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28 October 2024
Judge Hands 25 Year Prison Term to Man Who Murdered His GirlfriendRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – William Barrett, 69, of Mount Holly, New Jersey, was sentenced in D.C. Superior Court, for the February 2024 murder of his girlfriend, 36-year-old, Romaine Maddox. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Barrett pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder while armed on August 23, 2024, before the Honorable Robert Okun, who sentenced the defendant, on October 25, 2024, to 25 years’ incarceration followed by five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 7:00 p.m., on February 22, 2024, Barrett and Ms. Maddox, checked into a hotel in the 1600 block of New York Avenue, N.E., to celebrate Ms. Maddox’s birthday. Hotel surveillance cameras captured the defendant and the victim, who was ecstatic to celebrate her birthday at the hotel, entering their room, where they spent the next several hours. At around 2:00 a.m., hotel surveillance video captured Ms. Maddox screaming for help from their hotel room. She was never seen alive again. Barrett told detectives that he and Ms. Maddox got into an argument that turned physical. Barrett became enraged grabbing a ceramic toilet tank cover from the bathroom and hitting Ms. Maddox over the head several times, causing the ceramic lid to break into three pieces. While she was lying face down on the floor, Barrett wrapped his belt around Ms. Maddox’s neck and pulled upward. Barrett then fell asleep while the victim’s bloodied body lay at the foot of the bed. Barrett got up in the morning and saw Ms. Maddox unconscious and unresponsive on the floor and he left her in the room. Hotel staff discovered her body a few hours later.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah C. Santiago, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Jennifer LaBonte Pleads Guilty to Embezzling from EmployerRead the Press Release
Rutland, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office announced that Jennifer LaBonte, 45, of Essex Junction, Vermont pleaded guilty today in United States District Court in Rutland to a charge of wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Mary K. Lanthier released LaBonte on conditions pending sentencing, which is scheduled for March 4, 2025.
On October 2, 2024, the United States Attorney filed an information charging LaBonte with a single count of wire fraud. That is the charge to which she pleaded guilty. According to the information, between 2001 and January 2024, LaBonte was employed by automobile dealerships located in Burlington. From about 2012 until her termination, LaBonte served as office manager for the dealerships, a position that gave her oversight over all accounting matters. LaBonte had check-signing authority.
The information charges that, beginning no later than 2013, LaBonte began embezzling from the dealerships. For the most part, LaBonte stole cash receipts that had been paid by dealership customers, but she also issued checks to herself for non-business-related purposes. LaBonte tried to cover up her thefts by manipulating and falsifying entries about individual transactions in the dealerships’ computerized accounting systems. An officer at the dealerships uncovered the fraud in January 2024, and LaBonte was immediately fired. The total loss resulting from her embezzlement is about $191,000. In court, the parties announced that LaBonte has provided the dealerships with a check that repaid them in full for the stolen funds.
LaBonte faces up to 20 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
LaBonte is represented by Brooks McArthur, Esq. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.
Jackson Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of a Machinegun after High Speed Chase and Collision with a Train CarRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson man pled guilty to illegal possession of a machinegun.
Johnny Ragsdale, 20, pled guilty on October 24, 2024 in U.S. District Court in Jackson.
According to court documents, Ragsdale was found in possession of an illegal machinegun after an attempted traffic stop on a vehicle in Jackson. Ragsdale, the driver, failed to yield to law enforcement and led Capitol Police on a high-speed chase. The chase ended after Ragsdale collided with a train car on Mill Street. A Glock pistol was recovered from the vehicle, and a machinegun conversion device, also known as a switch, was attached to the pistol.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has seen an increase in cases involving illegal firearm conversion devices, commonly known as “switches” or “auto sears,” which convert semi-automatic handguns into fully automatic weapons (i.e., machineguns) in a matter of seconds. The rapid fire of firearms converted to machineguns presents a significant danger in our community to both the public and law enforcement. According to a 2023 report by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), there was a 570% increase in the number of machinegun conversion devices taken into ATF custody between 2017 and 2021.
Ragsdale is scheduled to be sentenced on February 25, 2025, and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement.
The ATF and the Capitol Police Department are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amber S. Jones is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Indictment Charges Waterbury Men with Drug and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an eight-count indictment charging ROBERT HARRISON, also known as “Firm” and “Lox,” 38; RICHARD McDANIEL, also known as “Shay,” 44; KEVIN GOOCH, also known as “GWOP,” 41; and ROBERT LAVERTUE, 56; all of Waterbury, with narcotics and firearm offenses.
