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Friday 20 September 2024
Former emergency physician pleads guilty to possessing child pornographyRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A former medical director at an Ohio health care system pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to possessing child pornography.
Garrett Norvell, 44, of Westerville, was charged by a bill of information and appeared in federal court this morning to enter his guilty plea.
According to court documents, in June 2020, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted an international investigation targeting offenders who used dark web sites and forums dedicated to the sexual abuse and exploitation of children.
HSI Boston and the FBI obtained information from Norvell’s IP address that showed that, in April 2019, Norvell had an account username and password for a website that offered child pornography of girls 4 to 14 years old.
At the time of the investigation, Norvell served as the medical director of OhioHealth in Ashland, Ohio. He previously worked as an emergency medicine physician at OhioHealth.
In February 2022, agents with HSI and the Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force executed a search warrant on Norvell’s person at the Emergency Care Center at OhioHealth in Ashland and seized his phone, laptop, tablet and a thumb drive. Less than a week later, Norvell was removed from all OhioHealth services and facilities and a State Medical Board of Ohio investigation was initiated. In March 2022, Norvell permanently surrendered his license to practice medicine in Ohio.
Forensic analysis of Norvell’s electronics revealed at least 18 files of child pornography, including “Pre-Teen Hard Core” content.
Norvell admitted had an addiction to child pornography and had been watching child pornography since he was approximately 21 years old. He said in interviews that the youngest victim he had viewed in a pornographic setting was an infant.
Norvell pleaded guilty to one count of possessing child pornography of prepubescent minors, a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Congress sets the maximum statutory sentences, and sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Angie Salazar, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Detroit; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Cincinnati; Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin; Stephanie Loucka, Executive Director of the Ohio State Medical Board; and other members of the Franklin County ICAC Task Force announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski and Senior Litigation Counsel Heather A. Hill are representing the United States in this case.
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Former Registered Sex Offender in Fresno Indicted for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned an indictment Thursday against Darren Keith Sever, 55, of Fresno, charging him with receipt of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between April 4, 2024, and June 4, 2024, Sever received at least one visual depiction of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Sever has a prior conviction that required him to register as a sex offender up until April 17, 2024.
This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Central Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany M. Gunter is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Sever faces a maximum statutory penalty of up to 40 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison, and up to a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.
Former Postal Carrier Sentenced for Mail Theft and FraudRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – On September 20, 2024, a federal district judge sentenced 44-year-old James Glover, a former postal carrier and resident of Montgomery, Alabama, to 24 months in prison for his involvement in a fraudulent mail theft and bank fraud scheme, announced Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson. Following his prison sentence, Glover will be on supervised release for three years. There is no parole in the federal system. In addition to the two year prison sentence, the judge ordered Glover pay a fine of $2,000 and restitution in the amount of $66,135.09.
According to court records and evidence presented during Glover’s trial, during September and October of 2022, Glover stole checks and documents containing financial information from the mail while performing his duties as a mail carrier. Glover and others would alter the stolen checks or use them to create fraudulent checks. The checks would then be deposited into bank accounts. Previously, 24-year-old Keldric Ortez Jones, also from Montgomery, was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud for his role in the scheme. Jones received a 46-month sentence on March 11, 2024.
“Each day, millions of citizens and businesses count on the postal system to deliver important documents, letters, and payments,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Davidson. “Mail theft not only disrupts the delivery of the mail itself, but it can also lead to identity theft and financial fraud. The U.S. Attorney’s Office encourages everyone to remain vigilant and report missing mail or any unusual financial activity right away.”
“The vast majority of U.S. Postal Service employees are honest, hardworking individuals who would never violate the public trust in this manner,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Ulrich of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. “But for those who do, our special agents, along with our law enforcement partners, will aggressively investigate these federal crimes to protect the sanctity of the U.S. Mail. This sentencing is a testament to the dedication of the investigative and legal teams and should send a strong message to any employee who thinks of conspiring with others to commit check fraud.”
“The Postal Inspection Service will never abide by employees who abuse the trust given to them by the American public,” said Scott Fix, US Postal Inspector-in-Charge of the Houston Division. “May James Glover’s sentencing serve as a deterrent to other employees who may be contemplating engaging in illegal activity with the US Mail.”
The United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General and the United States Postal Inspection Service investigated this case, with assistance from the Alabama Attorney General’s Office and the Millbrook Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys J. Patrick Lamb and Tara Ratz prosecuted the case.
Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Assault with a Deadly WeaponRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On September 16, a tribal member pleaded guilty in federal court to assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to bodily harm, assault resulting in serious bodily injury, and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
According to court records, on April 26, Sutanga Rex Cypress, 42, was arguing with the victim when Cypress brandished a firearm. Cypress then pointed the gun at the victim and shot the victim in the abdomen. The victim was airlifted to the hospital due to the severity of the injuries sustained by the gunshot.
Sentencing is set for December 9, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Becerra. Cypress faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years for one count and up to 10 years in federal prison for each of the remaining counts. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines along with other mitigating, aggravating and statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of FBI, Miami Field Office, and Chief Roland Pandolfi of the Miccosukee Police Department made the announcement.
FBI Safe Trails, Miami and Miccosukee Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Latoya C. Brown and Vanessa E. Bonhomme are prosecuting the case.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20195-JB.
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Five Defendants Sentenced for Participating in an Interstate Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – Five men from South Texas were indicted in Jackson, Tennessee for their role in trafficking multiple kilograms of methamphetamine. On September 13, 2024, the Honorable S. Thomas Anderson sentenced the final defendant in the Western District of Tennessee.
According to information presented in court, in August 2019, FBI-Jackson, Tennessee, working with FBI-McAllen, Texas, learned of a drug trafficking organization operating in South Texas. Investigators determined that brothers Pablo Talavera, 64, and Elias Talavera, 52, were trafficking kilogram quantities of methamphetamine and other narcotics across the United States.
In January 2022, in a covert operation, agents seized nine kilograms of methamphetamine from an 18-wheeler in Jackson shipped by Pablo Talavera and others to Tennessee. In March 2022, agents seized another 10.5 kilograms of methamphetamine in Camden, Tennessee sent by this organization. Investigators determined that Pablo and Elias Talavera obtained methamphetamine from cartels in Mexico and coordinated the shipments of the controlled substances. Luis Sorcia, 32, Jose Cordova, 32, and Guillermo Castro, 51, assisted in transporting the narcotics and attempted to avoid detection by law enforcement.
Each of the following co-conspirators pled guilty to charges brought against them and were sentenced by the Honorable S. Thomas Anderson, United States District Judge:
- Pablo Talavera, of Michoacan, Mexico: 275 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine.
- Elias Talavera, of Reynosa, Mexico: 150 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine.
- Luis Sorcia, of Edinburg, Texas: 120 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine.
- Jose Cordova, of Reynosa, Mexico: 72 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release for aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine.
- Guillermo Castro, of Brownsville, Texas: 60 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release for aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine.
This investigation was conducted as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jackson, Tennessee and McAllen, Texas. Assisting in the investigation were the Drug Enforcement Administration Laboratories in Nashville, Tennessee and Dallas, Texas, the Selmer Police Department, the Bolivar Police Department, the Jackson Police Department, the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office, the McNairy County Sheriff’s Office, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, and the 24th Judicial District Drug Task Force.
Acting United States Attorney Reagan Fondren thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Gregory D. Allen and Hillary L. Parham, who prosecuted this case, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated the case.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Federal jury convicts Browning man of distributing fentanyl that resulted in death of man on Blackfeet Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A federal jury on Thursday found a Browning man guilty of distributing fentanyl that resulted in the death of a man in his home on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
After a three-day trial that began on Sept. 17, the jury found the defendant, Douglas Darren Malatare, 59, guilty of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl as charged in an indictment. Malatare faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years to life in prison, a $1 million fine and at least three years of supervised release on the distribution charge and a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release on the possession charge.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court set sentencing for Jan. 22, 2025. Malatare was detained pending further proceedings.
“Fentanyl is our nation’s deadliest illicit drug threat, as it is devastating families and communities. And we are fiercely determined to hold accountable those who are responsible for such devastation, especially when one’s drug trafficking results in another’s death. Malatare poisoned the Blackfeet reservation and made thousands of dollars doing it, including costing the victim his life. I applaud the jury for holding Malatare accountable and am relieved Malatare will no longer be poisoning the streets of Browning and the surrounding area,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.
In court documents and at trial, the government alleged that on Nov. 19, 2022, the mother of the victim, John Doe, with whom she shared a residence, found him deceased in his bathroom. Doe was 49 years old when he died, and his body showed no obvious signs of cause of death. Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services and the Glacier County coroner investigated. In Doe’s bedroom, law enforcement found blue powder and a straw on top of a dresser. Doe’s mother reported that Doe had been at the residence the evening before. That evening, Doe’s friend, Malatare, had visited with Doe outside the residence. Doe and his mother then had dinner, during which she noticed Doe had a hard time staying awake. Doe’s mother found him unresponsive in the bathroom. Forensic testing and an autopsy conducted on Doe’s body showed that he had fentanyl in his blood and urine. Ibuprofen and hydrocodone also were detected in his body. A medical examiner concluded that Doe had died of acute fentanyl intoxication.
The government further alleged that a law enforcement search of Doe’s cell phone found a text exchange between Doe and Malatare the evening Doe overdosed. The exchange included:
Malatare to Doe: “Catch up with you lil bit bro, you looking.”
Doe to Malatare: “Yeah, I’ll be home. Just got off work. I can only afford half if you can stop by.”
