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30 October 2024
Providence Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Fentanyl, Theft of Government Funds, Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
According to information presented to the court, in September 2023, following a two-month investigation into his drug trafficking activities, members of the Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force sought and executed a court authorized search warrant at Nunez Rodriguez’s Providence apartment, where they seized 613 grams of fentanyl and a total of approximately $25,000 in cash.
Additionally, task force agents discovered 28 United States Treasury checks addressed to different individuals, 39 federal tax returns in envelopes addressed to the IRS, and personal identifying information belonging to 976 individuals.
A follow-up investigation by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation found that 436 tax returns had been fraudulently filed using the Providence address listed. The investigation also determined that Nunez Rodriguez had fraudulently obtained 43 U.S. Treasury checks in amounts ranging from $1,400 to $1,800. Fifteen had been deposited into bank accounts that he controlled; 28 additional checks were found to be in his possession at the time of his arrest.
Nunez Rodriquez is scheduled to be sentenced on February 12, 2025. The defendant’s sentences will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.
The matter was investigated by the Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force and IRS Criminal Investigation.
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Previously Convicted Felon Is Sentenced to Prison for Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – David Matthew Lowe, 33, of Shelby, N.C., was sentenced today to 57 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Gerald Childress of the Kings Mountain Police Department, join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and court proceedings, on August 12, 2023, at approximately 1:45 a.m., officers with the Kings Mountain Police Department were dispatched to a Comfort Inn in the area for a service call for an assault. Upon entering the hotel lobby, an officer encountered a female, identified in court documents as L.T., and the defendant. L.T. told the officers that Lowe had hit her, and she could not see out of her eye. At that point, Lowe fled toward the back of the hotel. Officers chased after Lowe and ultimately Lowe was taken into custody.
As part of the investigation, law enforcement obtained CCTV footage from the hotel that depicted Lowe possessing a firearm during his assault of L.T. Specifically, the footage depicted L.T. and Lowe having an altercation, L.T. running away from the hotel room, and Lowe following her. Lowe then removed a firearm from his pants and struck L.T. in the side of her head. This caused the firearm’s magazine to break and ammunition along with several firearm parts fell to the floor. The defendant then struck L.T. several more times with a closed fist, causing L.T. to fall to the ground. Lowe then left the scene. Law enforcement recovered the firearms parts from the scene and 15 rounds of mixed ammunition. Court records indicate that Lowe has prior criminal convictions, including a federal conviction in the Western District of North Carolina for conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity – RICO conspiracy. Because of the criminal convictions, Lowe is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
Lowe is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
The investigation was conducted by the ATF and the Kings Mountain Police Department.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Frick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
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According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 19% of domestic violence involves a weapon. The presence of a gun in a domestic situation increases the risk of homicide by 500%.
To understand more about domestic violence, visit: https://www.justice.gov/ovw/domestic-violence#dv. If you require immediate help, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (1-800-799-7233) or Strong Hearts Native Helpline at 1-844-762-8483.
Oakdale Woman Charged with Wire Fraud and Money Laundering for Misuse of Economic Injury Disaster Loan FundsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Oakdale, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of wire fraud and money laundering, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
The four-count Indictment named Stephanie L. Bonincontro, 43, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, Bonincontro impermissibly used a $500,000 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) received by her company, Sidelines Tree Service, in 2020 for her personal expenses and credit card debt. EIDLs are administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration to help businesses recover from the economic impacts of disasters, including the COVID-19 pandemic. The Indictment alleges that Bonincontro transferred approximately $250,000 of the EIDL money into a personal investment account that she used to launder the funds. The Indictment also charges her with impermissibly using $225,000 of the EIDL funds for another company she owned called Chartiers Valley Enterprises, where some of those funds were used to pay debts on a personal credit card.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $750,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Northfield Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Receive Methamphetamine through the MailRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Northfield man pleaded guilty in federal court in connection with his attempt to receive two packages of methamphetamine through the United States Postal Service, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Joseph Crawford, 33, pleaded guilty to attempted possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Court Judge Landya McCafferty scheduled sentencing for February 24, 2025.
On July 5 and July 19, 2023, the United States Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”) flagged suspicious packages addressed to Joseph Crawford at an address in Northfield, New Hampshire, sent from California. USPIS obtained search warrants for both packages. The searches revealed a total of more than two pounds of methamphetamine.
The charging statute provides a maximum prison term of 20 years, a maximum fine of $1,000,000, and at least 3 years of supervised release. 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.
The USPIS Boston Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. The New Hampshire State Police, Claremont Police Department, and the Lebanon Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant United States Attorney Heather A. Cherniske prosecuted the case.
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New Orleans Man Guilty of Being Felon in Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on October 19, 2024, AVERY JULIEN (“JULIEN”), age 28, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2). JULIEN faces up to 15 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
According to court records, on September 14, 2022, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies and New Orleans Police Department officers executed a search warrant at JULIEN’s New Orleans residence after learning that JULIEN may have committed a carjacking in Jefferson Parish. During the search of his residence, two firearms, a Sig Sauer Model P229, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, and a Sig Sauer Model P250, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, were located in JULIEN’s bedroom.
Federal law prohibits convicted felons, such as JULIEN, from possessing firearms. In 2018, JULIEN was convicted of felonies in two separate cases in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court. JULIEN knew he had been convicted of these felonies at the time that he possessed the ammunition. United States District Judge, Brandon S. Long, will sentence JULIENon February 4, 2025.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brittany Reed of the Public Integrity Unit.
New Jersey Man Convicted for Stealing COVID-19 Unemployment BenefitsRead the Press Release
TRENTON N.J. – A New Jersey man was convicted for conspiring to illegally obtain over $570,000 in COVID-19 unemployment benefits, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Jose Tavares, 37, of Englewood, New Jersey, was convicted on Oct. 28, 2024, on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Tavares was convicted after a five-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch in Trenton federal court.
Tavares’ conspirators, Yanira Abreu, 43, of Keasby, New Jersey, and Christopher Valerio, 34, of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, have each previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced by Judge Kirsch in the same scheme.
According to documents filed in this case:
From July 2020 through February 2021, Tavares, Valerio, Abreu and others submitted fraudulent applications for unemployment insurance benefits to the New York Department of Labor (NYDOL) through fictitious online profiles that they created using personally identifiable information, including names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers, of other individuals without their consent. Once the NYDOL processed and approved the fraudulent applications, Tavares and his conspirators obtained debit cards with illegally obtained funds totaling over $570,000, which they used for personal gain, including vacations, luxury retail purchases, and cosmetic surgery.
The wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain to the defendant or gross loss to the victim, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for March 4, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas; special agents of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone, and postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division, with the investigation leading to the verdict.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Stark and Benjamin D. Bleiberg of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Naples Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Fentanyl and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jadyn Howard Loman (21, Naples) has pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Loman faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Loman has also agreed to forfeit the firearms and ammunition used to facilitate the offenses.
According to court documents, deputies from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Loman after he failed to stop at a stop sign at the intersection of 20th Place Southwest and 41st Street Southwest in Naples, Florida. A subsequent chase ensued with Loman exceeding speeds of 100 miles per hour in his vehicle before crashing. He then fled the crash scene on foot before being apprehended. Inside his vehicle, deputies found 2 handguns, ammunition, and various baggies containing fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Collier County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick L. Darcey.
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 out 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 first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Morris County Man Charged with Transmitting Death Threat against Political CommentatorRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Morris County, New Jersey, man has been charged with posting online a death threat aimed at a political commentator, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Haim Braverman, 45, of Morris Plains, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of transmitting a threat in interstate and foreign commerce. He made his initial appearance on Oct. 29, 2024, before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark III in Newark federal court and was remanded.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Sept. 10, 2024, Braverman posted a video of himself on a social media platform in which he made various threats to a political commentator who had publicly commented on a prominent, now-deceased rabbi. In the video, Braverman threatened to use a bat against the commentator, stating: “You’ll get what’s coming to you . . . , I’ve never met someone . . . if I could f**king kill you right now, I would not even . . . , f**k it I’ll give you the steel bat. I wouldn’t even stop. I’d kill you. Dead. . . . I’m threatening a death sentence against [the commentator].” Braverman’s post also included a written comment from him, stating: “[the commentator] needs to be killed.” Braverman also transmitted an audio message to a group chat on a messaging application, referencing the commentator and stating, “After I heard what . . . [the commentator] said, I will go to prison, gladly find her and kill her . . . I will find a f**king weapon and f**king kill her. I am outraged.”
The charge of transmitting a threat in interstate or foreign commerce carries a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum fine of $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado in Newark, and the Morris County Sheriff's Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Gannon, with the investigation leading to the charge.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sammi Malek of the National Security Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
braverman.complaint.pdfMinneapolis Man Sentenced to Prison for Insider Trading SchemeRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and 320 hours of community service for an insider trading conspiracy involving nonpublic negotiations for the acquisition of a medical device company valued at $1.6 billion, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to evidence presented at trial, beginning in January 2018 through at least August 2020, Doron “Ron” Tavlin, 69, of Minneapolis, and Afshin “Alex” Farahan, 58, of Los Angeles, engaged in an insider trading conspiracy. The conspiracy involved nonpublic information about the acquisition of Mazor Robotics, an Israeli-based company that specialized in robotics for spinal procedures, by Medtronic, Inc., an Ireland-based medical device company that primarily operated from its executive headquarters in Minneapolis. Tavlin, while working as vice president of business development at Mazor Robotics, learned material, nonpublic information about Medtronic’s impending acquisition of his company. In violation of federal law and his duty to his former employer, Mazor Robotics, Tavlin tipped this information about the acquisition to his friend, Farahan, and instructed him to buy shares in the company. Tavlin and Farahan knew that Medtronic’s imminent acquisition of Mazor would likely result in an increase in Mazor’s stock price. Farahan used the nonpublic information tipped by Tavlin to quickly buy more than $1 million of Mazor stock throughout August and September 2018. The morning after the secret acquisition was publicly announced, Farahan immediately sold all the stock he had purchased over the preceding weeks based on Tavlin’s illegal tip, which resulted in a profit of over $246,000. According to evidence presented at trial, after the acquisition occurred, Tavlin learned that the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) was investigating certain trades of Mazor securities that occurred prior to the publicly announced acquisition. As part of its inquiry, FINRA asked Tavlin, and other insiders who knew about the secret acquisition negotiations, whether he knew any of the parties who traded in Mazor securities leading up to the public announcement. In January 2019, Tavlin responded to FINRA’s inquiry by falsely denying that he recognized any names on a list of persons and entities that purchased Mazor securities, which included Farahan.