The indictment was returned on October 2, 2024. Harrison and Gooch, who have been detained since they were arrested on related state charges on June 20, 2024, appeared today in Hartford federal court and pleaded not guilty to the charges. McDaniel and Lavertue were federally arrested and arraigned earlier this month and are released on bond.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on June 20, 2024, the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department executed multiple federal search warrants for locations connected to a drug trafficking organization headed by Harrison. A search of Harrison’s residence on Frost Road, his auto repair business on Todd Hollow Road in Waterbury, where Lavertue also resided, and a recording studio he operated on Woodtick Road in Waterbury, revealed distribution quantities of cocaine and narcotic pills, four loaded handguns, gun magazines, numerous rounds of ammunition, and approximately $18,208 in cash. A search of McDaniel’s residence on Lone Oak Avenue revealed approximately 700 grams of cocaine, approximately 300 grams of fentanyl, drug processing and packaging materials, a money counter, and approximately $2,450 in cash. Searches of Gooch’s residence on Atwood Avenue, his vehicle, and a residence on Monroe Avenue he used as a stash location revealed more than 100 grams of cocaine, a drug press, a loaded handgun with an obliterated serial number, and approximately $1,141 in cash.
The indictment charges each defendant with one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, and with one or more counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. If convicted of these charges, based on the type and quantities of controlled substances attributed to each defendant, McDaniel faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years, and Harrison, Gooch, and Lavertue face a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. In addition, Harrison is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years, and with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which carries a consecutive term of imprisonment of at least five years.
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 matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department. The Task Force includes members from the DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Waterbury, East Haven, Branford, West Haven, Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, and Shelton Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha M. Freismuth.
Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Ampless Ray Lilly, 52, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to receiving child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from on or about February 20, 2023, through on or about April 23, 2024, Lilly knowingly received approximately 2,900 images and 1,100 videos containing child pornography on his mobile phone while accessing the internet from his Huntington residence. Lilly admitted that the child pornography he downloaded includes depictions of prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and depictions of minor children subjected to sadistic or masochistic conduct or other depictions of violence. Lilly further admitted that he distributed images and videos containing child pornography through the internet.
Lilly is scheduled to be sentenced on February 10, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Lilly must also register as a sex offender. During the time period of this offense, Lilly began serving a five-year term of probation imposed on November 13, 2023, after he pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm on August 14, 2023. A petition to revoke that probation has been filed and is currently pending.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Gabriel Price is prosecuting the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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. 3:24-cr-169.
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Harrison County Man Sentenced for Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Brock Corel Pearson, 42, of Meadowbrook, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 115 months in prison for the possession of a short-barreled shotgun.
According to court documents, officers stopped Pearson’s vehicle in Harrison County, conducted a search, and found a backpack with an unregistered short-barreled shotgun. Pearson is prohibited from having firearms because of prior drug convictions in West Virginia and Mississippi.
Pearson will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Conklin prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Georgia Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Nehmiah Allen-Griggs, also known as “Newski,” 23, of Dallas, Georgia, pleaded guilty today to distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Allen-Griggs admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Southern District of West Virginia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 1, 2023, Allen-Griggs distributed approximately 1 pound of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in a Huntington parking lot in exchange for $2,000.
On November 15, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Highlawn Avenue residence in Huntington and seized quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl, a Landor Arms Canyon Arms 12-gauge shotgun, a Walther P22 .22-caliber pistol equipped with a silencer, a Kel-Teck .22-caliber pistol, and various rounds of ammunition. Allen-Griggs admitted that he and others used the residence to store and distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Allen-Griggs is scheduled to be sentenced on February 10, 2025, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a $10 million fine.
Allen-Griggs is among 27 individuals indicted in a 53-count indictment that charges the defendants with distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl transported from Detroit, Michigan, in Huntington and other locations within the Southern District of West Virginia.
Allen-Griggs is also among 22 defendants who have pleaded guilty in the main case. One other of the 27 indicted individuals pleaded guilty to a related offense in a separate case. The indictment against the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. MDENT 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 Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor are prosecuting the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
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. 3:23-cr-180.
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Fort Myers Career Criminal Sentenced to 15 Years for Unlawfully Possessing Loaded FirearmRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced JD Irons, Jr. (37, Fort Myers) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. Irons entered a guilty plea on July 24, 2024.
