Chaidez, 54, also a Mexican national. Each of these drug transactions occurred in Bakersfield.
In addition, between Jan. 16 and April 26, 2022, Calderon knowingly possessed fighting birds for the purpose of having them participate in an animal fighting venture, in violation of the Animal Welfare Act. During a search of his residence on April 26, 2022, law enforcement officers found numerous hens for breeding gamecocks and fighting roosters, various cockfighting implements, including razors and spurs, and six cockfighting trophies, including several with plates inscribed with “Team Amkno” (shorthand for “Team Americano”). At another property where Horacio Ortega-Martinez, 38, a Mexican national, resided and where Calderon maintained drugs and some of his fighting birds, officers found approximately 250 fighting roosters, approximately 250 “Mexican slashers” or knives used for cockfighting, training mitts commonly used for training and fighting roosters, and miscellaneous antibiotics, vitamins and supplements that commonly are used for breeding and training roosters for fighting.
This case was the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Secret Service, Bureau of Land Management, Kern County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, California Highway Patrol, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Kern County Sheriff's Office, Kern County Probation Department, and Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.
Six of the defendants in this investigation have entered guilty pleas, including:
- Alberto Gomez-Santiago, who was sentenced to 4 years and 9 months in prison.
- Francisco Javier Torres Mora, who was sentenced to 4 years and 9 months in prison.
- Antonio Beltran-Chaidez, who was sentenced to 3 years and 10 months in prison.
- Horacio Ortega-Martinez, who was sentenced to 1.5 years in prison for a violation of the Animal Welfare Act.
- Jose Beltran-Chaidez, who is scheduled for sentencing on Dec. 2, 2024.
- Mark Garcia, who is scheduled for sentencing on Feb. 3, 2024.
Charges are pending against Alfaro-Sandoval, and he is scheduled for trial on Jan. 28, 2025. The charges are only allegations; he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
Federal Jury Convicts Saginaw Man of Assaulting and Strangling Woman on the Isabella Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
BAY CITY – A Saginaw man was convicted by a federal jury in Detroit on Friday for a 2018 assault and strangulation of his then girlfriend on the Isabella Indian Reservation, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Detroit Field Office.
Michael Lee Johnson, 45, was found guilty of several counts arising out of the assault and strangulation of the victim in this case, including unlawful imprisonment, assault of a dating partner by strangulation, assault of a dating partner by suffocation, domestic violence, and numerous instances of witness tampering.
The evidence at trial established that in October and November of 2018, Johnson held the victim against her will, threatened to kill her, and assaulted her numerous times by strangulation, suffocation, and other means, sometimes in front of her children. The evidence also established that after the police arrested Johnson for these crimes, he attempted to improperly influence or prevent the victim from reporting the incident to the police and testifying in court. According to testimony at trial, Johnson contacted the victim over 100 times following his arrest. The crimes occurred on the Isabella Indian Reservation in Mt. Pleasant, the primary land base of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe.
“Johnson’s conduct against this victim was egregious enough in and of itself, but was compounded by the fact that he committed these violent acts in front of innocent children,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison. “We will continue to hold accountable those who persist in perpetrating epidemic levels of violence on America Indian women.”
Johnson’s sentencing is scheduled for February 5, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. before United States District Judge Lin Parker.
The case was investigated by the Saginaw Chippewa Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roy Kranz and Assistant United States Attorney Tim Turkelson.
Essex County Man Indicted for Gunpoint Pharmacy RobberyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was arraigned today on charges related to his role in a December 2023 gunpoint robbery of a pharmacy in Livingston, New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Nariq Petes, 26, of Newark, was charged on Oct. 11, 2024, in a three-count indictment with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, Hobbs Act robbery, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He was arraigned today before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini in Newark federal court, entered a plea of not guilty and was detained,
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Dec. 30, 2023, Petes and a conspirator drove together to a pharmacy and entered the pharmacy wearing black masks. Once inside the pharmacy, Petes brandished a handgun and demanded prescription drugs. Petes and his conspirator took at least six bottles of prescription medication.
The conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and Hobbs Act robbery counts each carry a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gain or loss from the offense. The count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence carries a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison and a maximum potential penalty of life in prison. The sentence on this charge must be consecutive to any other sentence imposed.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado, and members of the Livingston Police Department, under the direction of Police Chief Gary Marshuetz, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Thypin-Bermeo 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.
Eagle River man guilty of trafficking firearms from Alaska to CaliforniaRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A federal jury convicted an Eagle River man late last week for trafficking firearms from Alaska to California after a five-day trial.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, from February 2021 to April 2022, Cornelius Smith, 33, bought 28 firearms from gun stores and private parties in Alaska. During that same time period, Smith received around $9,000 total in payments from various Sacramento-based family members and associates. The payments often corresponded to the price Smith paid for the guns.
After five of those firearms were recovered in the Sacramento area, Smith’s frequent firearm purchases were reported to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and an investigation commenced.
In April 2022, ATF agents searched Smith’s home and found empty gun boxes in his room for many of the firearms he purchased in 2021. None of the recently purchased firearms were found in the boxes or in his home.
Through the investigation, law enforcement learned that on June 24, 2021, Smith flew from Anchorage to Sacramento and declared that he was carrying “shooting equipment.” After that flight, the firearms that Smith bought in the days prior began turning up in California, as early as July 4, 2021. Smith made multiple other flights to and from Sacramento thereafter.
Law enforcement recovered 13 of Smith’s 28 firearms in California. Two of the firearms were possessed by Smith’s Sacramento-based relatives, Andrew and Adam Williams. Adam Williams, now deceased, was a felon and therefore prohibited from possessing firearms. None of the firearms have been recovered in Alaska, and 15 are still unaccounted for.
Smith was found guilty on Nov. 1 of one count of engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license and 10 counts of making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm. Smith was found not guilty of one count of transferring a firearm to an out-of-state-resident.
“Straw purchasing firearms – buying a gun with the intent to transfer it to another person illegally – poses a serious risk to our communities,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “We thank our law enforcement partners in Alaska and California for their assistance in this successful investigation and prosecution. We remain committed to combatting firearms trafficking from source states, like Alaska, to areas with higher demand and profit margins.”
“Straw purchasing and trafficking firearms is extremely irresponsible, dangerous and illegal,” said ATF Seattle Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais. “The firearms Mr. Smith purchased were recovered by law enforcement agencies in California, and with 15 still unaccounted for, they still pose a danger to whichever communities they are in right now. This is not a victimless crime.”
The ATF Seattle Field Division and Anchorage Field Office, with assistance from the California Highway Patrol, Sacramento Sheriff’s Office, Sacramento Police Department, San Francisco Police Department, Folsom Police Department, Pittsburg Police Department, Daly City Police Department, Vacaville Police Department and Citrus Heights Police Department, investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Ivers and Ainsley McNerney are prosecuting the case.
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Detroit Man Sentenced for Federal Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Shakur Jones, 25, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to 151 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Jones was the supplier of methamphetamine, cocaine base, and fentanyl for a drug trafficking conspiracy in Monongalia County, West Virginia. The investigation uncovered over a kilogram of methamphetamine in a residence in Morgantown. A photograph of 10 pounds of prepackaged methamphetamine was found on Jones’s phone.
Three other defendants, Nolan Eickleberry, 27, of Morgantown; John Thomas 46, of Morgantown; and Dorian Myles, 26, of Detroit, Michigan, have each admitted to their roles in the drug trafficking conspiracy. Eickleberry was sentenced in August 2024 to 87 months in prison. Thomas and Myles are awaiting sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda Wesley is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated.