An investigation determined that beginning in at least September 2022, an individual named “Doug,” and later identified as Malatare, was bringing fentanyl from Washington to the Blackfeet Indian Reservation and that Malatare made several quick trips back and forth to Washington between September and December 2022. On Dec. 17, 2022, Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services stopped Malatare for speeding and used a K-9 to conduct a sniff search on the car. The K-9 alerted to the presence of narcotics. Law enforcement seized the car and obtained a search warrant. Officers searched a fanny pack before allowing Malatare to possess it and found a bag of blue and white pills that they suspected contained fentanyl. In a search of the vehicle, officers found a quantity of multi-colored fentanyl pills in the back seat behind a middle armrest. They also recovered a digital scale and multiple rolls of U.S. currency. An analysis determined both the multi-colored pills and blue and white pills contained fentanyl. In total, the Drug Enforcement Administration lab found more than 600 fentanyl pills. A witness told law enforcement that Malatare was bragging that he purchased the pills for $2 per pill in Washington and sold them for $50 to $60 per pill in Montana. The pills seized from Malatare had an estimated street value of more than $30,000.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Glacier County Sheriff’s Office, DEA, and FBI conducted the investigation.
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Farmington Hills Man Sentenced to 8 Years for Stealing Cars from SilverdomeRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A Farmington Hills man was sentence to 8 years in prison for conspiring to steal Volkswagen and Audi vehicles from a lot in Pontiac yesterday, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison. The charges stem from an investigation initiated by the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Auto Theft Unit.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Sheriff Michael Bouchard of Oakland County.
In April, after a 13-day trial, a jury convicted Romane Porter, 47, of conspiracy to transport stolen vehicles and transportation of stolen vehicles. The evidence presented during trial showed that for approximately six months in 2017, Porter and co-defendant Daniel Onorati conspired with each other and others to steal approximately 61 recalled Volkswagen and Audi cars that were parked at the site of the former Pontiac Silverdome.
“This defendant orchestrated a large-scale conspiracy to brazenly steal recalled vehicles and sell them across state lines,” said U.S. Attorney Ison. “This sentence reflects the seriousness with which we address fraud, and the work done to achieve the result in this case further demonstrates the strong collaboration and coordination between our local and federal law enforcement partners.”
In addition to the 97-month sentence, U.S. District Judge Denise Page Hood ordered Porter to pay
$683,080 in restitution and to serve three years of supervised release upon release from prison.
"The sentencing of Romane Porter sends a stark reminder that those individuals who conspire to commit fraud and theft, will face the highest penalties under the law,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “The joint investigative work of the FBI's Detroit Fraud & Financial Crimes Task Force, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Auto Theft unit, and the diligent prosecution from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Michigan, disrupted an elaborate theft scheme orchestrated by this bad actor. The FBI in Michigan will continue to investigate and arrest individuals who engage in criminal acts.”
“I am grateful for the partnership between our Auto Theft Unit, the FBI, and the US Attorney’s Office who brought this organized auto theft activity to a close,” said Sheriff Michael J. Bouchard. “These individuals were bold in their behavior in stealing such a large volume of vehicles from a well-known location. These criminals deserve to be punished to the fullest extent of the law.”
The case was investigated by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Auto Theft Unit. The team was also assisted by the Special Investigations Section, Office of Investigative Services of the Michigan Department of State, as well as the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office and the Kentucky State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Trevor Broad and Louis Meizlish
Eight sentenced in Laredo drug trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – Multiple people have been sentenced for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Hector Flores, 53, Aaron Elezar Pachuca, 30, Lauro Alberto Garcia, 31, Matthew Aaron Arce, 31, Javier Hernandez-Barajas, 71, Vincent Castro, 35, Jose Moises Cruz, 39, all of Laredo; and Ernesto Diaz-Velazquez, 41, Forney, had all previously pleaded guilty.
U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana has now ordered Flores to serve a total of 171 months in federal prison. Castro and Pachuca both received 120-month terms of imprisonment, while Hernandez-Barajas, Cruz, Diaz-Velazquez, Garcia and Arce received 135, 130, 63, 70 and 70 months, respectively. Arce must serve three years of supervised release while the other seven were ordered to serve five-year terms.
At the hearings held Sept. 19 and 20, the court heard additional evidence including information about the organization’s drug importation and smuggling operation.
The investigation revealed Flores and other organization leaders sourced drugs from a Mexican supplier. They brought the drugs to a stash house in Laredo that Flores owned, then separated and re-packaged the drugs and distributed them to various couriers in order to move the drugs into the interior of the United States.
Authorities seized over 14 kilograms of meth, 12 kilograms of heroin, 10 kilograms of cocaine, seven kilograms of fentanyl and $8,000 in drug proceeds throughout the investigation.
Additionally, the United States ordered the forfeiture of the stash house used to traffic the narcotics.
Arce and Garcia were allowed to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future, while the remaining six have been and will remain in custody.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of Border Patrol; Customs and Border Protection Air & Marine Operations; Homeland Security Investigations; Texas Department of Public Safety; Webb County District Attorney’s Office; sheriff’s offices in Webb and Zapata Counties; police departments in Laredo, Texas A&M International University and United Independent School District; Webb County Precinct 4 Constables Office and Ohio State Highway Patrol.
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 on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony J. Evans prosecuted the case.
District Felon Convicted by a Federal Jury of Unlawful Possession of a Loaded Firearm with .40 Caliber AmmunitionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ezra Griffith, 34, a previously convicted felon, was convicted yesterday by a federal jury of unlawful possession of a loaded firearm with .40 Caliber ammunition which is a felony offense. U.S. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta scheduled sentencing for January 16, 2025.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
According to the evidence presented to the jury, on November 15, 2023, after sundown about 8:40 p.m., members of the MPD’s Fifth District Crime Suppression Team entered the parking lot of the Rosedale Recreation Center in Northeast Washington, D.C. and observed a small group of people congregating inside the fenced-in playground next to the recreation center building. The park was closed, so the officers went to make contact with the group. In fact, there is a sign next to the playground’s only entrance noting that it is open from dawn to dusk.
As officers approached the fenced-in playground, Griffith immediately sat down on a concrete partition and moved his hands near the front of his waistband, appearing to adjust an object in his lap. Subsequently, Griffith got up and sprinted along the inside fence line of the playground. Officers briefly lost sight of Griffith before stopping him moments later inside the playground area.
Officers canvassed Griffith’s flight path and recovered a Glock 27 .40 caliber semiautomatic firearm loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition. Griffith has two prior felony convictions in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia, for carrying a pistol without a license and for attempted robbery.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the investigators from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the outstanding efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office including Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole, Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Robinson, Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Teesha Tobias, Litigation Technology Specialist Charles Bruce, and Litigation Technology Supervisor Leif Hickling.
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Defendants Sentenced for Global Darknet ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A citizen of Nigeria, who was extradited from the United Kingdom, was sentenced in federal court yesterday for his involvement in a conspiracy to sell stolen financial information on the darknet from tens of thousands of victims from around the world.
Simon Kaura was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to five years in federal prison without parole. At sentencing, the court found that Kaura’s crimes resulted in an intended loss of $6,338,500.
On May 22, 2024, Kaura pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud and one count of access device fraud. According to court documents, Kaura admitted to being part of a sophisticated, global conspiracy to obtain and sell stolen financial information on darknet markets — including a market he helped create and administer with his co-conspirators. Kaura operated under the online monikers “apples,” “applepiecards,” “cartman,” and “dpharoah.”
Kaura and his co-conspirators operated as prominent “carding” (stolen financial information) vendors, sometimes under the moniker brand “ggmccloud” and “ggmccloud1,” on multiple darknet markets. Each market allowed users to buy and sell stolen and fraudulent financial information. The markets operated much like conventional e-commerce websites, except that the goods sold on the markets were primarily criminal in nature. Each market required users to transact in digital currencies, such as Bitcoin. These sites enabled users to distribute illegal contraband to buyers throughout the world to perpetrate fraud.
Kaura and his co-conspirators obtained large quantities of stolen financial information and passed it along to other co-conspirators to check, organize, and sell on numerous darknet markets. Kaura and his co-conspirators possessed card information belonging to victims from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Kaura and his co-conspirators were responsible for conducting tens of thousands of illegal transactions on darknet markets from Feb. 22, 2016, to Oct. 1, 2019.
During the conspiracy, Kaura and his co-conspirators also created, launched, and administered their own darknet market, Skynet. From April 2016 to October 2019, the co-conspirators’ market offered stolen financial information and other contraband for sale. The market also hosted a messaging forum and private messaging service, allowing cybercriminals from around the world to meet and communicate freely about their crimes.
Co-defendant Taylor Ross Staats, 41, of Texas was sentenced on Jan. 25, 2024, to 18 months in federal prison without parole after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud. Staats’s main role in the conspiracy was to determine, prior to being advertised for sale, whether the stolen payment cards were still active and capable of use. If so, he organized the card information, and it was posted for sale on the darknet. Staats operated under the online moniker “f9ac4”.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice continue to seek forfeiture of more than $4.5 million in criminal proceeds resulting from the co-conspirators crimes.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with the Government of the United Kingdom to secure the arrest and extradition of Kaura.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas Heberle, Matthew Blackwood, and John Constance of the Western District of Missouri and Trial Attorneys Michael Christin and Louisa Becker from the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice. It was investigated by the FBI.
Davenport Man Indicted for Armed Carjacking and Possessing Ammunition as A Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Armoni Moody (23, Davenport) with carjacking, brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime, and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. If convicted on all counts, Moody faces a minimum mandatory penalty of seven years, up to life, in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Moody that the United States intends to forfeit a SCCY firearm and assorted rounds of ammunition, which are alleged to have been used in the commission of the offense.