According to court records, on December 8, 2023, Irons fled from officers with the Fort Myers Police Department who were attempting to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle in which Irons was the front-seat passenger. Irons was subsequently found hiding in a nearby apartment. Concealed in the glovebox of the vehicle, officers found a loaded Sig Sauer 9mm handgun. Irons was later forensically linked to the firearm.
As a convicted felon, Irons is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. As a result of his lengthy criminal record, which includes multiple prison sentences for drug crimes involving cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl, Irons qualified for enhanced sentencing under the Armed Career Criminal Act.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fort Myers Police Department. It was 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.
Florida Man Admits Guilt in FedEx Mail Fraud Scheme Involving More Than $750,000Read the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A Florida man has pled guilty to a mail fraud scheme in which he defrauded FedEx Corporation by falsely claiming that high-value items were misdelivered. The scheme had a potential loss to the company of $764,250. Reagan Fondren, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, made the announcement today.
According to information presented in court, Shaun C. Kavanaugh, 46, of Orlando, Florida, defrauded FedEx between June 2015 and September 2018 by shipping packages containing worthless goods via FedEx. He then claimed the packages were not delivered and filed claims with FedEx seeking reimbursement for the contents of the packages. During that reimbursement process, Kavanaugh submitted fraudulent invoices to FedEx that inflated the value of the contents. As a result of his scheme, Kavanaugh fraudulently obtained over $750,000.
“Mr. Kavanaugh’s case serves as a reminder that fraud and the pursuit of quick gains can come with severe consequences,” said Inspector In Charge Tommy D. Coke, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Atlanta Division. “I’m proud of the women and men of the United States Postal Inspection Service for their continued commitment to protect the U.S. Mail and our customers, as well as their resolve to ensure that those who engage in fraudulent activities are held responsible for their criminal activities.”
United States District Court Judge John T. Fowlkes accepted the guilty plea and set sentencing for February 20, 2025. At that time, Kavanaugh faces up to 20 years in prison for mail fraud. He could also be ordered to pay up to $250,000 in fines and possible restitution up to $764,250.
The United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation. Acting U.S. Attorney Fondren thanked the law enforcement partners who investigated the case, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Reid Manning who is prosecuting the case.
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For more information, please contact the media relations team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Florida Company and Former Employee Plead Guilty to Conspiring to Harbor Aliens by Means of EmploymentRead the Press Release
MIAMI - Today, Martinez Builders Supply, LLC, d/b/a East Coast Truss (ECT), a Florida limited liability company, pled guilty in federal court in Fort Pierce to conspiring to harbor aliens by means of employment. On Aug. 29, Kelly Yanira Del Valle (Del Valle), a former employee of ECT, also pled guilty to conspiring to harbor aliens by means of employment, as well as filing false tax returns and aiding the filing of false tax returns. As part of their guilty pleas, ECT agreed to a forfeiture judgment in the amount $450,000, and Del Valle agreed to a forfeiture judgment in the amount $100,000 and to pay restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the amount of $100,146.
As part of the plea documents filed with the Court, ECT and Del Valle admitted that several of ECT’s officers and employees, including Del Valle, conspired to harbor aliens by means of employment from June 1, 2018, through Aug. 6, 2021. Specifically, in June 2018, Del Valle, who was employed by ECT at the time, the president and managing member of ECT, and an officer manager at ECT, met at ECT and agreed to “transfer” certain aliens employed by ECT, who were not authorized to work in the United States, to Hollys Services, a company set up by Del Valle, so that they would no longer appear on ECT’s payroll. ECT agreed to pay Del Valle a fee for each alien on Hollys Services’ payroll that worked at ECT. Del Valle agreed to recruit and hire additional aliens to work for ECT, who were not authorized to work in the United States, under the guise of Hollys Services, and later Quality Control. Hollys Services and Quality Control were formed by Del Valle for the express purpose of concealing, harboring, and shielding aliens who worked at ECT from detection by law enforcement. These actions were in response to an Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 audit conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in May 2018 that identified dozens of ECT employees that were aliens not authorized to work in the United States. Specifically, on or about June 18, 2018, several of the employees HSI identified during its Form I-9 audit, a mechanism used to verify the identity and legal authorization to work of all paid employees in the U.S., were transferred from ECT’s payroll yet continued to work for ECT, while purportedly being employed and paid by Hollys Services, and later Quality Control.