According to evidence presented at trial, the insider trading conspiracy included an agreement between Tavlin and Farahan that Farahan would pay money to Tavlin in exchange for the material, nonpublic information.
On February 16, 2024, Tavlin was found guilty on one count of conspiracy to commit insider trading and ten counts of securities fraud and aiding and abetting securities fraud following a nine-day trial. He was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge Donovan W. Frank.
Farahan pleaded guilty on August 4, 2022, to one count of conspiracy to engage in insider trading. His sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew S. Ebert, Robert M. Lewis, and William C. Mattessich prosecuted the case.
McKeesport Felon Charged for Possession of Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of McKeesport, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Richard L. Edwards Jr., 49, as the sole defendant. Edwards was arrested on August 9, 2024, by the City of McKeesport Police Department related to this charge.
According to the Indictment, on or about August 9, 2024, Edwards, who was previously convicted of a felony, was found to be in possession of a Ruger Security-9 semi-automatic pistol, a Smith and Wesson SD40 VE semi-automatic pistol, a Smith and Wesson .357 Magnum revolver, and one Winchester 1300 20-gauge shotgun, as well as 20-gauge ammunition, .357 Magnum ammunition, 38 Special ammunition, and 40 caliber ammunition. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Westmoreland County Adult Probation, the City of McKeesport Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
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.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Maryland Man Sentenced for Fentanyl ChargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Michael Anthony Matthews, age 35, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced today to 100 months in federal prison and three supervised release for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Matthews was a source of fentanyl in the Moorefield/Petersburg area of West Virginia. Matthews would supply large quantities of fentanyl from his home in Baltimore to others who would transport the drugs to West Virginia. The investigation yielded nearly 9,000 fentanyl pills with a total drug weight of more than 2 kilograms.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Maryland Man Sentenced for Covid-19 Relief FraudRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO, NC – A Maryland resident was sentenced yesterday for conspiracy to file fraudulent loan applications seeking approximately $3.6 million in forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans that the Small Business Administration (SBA) guaranteed under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, announced United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina Sandra J. Hairston.
BENNETT ABABIO, age 51, of Clarksville, Maryland, was sentenced to 35 months imprisonment and 3 years supervised release by the Honorable William L. Osteen, Jr., United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. In addition, ABABIO was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $3,991,372.96.
According to court documents, between May 2020 and December 2021, ABABIO conspired to submit fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loan and forgiveness applications for himself and others, including an individual located in Greensboro, North Carolina. ABABIO owned, or partially owned, five companies for which ABAIO submitted fraudulent PPP applications. In total, ABABIO received $2,581,833 in PPP loans for his companies. The PPP applications contained false statements about the payroll expenses of each company, which the SBA used to calculate the amount of PPP funds to which the applicant-companies would be entitled. Separately, ABABIO helped others prepare fraudulent PPP applications, resulting in over $1 million in additional PPP loans being disbursed to ABABIO’s clients.
“Our prosecutors will continue to seek active prison sentences for fraudsters who stole federal dollars intended to support businesses during the pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Hairston. “We are grateful to IRS-CI and other agencies that investigate this unconscionable conduct and help us hold defendants accountable.”
“During a global pandemic, the defendant committed fraud to gain funds designated to help struggling individuals and businesses,” said Donald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Charlotte Field Office. “We will continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to prosecute those who abuse these programs.”
The Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation investigated the case. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Waid.
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Marion Man Sentenced to 262 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE–James Darquan McCreary, 45 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
McCreary was sentenced to 262 months in prison followed by 8 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in March 2020, McCreary possessed more than 500 grams of cocaine that was intended for distribution and illegally possessed firearms as a convicted felon. McCreary was determined to be a career offender based on his prior felony battery and robbery convictions from Grant County, Indiana.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the J.E.A.N. (Joint Effort Against Narcotics) Team Drug Task Force, the Indiana State Police, the Marion Police Department, the Grant County Sheriff’s Department, the Grant County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, the Cass County Sheriff’s Department, and the Wabash County Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony W. Geller.
Manchester, NH Man Sentenced to 3 Years for Wire Fraud, Identity TheftRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Manchester, New Hampshire man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for committing wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Dominic Barbosa (aka Christopher Barnhart), 29, to 12 months imprisonment on the wire fraud charge and 24 months on the aggravated identity theft charge, to be served consecutively, followed by two years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $51,804.40 in restitution. Barbosa pleaded guilty on May 13, 2024.
According to court records, from at least March 2019 through March 2022, Barbosa obtained the identifications of individuals without their knowledge or consent. Barbosa stole mail in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine, including bank account statements, tax returns, and other documents containing others’ means of identification. He kept records of that information to use in the scheme. As part of the scheme, Barbosa would apply for duplicate licenses for others, often changing the address, and then use the stolen identification information and duplicate driver’s licenses to open bank accounts, credit card accounts and lines of credit in others’ names. He also used the stolen identifications to make purchases or enter into contracts. When questioned by a U.S. Postal Inspector, Barbosa stated he had a cloud database with stolen identities, and investigators in Massachusetts found bins of mail and photocopies of identifying information in a storage unit Barbosa rented.
The Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles, South Berwick Police Department, Litchfield Police Department (NH), North Reading Police Department (MA), Salem Police Department (NH), and U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
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Louisville Man Pleads Guilty to Carjacking Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – This week, a Louisville, Kentucky, man pleaded guilty to carjacking which resulted in the death of teenage motorist.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office, Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department, and Shelby County Sheriff Mark Moore made the announcement.
According to court documents, Michael Dewitt, pleaded guilty to a single count indictment charging him with carjacking resulting in death. According to court records, Dewitt committed a carjacking at gunpoint on March 1, 2021, and stole a 2011 Ford F350 from its owner in Simpsonville, Kentucky. During the immediate flight from the carjacking, and while still in possession of the stolen truck, Dewitt collided with a vehicle on Dixie Highway in Louisville, causing the death of 17-year-old.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 27, 2025. The maximum penalty is life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. If the plea agreement in the case is accepted by the court, the defendant will be sentenced to serve 29 years and 4 months in prison.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is being investigated by the FBI Louisville Field Office, the Louisville Metro Police Department, and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Bonar and Mac Shannon are prosecuting this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Lawrence Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution FentanylRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lawrence man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to distributing fentanyl.
George Jimenez, 31, pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for Feb. 5, 2025. Jimenez was initially charged by criminal complaint in October 2023.
On Sept. 27, 2022, Jimenez sold 99 grams of fentanyl to a cooperating witness in Methuen which was captured on video by a recording device.
The charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Cheng of the Organized Crime and Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, 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..
This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
L.A. Fashion District Wholesaler and Two of Its Executives Found Guilty of Money Laundering and Avoiding Tariffs and TaxesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A wholesale clothing importer located in the Fashion District of downtown Los Angeles and two of its executives have been found guilty by a jury of avoiding the payment of more than $8 million in customs duties on imported clothing, and of running a scheme in which the company laundered money and failed to report on tax returns more than $17 million derived from cash transactions, the Justice Department announced today.
At the conclusion of a six-week trial, a federal jury on late Tuesday found the following defendants guilty of dozens of felonies:
- C’est Toi Jeans, Inc. (CTJ), which imported apparel from China and other nations and exported clothing to customers in Mexico, Central America, and South America;
- Si Oh Rhew, 70, of La Cañada Flintridge, CTJ’s president and a 75% owner of the company; and
- Lance Rhew, 37, of downtown Los Angeles, Si Oh Rhew’s son, a CTJ corporate officer, and the owner of another Los Angeles-based company called GLLR Inc. that did business as CTJ.
The jury found CTJ and Si Oh Rhew guilty of two conspiracies and multiple counts of failure to file report of currency transaction over $10,000 in a trade or business. The jury also found all three defendants guilty of three counts of entry of falsely classified goods, three counts of entry of goods by means of false statements, three counts of passing false and fraudulent papers through a customhouse, and two counts of international promotional money laundering.
CTJ was found guilty of an additional two concealment money laundering counts involving drug proceeds. Si Oh Rhew was found guilty of an additional two counts of aiding, assisting, and procuring the filing of a false tax return. Lance Rhew was found guilty of one additional count of aiding, assisting, and procuring the filing of a false tax return. Lance Rhew was also found guilty of one conspiracy count.
“Money laundering is the lifeblood of large-scale drug trafficking, and it is therefore essential that we go after businesses and individuals that feed criminal organizations the money they crave,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “A jury found this corporation facilitated the laundering of drug proceeds and now they will appropriately be held accountable. Together with our law enforcement partners, my office will continue to bring to justice businesses that facilitate criminal activity.”
“This verdict once again demonstrates that working with drug trafficking organizations is a bad business model,” said Homeland Security Investigations Los Angeles Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang. “This verdict should send a strong message to those who utilize their businesses to aid the cartels, that the HSI Los Angeles-led El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force and partners at U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the IRS Criminal Investigation, will work tirelessly to hold you accountable.”
According to evidence presented at trial, CTJ was a business owned by Si Oh Rhew and his wife that the Rhews operated. CTJ received U.S. currency in bulk cash that was derived from drug trafficking as payment for customer invoices. Those funds were delivered to CTJ by money couriers unrelated to and unknown to CTJ or to the customers whose invoices were being paid.
CTJ and Si Oh Rhew failed to file currency transaction reports, which are required for any transaction involving more than $10,000 in cash, and the defendants concealed the cash receipts from an accountant who prepared their taxes, which led to the fraudulent omission of more than $17 million in gross sales from tax returns filed with the IRS.
The defendants also avoided customs duties and tariffs by purchasing garments from overseas manufacturers, including from China, but then submitting false information to United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that understated the true value of the items being imported into the United States.
As a result, the import duties owed on the shipments were lowered. The indictment alleges that the defendants sent 515 individual wire transfers totaling $137,156,726 to pay overseas suppliers for undervalued garments. Overall, CTJ imported goods that were undervalued by more than $51 million, causing approximately $8.4 million in unpaid tariffs and duties that should have been paid to CBP.
The jury found the defendants not guilty of several additional criminal counts, including – for CTJ – two counts of concealment money laundering and – for Lance Rhew – several counts of failure to file a report of a currency transaction in a nonfinancial trade or business.