Chief U.S. District Court Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Colorado Residents Accused of Destroying Historical Site at National Park Face Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
MOAB, Utah – Two Colorado residents were charged by misdemeanor information today, alleging they trespassed, disrupted, and stole from the historic Cave Springs Cowboy Camp in Canyonlands National Park, located in the District of Utah.
According to court documents, on March 23, 2024, Roxanne McKnight, 39, and Dusty Spencer, 43, of Durango, Colorado, entered a fenced-off area of Canyonlands National Park where they then handled and stole numerous historic artifacts preserved in the Cave Springs Cowboy Camp. This historic camp was protected by fencing and clear warnings prohibiting visitors from entering the area, which McKnight and Spencer disregarded.
McKnight and Spencer are charged with theft of government property, less than one thousand dollars; possessing or distributing cultural or archaeological resources; and walking on or entering archaeological or cultural resource. McKnight and Spencer's initial appearance for the misdemeanor information will be scheduled for a later date at the United States District Court in Moab.
United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by the National Park Service (NPS).
Assistant United States Attorneys Luisa Gough and Tanner Zumwalt of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case.
An information is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Cholo Abdi Abdullah Convicted for Conspiring to Commit 9/11-Style Attack at the Direction of Al ShabaabRead the Press Release
A jury returned a guilty verdict today against Cholo Abdi Abdullah, 34, on all six counts in the indictment, which included conspiring to provide, and providing, material support to a foreign terrorist organization; and conspiring to murder U.S. nationals, commit aircraft piracy, destroy aircraft, and commit transnational acts of terrorism. Abdullah is scheduled to be sentenced on March 10, 2025.
“The jury found that Cholo Abdi Abdullah, an operative of the terrorist organization al Shabaab, conspired to murder Americans in a terrorist attack reminiscent of the September 11 attack on our country,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Today’s conviction ensures that Abdullah will spend decades in prison for his crimes. The Justice Department will never stop working to identify, investigate, and prosecute those who would use heinous acts of violence to harm the American people. It does not matter where terrorists hide, they will not evade the long arm of the law.”
“Today, the jury returned a unanimous verdict holding Cholo Abdi Abdullah responsible for trying to replicate one of history’s most heinous acts of terrorism,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York. “Abdullah trained with al Shabaab for months in Somalia to become a deadly terrorist, and then spent months at flight school preparing to hijack a commercial aircraft to crash it into a building in the United States. Abdullah relentlessly pursued his goals and was on the cusp of getting a commercial pilot license while conducting extensive attack planning, such as how to breach an airplane cockpit door. I commend the tireless work of our federal law enforcement partners and the career national security prosecutors of this office. This effort has been carried forward by generations of agents and prosecutors who never relented in their effort to bring Abdullah to justice and keep this nation safe. Thanks to their work and today’s verdict, Abdullah will now serve a lengthy sentence in federal prison.”
According to the indictment and the evidence presented at trial, Abdullah was an operative for the foreign terrorist organization Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mijahideen, commonly known as “al Shabaab,” based in Somalia. After training with al Shabaab for months with AK-47 assault rifles and explosives at a series of safe houses in Somalia, Abdullah participated in a plot to hijack a commercial aircraft and crash it into a building in the U.S. He spent months at a flight school in the Philippines working toward a commercial pilot license, and researched how to obtain pilot jobs, targets such as the tallest buildings in a major American city, transit visas to the U.S., and how to open a cockpit door from the outside. Abdullah also sent encrypted messages reporting his progress to his al Shabaab handler, including his extensive research on post-September 11 hijackings.
Abdullah conspired to commit this attack on behalf Al Shabaab, which has sworn allegiance to al Qaeda and is responsible for numerous deadly terrorist attacks, including attacks that have claimed American lives. Starting in or about 2019, al Shabaab embarked on a string of terrorist attacks as part of an operation in response to the U.S.’s decision to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, which the group has dubbed “Operation Jerusalem Will Never be Judaized.” In particular, these terrorist attacks perpetrated by al Shabaab included an attack on Jan. 15, 2019, at a hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 21 people, including a U.S. national and survivor of al Qaeda’s September 11 attack on the World Trade Center in New York; a Sept. 30, 2019, attack on a U.S. military facility in Somalia; and a Jan. 5, 2020, attack on another U.S. facility in Kenya, in which three Americans were killed.
Abdullah was convicted on six counts: conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, for which he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, for which he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; conspiring to murder U.S. nationals, for which he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison; conspiring to commit aircraft piracy, for which he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison; conspiring to destroy aircraft, for which he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; and conspiring to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, for which he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.
The FBI New York Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force investigated the case.
The Justice Department also thanks the FBI Legal Attaché Offices in Nairobi, Kenya, and Manila, Philippines; the FBI’s Hudson Valley Resident Agency; the Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division; the U.S. Department of Defense; the Kenyan Directorate of Criminal Investigations, including the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit and the Joint Terrorism Task Force-Kenya; the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in Kenya; the Philippine National Police; the Philippine Department of Justice; the Joint Terrorism Financial Investigations Group-Philippines; and the Philippine Bureau of Immigration, for their assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas S. Bradley and Jonathan L. Bodansky for the Southern District of New York and Trial Attorney John Cella of the National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
Cholo Abdi Abdullah Convicted for Conspiring to Commit 9/11-Style Attack at the Direction of Al ShabaabRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that a jury returned a guilty verdict against CHOLO ABDI ABDULLAH on all six counts in the Indictment, which included conspiring to provide, and providing, material support to a foreign terrorist organization; and conspiring to murder U.S. nationals, commit aircraft piracy, destroy aircraft, and commit transnational acts of terrorism. ABDULLAH is scheduled to be sentenced on March 10, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Today, the jury returned a unanimous verdict holding Cholo Abdi Abdullah responsible for trying to replicate one of history’s most heinous acts of terrorism. Abdullah trained with al Shabaab for months in Somalia to become a deadly terrorist, and then spent months at flight school preparing to hijack a commercial aircraft to crash it into a building in the United States. Abdullah relentlessly pursued his goals and was on the cusp of getting a commercial pilot license while conducting extensive attack planning, such as how to breach an airplane cockpit door. I commend the tireless work of our federal law enforcement partners and the career national security prosecutors of this Office. This effort has been carried forward by generations of agents and prosecutors who never relented in their effort to bring Abdullah to justice and keep this nation safe. Thanks to their work and today’s verdict, Abdullah will now serve a lengthy sentence in federal prison.”
As reflected in the Indictment and the evidence presented at trial:
ABDULLAH was an operative for the foreign terrorist organization Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mijahideen, commonly known as “al Shabaab,” based in Somalia. After training with al Shabaab for months with AK-47 assault rifles and explosives at a series of safe houses in Somalia, ABDULLAH participated in a plot to hijack a commercial aircraft and crash it into a building in the U.S. He spent months at a flight school in the Philippines working toward a commercial pilot license, and researched how to obtain pilot jobs, targets such as the tallest buildings in a major American city, transit visas to the U.S., and how to open a cockpit door from the outside. ABDULLAH also sent encrypted messages reporting his progress to his al Shabaab handler, including his extensive research on post-September 11th hijackings.
ABDULLAH conspired to commit this attack on behalf Al Shabaab, which has sworn allegiance to al Qaeda and is responsible for numerous deadly terrorist attacks, including attacks that have claimed American lives. Starting in or about 2019, al Shabaab embarked on a string of terrorist attacks as part of an operation in response to the U.S.’s decision to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, which the group has dubbed “Operation Jerusalem Will Never be Judaized.” In particular, these terrorist attacks perpetrated by al Shabaab included an attack on January 15, 2019 at a hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 21 people, including a U.S. national and survivor of al Qaeda’s 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center in New York, New York; a September 30, 2019 attack on a U.S. military facility in Somalia; and a January 5, 2020, attack on another U.S. facility in Kenya, in which three Americans were killed.