According to the indictment, on June 12, 2024, Moody used a firearm to commit a carjacking during which he took a vehicle from the victim with the intent to cause death and serious bodily harm. Prior to the offense, Moody had previously been convicted of robbery with a weapon on May 13, 2021. Therefore, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Chang.
This case is part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence for occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Covington Man Indicted for Felon in Possession of Firearms, Silencers, and MachinegunsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JOE LYNN BEATTIE (“BEATTIE”), age 52, of Covington, Louisiana, was charged on September 20, 2024 in a three (3) count indictment. Count One charged him with being a Felon in Possession of Firearms and Ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). Count Two charged him with possession of silencers not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 5841, and Count Three charged him with possession of machineguns, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(o).
If convicted, BEATTIE faces up to fifteen (15) years imprisonment for Count One, and up to ten (10) years of imprisonment for Counts Two and Three. He also faces up to three (3) years of supervised release following imprisonment and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee as to all counts. As to Counts One and Three, he faces a fine of up to $250,000 and, as to Count Two, he faces a fine of up to a $100,000.
United States Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of Homeland Security Investigations, the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon Maestri of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Couple Pleads Guilty to Theft from Isleta Pueblo BusinessRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A husband and wife have pleaded guilty to federal charges for working together to steal over $10,000 from a local business on the Isleta Pueblo.
According to the plea agreements, on February 4, 2023, Eva Mae Hernandez and Frank Joe Hernandez drove to Chical Haystack, a general store located within the Isleta Pueblo. Eva acted as a lookout while Frank entered a restricted area of the store and stole $7,275.50 in cash and a check for $3,134.80 from the store’s safe. The couple was in the store for approximately five minutes before fleeing with the stolen funds.
At sentencing, each faces up to five years in prison. They must also make restitution to Chical Haystack for the money they worked together to steal. Upon their release from prison, Eva and Frank will be subject to up to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today.
The Isleta Police Department investigated this case with assistance from the Belen Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Jones and Brittany DuChaussee are prosecuting these cases.
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Council Bluffs Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Council Bluffs man was sentenced on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, to 8 years (96 months) in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon.
According to public court documents, Marshon Lamarr Johanson, 30, shot his dog after it reportedly bit him. In August 2024, Council Bluffs Animal Control went to Johanson’s house to check on the welfare of the dog. Johanson was uncooperative. The Council Bluffs Police Department returned a few days later with a search warrant. The dog was found dead in the basement. A Ruger handgun and loaded magazine were found in the bedroom of the residence. Johanson was convicted of animal torture in the Iowa District Court for Pottawattamie County and sentenced to a 75-day suspended prison term.
In 2015, Johanson was convicted of burglary and aggravated robbery in Texas, and, in 2022, Johanson was convicted of two felony assault charges in the Nebraska District Court for Douglas County. As a result, Johanson is prohibited from possessing firearms.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Johanson will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by Council Bluffs Animal Control, the Council Bluffs Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Columbia Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Unlawfully Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Tron Martelle Harrison, 40, of Columbia, was sentenced to more than five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to unlawfully possessing a firearm.
Evidence presented to the court showed that Harrison was stopped by the Columbia Police Department (CPD) for a traffic infraction on Oct. 27, 2023. While speaking to the officer, Harrison ate two multi-colored pills that were sitting on the center console. When the officer asked if he just consumed MDMA, Harrison nodded in agreement before spitting out one of them. Instead of complying with the officer’s order to turn the car off, Harrison put it in gear and sped away. CPD officers chased Harrison’s vehicle for more than nine miles at speeds exceeding 100mph before Harrison finally stopped after almost flipping his vehicle. During the chase, an officer saw Harrison throw an object from his vehicle and notified other officers of the location. Officers eventually recovered a 9mm pistol from the exact location where the officer saw it being thrown.
Harrison is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition due to prior felony convictions. In 2011, Harrison was convicted of criminal conspiracy related to an armed robbery. In 2012, Harrison was convicted of misprision of a felony related to a murder. Most recently, Harrison was convicted of the same federal firearm offense in 2016.
United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie sentenced Tron Martelle Harrison to 63 months' imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. This sentence came after the Government made a motion for an upward variance based on the extremely reckless nature of the chase and the number of firearm-related offenses Harrison has been convicted of in recent years. Judge Currie granted this motion in part, which allowed her to sentence Harrison above the sentencing guidelines applicable to his case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Columbia Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Sanford is prosecuting the case.
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California Man Indicted for Transportation and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging William Kameron Ellis Taylor (29, Chula Vista, California) with transportation of child sex abuse materials, possession of child sexual abuse materials, and failure to register as a sex offender. If convicted on all counts, Ellis Taylor faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison.
According to the indictment and court documents, Ellis Taylor was stopped by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol at Cape Canaveral after returning from an international cruise to The Bahamas. Agents discovered that Ellis Taylor had a cellphone and an SD card which contained videos and images of child sexual abuse materials. Ellis Taylor was previously convicted of possession of child sexual abuse material in 2017 in the Southern District of California, and he therefore has certain sex offender registration requirements under federal law. He failed to inform his registering agency of his plans to leave the country as required by that law.
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 Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, and the United States Marshal Services. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kaley Austin-Aronson.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Butte woman sentenced to 15 years in prison for role in large meth, fentanyl trafficking ringRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Butte woman convicted by a federal jury of trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl as part of a large drug ring that had a base Whitehall was sentenced today to 15 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Janet Dean White, 57, was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances in a jury trial in April.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
“White was among eight Montanans and Californians who were convicted in a conspiracy that brought at least 13 pounds of methamphetamine and thousands of fentanyl pills to the Butte and Helena areas. We will not rest until every drug trafficker is brought to justice, and I’m confident those defendants will end up residing in the same place as White - federal prison,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.
In court documents, the government alleged that from June 2022 until about January 2023 in Butte and Helena, White and seven other co-defendants conspired to traffic meth and fentanyl. In June 2022, the Utah Highway Patrol stopped an individual traveling in a vehicle carrying 3.5 pounds of meth and 6,000 pills containing fentanyl and learned that the individual was transporting the drugs to Butte for distribution by “Esco,” who was co-defendant Juan Felipe Vidrio Fuentes, of Anaheim, California. Law enforcement further learned that Fuentes was staying at Whitehall residence along with at least one co-defendant, James Andrew Stringari, of Whitehall, and that Fuentes was supplying both fentanyl and meth throughout the Butte area from the Whitehall residence. In addition, law enforcement corroborated information about meth and fentanyl trafficking that implicated Fuentes, Stringari, White and another co-defendant.
Fuentes and Stringari also were convicted of conspiracy and possession charges during the April trial. Fuentes was sentenced recently to 30 years in prison, while Stringari is pending sentencing.
The government further alleged that in October 2022, law enforcement stopped a vehicle leaving the Whitehall residence. White was a passenger, and law enforcement found one pound of meth in her purse. In November 2022, law enforcement again stopped White in a vehicle and located three quarters of a pound of meth and more than 100 pills containing fentanyl. White also possessed several cell phones, which contained messages indicative of her drug distribution.
During the investigation, law enforcement intercepted packages containing thousands of pills that were mailed from California to the Whitehall address and to a Butte address. Law enforcement also learned that Fuentes had relocated to a house in Helena.
Law enforcement conducted coordinated stops and raids of the Helena and Butte addresses. In the Butte residence, law enforcement located approximately six pounds of meth, 208 grams of fentanyl, $15,000 cash and seven firearms. In the Helena residence, law enforcement located approximately seven pounds of meth and 68 grams of fentanyl.
Co-defendants Martin Topete Garcia and his brother, Johnathan Topete, both of Mira Loma, California, pleaded guilty and are pending sentencing. Co-defendant Trevor Allen Handy, of Butte, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years and six months in prison. Co-defendant Anthony Wayne Johnson II, of Santa Ana, California, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 20 years in prison, and co-defendant Agatha Noriz Carranza, of Whitehall, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years in prison.
Law enforcement conducted coordinated stops and raids of the Helena and Butte addresses. In the Butte residence, law enforcement located approximately six pounds of meth, 208 grams of fentanyl, $15,000 cash and seven firearms. In the Helena residence, law enforcement located approximately seven pounds of meth and 68 grams of fentanyl.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Southwest Montana Drug Task Force, Montana Highway Patrol, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Missouri River Drug Task Force, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, Utah Highway Patrol and Utah State Bureau of Investigations conducted the investigation.
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.
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Buffalo man going to prison for 9 years for transporting minor across state lines to engage in sex traffickingRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Adrian Petty, 29, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of interstate travel for purposes of prostitution, was sentenced to serve 108 months in prison by Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Maeve E. Huggins, who handled the case, stated that in September 2020, Petty transported a Minor Victim that he met on Facebook from the State of New York to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, so that the Minor Victim could engage in commercial sex acts in Pennsylvania. Petty admits that he posted online commercial sex advertisements relating to the Minor Victim.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Pittsburgh Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin P. Rojek, with the assistance of the Buffalo Office of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the Monroeville Police Department, under the direction of Chief Kenneth Cole, the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Coons, and the Erie Crime Analysis Center, under the direction of Director Dennis Richards. Special assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Pennsylvania and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Silinski.
Branford Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Harvey Jennings Starling, 56, of Branford, Florida, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and hydrocodone and one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and hydrocodone. Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentence.
“Methamphetamine distribution is a scourge on large and small communities of our district,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “With our dedicated law enforcement partners, particularly the North Star Drug Task Force, we are committed to identifying and aggressively prosecuting those who threaten our citizens’ health and safety by distributing such addictive, controlled substances. This sentence acknowledges the defendant’s criminal conduct and sends a straightforward message that there are real and severe consequences for federal drug offenses.”