United States District Judge Mark C. Scarsi scheduled a sentencing hearing for January 21, 2025, at which time the Rhews will each face a sentence of decades in federal prison and CTJ will face fines of as much as $100 million.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and IRS-Criminal Investigation. They were aided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Monterey Park Police Department, the El Segundo Police Department, the Long Beach Police Department, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Gardena Police Department, and the West Covina Police Department.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation known as Operation Fashion Police. 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The investigation was conducted by the HSI-led El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force, a multi-agency task force that includes federal and state investigators who are focused on financial crimes in Southern California.
Assistant United States Attorneys MiRi Song, Julie J. Shemitz, and Skyler F. Cho of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section are prosecuting this case.
Kanawha County Man Sentenced to More than 19 Years in Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Brandon Christopher Solomon, 30, of South Charleston, was sentenced today to 19 years and seven months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for distributing 5 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 6, 2023, Solomon sold approximately 30 grams of methamphetamine and 10 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant in the Kanawha City area of Charleston. The Court found that Solomon had participated in at least 16 drug transactions and possessed a firearm multiple times in connection with those transactions. Additionally, Solomon made threats on two occasions to shoot individuals in connection with those transactions.
Solomon has a long criminal history that includes two prior federal felony drug convictions. Solomon also committed an armed robbery in 2014 while he was on supervised release as a result of these federal convictions.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), which is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-54.
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KC Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, which resulted in the deaths of three persons.
Luis Manuel Morales, 24, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 15 years in federal prison without parole.
On May 8, 2024, Morales pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Morales admitted that he was a source of supply of fentanyl pills for co-defendant Tiger Dean Draggoo, 24, of Kansas City, Mo. On occasion, Draggoo also served as a source of supply of fentanyl pills for Morales. Morales also introduced Draggoo to additional sources of fentanyl pills.
Morales sold at least 1,764 pills to Draggoo over 15 separate transactions from Jan. 17 to Oct. 29, 2022, for which he was paid $2,320 through Cash App and an additional amount in cash. Morales also purchased at least 100 fentanyl pills from Draggoo during this time period, for which he paid $750. In total, those 1,864 pills contained approximately 205 grams of fentanyl.
Morales and Draggoo conspired to conceal and disguise the nature of the transfer of funds through Cash App by referring to the payments as “rent,” “food clothes,” “clothes,” “food and beer,” “food,” “apt rent,” “reimbursement for mechanic,” and “reimbursement car payment.”
Morales was on probation at the time that he was supplying Dragoo with fentanyl pills, following his guilty plea in state court to attempted armed robbery after he and another person robbed a victim at gunpoint.
Morales is the first defendant in this case to be sentenced. On Oct. 16, 2024, Draggoo pleaded guilty to his role in the fentanyl conspiracy and to three counts of distributing fentanyl resulting in death. Five additional defendants have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brad K. Kavanaugh and Robert Smith. It was investigated by the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Belton, Mo., Police Department, the Raymore, Mo., Police Department, the Cass County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the FBI.
Justice Department Releases Information on Efforts to Protect the Right to Vote, Prosecute Election Fraud, and Secure ElectionsRead the Press Release
Consistent with longstanding Justice Department practices and procedures, the department today is providing information about its efforts, through the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Division, National Security Division (NSD), and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country, to ensure that all qualified voters have the opportunity to cast their ballots and have their votes counted free of discrimination, intimidation, or criminal activity in the election process, and to ensure that our elections are secure and free from foreign malign influence and interference.
Civil Rights Division
The department’s Civil Rights Division is responsible for ensuring compliance with the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote and with the criminal provisions of federal statutes prohibiting discriminatory interference with that right. This work is often performed in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices.
The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of a wide range of federal statutes that protect the right to vote including: the Voting Rights Act; National Voter Registration Act; Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act; Help America Vote Act; and Civil Rights Acts. Among other things, collectively, these laws:
- Prohibit election practices that have either a discriminatory purpose or a discriminatory result on account of race, color, or language minority status;
- Prohibit intimidation of voters;
- Allow voters who need assistance in voting because of disability or inability to read or write to receive assistance from a person of their choice (other than agents of their employer or union);
- Require minority language election materials and assistance in certain jurisdictions;
- Require accessible voting systems for voters with disabilities;
- Require that provisional ballots be offered to voters who assert they are registered and eligible to vote in the jurisdiction, but whose names do not appear on poll books;
- Require states to provide for absentee voting for uniformed service members serving away from home, their family members also away from home due to that service, and U.S. citizens living abroad; and
- Require covered states to offer the opportunity to register to vote through offices that provide driver licenses, public assistance, and disability services, as well as through the mail, and to take steps regarding maintaining voter registration lists.
The Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits discrimination in voting based on disability. The ADA applies to all aspects of voting, including voter registration, selection and accessibility of voting facilities, and the casting of ballots on Election Day or during early voting, whether in-person or absentee.
The Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter interference based on race, color, national origin, or religion.
- Throughout the election cycle, Civil Rights Division attorneys in the Voting, Disability Rights, and Criminal Sections in Washington, D.C., will be ready to receive complaints of potential violations of any of the statutes the Civil Rights Division enforces. The Civil Rights Division will work closely with counterparts at U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and other department components to review and take appropriate action concerning these complaints.
- Individuals with complaints related to possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can call the Justice Department’s toll-free telephone line at 800-253-3931, and can also submit complaints at www.civilrights.justice.gov.
- Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or submit a complaint through a link on the department’s ADA website at www.ada.gov.
Complaints related to violence, threats of violence, or intimidation at a polling place should always be reported immediately to local authorities by calling 911. They should also be reported to the department after local authorities are contacted.
Criminal Division and the Department’s 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices
The department’s Criminal Division oversees the enforcement of federal laws that criminalize certain forms of election fraud and vindicate the integrity of the federal election process.
The Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are responsible for enforcing the federal criminal laws that prohibit various forms of election crimes, such as destruction of ballots, vote-buying, multiple voting, submission of fraudulent ballots or registrations, alteration of votes, and malfeasance by postal or election officials and employees. See Justice Manual 9-85.210 (discussing requirements regarding election crime matters); 9-85.300 (discussing approach to ballot fraud); 9-85.400 (discussing application of 18 U.S.C. § 592); 9-85.500 (discussing timing of actions).
The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are also responsible for enforcing federal criminal law prohibiting unlawful threats of violence against election workers, and prohibiting voter intimidation and voter suppression for reasons other than race, color, national origin, or religion (as noted above, voter intimidation and voter suppression that has a basis in race, color, national origin, or religion is addressed by the Civil Rights Division often in partnership with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices).
U.S. Attorneys’ Offices around the country designate Assistant U.S. Attorneys who serve as District Election Officers (DEOs) in their respective districts. DEOs are responsible for overseeing potential election-crime matters in their districts, and for coordinating with the department’s election-crime experts in Washington, D.C.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices work with specially trained FBI personnel in each district to ensure that complaints from the public involving possible election crimes are handled appropriately. Specifically:
- In consultation with federal prosecutors at the Public Integrity Section in Washington, D.C., the DEOs in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, FBI officials at headquarters in Washington, D.C., and FBI special agents serving as Election Crime Coordinators in the FBI’s 56 field offices will be on duty while polls are open to receive complaints from the public.
- Election-crime complaints should be directed to the local U.S. Attorney’s Office or the local FBI field office. A list of U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and their telephone numbers can be found at www.justice.gov/usao/districts. A list of FBI field offices and accompanying telephone numbers can be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us.
- Public Integrity Section prosecutors are available to consult and coordinate with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the FBI regarding the handling of election-crime allegations.
All complaints related to violence, threats of violence, or intimidation at a polling place should be reported first to local police authorities by calling 911. After alerting local law enforcement to such emergencies by calling 911, the public should contact the Justice Department.
National Security Division
The department’s National Security Division (NSD) supervises the investigation and prosecution of cases affecting or relating to national security, including any cases involving foreign malign influence and interference in elections or violent extremist threats to elections. In this context:
- NSD oversees matters involving a range of malign influence activities that foreign governments may attempt.
- NSD’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section oversees matters involving covert information operations (e.g., to promulgate disinformation through social media); covert efforts to support or denigrate political candidates or organizations; and other covert influence operations that might violate various criminal statutes.
- NSD’s National Security Cyber Section oversees such matters when they are cyber-enabled (i.e., when online platforms, such as social media and other online services, are central to the commission of the offense), as well as those involving computer hacking of election or campaign infrastructure.
- NSD’s Counterterrorism Section oversees matters involving international and domestic terrorism and supports law enforcement in preventing any acts of terrorism that impact Americans, including any violent extremism that might threaten election security.
As in past elections, the National Security Division will work closely with counterparts at the FBI and our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to protect our nation’s elections from any national security threats. Attorneys from National Security Division sections will be partnered with FBI Headquarters components to provide support to U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI field offices to counter any such threats. The Department of Homeland Security also plays its own important role in safeguarding critical election infrastructure from cyber and other threats.
Complaints related to violence, threats of violence, or intimidation at a polling place should always be reported immediately to local authorities by calling 911 and, after local authorities are contacted, then should be reported also to the department.
Protecting the right to vote, prosecuting election crimes, and securing our elections are all essential to maintaining the confidence of all Americans in our democratic system of government. The department encourages anyone with information regarding concerns in these subject areas to contact the appropriate authorities.
For more information about the department’s work to ensure compliance with federal civil and criminal laws related to voting, please visit www.justice.gov/voting and www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-pin/election-crimes-branch.
Justice Department Releases Information on Efforts to Protect the Right to Vote, Prosecute Election Fraud, and Secure ElectionsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — Consistent with longstanding Justice Department practices and procedures, the department today is providing information about its efforts, through the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Division, National Security Division (NSD), and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country, to ensure that all qualified voters have the opportunity to cast their ballots and have their votes counted free of discrimination, intimidation, or criminal activity in the election process, and to ensure that our elections are secure and free from foreign malign influence and interference.
Civil Rights Division
The department’s Civil Rights Division is responsible for ensuring compliance with the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote and with the criminal provisions of federal statutes prohibiting discriminatory interference with that right. This work is often performed in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices.