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ABDULLAH, 34, was convicted on six counts: conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison; providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison; conspiring to murder U.S. nationals, which carries a maximum term of life in prison; conspiring to commit aircraft piracy, which carries a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison and a maximum term of life in prison; conspiring to destroy aircraft, which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison; and conspiring to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (“FBI”) New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which principally consists of agents from the FBI and detectives from the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”). Mr. Williams also thanked the FBI Legal Attaché Offices in Nairobi, Kenya, and Manila, Philippines; the FBI’s Hudson Valley Resident Agency; the New York State Police; the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division; the Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division; the U.S. Department of Defense; the Kenyan Directorate of Criminal Investigations, including the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit and the Joint Terrorism Task Force-Kenya; the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in Kenya; the Philippine National Police; the Philippine Department of Justice; the Joint Terrorism Financial Investigations Group-Philippines; and the Philippine Bureau of Immigration, for their assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas S. Bradley and Jonathan L. Bodansky are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from paralegal specialist Sabrina Jim Munoz and trial attorney John Cella of the Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division.
Carver Man Pleads Guilty to Oxycodone ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Carver man pleaded guilty on Oct. 31, 2024, to his involvement in an oxycodone conspiracy.
Michael Atwood, 37, pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone pills. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for March 2025. Campbell was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2023 along with five co-conspirators.
Between approximately November 2023 and June 2023, Atwood obtained oxycodone pills from co-defendant John Campbell that he redistributed to others. The amount of oxycodone pills that the defendant obtained from Campbell ranged from hundreds to more than a thousand at a time. On July 12, 2023, during a search of Atwood’s residence approximately $63,000 in cash was seized.
Campbell pleaded guilty in September 2024 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 15, 2025.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone pills provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $1 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; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division, made the announcement. Special assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service; Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office; and the Barnstable, Dennis, Bourne, Mashpee, Yarmouth, Sandwich and Falmouth Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Mulcahy, and Samuel R. Feldman of the Criminal Division and Alexandra Amrhein of the Asset Forfeiture Unit are prosecuting the case.
This effort 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.
Carjacker Sentenced to 10 Years for Stealing the Scooter of an Uber Eats Driver in SoutheastRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Larry Fisher, 31, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for the carjacking of an Uber Eats delivery driver on February 27, 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Fisher pleaded guilty on August 30, 2024, to carjacking in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia before the Honorable Andrea Hertzfeld.
According to the government’s evidence, with which Fisher agreed, on February 27, 2024, Fisher and another individual approached the victim at the McDonald’s located at 1539 Pennsylvania Ave, SE, Washington, DC, while the victim was on his motorized scooter. Fisher pulled a hard, black object out of his waistband and ordered the victim off his motorized scooter. Fisher then struck the victim on his helmet with the hard object before pushing him off his motorized scooter. Fisher’s accomplice then fled the scene on the victim’s motorized scooter while Fisher walked away from the scene.
Surveillance footage captured both Fisher and his accomplice removing the victim from his motorized scooter. Specifically, surveillance captured Fisher pulling the hard, black object, which appeared to be a firearm, from his waistband and striking the victim with it. After this incident, Fisher was seen placing the object back in his waistband and walking away from the scene.
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. They also commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Katerina Qesari, who prosecuted the case.
Butler County man sentenced to more than 16 years in prison for narcotics conspiracy involving at least 11 kilograms of fentanyl & cocaineRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Butler County man was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 200 months in prison followed by 20 years of supervised release for conspiring to traffic at least 11 kilograms of narcotics.
In February 2024, Senior U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett found Eric Jason Clark, 42, of Fairfield, guilty of participating in a narcotics conspiracy. Judge Barrett announced the verdict following a bench trial.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Clark was dealing multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine and fentanyl in Cincinnati and had criminal contacts in the Los Angeles area.
In May 2021, The DEA received intelligence that Clark had expressed interest in purchasing 10 kilograms of cocaine from a source in Los Angeles for $33,000 per kilogram. Later that month, Clark met locally with a confidential source to arrange a drug transaction after being contacted by an undercover agent. Clark told the source he wanted to obtain a shipment of fentanyl, calling it “China.”
During his arrest in August 2021, Clark had five kilograms of fentanyl and cocaine, more than $204,000 in cash and five cell phones in his car. At his stash house – a luxury apartment on Freedom Way in Cincinnati – agents found three more kilograms of fentanyl and three more kilograms of cocaine. At the residence in which Clark resided in Fairfield, agents discovered more than $15,000 in cash and two firearms.
Clark was on federal supervised release when he was arrested for the instant offense in August 2021. He was previously sentenced to 15 years in prison for attempting to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, Detroit Division; Ohio State Highway Patrol Superintendent Col. Charles A Jones; and Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa A. Theetge announced the sentence imposed today. Criminal Chief Christy L. Muncy and Assistant United States Attorney David P. Dornette are representing the United States in this case.
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Burlington, Vermont Man Charged with Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office stated that James Plunkett, 39, of Burlington, Vermont, has been charged by criminal complaint with bank robbery.
On November 4, 2024, Plunkett appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle, who ordered Plunkett detained during the pendency of this matter.
According to court records, on the morning of October 26, 2024, Plunkett is alleged to have robbed the M&T Bank on Pine Street in Burlington. Plunkett is alleged to have entered the bank, told the bank tellers that he had a bomb in his fanny pack, and ordered them to give him money. Plunkett did not conceal his face during the robbery. Plunkett received $683.00 in cash and left the area.
Plunkett was identified from the M&T bank robbery video footage after review by law enforcement and community members who knew Plunkett and provided tips to law enforcement.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that Plunkett is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Plunkett faces up to 20 years if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Burlington Police Department, the Winooski Police Department, the South Burlington Police Department, the Vermont State Police’s Northern Vermont Drug Task Force, the Colchester Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Milton Police Department.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Thomas J. Aliberti. Plunkett is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Steven Barth.
Buffalo man pleads guilty to making purchases on illicit online marketplace and cocaine chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Corey Robert Dodge a/k/a Cakesbaylor, 42, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to possessing 15 or more unauthorized access devices with intent to defraud and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, which carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who is handling the cases, stated that since August 2018, the FBI has been investigating an illicit online marketplace known as Genesis Market, whose operators compile stolen data, such as computer and mobile device identifiers, email addresses, usernames, and passwords, from malware-infected computers around the globe and package it for sale on the market. Purchases made through Genesis Market are conducted using virtual currency, such as bitcoin.
Between March 26, 2020, and May 30, 2021, Dodge purchased 14 packages on Genesis Market, that included stolen account credentials. The stolen credentials included accounts for Paypal, Tracfone, eBay, Amazon, FedEx, Etsy, Walmart, Chase, Venmo, and eTrade. In addition, on April 3, 2023, the FBI executed a search warrant at Dodge’s residence to search for evidence related to his use of Genesis Marketplace. During the search, the FBI also found and seized quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, MDMA, ketamine, and drug paraphernalia.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 29, 2025, before Judge Sinatra.
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Brooklyn, New York Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Narcotics Distribution CaseRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on November 4, 2024, Quentin Dingle, 39, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced by United States District Judge William K. Sessions III to a term of 60 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Dingle previously pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute.