Court documents reflect that Starling, and others, were suspected of methamphetamine trafficking. A search warrant executed at Starling’s residence led to seizure of approximately one pound of high-purity methamphetamine, hydrocodone pills, and a firearm. Subsequent review of an electronic device used by Starling revealed communications between Starling and other individuals related to the purchase and resale of marijuana, methamphetamine, and opioid pills.
“I’m extremely proud of our deputies working along with our partner agencies and I cannot say enough about how hard they worked to remove these destructive drugs and drug dealers from our county,” said Lafayette County Sheriff Brian Lamb.
Starling’s prison sentence will be followed by 5 years of supervised release.
"The North Star Multijurisdictional Drug Task Force was proud to partner with the Lafayette County Sheriff's Office and other agencies involved in this complex investigation," said Det. Will Hudson, Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office Task Force Commander. "The results show the dedication, and hard work put forth by the investigators and the U.S. Attorney's Office."
Starling, a registered sex offender based on a 2006 conviction for sexual battery, was also arrested on State charges related to seven counts of failure to register as a sex offender. Those charges remain pending in Lafayette County Circuit Court and may result in a consecutive sentence.
The case was investigated by the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office, Perry Police Department, and the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with the North Star Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney David Byron prosecuted the case.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Billings meth, fentanyl dealer sentenced to 12 years in prisonRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Billings man who admitted to obtaining methamphetamine and fentanyl from the dark web for distribution in the Billings community was sentenced today to 12 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Ryan William Newhart, 29, pleaded guilty in May to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that in May 2023, law enforcement received information that Newhart was distributing meth in the community and getting pound-quantities through the mail. In June 2023, officers obtained a search warrant for Newhart’s residence and seized 427 grams, or almost one pound, of meth and more than 40 grams of fentanyl pills. Newhart admitted to selling approximately 10 pounds of meth from September 2022 to June 2023 and that he obtained the drugs through the dark web for distribution in the community. Ten pounds of meth is the equivalent of approximately 36,240 doses.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation and U.S. Postal Inspection conducted the investigation.
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.
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Authorities Seeing an Alarming Rise in Threats to SchoolsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Schools in the St. Louis area and around the country have seen an alarming increase in threats in recent weeks, which are draining resources from those schools and the law enforcement agencies that respond.
Although those making the threats apparently think they are being funny, the threats are traumatizing students, parents and staff.
Contrary to popular belief, law enforcement can quickly identify the source of these threats. That information is then routed to the appropriate officials. In the case of minors, who are often making the threats, the information will be sent to school districts and the appropriate juvenile court system.
“Hoax threats are not a joke,” said Special Agent in Charge Ashley T. Johnson of the FBI St. Louis Division. “Don’t think you can hide. We will find you and hold you accountable.”
Juvenile and school authorities are also taking the threats seriously. Some jurisdictions are detaining juveniles accused of making school threats. If found guilty, a minor could be placed under supervision, which is similar to probation or parole and could include GPS monitoring. They could also be removed from their home and placed in the custody of the Missouri Division of Youth Services.
Many schools suspend minors while an investigation is being conducted. They could then face a suspension of up to 180 days or expulsion from the school system.
Adults can be charged in state or federal court with a variety of crimes.
At the federal level, you can be sentenced up to 5 years in prison for making a hoax threat. If someone is injured, that sentence goes up to 20 years. If death occurs, you could be facing a life sentence.
But we also need your help. If you hear or see a threat, please do not share or repost it on social media – that only delays the process of identifying the original source of the threat, sometimes by hours or more. Call 911 or contact Missouri’s school safety threat reporting system, Courage2Report, either online at https://p3campus.com/5250, by calling 866-748-7047 or texting C2R to 738477. You can file a report to prevent a shooting or other act of violence from happening, or report things that have happened, like bullying or harassment, that could get worse if people don’t get help.
Atlantic Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Meth PossessionRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – An Atlantic, Iowa man was sentenced today to 14 years in federal prison for possessing a distribution quantity of methamphetamine.
According to public court documents, Derek Allen McDermott, 38, was found in possession of distribution quantities of meth during two traffic stops in October 2023 and December 2023. McDermott has two state convictions for possession with intent to deliver meth.
After completing his term of imprisonment, McDermott will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, and the Iowa State Patrol.
Armed Burlington Fugitive Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who shot two people in Burlington, Iowa, and was found in Cedar Rapids with a firearm was sentenced September 19, 2024, to over four years in federal prison.
Kejonte Daishawn King, age 21, from Burlington, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 29, 2024, guilty plea to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
At the guilty plea, King admitted he was previously convicted in Wisconsin for robbery by threat. King failed to appear for his sentencing in that case. King was in Burlington on March 24, 2023, when he shot two people and then fled the area. The Eastern Iowa Fugitive Task Force, led by the United States Marshals Service, found King in Cedar Rapids on April 18, 2023, with two firearms. King was later convicted of willful injury and intimidation with a dangerous weapon and is still serving his prison sentence in that case.
King was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. King was sentenced to an additional 54 months’ and 21 days’ imprisonment to be served concurrently with the remainder of his prison sentence for the Burlington shooting and consecutive to any sentence imposed for his Milwaukee robbery conviction. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
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.
King is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be returned to the Iowa Department of Corrections to complete service of his Iowa sentence and then be sent to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Reinert and investigated by the Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force comprised of officers from the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Cedar Rapids Police Department, Waterloo Police Department, Marion Police Department, Independence Police Department, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Iowa Department of Corrections, the Southern Iowa Fugitive Task Force, the Burlington Iowa Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-00010.
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Thursday 19 September 2024
Watertown Resident Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Attempted Possession of Controlled Substances with the Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Stuart Chambers, age 44, of Watertown, New York, was sentenced today to serve 120 months in prison for his attempted possession of methamphetamine and cocaine with intent to distribute. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, made the announcement.
As part of his prior plea, Chambers admitted that, on January 30, 2024, he travelled to Syracuse from Watertown and purchased what he believed to be one pound of methamphetamine and nine ounces of cocaine, which he intended to distribute. He further admitted that, before he committed this offense, he had previously been convicted in federal court in the Middle District of Pennsylvania of Possessing controlled substances with the intent to distribute.
In addition to the 10-year sentence, Chambers was sentenced to serve an additional 24 months in prison for violating the conditions of supervised release from his prior offense. Senior United States District Court Judge Frederick J. Scullin also ordered Chambers to serve an 8-year term of supervised release following his release from prison.
The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigated the case with assistance from Pennsylvania State Police, Metro-Jefferson Drug Task Force, and New York State Police Special Investigations Unit - Syracuse. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica N. Carbone prosecuted the case.
Washington Man Sentenced to Prison for Assaulting His Partner with a Knife and Attempting to Suffocate HerRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington - United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Marvin Samson Butterfly, age 40, to 70 months in federal prison on charges of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Indian Country, Assault of an Intimate Partner and Dating Partner by Suffocating and Attempting to Suffocate in Indian Country, and Attempted Witness Tampering (70 months on each count to be served concurrently). Butterfly was convicted of those crimes on April 9, 2024, following a jury trial. Judge Rice also imposed 3 years of federal supervision after Butterfly is released from prison.
According to court documents and information introduced at trial and sentencing, on September 16, 2023, officers with the Spokane Tribal Police Department were called to a home in Ford, Washington, for a reported domestic assault. The victim, who is an enrolled member of the Spokane Tribe told officers that Butterfly assaulted her. Butterfly was upset with the victim because she had let another woman shelter in her home during a spell of cold weather. Butterfly began shouting, took out a long knife, and stabbed the floors, doors, and furniture. Butterfly assaulted the victim by holding the knife against her throat. Butterfly then pushed the victim down on the couch, placed his hand over her mouth and attempted to suffocate her. After the victim was able to pry Butterfly’s fingers off her face, Butterfly left the home in the victim’s car. Officers found Butterfly the next morning asleep in the victim’s car.
On November 2, 2023, while in jail, Butterfly placed a recorded telephone call to his neighbor. During the call, Butterfly made several statements indicating he did not want the victim to testify. Butterfly encouraged his neighbor to stress to the victim that he would be coming home – i.e., getting out of jail – so long as the victim did not cooperate with investigators.
“The victim in this case suffered terrifying acts of abuse and intimidation, stated Vanessa Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington. “Domestic violence is one of the root causes underlying the MMIP crisis. My office is committed to working with our partners in Tribal and Federal law enforcement to secure justice for the victims and to build safer and stronger communities on Tribal lands and throughout Eastern Washington. I am grateful that the victim in his case was undeterred and that my office has built a strong support mechanism to protect the brave victims, that seek to end the abusive cycle of violence.”
“Terrifying is the word that best describes the ordeal Mr. Butterfly inflicted upon the victim in this case.” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “I’m thankful the victim was courageous and advocated for herself to help put Mr. Butterfly in custody where he belongs. Curbing violent crime on our state’s reservations remains a priority for the FBI and our partners here in Washington.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Spokane Tribal Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Ellis.
United States Reaches Settlement Agreement with Cobb County Board of Elections to Make Voting Accessible for People with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia has entered into a settlement agreement with the Cobb County Board of Elections to resolve a multi-year compliance review that identified physical barriers at many polling sites. Cobb County has agreed to make certain corrections in time for the November 2024 general election, and to conduct a systemic review and ensure accessibility for all future polling locations.