The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of a wide range of federal statutes that protect the right to vote including: the Voting Rights Act; National Voter Registration Act; Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act; Help America Vote Act; and Civil Rights Acts. Among other things, collectively, these laws:
• Prohibit election practices that have either a discriminatory purpose or a discriminatory result on account of race, color, or language minority status;
• Prohibit intimidation of voters;
• Allow voters who need assistance in voting because of disability or inability to read or write to receive assistance from a person of their choice (other than agents of their employer or union);
• Require minority language election materials and assistance in certain jurisdictions;
• Require accessible voting systems for voters with disabilities;
• Require that provisional ballots be offered to voters who assert they are registered and eligible to vote in the jurisdiction, but whose names do not appear on poll books;
• Require states to provide for absentee voting for uniformed service members serving away from home, their family members also away from home due to that service, and U.S. citizens living abroad; and
• Require covered states to offer the opportunity to register to vote through offices that provide driver licenses, public assistance, and disability services, as well as through the mail, and to take steps regarding maintaining voter registration lists.
The Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits discrimination in voting based on disability. The ADA applies to all aspects of voting, including voter registration, selection and accessibility of voting facilities, and the casting of ballots on Election Day or during early voting, whether in-person or absentee.
The Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter interference based on race, color, national origin, or religion.
• Throughout the election cycle, Civil Rights Division attorneys in the Voting, Disability Rights, and Criminal Sections in Washington, D.C., will be ready to receive complaints of potential violations of any of the statutes the Civil Rights Division enforces. The Civil Rights Division will work closely with counterparts at U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and other department components to review and take appropriate action concerning these complaints.
• Individuals with complaints related to possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can call the Justice Department’s toll-free telephone line at 800-253-3931, and can also submit complaints at www.civilrights.justice.gov.
• Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or submit a complaint through a link on the department’s ADA website at www.ada.gov.
Complaints related to violence, threats of violence, or intimidation at a polling place should always be reported immediately to local authorities by calling 911. They should also be reported to the department after local authorities are contacted.
Criminal Division and the Department’s 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices
The department’s Criminal Division oversees the enforcement of federal laws that criminalize certain forms of election fraud and vindicate the integrity of the federal election process.
The Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are responsible for enforcing the federal criminal laws that prohibit various forms of election crimes, such as destruction of ballots, vote-buying, multiple voting, submission of fraudulent ballots or registrations, alteration of votes, and malfeasance by postal or election officials and employees. See Justice Manual 9-85.210 (discussing requirements regarding election crime matters); 9-85.300 (discussing approach to ballot fraud); 9-85.400 (discussing application of 18 U.S.C. § 592); 9-85.500 (discussing timing of actions).
The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are also responsible for enforcing federal criminal law prohibiting unlawful threats of violence against election workers, and prohibiting voter intimidation and voter suppression for reasons other than race, color, national origin, or religion (as noted above, voter intimidation and voter suppression that has a basis in race, color, national origin, or religion is addressed by the Civil Rights Division often in partnership with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices).
U.S. Attorneys’ Offices around the country designate Assistant U.S. Attorneys who serve as District Election Officers (DEOs) in their respective districts. DEOs are responsible for overseeing potential election-crime matters in their districts, and for coordinating with the department’s election-crime experts in Washington, D.C.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices work with specially trained FBI personnel in each district to ensure that complaints from the public involving possible election crimes are handled appropriately. Specifically:
• In consultation with federal prosecutors at the Public Integrity Section in Washington, D.C., the DEOs in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, FBI officials at headquarters in Washington, D.C., and FBI special agents serving as Election Crime Coordinators in the FBI’s 56 field offices will be on duty while polls are open to receive complaints from the public.
• Election-crime complaints should be directed to the local U.S. Attorney’s Office or the local FBI field office. A list of U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and their telephone numbers can be found at www.justice.gov/usao/districts. A list of FBI field offices and accompanying telephone numbers can be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us.
• Public Integrity Section prosecutors are available to consult and coordinate with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the FBI regarding the handling of election-crime allegations.
All complaints related to violence, threats of violence, or intimidation at a polling place should be reported first to local police authorities by calling 911. After alerting local law enforcement to such emergencies by calling 911, the public should contact the Justice Department.
National Security Division
The department’s National Security Division (NSD) supervises the investigation and prosecution of cases affecting or relating to national security, including any cases involving foreign malign influence and interference in elections or violent extremist threats to elections. In this context:
• NSD oversees matters involving a range of malign influence activities that foreign governments may attempt.
• NSD’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section oversees matters involving covert information operations (e.g., to promulgate disinformation through social media); covert efforts to support or denigrate political candidates or organizations; and other covert influence operations that might violate various criminal statutes.
• NSD’s National Security Cyber Section oversees such matters when they are cyber-enabled (i.e., when online platforms, such as social media and other online services, are central to the commission of the offense), as well as those involving computer hacking of election or campaign infrastructure.
• NSD’s Counterterrorism Section oversees matters involving international and domestic terrorism and supports law enforcement in preventing any acts of terrorism that impact Americans, including any violent extremism that might threaten election security.
As in past elections, the National Security Division will work closely with counterparts at the FBI and our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to protect our nation’s elections from any national security threats. Attorneys from National Security Division sections will be partnered with FBI Headquarters components to provide support to U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI field offices to counter any such threats. The Department of Homeland Security also plays its own important role in safeguarding critical election infrastructure from cyber and other threats.
Complaints related to violence, threats of violence, or intimidation at a polling place should always be reported immediately to local authorities by calling 911 and, after local authorities are contacted, then should be reported also to the department.
Protecting the right to vote, prosecuting election crimes, and securing our elections are all essential to maintaining the confidence of all Americans in our democratic system of government. The department encourages anyone with information regarding concerns in these subject areas to contact the appropriate authorities.
For more information about the department’s work to ensure compliance with federal civil and criminal laws related to voting, please visit www.justice.gov/voting and www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-pin/election-crimes-branch.
Joint Statement of the U.S. Department of Justice and the United Kingdom Home Office on a Multilateral Meeting to Address State-Sponsored High-Harm Physical Threats and Other Forms of Transnational RepressionRead the Press Release
On Oct. 10, the U.S. Department of Justice and the United Kingdom Home Office convened a multilateral meeting at the U.S. Embassy in London to address the urgent challenge of state-sponsored high-harm physical threats and other forms of transnational repression. The meeting was co-chaired by Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General for National Security from the U.S. Department of Justice, and Chloe Squires, Director General for Homeland Security from the U.K. Home Office.
The meeting brought together senior government officials from partner nations that are confronting increasing levels of transnational violence perpetrated by state actors, particularly authoritarian regimes, and their proxies. This meeting included representatives from intelligence, law enforcement, prosecutorial, and policy organizations to share disruption strategies for countering the alarming rise in transnational assassination plots, kidnappings, and other acts of violence and repression.
The engagement was designed to achieve a common understanding of the threat landscape, share operational and strategic approaches to counter the threat, and identify opportunities for ongoing collaboration and partnership. At the conclusion, participants agreed to establish a regular working group to maintain shared visibility into the threat in member countries and to review and develop strategies to increase the capacity of the partner nations to deter and disrupt state-sponsored violence and repression.
Jefferson County Man Admits to Cocaine ChargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jamie Green, age 46, of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, pled guilty today to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine.
According to court documents, the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General intercepted a package containing more than two pounds of cocaine mailed from Los Angeles, California, to Green’s address in Jefferson County, West Virginia. Law enforcement executed a search warrant and arrested Green at his home.
Green faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Kane is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
Investigative agencies include the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the West Virginia State Police, and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Jacksonville Man Sentenced to More Than 21 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida –that U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger today sentenced Paul Allen Anderson, Jr. (32, Jacksonville), also known as “Nuke,” to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. The court also ordered Anderson to forfeit approximately $32,034 in cash representing drug proceeds, 5 firearms, and a bulletproof vest. Anderson pled guilty on February 21, 2024.
According to court documents, in September and October of 2023, FBI agents and Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) detectives investigated Anderson’s drug trafficking activities in Jacksonville. The joint federal-state investigation identified Anderson as a kilogram-level supplier of crystal methamphetamine. Through physical and electronic surveillance, agents observed the defendant conducting multiple hand-to-hand drug transactions at Anderson’s apartment and at the parking lot of a nearby business. Agents also observed Anderson meet with his drug supplier at his apartment complex, where the two subjects conducted a drug transaction.
On October 20, 2023, FBI agents and JSO detectives executed search warrants at Anderson’s apartment in Jacksonville and at his residence in Orange Park. At the Jacksonville apartment, law enforcement recovered over 19 pounds of marijuana, over 3 kilograms of pure crystal methamphetamine, 140 grams of fentanyl, 63 grams of powder cocaine, 4.7 grams of cocaine base, a loaded Glock semi-automatic pistol, $1,075 in cash, and drug paraphernalia, including food processors, vacuum-sealed bags, and digital scales. At Anderson’s Orange Park residence, law enforcement recovered 4 loaded firearms, including 3 semi-automatic handguns and one semi-automatic rifle, over $30,000 in cash, and a bulletproof vest.
“This case epitomizes how law enforcement agencies work together to stop criminals from threatening the safety and stability of our neighborhoods,” said Kristin Rehler, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. “Drug traffickers have no place in Jacksonville, and the FBI and our partners on the Safe Streets Task Force will continue to focus on stopping the movement of illegal drugs on our streets and ensuring our neighborhoods are free from illegal firearms.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Aakash Singh and Kirwinn Mike.
Inmate Admits to Escape, Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Edgardo Quinones-Hiraldo, age 35, of Ponce, Puerto Rico, pled guilty today to escape and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, Quinones-Hiraldo served 51 months at a federal corrections facility in Florida for a firearms trafficking conviction in Puerto Rico. He was released to Dismas Charities Residential Reentry Center in Clarksburg, West Virginia. Quinones-Hiraldo failed to report to the facility and was arrested in Clarksburg. He had a revolver and a pistol with him at the time of his arrest.
Quinones-Hiraldo faces up to five years in prison for the escape charge and faces up to 15 years for the firearms charge. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Cogar is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Marshals Service investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Indictment Charges Waterbury Women with Fraud OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned a 17-count indictment charging MARLENIN VITO, 45, of Waterbury, with fraud offenses.
The indictment was returned on October 22, 2024. Vito appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven, pleaded not guilty, and was released on a $25,000 bond.
As alleged in the indictment, from approximately 2018 to May 2021, Vito was employed as Medicaid Coordinator at an assisted living facility located in Stamford, referred to in the indictment as “Company A.” Vito’s responsibilities included assisting the residents in applying for nursing home level Medicaid reimbursements, monitoring the residents’ patient trust accounts, and ensuring compliance with Medicaid regulations. She was also responsible for keeping journal entries for the residents’ trust accounts and to credit their accounts when funds were received, and for debiting patient accounts when payments were made on behalf of the residents or when cash was given to residents for incidental expenses.