During the conspiracy, ECT, through its agents acting within the scope of their employment, transferred over $1,150,000 to a bank account set up by Del Valle in the name of Hollys Services, and $2,200,000 to a bank account Del Valle set up in the name of Quality Control. Some of the transferred funds were earmarked for the express purpose of paying the aliens who worked at ECT.
On Aug. 6, 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at ECT’s headquarters in Saint Lucie County, Fla., and discovered 28 of the 58 employees present to be aliens who were not authorized to work in the United States.
On a date to be determined, U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon will sentence ECT and Del Valle in Fort Pierce. Del Valle faces a possible maximum sentence of 16 years in federal prison. ECT faces up to five years of probation, and a maximum fine of $500,000, or twice the gross loss or twice the gross gain caused by the offense, whichever is greater. Judge Cannon will determine ECT and Del Valle’s sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, and Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS CI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
The HSI Fort Pierce and IRS CI Miami Field Office investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Porter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Klco is handling asset forfeiture.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at https://www.flsd.uscourts.gov/ or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case numbers 24-cr-14019 and 24-cr-14035.
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Federal Jury Convicts Siblings of Fraud; Defendants Made Tens of Millions of Dollars from Lying to Manufacturers in Years-Long SchemeRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Adriana Camberos (formerly Adriana Shayota) and Andres Camberos, sister and brother, were convicted by a federal jury of multiple fraud charges on October 25, 2024.
Their illegal scheme involved lying to manufacturers to sell wholesale groceries and other goods at steep discounts by promising the goods would be sold in Mexico, or to prisons or rehabilitation facilities. Instead, the defendants sold the products at higher prices to U.S. distributors, for the U.S. market.
Wire fraud charges arose from the numerous wire transfers, as well as other interstate communications, the defendants made as they bought products from the manufacturers, transferred money among their own companies to facilitate the scheme, and then re-sold the products at higher prices to U.S. customers.
Following an 11-day trial, the jury found the defendants guilty of eight of 11 counts that went to the jury. Adriana and Andres Camberos were both found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and seven wire fraud counts, and not guilty of three mail fraud counts.
According to evidence presented at trial, the defendants owned and controlled three businesses: Tradeway International, Inc., doing business as Baja Exporting (owned by Adriana Camberos); Specialty Foods International, Inc., doing business as Promix Co., Prison Food Depot, Rehab Food Depot and Specialty Foods International (owned by Andres Camberos); and Baja Foodservice S.R.L. de C.V. (95% owned by Andres Camberos and managed by Adriana Camberos). Specialty Foods International and Baja Exporting shared a warehouse and office space in San Diego. Baja Foodservice had a warehouse in Tijuana. All three operated together, as sister companies.
Baja Exporting claimed to be an exporter of grocery items and consumer goods to Baja California, Mexico. Similarly, Specialty Foods International, claimed to be a regional distributor of groceries and other goods to retailers in Baja California, Mexico, and to correctional facilities and rehabilitation and wellness facilities within the United States. Baja Foodservice likewise claimed to be a regional distributor in Baja California, Mexico.
The defendants used the three companies—especially Baja Foodservice—to tell manufacturers that they would sell the manufacturers’ products in Mexico, and based on that, they received significant discounts for purported sales, distribution, and exporting to the Baja California market. The defendants also sought discounted goods for Specialty Foods International, d/b/a Prison Food Depot and Rehab Food Depot, based on the claim that they sold products to prisons and rehab facilities.
But the defendants lied. In a years-long scheme, they used their three companies to get those lower prices from manufacturers and resell the products at higher prices to U.S. customers—often the same distributors the victim companies were already selling their products to. Between 2019 and September 2023 alone, Baja Exporting and Specialty Foods International sold hundreds of millions of dollars of products to U.S. distributors; less than a tenth of one percent of their sales were to any Mexican retailer or distributor, and they did no business with prisons or rehab centers.
The defendants took other numerous steps to conceal and perpetuate their fraud. For example, the defendants removed GPS tracking devices from manufacturers’ shipments; removed Spanish-language labels or packaging intended for the Mexican market; obtained Mexican customs documents to try to prove to manufacturers that products were being exported; arranged “market visits” in Tijuana, taking manufacturers’ representatives to various stores in Baja California where they placed the manufacturers’ products—often alongside models who were hired by the defendants’ companies and associates—to create the appearance the products were being sold as promised; had a fake “office” in Mexico City to meet with manufacturers, in an effort to make the companies think the defendants did substantial business in Mexico; and otherwise doubled down on their lies when the victim companies suspected the defendants were diverting their products and defrauding them.