“During this election year, it is appropriate to remember that voting is a fundamental right and hallmark of our democracy; therefore, a person with a disability should have an equal opportunity to cast a ballot in person on Election Day,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “We applaud the commitment of the Cobb County Board of Elections to work closely with our office to ensure that citizens with disabilities in Cobb County can vote alongside their family, friends, and neighbors at their local precinct, and do so with the same ease and convenience as nondisabled voters.”
From 2016 to 2024, the United States conducted a compliance review of Cobb County’s polling sites and surveyed more than 50 polling locations through three election cycles. Based on these surveys, the United States found numerous polling sites with physical barriers. The Cobb County Board of Elections expressed its commitment to ensure all polling locations are accessible to people with disabilities and worked cooperatively with the U.S. Attorney’s Office throughout the entire compliance review.
Under the terms of the Settlement Agreement, Cobb County Board of Elections will employ temporary measures to make polling places accessible for the November 2024 general election. They will also train their poll workers on the County’s obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act and how to use the temporary measures on Election Day. Cobb County Board of Elections will also survey all remaining polling locations for accessibility throughout the term of the Agreement. When selecting future polling sites, the Cobb County Board of Elections will ensure that new locations are ADA accessible. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will monitor the Agreement and provide technical assistance.The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marissa Fallica, Rahul Garabadu, and Aileen Bell Hughes.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
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Settlement Cobb County Board of Elections_0.pdfU.S. Attorney’s Office to Work with Dauphin County Partners to Reduce Domestic ViolenceRead the Press Release
SCRANTON– U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam announced today that Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, has been designated by the U.S. Department of Justice to receive additional resources to focus on combating domestic gun violence.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland has approved an initial set of 78 communities across 47 states, territories, and the District of Columbia for designation under Section 1103 of the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022. The Justice Department - through its United States Attorney’s offices (USAOs) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Field Divisions - will partner with each designated jurisdiction to develop a plan to reduce intimate partner firearm violence and to prioritize prosecutions of domestic violence offenders prohibited under 18 U.S. Code Section 922(g) from owning firearms.
“Our office is committed to working closely with our federal and local partners to hold offenders accountable for crimes associated with domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking,” said U.S. Attorney Karam.
“ATF Philadelphia Field Division will work closely with our law enforcement partners in the designated counties to combat firearm violence against intimate partners and children, ensure that perpetrators are held accountable, that the rule of law is upheld, and that survivors are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Office.
Communities have been designated in close coordination with community stakeholders. They include rural areas, suburban areas, urban areas, and Tribal communities. The Justice Department used data to identify communities that could benefit from increased focus on intimate partner violence resources and where the local jurisdiction is committed to partnering with the Department to increase the use of federal tools to prosecute offenders under 18 U.S.C. 922(g). The designation represents the partnership and coordination between the department and the local jurisdiction to ensure federal resources are being leveraged effectively to address intimate partner firearm violence.
The Justice Department anticipates additional jurisdictions to be designated as USAOs continue coordination with their local stakeholders. All USAOs, with or without specific community designations under Section 1103, will continue to combat intimate partner firearm violence and prioritize prosecutions of domestic violence offenders as part of their Project Safe Neighborhoods strategy and in support of the Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Targeted DOJ Initiative with Local Partners to Reduce Domestic ViolenceRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – Attorney General Merrick B. Garland has approved an initial set of 78 communities across 47 states, territories, and the District of Columbia for designation under Section 1103 of the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022.
The Justice Department - through its United States Attorney’s offices (USAOs) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Field Divisions - will partner with each designated jurisdiction to develop a plan to reduce intimate partner firearm violence and to prioritize prosecutions of domestic violence offenders prohibited under 18 U.S. Code Section 922(g) from owning firearms.
“Domestic violence takes a devastating toll on families and communities across Rhode Island,” remarked U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha, “and when combined with illegal firearms, the consequences can be deadly. This Office is proud to partner with the cities of Pawtucket, Central Falls, and Woonsocket to bring targeted federal prosecutions that keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers and help keep our communities, our friends, and our neighbors safe.”
"ATF is dedicated to reducing domestic violence, with a special focus on cases involving firearms. By working closely with our law enforcement partners, we are determined to end these violent crimes and safeguard our communities," said James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division. "Together, we will protect victims and hold offenders accountable, ensuring a safer future for all."
Selected jurisdictions include rural areas, suburban areas, urban areas, and Tribal communities. The Justice Department used data to identify communities that could benefit from increased focus on intimate partner violence resources and where the local jurisdiction is committed to partnering with the Department to increase the use of federal tools to prosecute offenders under 18 U.S.C. 922(g). The designation represents the partnership and coordination between the department and the local jurisdiction to ensure federal resources are being leveraged effectively to address intimate partner firearm violence.
In Rhode Island, Pawtucket, Central Falls, and Woonsocket have been selected to participate. The U.S. Attorney’s office is committing resources and training to law enforcement to identify firearms cases which may be investigated and charged as federal crimes, with a focus on perpetrators of intimate partner violence.
The Justice Department anticipates additional jurisdictions to be designated as USAOs continue coordination with their local stakeholders. All USAOs, with or without specific community designations under Section 1103, will continue to combat intimate partner firearm violence and prioritize prosecutions of domestic violence offenders as part of their Project Safe Neighborhoods strategy and in support of the Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime.
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U.S. Attorney's Office Takes Part in Educational Forum on Voting Rights and Protections for Voters and Election OfficialsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office joined the North Carolina State Board of Elections and the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections in an educational forum hosted by Ebenezer Baptist Church in Charlotte, to provide the public with important information about voting rights and protections for voters and elections officials.
The topics discussed included how to report suspected violations, including election fraud, issues related to ADA compliance and accessible polling places, incidents of voter intimidation or discrimination at polling locations, and threats of violence against election officials and poll workers; changes and new voting laws; voting registration deadlines; and resources on the various voting methods available to eligible voters.
“Protecting the right to vote is one of the Justice Department’s highest priorities. The resources shared today can help voters understand their voting rights and promote public confidence in the election process,” said Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
The Justice Department and U.S. Attorney’s Offices play an integral role in ensuring that all eligible voters can exercise their right to vote. In line with longstanding Justice Department practices, the U.S. Attorney’s Office works with the Department’s Civil Rights Division, Criminal Division, and National Security Division, to protect the integrity of the election process and guard against foreign malign influence.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division (CRT) is responsible for enforcing federal statutes that protect voting rights, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, and the Help America Vote Act. These laws aim to prevent discriminatory election practices, ensure accessibility for voters with disabilities, and protect eligible citizens’ right to vote.
Key protections include:
- Prohibiting discriminatory practices and protecting voters from intimidation and interference.
- Ensuring voters with disabilities receive the assistance they need.
- Requiring accessible voting systems and minority language assistance.
- Offering absentee voting for military members and U.S. citizens living abroad.
The Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are responsible for enforcing federal laws related to election fraud and threats against election workers. These crimes include vote-buying, submission of fraudulent ballots, destruction of ballots, and voter intimidation. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices designate federal prosecutors as District Election Officers (DEOs), responsible for overseeing election crime matters and coordinating with election-crime experts in Washington, D.C. DEOs also work with specially trained FBI agents to respond to election-related complaints, to ensure that those are handled appropriately.
The Department of Justice’s National Security Division (NSD) oversees investigations related to national security threats, including foreign interference in elections and violent extremist threats to the electoral process.
The public can report suspected violations to the Civil Rights Division through the Justice Department’s toll-free line at 800-253-3931 or submit a complaint online at www.civilrights.justice.gov/.
In the Western District of North Carolina, suspected election crimes should be reported to the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 704-344-6222 in Charlotte, and 828-271-4661 in Asheville. The local FBI field office can be reached at 704-672-6100.
Violence or threats of violence at polling places should be reported to local authorities immediately by calling 911, followed by notifying the Justice Department.
For more information about the Justice Department’s efforts to protect voting rights and ensure secure elections, visit https://www.justice.gov/voting.
Two Individuals Charged with Armed Robbery of U.S.P.S Mail CarrierRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Two individuals were charged with the armed robbery of a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Eddie Tyree James White, 26, of Delaware, and James Hammond-Smith, 26, of East Orange, New Jersey, are charged by complaint with one count of robbery of a mail carrier. White was additionally charged with theft of a postal key and theft of mail. Both appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jessica S. Allen in Newark federal court. Hammond-Smith was released on $100,000 unsecured bond and White was detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Nov. 28, 2022, White approached a USPS mail carrier while she was in her USPS vehicle in Newark. White displayed a firearm in his waistband and demanded the mail carrier’s arrow key, a master key used by USPS to access various mail receptacles. The mail carrier gave the key to White, who fled on foot. Hammond-Smith drove White to the robbery. White subsequently used the postal key to access mail receptacles to steal mail, including checks and money orders.
The robbery of a mail carrier charge and postal key theft charge each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The theft of mail charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. All three charges carry a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Neilson, Philadelphia Division, with the investigation. He also thanked the Delaware State Police.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chana Zuckier of the OCDETF unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
hammondsmithwhite.complaint.pdfThree Individuals Sentenced for Fraudulently Obtaining Pandemic Unemployment Assistance on Behalf of Ineligible Persons, Including Prison InmatesRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Likishe Jhanell Kelly, 43, of Phoenix, Antoinette Coleman, 36, of Glendale, and Christine Boston, 52, of Mesa have been sentenced in connection with a scheme to use the identities of prison inmates and others to fraudulently obtain federal unemployment benefits under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. All three individuals admitted they facilitated the filing of false claims for pandemic unemployment benefits by fraudulently using other identities, including those of imprisoned individuals.