It is alleged that, between approximately December 2019 and May 2021, Vito defrauded Company A and its residents by generating checks from Company A’s system, forging a fellow employee’s signature on the checks, negotiating the fraudulent checks purportedly to give the cash proceeds to certain residents, and keeping the cash for her own use. Vito then made false entries into Company A’s accounting ledger by debiting the fraudulently obtained cash from the residents’ respective trust accounts. Many of the residents were not healthy enough or mentally capable of tracking their own expenses or monitoring the balances of their own trust accounts.
It is further alleged, in certain instances, Vito cancelled residents’ supplemental health insurance coverage, but continued to deduct funds from the trust accounts and took the funds for herself. Also, when certain residents’ trust accounts were credited with Economic Impact Payments (“COVID-19 stimulus payments”), Vito took the funds for herself and then debited the residents’ accounts at a rate of approximately $60 a day until the stimulus funds were depleted.
It is alleged that during the scheme, Vito fraudulently negotiated approximately 500 checks. When she was confronted by family members of certain residents, Vito created and provided to those family members false account statements that misrepresented the balances in the residents’ trust accounts.
The indictment also alleges that, between approximately May and July 2023, Vito was employed as a bookkeeper at a law firm in Hartford, referred to in the indictment as “Company B.” Vito took fraudulently generated checks drawn on Company B’s bank account and issued as “Pay to the Order of ‘Petty Cash, ’” forged the signature of an authorized employee on the checks, cashed the checks, and kept the funds for herself. She then recorded the fraudulently negotiated checks in Company B’s books and records as “Petty Cash.”
It is alleged that Vito stole a total of more than $200,000 through these schemes.
The indictment charges Vito with five counts of wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count, and 12 counts of bank fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years on each count.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Stamford Police Department and Hartford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. McGarry.
Independence Man Sentenced for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today after being identified in two separate federal investigations sharing videos and images of child pornography online.
Joseph L. Schutz, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 13 years and four months in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Schutz to 10 years of supervised release following incarceration. Schutz will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.
On Oct. 24, 2023, Schutz pleaded guilty to one count of distributing child pornography over the internet and one count of possessing child pornography.
An FBI task force officer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, posing undercover as an adult female, was conducting an investigation utilizing the Kik Messenger application in May 2020. The undercover officer joined multiple private groups dedicated to individuals interested in child pornography and whose members openly shared such material within the group. Schutz admitted that he received multiple videos and images of child pornography within one of these Kik groups, and also shared multiple videos and images of child pornography within the group.
On May 14, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Schutz’s residence. Investigators found 18 images of child erotica and eight images of child pornography on Schutz’s cell phone.
In July and August 2022, an FBI investigator in Texas communicated online with Schutz while conducting an undercover investigation. The undercover investigator posed as a 13-year-old female. Between July 28 and Aug. 1, 2022, Schutz invited the undercover investigator into a Kik group dedicated to the exchange of child pornography. During that time, Schutz admitted, he shared multiple videos of child pornography within the group.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Luna. It was investigated by the FBI, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, and the Independence, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Independence Man Pleads Guilty to $1.4 Million COVID Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to filing a false claim as part of a scheme to fraudulently receive nearly $1.4 million in COVID-19 relief funds from the government.
Richard Dean Schiele, Jr., 51, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to a federal information that charges him with one count of filing a false claim.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES” Act) provided for an Employee Retention Credit designed to encourage businesses to keep employees on their payroll. The Employee Retention Credit is available to eligible employers that paid qualified wages to some or all employees after March 12, 2020, and before Jan. 1, 2022.
By pleading guilty today, Schiele admitted he filed nine Employer’s Quarterly Tax Return forms with the IRS on April 22, 2023, for a company he formed the same month called Schiele Family Own Distribution. The returns made a total of $1,392,716 in claims for COVID–19 pandemic era credits against the company’s ostensible employment taxes. In reality, Schiele admitted, the company did not have any employees in 2020 through 2022.
Based on these false claims, the IRS issued checks totaling $478,890 to Schiele. The Treasury Department recovered $348,764.91 from Schiele’s bank account. Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Schiele must pay $130,125 in restitution to the IRS.
Under federal statutes, Schiele is subject to a sentence of up to five years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Illegal possession of firearm sends Belgrade man to prison for almost three yearsRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A federal judge today sentenced a Belgrade man to two years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking investigation, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Isaac James Cardona, 45, pleaded guilty in June to prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that in November 2023, agents with the Missouri River Drug Task Force were conducting surveillance in Belgrade in an area known for drug trafficking. Law enforcement stopped Cardona, who had an outstanding state warrant. Cardona was found to be in possession of a loaded gun, two loaded magazines with extra ammunition for the gun, methamphetamine, a digital scale and 49 fentanyl pills. Cardona previously was convicted of a federal methamphetamine distribution crime and prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Missouri River Drug Task Force, and Belgrade Police Department 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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Hartford Man Sentenced to More Than 5 Years in Federal Prison for Gun Possession OffenseRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced ANTHONY SANTOS, also known as “A-1,” 36, of Hartford, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 63 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release for illegally possessing firearms.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 17, 2023, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force and Hartford Police Department conducted a court-authorized search of Santos’ apartment on Park Street in Hartford. When investigators entered the apartment, Santos ran to the window and threw a loaded Draco 7.62x39mm assault-style firearm with a high-capacity magazine containing 30 rounds of ammunition. The firearm landed on a rooftop below and was recovered. Inside the apartment, investigators seized, three firearm magazines, ammunition, a small amount of fentanyl, large bags containing bulk quantities of marijuana, thousands of bags of marijuana in pre-packaged sleeves, drug processing and packaging materials, jewelry, and approximately $4,070 in cash.
A search of two vehicles associated with Santos that were parked near the apartment revealed a loaded Smith &Wesson .357 revolver and a loaded Glock .40 caliber pistol, both of which had been reported as stolen. The Glock was fitted with an illegal “switch” that converted the pistol to a fully automatic weapon. One of the vehicles contained a backpack with numerous bags of marijuana and approximately $3,290 in cash.
Santos’ criminal history includes state convictions for narcotics distribution offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Santos has been detained since October 17, 2023. On August 6, 2024, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of firearms by a felon.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, and Windsor Locks Police Departments. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has assisted the investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Reed Durham and Geoffrey Stone.
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 gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Justice 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 www.justice.gov/psn.
Guatemalan Man Guilty of Kidnapping Child He Helped Smuggle into U.S. Sentenced to 14 YearsRead the Press Release
SPARTANBURG, S.C. —Bernardino de Jesus Ramirez-Ramirez, a/k/a Carlos Mendoza, 35, of Guatemala, was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to kidnapping and illegal transportation of an alien.
Following two days of trial, Ramirez-Ramirez entered a guilty plea for kidnapping and illegal transportation of an alien. Evidence presented to the court showed Ramirez-Ramirez and the minor victim’s family entered into an agreement for the minor victim to be smuggled into the United States. Months later when the minor victim crossed into the United States, she encountered officers with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. As an unaccompanied minor, Border Patrol provided her with treatment for injuries sustained during her smuggling and transferred her to a residential facility until she could be released to an appropriate custodian within the United States. The U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement reviewed the minor victim’s smuggling case and learned that the minor victim owed a debt to Ramirez-Ramirez, that the minor victim had never met Ramirez-Ramirez, and that she would prefer to reside with a family member in the United States rather than her smuggler Ramirez-Ramirez. Despite Ramirez-Ramirez and the victim’s parents in Guatemala pressing for the release of the minor to Ramirez-Ramirez pursuant to their illegal smuggling agreement, the minor victim was released to an uncle residing in Newberry, South Carolina in March 2023.
Less than a week after the minor victim arrived at her uncle’s home in Newberry, Ramirez-Ramirez drove from Kansas City, Missouri to the uncle’s home. The minor victim was told she would be deported if she stayed with her uncle and that the smuggling debt would increase if she did not leave with Ramirez-Ramirez. Under these pressures, the minor victim left with Ramirez-Ramirez who drove her across the country to his home in Kansas City. When the uncle returned home from work and learned that the minor victim was missing, he notified local law enforcement.
Within 24 hours of the kidnapping, the Newberry Police Department and SLED had tracked Ramirez-Ramirez from Newberry to Kansas City and identified a home associated with Ramirez-Ramirez. The Kansas City Police Department responded to the home, recovered the minor victim, and arrested Ramirez-Ramirez.
“Kidnapping, especially the kidnapping of vulnerable children, is a monstrous offense,” said U.S. Attorney Adair Ford Boroughs for the District of South Carolina. “The quick collaborative response of law enforcement across multiple jurisdictions saved this child from additional harm and trauma.”
United States District Judge Donald C. Coggins sentenced Ramirez-Ramirez to 168 months in federal prison to be followed by a five-year term of court ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, and the Newberry Police Department, with assistance from the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carrie Fisher Sherard and Kathleen Stoughton are prosecuting the case.
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Gore Resident Sentenced for Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Kelly Don Girty, Jr., age 30, of Gore, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 46 months for illegally possessing a firearm. The Court ordered the federal sentence to run consecutive to state sentences Girty received in the District Court of Sequoyah County.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On May 2, 2024, Girty pleaded guilty to one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. According to investigators, on January 7, 2024, a Sequoyah County Sheriff’s deputy conducting a routine traffic stop discovered Girty in possession of a .22 caliber bolt action rifle. At the time of the stop, Girty had been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year and was prohibited from possessing firearms.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The Honorable John C. Coughenour, Senior U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Girty will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.
Gloucester County Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Drug Conspiracy and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Gloucester County, New Jersey, man was sentenced to 72 months in prison for narcotics trafficking and firearms offenses, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Javier Osorio, 44, of Deptford, New Jersey, was convicted on July 19, 2023, of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute heroin and cocaine, possession with the intent to distribute heroin, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon following a trial before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti, who imposed the sentence on Oct. 29, 2024, in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Osorio conspired with others to distribute cocaine and over one kilogram of heroin, which was recovered from his apartment. Osorio was arrested while driving with his conspirators from New Jersey to Brooklyn to sell an additional quantity of heroin, which was recovered from the vehicle. In addition to the drugs recovered from his apartment, law enforcement also recovered a loaded stolen firearm from under Osorio’s mattress.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Martinotti sentenced Osorio to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger credited special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz, with the investigation leading to the conviction. He also thanked the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Esther Suarez.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney George L. Brandley of the Office’s Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kendall Randolph of the Office’s Organized Crime/Gangs Unit in Newark.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf.