According to court records, law enforcement in Burlington learned that Dingle was selling cocaine base in the early spring of 2023. Law enforcement conducted five separate controlled purchases from Dingle over the next several months. Then, on September 26, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant on two storage units which Dingle controlled. In the storage units, law enforcement found 35.4 grams of fentanyl, 7.7 grams of cocaine base, 3.5 grams of fentanyl laced with xylazine, 2.58 grams of p-fluorofentanyl, other evidence of narcotics distribution, and a Beretta .380 caliber handgun.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Burlington Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan A. Ophardt and Joshua L. Banker. Dingle was represented by William A. Vasiliou, Esq.
Brooklyn, New York Man Sentenced to 52 Months Incarceration for Drug Distribution in Winooski, VermontRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on November 4, 2024, Dwayne Walcott (a/k/a “Moo”) of Brooklyn, New York was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 52 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Walcott previously pleaded guilty to distribution of cocaine base.
According to court records, on August 9, 2023, Walcott sold cocaine base to another person inside of a residence in Winooski, Vermont. During that drug transaction, Walcott cooked cocaine from powder into cocaine base on a stove inside of the house. Investigators executed a federal search and seizure warrant at the residence on October 31, 2023 and found cocaine base, drug paraphernalia, and a shotgun inside of the residence. Walcott was arrested pursuant to a federal arrest warrant on December 19, 2023 in a hotel room in Williston, Vermont. From inside of the hotel room, law enforcement located over $8,000 in cash and drug paraphernalia.
Walcott’s co-defendant, Justin Bolio, pleaded guilty to drug and firearm charges for his role in the offenses and was sentenced to time served by Chief Judge Reiss on September 16, 2024.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, the Winooski Police Department, the Chittenden County Sheriff’s Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Stendig. Walcott was represented by Natasha Sen, Esq.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Blackhawk Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for More Than 26 Years for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Court Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Blackhawk, South Dakota, man, convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
Darin Wherley, age 38, was sentenced on November 1, 2024, to 26 years and eight months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Wherley was indicted by a federal grand jury in November of 2023, and pleaded guilty on June 12, 2024.
Wherley’s conviction stemmed from his involvement in a large-scale methamphetamine distribution operation in western South Dakota. During this conspiracy Wherley would supply thousands of dollars to Mark Bond to purchase large amounts of methamphetamine from his Colorado sources, Richard Glover and Teresa Goodroad. Once the drugs were in South Dakota, it would be distributed by various individuals. Between 15 and 45 kilograms of methamphetamine was distributed during the course of this criminal enterprise.
“Darin Wherley was involved in a drug conspiracy that brought nearly 100 pounds of methamphetamine into western South Dakota, including into the Pine Ridge Reservation,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “His 26-year sentence and the sentences handed down to his co-conspirators reflect not only the seriousness of the crimes committed, but also the persistence of the Badlands Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force to locate, investigate, and hold accountable those who peddle illicit substances in our South Dakota communities.”
Glover, Goodroad, Bond, and others part of this conspiracy were sentenced earlier this summer. Glover and Goodroad both received sentences of 17 years and six months in prison and Bond received a sentence of 26 years and eight months in prison.
This case was investigated by the Badlands Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, which is comprised of agents from the FBI, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement, Martin Police Department, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
Wherley was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following his sentencing.
Bellair Man Indicted for Covid Loan Fraud Using Deceased Former Business Partner’s IdentityRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Stephen L. Gurba (68, Belleair) with wire fraud, making a false statement to a financial institution, and aggravated identity theft. If convicted, Gurba faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count of wire fraud (2 counts), 30 years in prison on the false statement count, and a 2-year mandatory term of imprisonment on the aggravated identity theft counts (2 counts). The indictment also notifies Gurba that the United States intends to forfeit approximately $1.2 million, which is alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offenses.
According to court documents, between March and June 2020, Gurba submitted false and fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications and supporting documentation on behalf of Big Red Express Trucking, LLC and Zenith Express, LLC. To obtain approval and funding for the Big Red and Zenith EIDL loans, Gurba fraudulently assumed the identity of his former business partner who passed away in 2019, listed his former business partner’s name, signature, and other means of identification on the EIDL loan applications certifying under criminal penalty that the applications were true and correct. Gurba also used his deceased business partner’s name and forged his signature on the EIDL loan authorization agreements and loan notes he submitted to the Small Business Administration (SBA). During post-loan related communications with the SBA, Gurba continued to impersonate his deceased business partner. As a result of his fraudulent scheme, Gurba induced the SBA to approve and fund the Big Red and Zenith EIDL loans.
Additionally, Gurba applied for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan on behalf a Big Red from an SBA authorized financial institution. Gurba certified and signed under criminal penalty that all the PPP loan proceeds would be spent on payroll, mortgages, rent, or other SBA authorized expenses. In reality, Gurba used the majority of the PPP proceeds to enrich himself, family members, payoff unrelated business debts, and other impermissible expenses. As a result of Gurba’s false statement, the financial institution approved and funded a $955,448.75 PPP loan to Big Red.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General and the Small Business Association – Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department's response to the pandemic, please visit Justice.gov/Coronavirus and Justice.gov/Coronavirus/CombatingFraud.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice's National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.
Bellair Man Indicted for COVID Loan Fraud Using Deceased Former Business Partner’s IdentityRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Stephen L. Gurba (68, Belleair) with wire fraud, making a false statement to a financial institution, and aggravated identity theft. If convicted, Gurba faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count of wire fraud (2 counts), 30 years in prison on the false statement count, and a 2-year mandatory term of imprisonment on the aggravated identity theft counts (2 counts). The indictment also notifies Gurba that the United States intends to forfeit approximately $1.2 million, which is alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offenses.
According to court documents, between March and June 2020, Gurba submitted false and fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications and supporting documentation on behalf of Big Red Express Trucking, LLC and Zenith Express, LLC. To obtain approval and funding for the Big Red and Zenith EIDL loans, Gurba fraudulently assumed the identity of his former business partner who passed away in 2019, listed his former business partner’s name, signature, and other means of identification on the EIDL loan applications certifying under criminal penalty that the applications were true and correct. Gurba also used his deceased business partner’s name and forged his signature on the EIDL loan authorization agreements and loan notes he submitted to the Small Business Administration (SBA). During post-loan related communications with the SBA, Gurba continued to impersonate his deceased business partner. As a result of his fraudulent scheme, Gurba induced the SBA to approve and fund the Big Red and Zenith EIDL loans.
Additionally, Gurba applied for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan on behalf a Big Red from an SBA authorized financial institution. Gurba certified and signed under criminal penalty that all the PPP loan proceeds would be spent on payroll, mortgages, rent, or other SBA authorized expenses. In reality, Gurba used the majority of the PPP proceeds to enrich himself, family members, payoff unrelated business debts, and other impermissible expenses. As a result of Gurba’s false statement, the financial institution approved and funded a $955,448.75 PPP loan to Big Red.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General and the Small Business Association – Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department's response to the pandemic, please visit Justice.gov/Coronavirus and Justice.gov/Coronavirus/CombatingFraud.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice's National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.
Arizona Man Sentenced in Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Daniel Raymundo Alvillar, age 46, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced on November 4, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Alvillar to 78 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Alvillar is released from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
On January 12, 2023, a Nebraska State Trooper in marked patrol unit and parked on Interstate 80 in Hamilton County, observed a vehicle without a front license plate. As the Trooper proceeded to drive towards the vehicle, he observed a traffic violation and initiated a traffic stop.