Kelly was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Susan M. Brnovich to 36 months in prison and mandated to pay $375,094 in restitution to the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES). Kelly pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud on November 21, 2023. Coleman was also sentenced last week by Judge Brnovich to five years of probation and mandated to pay $19,678 in restitution to DES. Coleman pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud on January 16, 2024. Boston was sentenced by Judge Brnovich on July 9, 2024, to 36 months in prison and ordered to pay $97,596 in restitution to DES. Boston also pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud on January 3, 2024.
Kelly, Coleman, and Boston acknowledged their role in helping file applications for inmates who did not actually lose their jobs due to COVID. Boston was incarcerated during the time of this scheme and transmitted the necessary inmate information for the filing of applications to Kelly and Coleman. Boston emailed Coleman from the Arizona State Prison in Goodyear to recruit Coleman to facilitate processing inmate applications for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits. Kelly would then file the fraudulent applications and weekly certifications in the name of Boston and other inmates. Kelly compensated Boston for providing the inmate information by depositing money into her Arizona state prison commissary account.
Additionally, Kelly submitted fraudulent applications and weekly certifications on behalf of other ineligible individuals, including Coleman. Coleman processed and filed two fraudulent applications. In total, between May 2020 and December 2020, Kelly and her co-defendants submitted at least 42 fraudulent applications, obtaining approximately $375,094 in illicit funds.
“During the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, Congress expanded eligibility for employees to receive unemployment benefits and made it easier to submit an application,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “Sadly, some Arizonans took advantage of the emergency and defrauded our State. The sentences and restitution orders imposed in this case send an important deterrent message to those who seek gains based on others’ misfortune.”
“We appreciate our continuous collaboration with the United States Department of Labor and the Office of Inspector General to identify and hold accountable those who exploit the system and engage in Unemployment Insurance fraud,” stated Angie Rodgers, Director of the Arizona Department of Economic Security. “Our agencies are resolute in our dedication to preserving the integrity of the unemployment insurance benefits program.”
The United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, and the Arizona Department of Economic Security conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Brook, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR 23-0432-PHX-SMB
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-125_Kelly, Boston, Coleman# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Texas Man Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Houston, Texas man was sentenced to 51 months in prison for possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon.
According to court documents, Miguel Wayne Hall, 40, was arrested by Mobile County Sheriff’s Office on December 18, 2023 following a traffic stop where he was found to be in possession of a firearm. Hall has multiple prior felony convictions, including convictions for aggravated robbery, burglary, and assault. As a convicted felon, Hall is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Hall was indicted for being a felon in possession of a firearm and pled guilty to the charge. United States District Court Judge Kristi K. DuBose sentenced Hall to 51 months in prison followed by a 3-year term of supervised release for illegally possessing the firearm.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica S. Terrill prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Texas Couple Charged in Multimillion-Dollar Tax Refund Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Tyler, Texas, returned an indictment yesterday charging a Texas husband and wife with crimes related to their conspiracy to defraud the United States by seeking fraudulent tax refunds.
According to the indictment, from 2017 to 2023, Larry and Rebecca Kalmowitz filed false tax returns in the name of estates and trusts that sought $42 million in fraudulent refunds, ultimately receiving over $23 million from the IRS. The returns allegedly falsely reported interest income and large amounts of income tax withholdings to the IRS that resulted in large tax refunds to which they were not otherwise entitled. The Kalmowitzs allegedly created bank accounts in the names of the estates and trusts and deposited the fraudulently obtained tax refund checks into those accounts. They allegedly used the proceeds to purchase real property that they placed in the name of a nominee and to purchase luxury vehicles, including a Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 and a Mercedes-Benz GLS450. When the IRS attempted to recover the fraudulent funds, the Kalmowitzs allegedly took steps to obstruct the recovery by, among other things, filing false forms to support the claimed income and withholdings and a false form to release a federal lien.
Both were charged with mail fraud, money laundering, conspiracy to defraud the United States and filing a false claim against the United States. If convicted, the Kalmowitzs each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of mail fraud, a maximum penalty of 10 years for each count of money laundering, a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the conspiracy to defraud the United States and a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each count of filing a false claim against the United States. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Damien Diggs for the Eastern District of Texas made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Zachary Cobb and Daniel Lipkowitz of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Locker for the Eastern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Ten-Time Convicted Felon Indicted for Possessing Ammunition as A Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Bryan Jermaine Davis (37, Jacksonville) with possessing ammunition as a convicted felon. If convicted, Davis faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, on July 5, 2024, Davis, knowing that he had been previously convicted of felony offenses – including robbery, selling heroin, possession of cocaine, dealing in stolen property, and false verification of ownership on pawnbroker transaction form – was in possession of assorted rounds of ammunition. As a convicted felon, Davis is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
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 Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brenna Falzetta.
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.
Taunton Man Pleads Guilty to Oxycodone ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Taunton man pleaded guilty yesterday to his role in an oxycodone conspiracy.
John Campbell, age 41, 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 Jan. 15, 2025. Campbell was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2023.
Between approximately July 2022 and June 2023, Campbell distributed oxycodone pills to others for further re-distribution. He also obtained oxycodone pills from his co-conspirator and co-defendant Kenneth Veiga. The quantities of oxycodone pills distributed ranged from hundreds to more than 1,000 on several occasions. Campbell also distributed oxycodone pills to an undercover agent on four occasions. Laboratory testing of pills seized as part of the conspiracy confirmed that the pills contained oxycodone. During intercepted calls, Campbell was overheard discussing oxycodone prices and quantities in telephone calls and text messages. On July 12, 2023 during a search of Campbell’s residence a digital scale; rubber bands; and oxycodone pills were seized.
Veiga pleaded guilty and in July 2024, was sentenced to 60 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.
Campbell faces a up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $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; John E. Mawn, Jr., Interim Colonel 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 today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; United States Coast Guard Investigative Service; Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office; and the Barnstable, Dennis, Bourne, Falmouth, Mashpee, Yarmouth and Sandwich Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of the Criminal Division is 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.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Stowe Man Charged with Drug and Firearms Violations Related to Two HomicidesRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on September 12, 2024, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Theodore Bland, 29, of Stowe, Vermont, with conspiracy to distribute cocaine base, possession of cocaine base and fentanyl with intent to distribute, using and carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and discharging that firearm during the commission of the offense.
Bland is currently scheduled to be sentenced on October 21, 2024, following his March 22, 2024, guilty plea to knowingly possessing a firearm while being an unlawful user of controlled substances related to a March 17, 2023 event. The United States has filed a motion asking the Court to order Bland to remain in custody based on these new charges following the completion of any sentence imposed on October 21, 2024. Bland’s arraignment on the new charges will occur on a date to be determined by the United States District Court for the District of Vermont, at which the Court is anticipated to rule on the government’s detention motion.
According to court records, on October 12, 2023, Bland used, carried, and discharged a firearm, in relation to his drug trafficking activities. Also, according to court records, Bland’s October 12 firearm discharges caused the deaths of Jahim Solomon and Eric White. Bland used social media messaging to communicate with his co-conspirators regarding, among other topics, the procurement of controlled substances for distribution, the pricing of controlled substances for sale to drug customers, and the distribution of controlled substances to drug customers. Bland also used social media messaging to communicate with his co-conspirators following the homicides of Solomon and White on October 12, 2023, including communications about his attempts to conceal the homicides. Court documents also state that Bland induced others to help him move the bodies of Solomon and White to two wooded areas in Eden, Vermont, where the bodies were discovered by law enforcement on October 24 and 25, 2023.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Bland is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Bland faces a term of imprisonment of up to life, with a mandatory minimum of ten years, if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the 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 Vermont State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Morristown Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Lamoille County Sheriff’s Department.
The prosecutors are Assistant United States Attorneys Jason Turner and Paul Van de Graaf. Bland is represented by David Sleigh, 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.
St. Paul Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegal Possession of a Machine Gun; Crashed Stolen Vehicle Through a Restaurant During Police ChaseRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A St. Paul man has been sentenced to 39 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for the illegal possession of a machine gun, following a drive-by shooting incident that ended with the defendant crashing the stolen vehicle he was driving through an unoccupied downtown Saint Paul bar and restaurant, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on the afternoon of February 15, 2023, officers with the St. Paul Police Department responded to a shots-fired 911 call in the area of Luella Street North and Wilson Avenue, a densely populated residential neighborhood. Witnesses reported hearing automatic gunfire coming from a black Jeep that was apparently chasing another Jeep. Within a few blocks of the area, officers located a black Jeep with a rear window that appeared to have been shot up. When officers turned around in their squad car to follow the Jeep, it led officers on a high-speed chase until it eventually hit another vehicle and crashed through the entirety of a restaurant in downtown St. Paul, which was unoccupied at the time. Officers saw Moeshea Isiah Hart, 19, and two others, exit the Jeep and detained them. The key fob for the Jeep, along with Hart’s house keys, were in Hart’s pants pocket. On the floor of the restaurant, near the Jeep’s driver’s side door, officers recovered a loaded Glock model 45 9mm pistol with an inserted high-capacity magazine and an attached switch, a conversion device that turns a semiautomatic handgun into a fully automatic machine gun. Approximately 11 9mm discharged cartridge casings were located in and around the driver’s area of the Jeep, including one outside the Jeep on the floor of the restaurant. Forensic ballistics analysis determined that one randomly selected discharged cartridge casing had been fired by the recovered 9mm machinegun. Police later determined that the Jeep had been reported stolen from St. Paul in December 2022.
Hart pleaded guilty on March 27, 2024, to one count of possession of a machine gun. He was sentenced today in U.S. District Court before Judge Jerry W. Blackwell.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the St. Paul Police Department, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar prosecuted the case.