Four members of Tidewater drug trafficking conspiracy and two who supplied firearms sentenced to prisonRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Four people have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed methamphetamine and other drugs in the Tidewater area. Two others have been sentenced to prison for providing firearms to one of the members of the drug trafficking conspiracy.
By the fall of 2021, Leonard Tromell Brooks, 41, of Virginia Beach, a previously convicted drug trafficker, was conspiring with Kyle Derek Dean, 33, and Katie Loren Harbor, 29, both of Norfolk, to traffic significant quantities of methamphetamine in the Tidewater area. By January 2022, Colin Thomas Costello, 35, of Virginia Beach, had joined the conspiracy.
On March 15, 2022, Dean transported Harbor so she could sell 3.41 grams of meth to an individual in Virginia Beach. On April 20, 2022, Dean sold 2.78 grams of meth to another individual in Norfolk.
On April 6, 2022, Costello sold 26.05 grams of meth, and on April 12, 2022, Costello sold 67.50 grams of meth. On April 22, 2022, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on Costello in Virginia Beach. Prior to coming to a stop, Costello tossed 58.83 grams of meth from the vehicle's window.
On April 20, 2022, and again on April 21, 2022, Brooks sold cocaine from a residence in Virginia Beach. Law enforcement learned that Brooks was expecting a shipment of meth from his Florida-based supplier to arrive in Virginia via train on April 22, 2022. They intercepted the courier and recovered five kilograms of 100% pure meth, commonly known as "ice" or “crystal” meth. On at least two previous occasions, Brooks ordered similar quantities of crystal meth for further distribution by Dean, Harbor, and Costello.
On April 22, 2022, law enforcement executed search warrants at residences affiliated with all four conspirators. From Brooks’ residence, investigators recovered 219 grams of cocaine, 7.9 ounces of marijuana, $26,388 in drug-trafficking proceeds, a .45 caliber handgun, and ammunition. From Dean and Harbor’s residence investigators recovered 3.07 grams of meth, a ledger showing amounts of money owed to Dean and Harbor, digital scales, and packaging materials, as well as another 4.12 grams of meth found on Dean’s person. From Costello’s residence investigators recovered 405 grams of meth, quantities of fentanyl and cocaine, packaging materials, scales, and 14 firearms.
As a previously convicted felon, Costello could not legally possess firearms. Jonathan Morrell Scott, 37, of Virginia Beach, straw purchased four firearms for Costello prior to April 22, 2022. On July 26, 2023, Scott pled guilty to making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm. On Dec. 12, 2023, Scott was sentenced to four months in prison.
Costello’s girlfriend, Amber Dawn Hendricks, 40, of Virginia Beach, purchased four firearms in the two months preceding the search, including two purchased just two days before the search, despite being a user of and addicted to meth. She kept those firearms in the residence she shared with Costello. Despite being prohibited from possessing firearms, she and Costello kept a total of 11 firearms in their bedroom at the residence. On May 7, 2024, Hendricks was charged with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. On Oct. 2, 2024, Hendricks was sentenced to two years and six months in prison.
On Jan. 26, 2023, Costello pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; manufacture, distribution, and possession with intent to distribute a Schedule II controlled substance; and possessing, using, and carrying firearms in furtherance of and during and in relation to a drug-trafficking crime. Costello was sentenced today to 20 years in prison.
On Jan. 24, 2023, Dean pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine. On June 15, 2023, Dean was sentenced to 18 years in prison.
On Jan. 12, 2023, Harbor pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine. On June 1, 2023, Harbor was sentenced to nine years in prison.
On Jan. 10, 2023, Brooks pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; manufacture, distribution, and possession with intent to distribute a Schedule II controlled substance; and possessing, using, and carrying firearms in furtherance of and during and in relation to a drug-trafficking crime. On May 12, 2023, Brooks was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division; James VanVliet, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C.; Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Mark Talbot, Chief of Norfolk Police; Paul Neudigate, Chief of Virginia Beach Police; and Ramin Fatehi, Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin G. Bird and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham M. Stolle, an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney with the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Office, prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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 Nos. 2:22-cr-126 (Brooks, Dean, Harbor, and Costello), 2:23-cr-48 (Hendricks), and 2:23-cr-51 (Scott).
Four Time Federal Felon Sentenced to More than 14 Years in Federal Prison for Meth ConvictionRead the Press Release
A man who fled from law enforcement while possessing methamphetamine was sentenced October 25, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City.
Chad Hughes, 40, from Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty on May 31, 2024, to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Hughes was previously convicted of a federal firearms offense in 2005, federal assault in 2010, and two federal escapes in 2017 and 2018, respectively.
At the plea and sentencing hearings evidence showed that Hughes possessed almost ½ pound of methamphetamine which he intended to distribute to others in Sioux City. On June 24, 2023, when law enforcement attempted to stop the motorcycle Hughes was operating, he fled from law enforcement in a high-speed pursuit through cities of Sioux City, Iowa and North Sioux City, South Dakota. During the pursuit Hughes ditched the motorcycle and a backpack to avoid apprehension. Law enforcement seized the backpack which contained methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, a BB gun, and other items which aided in the ultimate identification of Hughes.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Hughes was sentenced to 170 months’ imprisonment and must serve a five-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Hughes remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Iowa State Patrol, North Sioux City, South Dakota, Police Department, and the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-4053. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Founder of Cryptocurrency Financial Services Firm “MyTrade” Pleads Guilty to Market Manipulation and Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The founder and primary operator of “MyTrade,” a financial services firm known in the cryptocurrency industry as a “market maker,” pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston for his role in a wide-ranging conspiracy to manipulate cryptocurrency markets on behalf of client cryptocurrency companies.
Liu Zhou, 39, of China and Canada, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit market manipulation and wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley scheduled sentencing for Feb. 27, 2025.
MyTrade provided financial services to cryptocurrency clients through its “MyTrade MM” website and online application. Those services included the wash trading of client cryptocurrencies across multiple cryptocurrency exchanges. Wash trading occurs when a single trader, or a number of traders working in coordination, buy and sell the same asset repeatedly in order to mislead the market by artificially inflating the trading volume or price of the asset via trades that have no lawful commercial purpose. Wash trading is a form of fraud intended to stimulate interest in an asset and is specifically prohibited by the securities laws. MyTrade MM’s clients had access to a dashboard available through MyTrade MM’s website that allowed clients to specify the desired amount of daily wash trades—a service described as “Volume Support”—on identified cryptocurrency exchanges. MyTrade MM used computer programs known as “bots” to generate the fraudulent wash trades for clients.
MyTrade MM’s unlawful wash trading service was identified through an undercover law enforcement operation. The investigation included the creation of NexFundAI, a purported cryptocurrency company that had a website (https://nexfundai.com) and an Ethereum-based token that traded on the Uniswap cryptocurrency exchange before being disabled by law enforcement.
In discussions with purported NexFundAI promoters, Zhou described how MyTrade MM “does self-trades - a buy and a sell in the same second,” and that its volume bot can be used to execute “pump and dumps.” Zhou also described the “objective” as finding “other buyers from the community, people you don’t know about or don’t care about” because “we have to make [the other buyers] lose money in order to make profit.” As of Oct. 1, 2024, MyTrade MM was providing the “volume support” function – which consisted of wash trades made by trading bots – to dozens of clients.
As part of Zhou’s plea, MyTrade MM was required to cease providing “Volume Support” services and to permanently deactivate its wash trading bots, which had been responsible for millions of dollars’ worth of daily wash trades for approximately 60 different cryptocurrencies. MyTrade MM was also required to add the following disclaimer to its website: “Volume support is a form of wash trading and illegal under the laws of the United States.”
The charge of conspiracy to commit market manipulation and wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 to twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, restitution and forfeiture. 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 and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Markham and David M. Holcomb of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Fort Myers Felon Pleads Guilty to Firearm and Drug Distribution CrimesRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that James Wallace Mathis, Jr. (44, Fort Myers) today pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon and distributing controlled substances. Mathis faces a maximum of 55 years in federal prison in connection with his crimes. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court records, on multiple occasions in July and August 2024, Mathis sold drugs—including fentanyl, a fentanyl analogue, and cocaine—to a law enforcement informant and an undercover ATF agent. Additionally, on one occasion in July 2024, Mathis sold a loaded Ruger .380 caliber handgun to a law enforcement informant. As a multi-time, convicted felon who previously served more than a decade in Florida state prison for various crimes, Mathis is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Fort Myers Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth.
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.
Fort Myers Career Criminal Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Carl Samuel Thompson, Jr. (60, Fort Myers) today pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. Because of Thompson’s criminal history, which includes at least three convictions for violent felonies, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has not yet been set.
According to court records, on April 7, 2024, a vehicle being driven by Thompson was pulled over by Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) deputies in North Fort Myers for a traffic infraction. During the traffic stop, deputies discovered that Thompson’s front-seat passenger was concealing a loaded firearm, which was secured by deputies during the traffic stop. A subsequent investigation revealed that Thompson—who had an active warrant for his arrest—had provided the firearm to his passenger to conceal after realizing he was being pulled over. As a career criminal with more than 10 prior felony convictions, including convictions for armed robbery and aggravated assault, Thompson is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Former Officer Pleads Guilty to Embezzling More than $30,000 from DC Department of Corrections UnionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Andra Parker, 65, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud for embezzling tens of thousands of dollars from a D.C. Department of Corrections Labor Union.
The guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer of the National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG).
Parker, a former D.C. Corrections officer, served as Chairman of the Labor Committee, an organization that represents all members of the D.C. Department of Corrections, from June 2018 through approximately April 2019. As Chairman, Parker had full access to the Labor Committee’s bank accounts to carry out his official duties and was issued a debit card.
As part of his guilty plea, Parker admitted that he misappropriated more than $30,000 of union funds to pay for unofficial travel, lodging, and entertainment for him and his friends. For example, he spent more than $7,000 on a trip to New York city for his friends and him, including $4,000 on rooms and expenses at a Times Square hotel, more than $370 on tickets to a New York Knicks game, and an additional $616 on tickets to Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. He also spent more than $2,000 in union funds to purchase four tickets to a Diana Ross concert in North Bethesda, Maryland.
The Honorable Rudolph Contreras, who accepted Parker’s guilty plea, scheduled sentencing for March 6, 2025.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the DOL-OIG. Assistance was also provided by the DOL - Office of Labor-Management Standards.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Gold and Kondi Kleinman of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Sonalika Chaturvedi.