The driver was identified as co-defendant Jesus Quinones Dominguez. The passenger was identified as Alvillar. Quinones consented to a vehicle search after informing the Trooper that he had a screwdriver in his pocket. Troopers noticed two screws missing from the plastic cover of the tailgate. The Trooper observed a heat-sealed bag inside the tailgate on the truck. The Trooper then took off the plastic cover and discovered 11 heat sealed bags containing blue pills with the impressions “M30” on them, known as fentanyl pills. In total, 11.28 pounds were recovered. A forensic lab found all representative samples of the pills tested positive for fentanyl, with a total weight of 5,071.9 grams.
Post-arrest, Quinones admitted to the drugs and transportation. He was being paid $4,000 to drive the drugs to Chicago. According to Quinones, he told Alvillar he would split the payment with him.
Alvillar denied knowledge of the drugs but did provide consent to search his cell phone. On his phone, were photographs, both stock and taken by the phone of small blue “M30” pills – same as the pills being transported. The phone had images of marijuana as well as narcotics discussions involving cannabis, “weed,” “20 sack,” and “blues” – a reference to M30 pills.
Alvillar’s co-defendant, Jesus Daniel Dominguez, is scheduled for trial on December 17, 2024.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.
Altoona Man Pleads Guilty to Transporting and Possessing Material Depicting the Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Altoona, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal sex offense laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Kevin Myers, 48, pleaded guilty to Counts Two and Three of the Indictment before United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines on November 1, 2024.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, from in and around December 2020 to in and around December 2021, Myers transported and possessed material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor. The images were produced using materials that were shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce.
Judge Haines scheduled sentencing for March 4, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than five years and up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard Jr. is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Myers.
This case was brought as a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
2 November 2024
Justice Department to Monitor Voting Compliance in Pawtucket, Providence, and WoonsocketRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha announced today that the Justice Department will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in Pawtucket, Providence, and Woonsocket for the Nov. 5 general election.
The Justice Department enforces federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all eligible citizens to access the ballot. The department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities across the country.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will coordinate the effort. Monitors will include Justice Department personnel, who will contact state and local election officials as needed throughout Election Day.
The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act and Civil Rights Acts. The division’s Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure that persons with disabilities have a full and equal opportunity to vote. The division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter suppression based on race, color, national origin or religion.
On Election Day, Civil Rights Division personnel will be available all day to receive questions and complaints from the public related to possible violations of federal voting rights laws. Reports may be made through the department’s website www.civilrights.justice.gov or by calling toll-free at 800-253-3931. [The U.S. Attorney’s Office will also be available to receive complaints on Election Day at (401) 709-5010.
Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the department’s toll-free ADA information hotline at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or submit a complaint through a link on the department’s ADA website at www.ada.gov.
Complaints related to any disruptions at a polling place should always be reported to local election officials (including officials based in the polling place). Complaints related to violence, threats of violence or intimidation at a polling place should be reported immediately to local police authorities by calling 911. These complaints should also be reported to the department after local authorities have been contacted.
More information about voting and elections, including guidance documents and other resources, is available at www.justice.gov/voting. Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.
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Departamento de Justicia monitoreará el cumplimiento de las votaciones en Pawtucket, Providencia y WoonsocketRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – El Fiscal Federal Zachary Cunha anunció hoy que el Departamento de Justicia monitoreará el cumplimiento con las leyes federales de derechos electorales en Pawtucket, Providence, e Woonsocket en las elecciones generales del 5 de noviembre.
El Departamento de Justicia hace cumplir las leyes federales de derechos electorales que protegen el derecho de acceso a las urnas de todos los ciudadanos. El Departamento envía personal del departamento periódicamente a monitorear elecciones en comunidades a través de todo el país.
La División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia coordinará este esfuerzo conjunto. Los monitores incluirán a personal del Departamento de Justicia, quienes se pondrán en contacto con oficiales electorales estatales y locales según sea necesario.
La Sección de Votación de la División de Derechos Civiles hace cumplir las leyes federales civiles que protegen el derecho al voto, incluyendo la Ley del Derecho al Voto, la Ley Nacional de Inscripción de Votantes, la Ley Ayudemos a Estados Unidos a Votar, la Ley de Votación para los Uniformados y los Ciudadanos en el Extranjero y la Ley de Derechos Civiles. La Sección de Derechos en Razón de Discapacidad de la División hace cumplir la Ley para Estadounidenses con Discapacidades (ADA, por sus siglas en inglés) para asegurar que las personas con discapacidades tengan igualdad de oportunidades de votar plenamente. La Sección Penal de la División hace cumplir las leyes federales penales que prohíben la intimidación de votantes y la supresión del voto por razón de raza, color, origen nacional o religión.
En el Día de las Elecciones, personal de la División de Derechos Civiles estará disponible para recibir preguntas y quejas del público relacionadas a posibles vulneraciones de las leyes federales de derechos electorales. Estos reportes podrán presentarse mediante la página web del Departamento en www.civilrights.justice.gov o por teléfono al número gratuito (800) 253-3931 (disponible en español). La Fiscalía Federal también estará disponible para recibir quejas el Día de las Elecciones al (401) 709-5010.
Las personas que tengan preguntas o quejas relacionadas a la ADA pueden llamar a la línea directa de información sobre la ADA al (800) 514-0301 o (833) 610-1264 (TTY) o someter su queja a través del enlace en la página web del Departamento sobre la ADA en www.ada.gov.
Denuncias relacionadas a disturbios en un lugar de votación siempre deben reportarse a los oficiales electorales locales (incluyendo a los funcionarios con sede en ese lugar de votación). Denuncias relacionadas a violencia, amenazas de violencia o intimidación en un lugar de votación deben reportarse inmediatamente a la policía local llamando al 911. Estas denuncias deben reportarse al Departamento una vez se hayan puesto en contacto con las autoridades locales.
Información adicional sobre la votación y las elecciones, incluyendo documentos guías y otros recursos, está disponible en la página web www.justice.gov/voting. Aprenda más sobre la Ley del Derecho al Voto y otras leyes federales electorales en la página web www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section.
Las quejas sobre posibles violaciones de las leyes federales de derechos electorales se pueden presentar directamente a la División de Derechos Civiles en Washington, DC mediante el formulario de queja en la página web https://civilrights.justice.gov/ o por llamada a 800-253-3931.
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1 November 2024
법무부, 연방 투표권법 준수를 위한 27개 주 투표 모니터링Read the Press Release
법무부는 11월 5일 총선 시 27개 주 86개 관할 구역에서 연방 투표권법 준수를 모니터링하기 위한 계획을 오늘 발표했습니다.
법무부는 모든 자격 대상 시민의 투표권을 보호하는 연방 투표권법을 시행합니다. 법무부는 전국 지역사회 선거 시 연방 투표권법의 준수를 모니터링하기 위해 정기적으로 직원을 투입합니다.