Slidell Man Sentenced for Making False Statements to Small Business AdministrationRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that DEAN MEILLEUR (“MEILLEUR”), age 57, a resident of Slidell, Louisiana, was sentenced on September 17, 2024, for making or using false writings or documents to the United States Small Business Administration (SBA), in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001(a)(3).
According to court documents, MEILLEUR, submitted false writings and documents to the SBA to obtain Economic Impact Disaster Loans (“EIDL”). In his EIDL applications, among other things, MEILLEUR falsely represented that he was the owner of a trucking business formed in 2017 and, that he was eligible for EIDL funds. As a result of these false submissions, MEILLEUR obtained $147,400 from the SBA to which he was not entitled.
United States District Judge Brandon S. Long sentenced MEILLEUR to four (4) years of probation, payment of restitution in the amount of $147,400.00, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
U.S. Attorney Evans commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Andre J. Lagarde of the Public Integrity Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Sin City Deciples Founder Sentenced to 360 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Kenneth Christopher McGhee a/k/a “Sonny,” “Angel,” age 75, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after being found guilty of racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, and being a drug user in possession of a firearm following an 18-day jury trial, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
McGhee was sentenced to 360 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to court documents, the Sin City Deciples, originally formed in 1967 in Gary, Indiana, is an outlaw motorcycle organization in which its members and associates engaged in acts of violence, extortion, and narcotics distribution in the Northern District of Indiana and elsewhere. McGhee served as the “Founder” of the entire club and lead the conspiracy for decades, including during the charged period between 2009-2021. As the “Founder,” McGhee commanded and oversaw multiple acts of extortion and violence, including attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder in retaliation for the death of a fellow Sin City member, and conspiracy to distribute large amounts of cocaine. At the time of his arrest, he unlawfully possessed at least 8 firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
The agencies involved in this prosecution were: the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the East Chicago Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Gary Police Department, the Griffith Police Department, the Hammond Police Department, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area officers and agents, the Merrillville Police Department, the Munster Police Department, and the Schererville Police Department. Also providing assistance were the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern District of Arkansas, the Northern District of Illinois, the Southern District of Indiana, the Western District of Kentucky, and the Western District of Pennsylvania.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David J. Nozick and Michael J. Toth.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case was also 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.
Seven Charged with Possessing Contraband in Seagoville PrisonRead the Press Release
In an effort to combat contraband in federal prisons, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has charged seven men with possessing of various prohibited items while behind bars.
“The Northern District of Texas will not tolerate contraband inside federal prisons, period,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “Inmates who handle drugs, phones, or child sexual abuse material risk having significant time tacked onto their sentences. The safety of prison guards, other inmates, and even those outside prison walls depends on our enforcement of these rules.”
"I am very pleased to work with our law enforcement partners and provide evidence that contributed to these indictments," said Dr. Scarlet Grant, Warden of the Seagoville Federal Correctional Institution. “When cell phones and narcotics are introduced into a prison, it causes significant safety and security concerns to the employees and adults in custody. Deterring contraband remains a top priority of the Federal Bureau of Prisons and these indictments send a clear message that smuggling contraband into a prison is a federal offense and it will not be tolerated."
“Contraband largely serves to facilitate criminal acts in prison and poses real and potential danger to Federal Correctional Institute Seagoville personnel, other prisoners and to the community at large,” said FBI Dallas Acting Special Agent in Charge James Godley. “We will continue to work with our federal partners to investigate contraband encounters.”
Those charged in five separate indictments include:
- Isaac Martinez, charged with possessing contraband in prison (methamphetamine)
- Nicholas Evans, charged with possessing contraband in prison (buprenorphine) and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance
- Hugo Castaneda, charged with two counts of possession of a prohibited object (methamphetamine) and one count of possession with intent to contribute a controlled substance
- Abdullah El Hage, charged with possession of a prohibited object (methamphetamine)
- Matthew Rodriguez, charged with possession of a prohibited object (methamphetamine) and possessing contraband in prison (phone)
- Deaunte Lakeith Johunkin, charged with possession of contraband (K2) in prison and attempted possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance
- Richard King, charged with possession of child pornography (printed, black and white, sexually explicit photos of prepubescent girls)
All seven recently charged defendants are inmates at Federal Correctional Institute Seagoville, a low-security Bureau of Prisons (BOP) facility southeast of Dallas with a population of just under 1,800 male offenders.
According to BOP’s policy, prison contraband includes items that could reasonably be expected to cause physical injury or adversely affect the security, safety, or good order of the institution.
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, the inmates may have additional prison time tacked onto their sentences.
Earlier this year, two men were charged with attempting to smuggle cell phones and marijuana into the yard of a federal prison in Fort Worth via a mesh bag affixed to a drone. Prison staff found the mesh bag hanging from a parachute cord on the side of a building after being notified of a drone in their airspace.
Joseph Mora and Reza Ayari both pleaded guilty to attempt to provide contraband to a prisoner and were sentenced to 58 and 50 months, respectively, in federal prison. In Mora’s case, the Court ordered his 58-month sentence to be served consecutive to any sentence imposed in his other federal case.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigations with the cooperation of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luis Suarez is prosecuting the Seagoville inmates’ contraband cases and Assistant U.S. Attorney Levi Thomas prosecuted the Fort Worth drone case.
Serial Bank Robber Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Washington State man who admitted to committing at least ten bank robberies, including five while armed, was sentenced today to more than 23 years in federal prison.
Clifford Court Uptegrove, 61, of Yakima, Washington, was sentenced to 280 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, on December 17, 2021, approximately 14 months after being granted a compassionate release from federal prison, Uptegrove entered an Umpqua Bank branch in Hermiston, Oregon, brandished a firearm, and demanded large denomination bills from one of the bank’s tellers. After Uptegrove collected more than $13,000 in cash, he fled the bank and attempted to steal an occupied truck in nearby parking lot.
Shortly after, a Hermiston police officer spotted Uptegrove and attempted a traffic stop. Uptegrove led the officer on a brief pursuit before stopping and being placed under arrest without further incident.
On January 19, 2022, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a three-count indictment charging Uptegrove with armed bank robbery, possessing a firearm during a crime of violence, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Later, on April 11, 2024, Uptegrove pleaded guilty to armed bank robbery.
This case was investigated by the FBI and Hermiston Police Department and was prosecuted by Cassady Adams and Gregory Nyhus, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
Schenectady Man Sentenced to Twenty Years in Federal Prison for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Richard Nejame, age 29, of Schenectady, New York, was sentenced today to serve 240 months (20 years) in federal prison, to be followed by 25 years of supervised release, for receiving and attempting to receive child pornography.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
As part of his guilty plea, Nejame admitted that between about October 2022 and May 1, 2023, he communicated with several different minor females over various social media applications to include Snapchat. Nejame further admitted that his online personas on social media claimed that he was a teenage boy. During Nejame’s online communications with the minor females, he encouraged them to take nude pictures and videos of themselves, and to then send the pictures and videos to him. Once in receipt of the nude picture and videos of the minor females, Nejame directed the females to take more sexually explicit pictures and videos of themselves, to send those sexually explicit pictures and videos of themselves to him, and that if the females did not comply with his demands, Nejame would threaten to embarrass and expose the females by publishing their pictures and videos on the Internet.
In addition to the imprisonment and supervised release terms, Nejame will be required to register as a sex offender upon release from imprisonment.
The FBI’s Albany Division Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated this case. The Task Force includes members of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Assistant United States Attorneys Rick Belliss and Benjamin S. Clark prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locates, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
San Juan resident convicted of possessing grenades and firearmRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 26-year-old man has entered a guilty plea for possessing destructive devices and utilizing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking activity, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
On Aug. 1, Jamez Aaron Sandoval bought two grenade-style destructive devices which led to his arrest. Authorities conducted a search of his residence and discovered cocaine, marijuana, drug dealing paraphernalia as well as a firearm.
Further investigation revealed Sandoval used the firearm for protection during the commission of drug trafficking activities.
Chief U.S District Judge Randy Crane accepted the plea and set sentencing for Dec. 3. At that time, Sandoval faces up to 10 years in federal prison to be immediately followed by a minimum of five additional years and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Sandoval has been and will remain in custody pending his sentencing.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Texas Department of Public Safety and Alamo Police Department conducted the joint investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cahal P. McColgan is prosecuting the case as part of the joint federal, state and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program. In May 2021, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced a new effort to reduce violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. Integral to that effort was the reinvigoration of PSN, a two-decade old, evidence-based and community-oriented program focused on reducing violent crime. The updated PSN approach, outlined in the department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime is guided by four key principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.
Roma man tries to escape drug house through attic vent – lands in federal prisonRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 35-year-old local man has been ordered to prison for trafficking $33 million in marijuana, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Adan Ontiveros Jr. pleaded guilty April 24 to conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute nearly 2,500 kilograms of marijuana.
U.S. District Chief Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Ontiveros to serve 180 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by 10 years of supervised release.
On July 16, 2020, law enforcement was conducting surveillance at a suspected drug house in Roma. There, they saw a man - Ontiveros - attempting to discretely exit the residence. He was trying to escape via an attic vent. However, authorities quickly took him into custody.
They obtained a search warrant and ultimately discovered several hundred bundles of marijuana. The total weight was 2,477 kilograms with an approximate value of more than $33 million.
He admitted he was aware there was marijuana inside the stash house.
He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Texas Department of Public Safety and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Phelps and Roberto Lopez Jr. are prosecuting the case.
Repeat Offender Sentenced to 45 Months for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Brandon Grazioso, 24, Evansville, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 47 months in federal prison for possessing child pornography. This term of imprisonment will be followed by 20 years of supervised release. Grazioso pleaded guilty to this offense on July 11, 2024.