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Foreign National Accused of Possessing 45,000 Fentanyl Pills is in Custody Facing Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment charging a foreign national living in Utah with drug crimes after he allegedly possessed fentanyl with the intent to distribute it.
Yoni Lerma-Renteria, aka Yoni Lerma-Acosta, 30, of Salt Lake County, was initially charged by complaint on October 10, 2024, in the District of Utah.
According to court documents, in September 2024, the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force began a criminal investigation of Lerma-Renteria and other members of a drug trafficking organization believed to be distributing large quantities of narcotics. In October 2024, agents executed search warrants for Lerma-Renteria’s residence and vehicle. During the search, agents recovered approximately 4,490.5 grams of field-tested positive fentanyl and 15 grams of field-tested positive cocaine. Agents estimated the fentanyl at approximately 45,000 fentanyl pills.
Lerma-Renteria is charged with possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute, and illegal reentry of a previously removed alien. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for October 30, 2024, at 2:00 p.m., in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force (WMDTF).
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah 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.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Florida Company Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Sell Misbranded N95 Masks to Hospital in Early Months of COVID-19 PandemicRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Florida company, and two individuals associated with the company, have pleaded guilty to charges associated with shipping facemasks that were misbranded as N95 respirators, and price gouging hospitals, during the earliest phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.
JDM Supply LLC (JDM) pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to introduce misbranded devices into interstate commerce with intent to defraud or mislead, in violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Daniel Motha, 40, of Miami, Fla., and Jeffrey Motha, 36, of Norfolk, Mass., also pleaded guilty to one count of introduction of misbranded devices into interstate commerce and one count of conspiracy to commit price gouging in violation of the Defense Production Act. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for Daniel Motha and Jeffrey Motha on March 4, 2025 and JDM on March 25, 2025. In August 2023, a third individual, Jason Colantuoni of Norfolk, Mass, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit price gouging in connection with this investigation.
In the spring of 2020, during the earliest phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, JDM and a company identified as “Company 1” conspired to ship facemasks that were misbranded as National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)-approved, N95 respirators. One hospital accepted and paid for hundreds of thousands of purported N95 masks that were manufactured by Company 1 and sold by JDM. Ultimately, the hospital did not use the masks, which were eventually returned to Company 1. JDM misled the hospital into believing that the Company 1 masks were NIOSH-approved N95s, when in fact they were not.
In August 2020, a NIOSH lab tested a sample of the Company 1 masks that had been shipped to the hospital. The masks tested between 83.94% and 93.24% filtration efficiency, thus falling below the 95% minimum level of filtration efficiency required for N95 respirators.
Daniel Motha and Jeff Motha conspired to use JDM to exploit and profit off of the critical need of hospitals and healthcare workers for scarce N95 masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. They accumulated N95 masks from various sources and then sold the N95 masks through JDM to hospitals in Massachusetts, and elsewhere, at prices in excess of the prevailing market price.
The charge of conspiracy to introduce or deliver for introduction into interstate commerce a misbranded device with intent to defraud or mislead, brought against JDM, provides for a fine of $500,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss of the offense, whichever is greater and up to five years of probation. The charge of introduction or delivery for introduction into interstate commerce a misbranded device provides for a sentence of up to one year in prison; up to one year of supervised release; and a fine of $100,000. The charge of conspiracy to commit price gouging in violation of the Defense Production Act provides for a sentence of up to one year in prison; up to one year of supervised release; and a fine of up to $10,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; Fernando McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bill Brady and Howard Locker of the Health Care Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.
Five Men Arrested for Conspiring to Distribute over 150 Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On Oct. 29, five men, Carlos Manuel Velazquez Gomez, 43, David Martinez, 53, Juan Antonio Rivera Velasquez, 45, Onasis Lisandro Garcia, 49, and Richard John Sydney-Smith, 62, had their initial appearances on their respective federal criminal complaints which charge the defendants with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute over 150 kilograms of cocaine.
On Oct. 27, Sydney-Smith and Garcia were traveling on a boat 2 miles east of Port Everglades, when they were intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard and found to be transporting over 150 kilograms of cocaine. The investigation further yielded the arrests of Rivera Velasquez, Velazquez Gomez, and Martinez on Oct. 28, who were waiting in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. for the cocaine delivery.
Pre-trial detention hearings have been scheduled in these matters for Nov. 1 and Nov. 4.
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, made the announcement.
HSI Miami investigated this case with invaluable assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) Air and Marine Units. Assistant U.S. Attorney Latoya C. Brown is prosecuting it.
A criminal complaint contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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 numbers 24-mj-6500, 24-mj-6501, 24-mj-6502, 24-mj-6504, and 24-mj-6505.
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Felon in Possession Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison Following Shooting at the Palm Beach Gardens MallRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A felon in possession of a firearm was sentenced to 144 months in prison, following a shooting at the Palm Beach Gardens Mall (The Gardens Mall) on Valentine’s Day.
Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon imposed an upward variance in sentencing Devon Jamal Graham, 29, to 144 months in prison. Graham previously pled guilty to possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance containing fentanyl and cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Kamarcio Mitchell, 29, a second man who was arrested following the shooting at The Gardens Mall, is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 21 at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Cannon in Fort Pierce, Fla. Mitchell previously pled guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
On Feb. 14, both Mitchell and Graham were at The Gardens Mall, both separately in possession of a firearm. Mitchell was on the second level of The Gardens Mall near a retail store. Mitchell followed Graham onto the escalator and was manipulating an object under his shirt. Mitchell was then fired upon by Graham and shot. Mitchell fled the mall to the parking lot, leaving a trail of blood. A loaded firearm that had been disassembled was found in the parking lot by police, near the blood trail. Mitchell was later treated for his injury at a local hospital. Upon his later arrest on a federal warrant, authorities discovered Mitchell in possession of a distribution quantity of fentanyl after he unsuccessfully tried to toss the drugs.
Two firearms were recovered from the vehicle Graham used to travel to the mall, along with a bag containing 35 capsules with a mixture containing fentanyl and a pill bottle with approximately 16 grams of cocaine.
The recovered firearms had previously travelled in interstate commerce.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, U.S. Marshal Gadyaces S. Serralta of the U.S. Marshals Service, Chief Dominick Pape of the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department, and Sheriff Ric Bradshaw of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office announced the sentencing.
The Office of State Attorney Dave Aronberg for the 15th Judicial Circuit – Palm Beach County provided invaluable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John McMillan and Shannon O’Shea Darsch are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, 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.
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-80022.
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Felon Who Arranged Gun Sales from Jail Sentenced to 63 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Wednesday sentenced a St. Louis County man who was caught arranging for his illegally-possessed guns to be sold to 63 months in prison.
The sentence for James C. Street, 47, will run consecutive to pending probation violation cases in St. Louis and Jefferson counties.
Street pleaded guilty in July to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted that while a convicted felon and barred from possessing firearms, he possessed three pistols and an AR-style rifle.
The investigation began after the St. Louis County Police Department learned that Street, who was in jail at the time, was discussing the sale of his firearms. Police then contacted the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Street sold a .357 magnum revolver through an intermediary, which was later recovered by law enforcement. Investigators learned Street was planning more sales. A court-approved search of the intermediary’s home recovered the remaining guns, as well as ammunition and large capacity magazines.
At the time, Street was on probation for multiple felony domestic offenses.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Goeke prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Farrell Resident Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Firearm CrimesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Farrell, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to committing firearm and drug trafficking crimes, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Tylon Cousin, 38, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV to possessing with intent to distribute cocaine on February 3, 2023, and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime.
Judge Stickman scheduled sentencing for February 26, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than five years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $2,250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Mercer County Drug Task Force, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Cousin.
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 of Justice 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.
Eleven Minneapolis Gang Members Charged with RICO Conspiracy, Murder in Aid of Racketeering, and Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Minneapolis returned an 18-count indictment yesterday against 11 alleged members of the Lows — a violent Minneapolis street gang — for crimes including Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy involving murder, attempted murder, gun trafficking, and drug trafficking.
“According to the indictment, these defendants are leaders, organizers, and members of the Lows street gang, a violent gang that allegedly committed multiple murders and attempted murders and trafficked in guns and drugs, including fentanyl,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Violent gangs that engage in bloody street wars and peddle deadly drugs endanger our communities. The Criminal Division, along with our local, state, and federal partners, is committed to holding violent criminals accountable, including by bringing racketeering charges.”
“The Lows are an exceptionally violent criminal street gang that has terrorized north Minneapolis for nearly 20 years. Through threats and violence — shootings and murders — the Lows have long sought to establish dominion over large swaths of our city,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger for the District of Minnesota. “My office will continue to respond to gang violence by treating it as the organized criminal activity it is. This indictment is an important step in dismantling a violent street gang that has devastated families and communities in north Minneapolis.”
“More than 100 people lose their lives to gun violence every day in the United States,” said Special Agent in Charge Travis Riddle of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) St. Paul Field Division. “There will never be a time where this will be considered acceptable. Our ATF agents put forth solid investigative work in this case utilizing crime gun intelligence that without a doubt aided the case announced today. ATF is happy to work alongside each of our partners in this investigation, and we are grateful to the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Luger, and the entire team for taking up this challenging RICO case.”
“The charges in this indictment reflect our unwavering commitment to bringing violent criminals to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office. “For too long, the Lows have inflicted pain and spread fear in north Minneapolis. Together with our law enforcement partners, we are determined to remove this threat from our communities and help restore a sense of security to all who call this city home.”
“Today’s indictment provides a stark reminder that violence and drug trafficking go hand-in-hand,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven T. Bell of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Omaha Division. “These were not victimless crimes. Communities were hurt. The DEA will continue its unwavering focus to remove threats of violence and hold accountable the individuals responsible for inflicting fear on the streets of Minneapolis.”
“The individuals named in this indictment allegedly engaged in homicide, and illegal drug and firearms trafficking, which created an atmosphere of terror and disrupted countless lives in this community,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ramsey E. Covington of the IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) Chicago Field Office. “These charges represent a pivotal milestone in our commitment to restore safety and uphold justice in the communities we serve. Working with their federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, IRS-CI special agents will continue to follow every financial trail to dismantle the networks fueling these criminal enterprises. We stand united against the violence and fear that street gangs have inflicted upon our communities in Minneapolis and elsewhere.”