총선의 경우 법무부에서는 다음을 포함하여 86개 관할 구역에서 선거일 연방 투표권법 준수를 모니터링하게 됩니다:
- Bethel Census Area, Alaska;
- Dillingham Census Area, Alaska;
- Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska;
- North Slope Borough, Alaska;
- Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska;
- Apache County, Arizona;
- Maricopa County, Arizona;
- Pima County, Arizona;
- Yuma County, Arizona;
- San Joaquin County, California;
- Broward County, Florida;
- Miami-Dade County, Florida;
- Orange County, Florida;
- Osceola County, Florida;
- Cobb County, Georgia;
- DeKalb County, Georgia;
- Fulton County, Georgia;
- Gwinnett County, Georgia;
- Macon-Bibb County, Georgia;
- Jefferson County, Kentucky;
- Kenton County, Kentucky;
- City of Everett, Massachusetts;
- City of Fitchburg, Massachusetts;
- City of Leominster, Massachusetts;
- City of Lowell, Massachusetts;
- City of Malden, Massachusetts;
- City of Methuen, Massachusetts;
- City of Quincy, Massachusetts;
- City of Salem, Massachusetts;
- Prince George’s County, Maryland;
- City of Ann Arbor, Michigan;
- City of Detroit, Michigan;
- City of Flint, Michigan;
- City of Grand Rapids, Michigan;
- City of Hamtramck, Michigan;
- City of Warren, Michigan;
- Hennepin County, Minnesota;
- City of Minneapolis, Minnesota;
- Ramsey County, Minnesota;
- Covington County, Mississippi;
- Scott County, Mississippi;
- Warren County, Mississippi;
- City of St. Louis, Missouri;
- Blaine County, Montana;
- Alamance County, North Carolina;
- Mecklenburg County, North Carolina;
- Wake County, North Carolina;
- Bergen County, New Jersey;
- Middlesex County, New Jersey;
- Union County, New Jersey;
- Bernalillo County, New Mexico;
- Cibola County, New Mexico;
- Clark County, Nevada;
- Queens, New York;
- Cuyahoga County, Ohio;
- Portage County, Ohio;
- Allegheny County, Pennsylvania;
- Luzerne County, Pennsylvania;
- Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania;
- City of Pawtucket, Rhode Island;
- City of Providence, Rhode Island;
- City of Woonsocket, Rhode Island;
- Charleston County, South Carolina;
- Bennett County, South Dakota;
- Jackson County, South Dakota;
- Minnehaha County, South Dakota;
- Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota;
- Atascosa County, Texas;
- Bexar County, Texas;
- Dallas County, Texas;
- Frio County, Texas;
- Harris County, Texas;
- Hays County, Texas;
- Palo Pinto County, Texas;
- Waller County, Texas;
- San Juan County, Utah;
- Hanover County, Virginia;
- Henrico County, Virginia;
- Loudoun County, Virginia;
- City of Manassas, Virginia;
- City of Manassas Park, Virginia;
- Prince William County, Virginia;
- Town of Lawrence (Rusk County), Wisconsin;
- City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin;
- Town of Thornapple, Wisconsin; and
- City of Wausau, Wisconsin;
법무부 민권과에서는 해당 활동을 편성하게 됩니다. 모니터 요원으로는 민권과, 다른 부서 분과, 미국 검찰청 직원과 함께 인사청의 연방 참관인이 포함됩니다. 선거일 내내 분과 직원들은 주 및 지역 선거 공무원들과 연락을 유지합니다.
민권과의 선거 부서에서는 투표권법, 전국 유권자 등록법, 미국 투표 지원법, 군인 및 해외 시민 부재자 투표권 및 민권법 등 투표권을 보호하는 연방 법령의 시민 조항을 집행합니다. 민권과의 장애인 권리 부서에서는 장애인이 완전하고 평등한 투표권을 가질 수 있도록 미국 장애인법(Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA)을 집행합니다. 민권과의 형사 부서에서는 인종, 피부색, 국적 또는 종교에 따른 유권자 협박 및 유권자 억압을 금지하는 연방 형사법을 집행합니다.
민권과 직원들은 연방 투표권법의 잠재적 위반과 관련된 대중의 질문과 불만을 접수하고자 선거일 내내 근무합니다. 신고는 법무부 웹사이트, www.civilrights.justice.gov 또는 무료 전화, 800-253-3931로 하실 수 있습니다.
ADA 관련 질문이나 불만이 있는 개인은 무료 전화로 운영되는 법무부 ADA 정보 핫라인, 800-514-0301이나 833-610-1264(TTY)로 전화하거나 법무부 ADA 웹사이트, www.ada.gov 링크를 통해 불만을 제출하시기 바랍니다.
투표소에서 발생하는 모든 방해 행위와 관련된 불만은 지역 선거 공무원(투표소에 기반을 둔 공무원 포함)에게 보고해야 합니다. 투표소에서의 폭력, 폭력에 대한 위협, 협박과 관련된 불만은 911로 전화하여 지역 경찰 당국에 즉시 보고해야 합니다. 이러한 불만은 지역 당국에 연락한 뒤 법무부에도 보고해야 합니다.
지침 문서 및 기타 자원을 포함하여 투표와 선거에 관한 더 자세한 정보는 www.justice.gov/voting에서 이용하실 수 있습니다. www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section에서 투표권법 및 기타 연방 투표 법률에 대해 더 알아보세요.
司法部將監督 27 個州的投票是否遵守聯邦投票權利法Read the Press Release
司法部今日宣布，將於 11 月 5 日大選期間監督27 個州 86 個選區的選舉過程，以確保其遵守聯邦投票權利法。
司法部負責執行聯邦投票權利法，保障所有合格選民的投票權利。該部門定期派遣工作人員，對全國範圍內社區的選舉過程是否遵守聯邦民權法律進行監督。
針對本次大選，司法部將在選舉日對 86 個選區的聯邦投票權利法遵守情況進行監督，其中包括：
- Bethel Census Area, Alaska;
- Dillingham Census Area, Alaska;
- Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska;
- North Slope Borough, Alaska;
- Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska;
- Apache County, Arizona;
- Maricopa County, Arizona;
- Pima County, Arizona;
- Yuma County, Arizona;
- San Joaquin County, California;
- Broward County, Florida;
- Miami-Dade County, Florida;
- Orange County, Florida;
- Osceola County, Florida;
- Cobb County, Georgia;
- DeKalb County, Georgia;
- Fulton County, Georgia;
- Gwinnett County, Georgia;
- Macon-Bibb County, Georgia;
- Jefferson County, Kentucky;
- Kenton County, Kentucky;
- City of Everett, Massachusetts;
- City of Fitchburg, Massachusetts;
- City of Leominster, Massachusetts;
- City of Lowell, Massachusetts;
- City of Malden, Massachusetts;
- City of Methuen, Massachusetts;
- City of Quincy, Massachusetts;
- City of Salem, Massachusetts;
- Prince George’s County, Maryland;
- City of Ann Arbor, Michigan;
- City of Detroit, Michigan;
- City of Flint, Michigan;
- City of Grand Rapids, Michigan;
- City of Hamtramck, Michigan;
- City of Warren, Michigan;
- Hennepin County, Minnesota;
- City of Minneapolis, Minnesota;
- Ramsey County, Minnesota;
- Covington County, Mississippi;
- Scott County, Mississippi;
- Warren County, Mississippi;
- City of St. Louis, Missouri;
- Blaine County, Montana;
- Alamance County, North Carolina;
- Mecklenburg County, North Carolina;
- Wake County, North Carolina;
- Bergen County, New Jersey;
- Middlesex County, New Jersey;
- Union County, New Jersey;