In December 2021, law enforcement received information that Grazioso was posting explicit images onto Kik. Using that information, officers obtained a search warrant for the defendant’s home where they seized a phone that contained numerous images of child pornography.
The defendant was previously arrested for and charged with possessing child pornography in Wisconsin state court in 2018 but entered into a deferred prosecution agreement. He was still under the terms of that agreement when he committed this federal offense. Separate from the federal sentence, Grazioso also received a prison sentence from the state for his violations of that agreement.
At sentencing, Judge Conley expressed concern that Grazioso had not demonstrated much of an ability to stay away from child pornography but remained hopeful that the defendant could address his treatment needs.
The charge against Grazioso was the result of an investigation conducted by Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation, the Rock County Sheriff’s Department, and the Evansville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman prosecuted this case.
This investigation was a part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Remarks of United States Attorney Todd Gee Announcing a Pattern or Practice Investigation of the Rankin County, Mississippi Sheriff’s Department and Rankin CountyRead the Press Release
Thank you, Assistant Attorney General Clarke for your leadership. The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division has a long history of helping to bring change to Mississippi and this nation, and you have continued that tradition with the work we announce today.
In January of last year, five white deputies from the Rankin County, Mississippi Sheriff’s Department, some of whom were part of a unit that described itself as the “Goon Squad,” entered a home without a warrant, and then handcuffed, kicked, tased, and sexually assaulted two African-American men, Michael Jenkins and Eddie Parker, while taunting them with racial slurs. They told the victims, who both resided in Rankin County, to “go back” to Jackson or to “their side” of the Pearl River—areas with a higher concentration of African-American residents. A deputy eventually shot one of the victims in the mouth during a mock execution, and then the group tried to frame them both for crimes they did not commit. The Department of Justice obtained criminal convictions of those five deputies, along with another local officer who joined in the assault, and they were sentenced to terms in prison ranging from 10 to 40 years.
But for several reasons, this may not simply be written-off as an isolated incident in Rankin County. First, three of these same deputies pleaded guilty to participating in another brutal attack just a month earlier, in December 2022, when they punched, kicked, and tased a white victim and then fired a gun near him to try to scare him.
Second, publicly reported text communications between the members of the Goon Squad, including officers who were not present for the January 2023 assault, indicate that deputies routinely discussed extreme, unnecessary uses of force and other ways to dehumanize residents of Rankin County. For example, deputies shared a video of an officer defecating in the home of a Rankin County resident.
Third, brave residents of Rankin County have come forward to report abuse by members of the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office. Journalists have compiled harrowing accounts of beatings, taser use, and other extreme uses of force. In a listening session my office held in Rankin County, I heard first-hand accounts of alleged abuse. The accounts came from men and women, old and young alike.
Together this information indicates that there may be a pattern or practice of civil rights violations by the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department and Rankin County. The investigation we announce today will examine those alleged pattern or practices in great detail. And if the Department of Justice’s investigation determines that such a pattern or practice of discrimination has occurred, we will seek remedies that bring real change to all the residents of Rankin County.
I want to make clear that there are good law enforcement officers in Rankin County and throughout Mississippi that go to work every day and do the right thing. They answer the call when people are in need, and they treat those they encounter fairly. But the information we have learned to date about the conduct of some members of the Rankin County Sheriff’s office calls back to some of the worst periods of Mississippi’s history.
This year is the sixtieth anniversary of the “Mississippi Burning” murders of three civil rights workers that this office prosecuted. There, too, law enforcement played a role in the violence. We all want to hope that Mississippi and our nation have moved past a time when such crimes can occur, but the allegations involving the Goon Squad and others in Rankin County echo back to 1964 in ways that we must confront.
Simply put, the events in Rankin County appear to be a continuation of the violence and intimidation that for too long has defined how many African-Americans experience the justice system in Mississippi. We do not have to accept the old hatreds and abuse of the past. And we do not have to accept the false claim that safety comes at the price of illegal force and abuse of power. In Mississippi and throughout the nation we have learned over and over that real change in civil rights sometimes requires us to dig up the past, tell painful facts, and offer new ways of doing things. We intend for this investigation to do that same work in Rankin County.
Let me close by reminding anyone who has information about alleged civil rights abuses in Rankin County that they can make a report through email at [email protected] or on a telephone hotline at 888-392-8557.
Thank you all for joining us today for this important announcement.
Real Estate Executive Sentenced for Conspiracy to Falsify Financial StatementsRead the Press Release
A California real estate executive was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a fine of $200,000 for engaging in an extensive multi-year conspiracy to falsify financial statements.
According to court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Tyler Ross, 38, of San Francisco, and formerly of Michigan, served as co-chief executive officer of ROCO Real Estate LLC and ROCO Management LLC, both of which were based in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. The ROCO companies operated as a commercial real estate investment firm engaged in the business of purchasing, managing, and selling multi-family residential properties, such as apartment complexes, located in Michigan and elsewhere.
Between 2015 and 2019, Ross and his co-conspirators caused false financial documents, including historical operating statements that deleted or reduced actual expenses, to be submitted to mortgage lending businesses for underperforming ROCO properties, making the properties appear to be more profitable than they were in order to obtain refinancing or to avoid the exercise of certain contractual provisions by the lenders to protect themselves. Ross, who was a licensed attorney, acknowledged that he personally falsified historical operating statements during the conspiracy and directed other members of the conspiracy to assist with the creation and submission of falsified financial statements to mortgage lending businesses.
The court also found that Ross falsified financial documents in connection with the 2019 sale of 43 ROCO properties to a privately held real estate investment company. Ross supplied the false financial information to the buyer of the properties and ultimately to the financial institution that issued a $481 million loan for the transaction. Ross himself received over $2 million in proceeds from the 2019 sale.
Ross pleaded guilty in September 2023 to one count of conspiring to commit an offense against the United States.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan; Special Agent in Charge Korey Brinkman of the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General (FHFA OIG) Central Region; Special Agent in Charge Shawn Rice of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General (HUD OIG); and Acting Assistant Director James C. Barnacle Jr. of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.
The FHFA OIG, HUD OIG, and FBI investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Andrew Tyler and Philip Trout of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew J. Yahkind for the Eastern District of Michigan prosecuted the case.
Anyone with information concerning similar fraud can report it by contacting the FHFA OIG Hotline at 800-793-7724 or via the web at www.fhfaoig.gov/ReportFraud#hotlineform.
Real Estate Developer Sentenced to Five Years for FraudRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – A Wheeling real estate developer was sentenced to five years in federal prison today after swindling millions of dollars from investors.
United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced that Jeffrey James Morris, age 37, received a 60-month sentence because of his scheme to defraud investors out of more than $5 million dollars.
Morris, managing member of Roxby Development, LLC, secured local and national funding to develop real estate in Wheeling, West Virginia. According to statements made in court, he acquired the Scottish Rite Cathedral, the McClure House Hotel, and the Mount Carmel Monastery. In soliciting funds from investors to improve those properties, Morris misrepresented how the money would be used, provided forged documents, lied about the prospects of securing tax increment financing, and falsely claimed to be on the verge of securing bank financing to repay investors. He made Ponzi-style payments, using one investor’s money to pay another instead of making improvements to real estate as promised. Morris also lied to investors about having received approval for historic tax credits.
“Jeffrey Morris preyed upon his investors, his employees, and upon the hope of Wheeling residents who believed that he was leading a downtown renaissance,” said U.S. Attorney William Ihlenfeld. “Morris was a master manipulator who left a trail of broken promises in his wake.”
U.S. District Court Judge John Preston Bailey presided and made a finding that Morris caused undue financial hardship to several investors, including a retired couple who invested their entire savings with him but did not receive repayment of any principal or interest as promised.
Morris was ordered to report to prison on October 28, 2024. The facility will be determined by the Bureau of Prisons.
Morris, who previously pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of tax fraud, must pay $4,901,413.32 in restitution to investors and $526,476.58 in taxes, penalties, and interest to the Internal Revenue Service.
United States Attorney Ihlenfeld and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod Douglas prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service-CI.
Postal carrier pleads guilty after discarding mail in a dumpsterRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Hampton man pled guilty today to improperly destroying mail.
According to court documents, on Dec. 9, 2023, Michael Thirkield, 31, a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mail carrier, dumped several boxes of mail into a dumpster in the Forest Lake Court area in Newport News. Thirkield did not report to work after that day and left his USPS satchel on his porch with a handwritten note stating, “For the mail carrier.”
On Dec. 11, 2023, a USPS customer service supervisor retrieved 1,296 pieces of first-class and pre-sorted mail from the dumpster. The mail was destined for addresses along routes assigned to Thirkield for delivery.
Thirkield is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 26, 2025, and faces up to five years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Jeff Krafels, Special Agent in Charge of the Mid Atlantic Area Field Office for the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Therese O'Brien and Mack Coleman are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-cr-25.
Plattsmouth Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Meth and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Gerald Storovich, age 44, of Plattsmouth, Nebraska, was sentenced September 19, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for distribution of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute meth, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Storovich to 180 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Storovich’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
In February and March of 2023, an undercover agent contacted Storovich to purchase meth. The meth purchases ranged from half an ounce purchased on February 2, 2023, to a pound of meth purchased on March 2, 2023. On March 30, 2023, Storovich met the undercover agent for the purpose of selling a 9mm handgun. Storovich told the undercover agent he had stolen the handgun while in Kansas City. Officers arrested Storovich and searched his vehicle, finding approximately an ounce of meth, two ounces of cannabis, a digital scale, baggies, and $810 cash.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.