“The Lows, and criminal organizations like them, wreak havoc on our communities, threatening the safety of our communities on a daily basis through their many acts of violence, murder, and narcotics and firearms trafficking,” said Special Agent in Charge Jamie Holt of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) St. Paul. “HSI St. Paul will continue to foster a strong collaboration with our law enforcement partners to bring an end to the chaos these criminal organizations inflict on our local communities.”
“This multi-count indictment against ranking members of the Lows gang is an excellent example of multiple law enforcement agencies combining their expertise and resources to conduct investigations with the common goal of taking down violent leaders perpetuating street violence involving guns and narcotics,” said Inspector in Charge Bryan Musgrove of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Denver Division. “These RICO charges aim to remove these allegedly violent offenders from our community. U.S. Postal Inspectors are committed to continuing our work to dismantle drug trafficking operations to keep USPS customers and employees safe from greedy drug traffickers who favor profit over human lives.”
As alleged in this indictment, the defendants were members of the Lows criminal street gang, which has been in existence in Minneapolis since approximately 2004. The Lows are primarily active in the northside of Minneapolis. They allegedly traffic in firearms and narcotics, including fentanyl, and use threats, intimidation, and violence to protect their territory, reputation, illicit proceeds, and power.
The indictment charges that the defendants engaged in a pattern of racketeering — that is, unlawful acts of violence, gun trafficking, and narcotics trafficking — for the benefit of the Lows enterprise. These acts include seven alleged murders or attempted murders involving a total of ten victims.
The 11 defendants, all from Minneapolis, have been indicted for the following crimes:
Ashimiyu Alowonle II, 38, also known as Cash, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
Timothy Callender III, 26, also known as Lil’ Tim, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
Glenn Carter III, 23, also known as G5 and Bossman Carter, is charged with RICO conspiracy; using, carrying, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death; and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Carter is charged with committing a murder on May 14, 2022, as a racketeering act in furtherance of the RICO conspiracy.
Victor Collins, 22, also known as Vic, is charged with RICO conspiracy; using, carrying, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death; conspiracy to distribute controlled substances; possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance; and possessing a firearm a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Collins is charged with committing a murder and an attempted murder on Feb. 27 as a racketeering act in furtherance of the RICO conspiracy.
Damari Douglas, 20, also known as Mari, is charged with RICO conspiracy, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a machine gun. Douglas is charged with committing a murder on Dec. 3, 2023, as a racketeering act in furtherance of the RICO conspiracy.
Deontae Jackson, 35, also known as Leef, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
Shannon Jackson, 32, also known as Shakedown, is charged with RICO conspiracy; using, carrying, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death; conspiracy to distribute controlled substances; possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance; possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking; and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Jackson is charged with committing a murder on April 27, 2023, as a racketeering act in furtherance of the RICO conspiracy.
Robert Knights Jr., 19, also known as CMB Rob and Lil’ Rob, is charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Albert Lucas V, 20, also known as Abk Sav, is charged with RICO conspiracy; using, carrying, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death; and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Lucas is charged with committing multiple murders and an attempted murder on Feb. 27 and May 6, 2021, as a racketeering act in furtherance of the RICO conspiracy.
Kaprice Richards, 23, also known as Kap, is charged with RICO conspiracy and using, carrying, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death. Richards is charged with committing an attempted murder on May 29, 2022, and a murder on April 27, 2023, as racketeering acts in furtherance of the RICO conspiracy.
Cartrelle Smith, 27, also known as Poo Moe, is charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
If convicted, the defendants face a range of penalties, including up to life in prison for racketeering conspiracy involving acts of murder, using a firearm to commit murder, and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after the consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
ATF, FBI, DEA, IRS-CI, HSI, USPIS, Minneapolis Police Department, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and Minnesota Department of Corrections are investigating the case, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service.
Trial Attorney Jared Engelking of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Garrett S. Fields and David M. Classen for the District of Minnesota 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.
El Centro Man Admits to Threatening a DEA AgentRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Jacob Enriquez of El Centro, California pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that he sent a threatening email directed at a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent and his family.
Enriquez was charged on June 6, 2024. He pleaded guilty to Interstate Threatening Communication for sending a threatening and disturbing email directed at a DEA Agent. The profanity-laden email, which was sent to an email account belonging to Emergency Medical Services Agency in Imperial County, threatened to torture and kill the DEA agent and the agent’s children and made it clear that Enriquez knew where the agent lived.
Enriquez admitted that he sent this email knowing that it would be viewed as threats of violence against the DEA agent and his family.
Enriquez also admitted to sending threatening emails to the El Centro Police Chief and a doctor’s office in El Centro.
“Words have consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “And the consequences of threatening others with violence is a felony conviction.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Sherwood and Joseph Orabona.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on January 31, 2025.
DEFENDANT Case Number 24cr1330-CAB
Jacob Enriquez Age: 43 El Centro, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Interstate Threatening Communication – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 875(c)
Maximum penalty: Five years in prison, with a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCY
Federal Bureau of Investigation
East Helena man sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamineRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — An East Helena man who trafficked thousands of fentanyl pills and pounds of methamphetamine while also possessing firearms was sentenced on Oct. 29 to 11 years and four months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
The defendant, Thomas Anthony Conley, 37, pleaded guilty in June to possession with intent to distribute meth and fentanyl.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
“Thousands of fentanyl pills, pounds and pounds of meth, and multiple guns. A majority of the cases we prosecute include those elements, and I’m pleased to say virtually all of our cases result in federal prison sentences. This case is no different, and we will continue to aggressively prosecute dangerous drug traffickers with the goal that they have the same fate as Conley,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.
In court documents, the government alleged that Conley possessed multiple firearms and was responsible for importing more than 20,000 fentanyl pills and dozens of pounds of meth into the state. In March and April 2023, law enforcement learned from sources that Conley was supplying meth and fentanyl in the Helena area. The investigation led to search warrants for Conley’s home and vehicles. Officers located several firearms and ammunition in one of his vehicles along with more than 17,000 fentanyl pills. Conley admitted he had worked with others to traffic large quantities of fentanyl pills and several dozen pounds of meth into Montana in the preceding months.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Missouri River Drug Task Force, Southwest Drug Task Force, Montana Highway Patrol and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives 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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Duncansville Resident Pleads Guilty to Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Duncansville, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of narcotics trafficking related to a six-month Title III wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in and around Blair, Cambria, Centre, and Clearfield counties, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Douglas Hillegass, 62, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that Hillegass was a methamphetamine distributor who obtained approximately six ounces of methamphetamine from Jason Lynn, a large-scale narcotics distributor. Hillegass then redistributed the methamphetamine to other individuals.
Judge Haines scheduled sentencing for Hillegass for February 26, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than five years and up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $5 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan D. Lusty is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Internal Revenue Service, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and Pennsylvania State Police.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Dominican Republic Citizen Sentenced to 17 Years in Federal Prison for Leading a Lawrence, Massachusetts-Based Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Dominican national and former resident of Lawrence, Massachusetts was sentenced today in federal court in Concord for leading a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Marbin Cruz-Gonzalez, 37, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Steven McAuliffe to 204 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release. On January 4, 2023, Cruz-Gonzalez pleaded guilty to a superseding indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, cocaine base, and cocaine. He has been incarcerated since he was arrested on this case in February of 2022.
“For a time, Marbin Cruz-Gonzalez was the premier narcotics distributor in this region,” said U.S. Attorney Young. “While he largely avoided direct contact with the drugs, he was running the drug trafficking business behind the scenes. Today's lengthy sentence demonstrates that high-level drug traffickers cannot shield their identities to escape responsibility by directing subordinates to deal drugs onto the streets of our communities.”
“DEA is committed to investigating individuals like Mr. Cruz-Gonzalez who are responsible for distributing lethal drugs like fentanyl to the citizens of New Hampshire,” said Acting DEA Special Agent in Charge Stephen Belleau, New England Field Division. “Today’s substantial sentence not only holds Mr. Cruz-Gonzalez accountable for his crimes but serves as a warning to those traffickers who are fueling the opioid epidemic with deadly drugs in order to profit and destroy people’s lives. DEA’s top priority will continue to be combatting the opioid epidemic by working with our local, county, state and federal partners to bring to justice anyone who distributes this poison.”
Cruz-Gonzalez was the leader of a drug trafficking organization based in Lawrence that distributed drugs via a network of sub-distributors throughout the northern New England region, including New Hampshire. His organization used at least 20 different phone numbers to arrange transactions with sub-distributors, and he used at least 13 different employees to operate his illegal enterprise. He is the final defendant to be sentenced in this multi-year investigation. In related cases in the District of New Hampshire, the following sentences have already been imposed:
- Jonathan Cruz-Marte, sentenced on December 20, 2023 to 96 months in federal prison.
- Enver Morales-Hoyos, sentenced on September 20, 2021 to 72 months in federal prison.
- Geoffrey Morse, sentenced on April 14, 2022 to 72 months in federal prison.
- Colby Mann, sentenced on July 11, 2022 to 72 months in federal prison.
- Phat Tay, sentenced on May 26, 2021 to 70 months in federal prison.
- Alysha DeJesus, sentenced on July 14, 2020 to 65 months in federal prison.
- Adrian Maas, sentenced on January 1, 2021 to 60 months in federal prison.
- Eddil Ortez, sentenced on October 1, 2020 to 57 months in federal prison.
- Elijah Cox, sentenced on April 16, 2021 to 36 months in federal prison.
- Mayerlin Urena, sentenced on January 3, 2024 to 27 months in federal prison.
- Robert Twombly, sentenced on August 20, 2020 to 24 months in federal prison.
- Christian Muniz-Perkins, sentenced on February 18, 2021 to 23 months in federal prison.
- Jeffrey Roy, sentenced on November 17, 2021 to 20 months in federal prison.
- James Henry, sentenced on October 15, 2020 to 13 months in federal prison.
- Carlos Morales-Hoyos, sentenced on October 26, 2022 to 10 months in federal prison.
- Cortny Reichert, sentenced on December 8, 2021 to 9 months in federal prison.
- Amy Dame, sentenced on March 18, 2021 to 8 months in federal prison.
- Timothy Wheeler, sentenced on July 19, 2021 to 4 months in federal prison.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. The Manchester Police Department, the Nashua Police Department, the New Hampshire State Police, and the Massachusetts State Police provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S Attorney Jarad Hodes, Deputy Criminal Chief Georgiana MacDonald, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Aframe prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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