- Bernalillo County, New Mexico;
- Cibola County, New Mexico;
- Clark County, Nevada;
- Queens, New York;
- Cuyahoga County, Ohio;
- Portage County, Ohio;
- Allegheny County, Pennsylvania;
- Luzerne County, Pennsylvania;
- Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania;
- City of Pawtucket, Rhode Island;
- City of Providence, Rhode Island;
- City of Woonsocket, Rhode Island;
- Charleston County, South Carolina;
- Bennett County, South Dakota;
- Jackson County, South Dakota;
- Minnehaha County, South Dakota;
- Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota;
- Atascosa County, Texas;
- Bexar County, Texas;
- Dallas County, Texas;
- Frio County, Texas;
- Harris County, Texas;
- Hays County, Texas;
- Palo Pinto County, Texas;
- Waller County, Texas;
- San Juan County, Utah;
- Hanover County, Virginia;
- Henrico County, Virginia;
- Loudoun County, Virginia;
- City of Manassas, Virginia;
- City of Manassas Park, Virginia;
- Prince William County, Virginia;
- Town of Lawrence (Rusk County), Wisconsin;
- City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin;
- Town of Thornapple, Wisconsin; and
- City of Wausau, Wisconsin;
司法部民權司將負責協調此次監督工作。監督團隊由民權司人員、司法部其他部門人員、美國檢察官辦公室人員以及聯邦人事管理局的聯邦觀察員組成。 在選舉日當天，民權司工作人員將與州和地方選舉官員保持溝通。
民權司投票科將負責執行以下聯邦法律中關於保護投票權利的民事條款：《投票權利法案》、《全國選民登記法案》、《協助美國投票法案》、《服役及海外公民缺席投票法案》以及《民權法案》。民權司殘障人士權利科將負責執行《殘障美國人士法案》(Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA)，保障殘障人士享有平等的投票機會。民權司刑事科將負責執行禁止因種族、膚色、國籍或宗教原因恐嚇和壓制選民行為的聯邦刑事法律。
選舉日當天，民權司工作人員將全天候受理公眾關於可能違反聯邦投票權利法的問題和投訴。公眾可透過造訪司法部網站www.civilrights.justice.gov 或撥打免費電話 800-253-3931 進行檢舉。
如果對于 ADA 有任何疑問或想要提出投訴，可致電司法部的免費 ADA 資訊熱線 800-514-0301 或 833-610-1264 (TTY)，或造訪司法部的 ADA 網站 www.ada.gov 提出投訴。
若在投票站遭遇任何干擾，請向當地選舉官員（包括投票站內的工作人員）檢舉。若在投票站遭遇暴力、暴力威脅或恫嚇，請立即致電 911 向當地警方檢舉。在聯絡地方當局後，請同時將這些投訴報告給司法部。
有關投票和選舉的詳細資訊，包括指導文件和其他資源，請造訪 www.justice.gov/voting。慾了解有關《投票權利法案》及其他聯邦投票法的詳細資訊，請造訪 ww.justice.gov/crt/voting-section。
司法部将监督 27 个州的投票是否遵守联邦投票权利法Read the Press Release
司法部今日宣布，将于 11 月 5 日大选期间监督27 个州 86 个选区的选举过程，以确保其遵守联邦投票权利法。
司法部负责执行联邦投票权利法，保障所有合格选民的投票权利。该部门定期派遣工作人员，对全国范围内社区的选举过程是否遵守联邦民权法律进行监督。
针对本次大选，司法部将在选举日对 86 个选区的联邦投票权利法遵守情况进行监督，其中包括：
- Bethel Census Area, Alaska;
- Dillingham Census Area, Alaska;
- Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska;
- North Slope Borough, Alaska;
- Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska;
- Apache County, Arizona;
- Maricopa County, Arizona;
- Pima County, Arizona;
- Yuma County, Arizona;
- San Joaquin County, California;
- Broward County, Florida;
- Miami-Dade County, Florida;
- Orange County, Florida;
- Osceola County, Florida;
- Cobb County, Georgia;
- DeKalb County, Georgia;
- Fulton County, Georgia;
- Gwinnett County, Georgia;
- Macon-Bibb County, Georgia;
- Jefferson County, Kentucky;
- Kenton County, Kentucky;
- City of Everett, Massachusetts;
- City of Fitchburg, Massachusetts;
- City of Leominster, Massachusetts;
- City of Lowell, Massachusetts;
- City of Malden, Massachusetts;
- City of Methuen, Massachusetts;
- City of Quincy, Massachusetts;
- City of Salem, Massachusetts;
- Prince George’s County, Maryland;
- City of Ann Arbor, Michigan;
- City of Detroit, Michigan;
- City of Flint, Michigan;
- City of Grand Rapids, Michigan;
- City of Hamtramck, Michigan;
- City of Warren, Michigan;
- Hennepin County, Minnesota;
- City of Minneapolis, Minnesota;
- Ramsey County, Minnesota;
- Covington County, Mississippi;
- Scott County, Mississippi;
- Warren County, Mississippi;
- City of St. Louis, Missouri;
- Blaine County, Montana;
- Alamance County, North Carolina;
- Mecklenburg County, North Carolina;
- Wake County, North Carolina;
- Bergen County, New Jersey;
- Middlesex County, New Jersey;
- Union County, New Jersey;
- Bernalillo County, New Mexico;
- Cibola County, New Mexico;
- Clark County, Nevada;
- Queens, New York;
- Cuyahoga County, Ohio;
- Portage County, Ohio;
- Allegheny County, Pennsylvania;
- Luzerne County, Pennsylvania;
- Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania;
- City of Pawtucket, Rhode Island;
- City of Providence, Rhode Island;
- City of Woonsocket, Rhode Island;
- Charleston County, South Carolina;
- Bennett County, South Dakota;
- Jackson County, South Dakota;
- Minnehaha County, South Dakota;
- Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota;
- Atascosa County, Texas;
- Bexar County, Texas;
- Dallas County, Texas;
- Frio County, Texas;
- Harris County, Texas;
- Hays County, Texas;
- Palo Pinto County, Texas;
- Waller County, Texas;
- San Juan County, Utah;
- Hanover County, Virginia;
- Henrico County, Virginia;
- Loudoun County, Virginia;
- City of Manassas, Virginia;
- City of Manassas Park, Virginia;
- Prince William County, Virginia;
- Town of Lawrence (Rusk County), Wisconsin;
- City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin;
- Town of Thornapple, Wisconsin; and
- City of Wausau, Wisconsin;
司法部民权司将负责协调此次监督工作。监督团队由民权司人员、司法部其他部门人员、美国检察官办公室人员以及联邦人事管理局的联邦观察员组成。在选举日当天，民权司的工作人员将与州和地方选举官员保持沟通。
民权司投票科将负责执行以下联邦法律中关于保护投票权利的民事条款：《投票权利法案》、《全国选民登记法案》、《协助美国投票法案》、《服役及海外公民缺席投票法案》以及《民权法案》。民权司残疾人士权利科将负责执行《残疾美国人士法案》(Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA)，保障残疾人士享有平等的投票机会。民权司刑事科将负责执行禁止因种族、肤色、国籍或宗教原因恐吓和压制选民行为的联邦刑事法律。
选举日当天，民权司工作人员将全天候受理公众关于可能违反联邦投票权利法的问题和投诉。公众可通过访问司法部网站 www.civilrights.justice.gov 或拨打免费电话 800-253-3931 进行检举。
如果对于 ADA 有任何疑问或想要提出投诉，可致电司法部的免费 ADA 信息热线 800-514-0301 或 833-610-1264 (TTY)，或访问司法部的 ADA 网站 www.ada.gov 提出投诉。
若在投票站遭遇任何干扰，请向当地选举官员（包括投票站内的工作人员）检举。若在投票站遭遇暴力、暴力威胁或恐吓，请立即致电 911 向当地警方检举。在与地方当局取得联系后，请同时将此类事件报告给司法部。
有关投票和选举的更多信息，包括指导文件和其他资源，请访问 www.justice.gov/voting。如需了解有关《投票权利法案》和其他联邦投票法的更多信息，请访问 www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section。
न्याय विभाग द्वारा संघीय मतदान अधिकार कानूनों के अनुपालन के लिए 27 राज्यों में मतदान की निगरानीRead the Press Release
न्याय विभाग ने आज घोषणा की है कि वे 5 नवंबर को होने वाले आम चुनाव के लिए 27 राज्यों के 86 अधिकार-क्षेत्रों में संघीय मतदान अधिकार कानूनों के अनुपालन की निगरानी करने की योजना बना रहे हैं।
न्याय विभाग वे संघीय मतदान अधिकार कानून लागू करता है जो सभी योग्य नागरिकों के मतपत्र तक पहुँच के अधिकारों की रक्षा करते हैं। विभाग नियमित रूप से देश भर के समुदायों में चुनावों में संघीय नागरिक अधिकार कानूनों के अनुपालन की निगरानी के लिए अपने स्टाफ को तैनात करता है।
आम चुनाव के लिए, विभाग चुनाव के दिन 86 अधिकार-क्षेत्रों में संघीय मतदान अधिकार कानूनों के अनुपालन की निगरानी करेगा, जिनमें शामिल हैं:
- Bethel Census Area, Alaska;
- Dillingham Census Area, Alaska;
- Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska;
- North Slope Borough, Alaska;
- Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska;
- Apache County, Arizona;
- Maricopa County, Arizona;
- Pima County, Arizona;
- Yuma County, Arizona;
- San Joaquin County, California;
- Broward County, Florida;
- Miami-Dade County, Florida;
- Orange County, Florida;
- Osceola County, Florida;
- Cobb County, Georgia;
- DeKalb County, Georgia;
- Fulton County, Georgia;
- Gwinnett County, Georgia;
- Macon-Bibb County, Georgia;
- Jefferson County, Kentucky;
- Kenton County, Kentucky;
- City of Everett, Massachusetts;
- City of Fitchburg, Massachusetts;
- City of Leominster, Massachusetts;
- City of Lowell, Massachusetts;
- City of Malden, Massachusetts;
- City of Methuen, Massachusetts;
- City of Quincy, Massachusetts;
- City of Salem, Massachusetts;
- Prince George’s County, Maryland;
- City of Ann Arbor, Michigan;
- City of Detroit, Michigan;
- City of Flint, Michigan;
- City of Grand Rapids, Michigan;
- City of Hamtramck, Michigan;
- City of Warren, Michigan;
- Hennepin County, Minnesota;
- City of Minneapolis, Minnesota;
- Ramsey County, Minnesota;
- Covington County, Mississippi;
- Scott County, Mississippi;
- Warren County, Mississippi;
- City of St. Louis, Missouri;
- Blaine County, Montana;
- Alamance County, North Carolina;
- Mecklenburg County, North Carolina;
- Wake County, North Carolina;
- Bergen County, New Jersey;
- Middlesex County, New Jersey;
- Union County, New Jersey;
- Bernalillo County, New Mexico;
- Cibola County, New Mexico;
- Clark County, Nevada;
- Queens, New York;
- Cuyahoga County, Ohio;
- Portage County, Ohio;
- Allegheny County, Pennsylvania;
- Luzerne County, Pennsylvania;
- Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania;
- City of Pawtucket, Rhode Island;
- City of Providence, Rhode Island;
- City of Woonsocket, Rhode Island;
- Charleston County, South Carolina;
- Bennett County, South Dakota;
- Jackson County, South Dakota;
- Minnehaha County, South Dakota;
- Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota;
- Atascosa County, Texas;
- Bexar County, Texas;
- Dallas County, Texas;
- Frio County, Texas;
- Harris County, Texas;
- Hays County, Texas;
- Palo Pinto County, Texas;
- Waller County, Texas;
- San Juan County, Utah;
- Hanover County, Virginia;
- Henrico County, Virginia;
- Loudoun County, Virginia;
- City of Manassas, Virginia;
- City of Manassas Park, Virginia;
- Prince William County, Virginia;
- Town of Lawrence (Rusk County), Wisconsin;
- City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin;
- Town of Thornapple, Wisconsin; and
- City of Wausau, Wisconsin;
न्याय विभाग का नागरिक अधिकार प्रभाग इस प्रयास का संयोजन करेगा। मॉनिटरों में नागरिक अधिकार प्रभाग, अन्य विभागीय प्रभागों, अमेरिकी अटॉर्नी कार्यालयों के कर्मचारी और कार्मिक प्रबंधन कार्यालय से संघीय पर्यवेक्षक शामिल होंगे। चुनाव के पूरे दिन, प्रभाग के कर्मचारी राज्य और स्थानीय चुनाव अधिकारियों के साथ संपर्क बनाए रखेंगे।
नागरिक अधिकार प्रभाग का मतदान अनुभाग संघीय कानूनों के उन नागरिक प्रावधानों को लागू करता है जो मतदान के अधिकार की रक्षा करते हैं, जिनमें मतदान अधिकार अधिनियम, राष्ट्रीय मतदाता पंजीकरण अधिनियम, मतदान करने में अमेरिका की मदद करें अधिनियम, वर्दीधारी और विदेशी नागरिक अनुपस्थित मतदान अधिनियम और नागरिक अधिकार अधिनियम शामिल हैं। प्रभाग का विकलांगता अधिकार अनुभाग यह सुनिश्चित करने के लिए विकलांग अमेरिकी अधिनियम (Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA) को लागू करता है कि विकलांग व्यक्तियों को वोट देने का पूर्ण और समान अवसर मिले। प्रभाग का आपराधिक अनुभाग संघीय आपराधिक कानूनों को लागू करता है जो जाति, रंग, राष्ट्रीय मूल या धर्म के आधार पर मतदाताओं को डराने-धमकाने और मतदाताओं का दमन करने पर रोक लगाते हैं।
चुनाव के दिन, नागरिक अधिकार प्रभाग के कर्मचारी संघीय मतदान अधिकार कानूनों के संभावित उल्लंघनों से संबंधित जनता के प्रश्न और शिकायतें प्राप्त करने के लिए पूरे दिन उपलब्ध रहेंगे। रिपोर्ट्स विभाग की वेबसाइट www.civilrights.justice.gov के माध्यम से या 800-253-3931 टोल-फ्री नंबर पर कॉल करके बनाई जा सकती हैं।
ADA से संबंधित प्रश्नों या शिकायतों वाले व्यक्ति 800-514-0301 या 833-610-1264 (TTY) पर विभाग की टोल-फ्री ADA सूचना हॉटलाइन पर कॉल कर सकते हैं या www.ada.gov पर विभाग की ADA वेबसाइट पर एक लिंक के माध्यम से शिकायत दर्ज कर सकते हैं।
मतदान स्थल पर किसी भी व्यवधान से संबंधित शिकायतें हमेशा स्थानीय चुनाव अधिकारियों (जिनमें मतदान स्थल पर स्थित अधिकारी शामिल हैं) को दी जानी चाहिए। मतदान स्थल पर हिंसा, हिंसा की धमकियों या डराने-धमकाने से संबंधित शिकायतें, 911 पर कॉल करके स्थानीय पुलिस अधिकारियों को तुरंत रिपोर्ट की जानी चाहिए। स्थानीय अधिकारियों से संपर्क करने के बाद ये शिकायतें विभाग को भी तुरंत रिपोर्ट की जानी चाहिए।
मतदान और चुनाव के बारे में अधिक जानकारी, जिसमें मार्गदर्शन दस्तावेज़ और अन्य संसाधन शामिल हैं, www.justice.gov/voting पर उपलब्ध है। मतदान अधिकार अधिनियम और अन्य संघीय मतदान कानूनों के बारे में अधिक जानकारी के लिए www.justice.gov/crt/voting-sectionपर जाएं।