Baja Exporting and Specialty Foods International made over $58 million in gross profits between January 2019 and September 2023. As owners, the defendants made millions each. In the same time period, Adriana Camberos took in over $12 million from Baja Exporting, and Andres Camberos paid himself over $14 million from Specialty Foods International. This caused manufacturers to lose tens of millions of dollars—money they would have made in the normal course of selling to U.S. distributors, but for the defendants’ lies.
With the money they made from the scheme, Adriana and Andres Camberos made extensive luxury purchases and investments. They bought or financed a Ferrari F12 Berlinetta, a Lamborghini Huracan, and multiple Range Rovers; purchased multiple homes in the San Diego area; purchased a condominium at the beach in Coronado; and put the money in multiple investment accounts, life insurance policies, a cryptocurrency account, and other assets. These and other items are subject to forfeiture.
“These defendants’ deception led to millions in illegal profits, but the gain was fleeting,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “When this elaborate scheme unraveled, justice prevailed.”
“The Camberos siblings built a multimillion-dollar empire solely on fraud,” said FBI San Diego Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy. “This conviction should send a clear message that fraud — no matter the scale — will be thoroughly investigated and those found guilty of perpetrating such schemes will be brought to justice.”
The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on March 3, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Cynthia Bashant.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Mellor, Peter Horn and Jordan Arakawa.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 23-CR-1916-BAS
Adriana Isabel Camberos (aka Adriana Shayota) Age: 54 San Diego, CA
Andres Enrique Camberos Age: 45 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Commit Mail and Wire Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1349
Maximum Penalty: Twenty years in prison
Wire Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1343
Maximum Penalty: Twenty years in prison
INVESTIGATING AGENCY
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Judge Finds Milwaukee Man Guilty of Sex Trafficking and ArsonRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad announced that on October 28, 2024, United States District Court Judge Lynn Adelman found Bobby McNeil (age 45) guilty of all five counts with which he was charged, which were Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, or Coercion; Arson in Furtherance of a Federal Felony; Arson of a Building/Rental Property; Interstate Transportation for the Purpose of Prostitution; and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Felon. Judge Adelman announced the verdict after a two-day bench trial that concluded on October 16, 2024.
The evidence presented at trial established that between 2021 and 2022, McNeil used force, threats of force, fraud, and coercion to compel an adult female victim to engage in commercial sex acts on the south side of Milwaukee. He also induced the victim to travel from Florida back to Wisconsin to engage in further commercial sex acts. McNeil also committed a retaliatory act of arson by throwing a Molotov cocktail into the home of another adult who attempted to help the female victim get away from McNeil. In rendering his verdict, Judge Adelman pointed to numerous text messages, Facebook messages, and recorded messages the defendant made and sent that corroborated the trafficking victim’s testimony and reflected the defendant’s intentions and violence.
McNeil’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 4, 2025, before Judge Adelman. McNeil faces a maximum life term of imprisonment and a mandatory minimum of 25 years of imprisonment.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Milwaukee Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Abbey M. Marzick and Porchia S. Lewand prosecuted the case.
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Federal Inmate Sentenced to Serve Five Additional Years in Federal Prison for Assaulting Federal Correctional Officer with UrineRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – DEMETRI GOLDSMITH, 26, of Washington D.C., has been sentenced to serve 60 months in federal prison for assaulting a federal officer with urine, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On March 1, 2022, a federal grand jury charged Goldsmith with assaulting a federal officer with physical contact. According to public record, on December 24, 2021, Goldsmith was an inmate at the Federal Transfer Center in Oklahoma City, when he filled a plastic bag with urine and wedged it into the doorframe of his prison cell. Goldsmith called a correctional officer over to his cell door, and then while speaking to the officer, Goldsmith compressed the bag, spraying urine on the officer’s face and body.
Goldsmith pleaded guilty on May 14, 2024, and admitted he assaulted the officer who was in performance of his duties.
At the sentencing hearing on October 24, 2024, U.S. District Judge Bernard M. Jones sentenced Goldsmith to serve 60 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. The court ordered this sentence to run consecutive to his current sentencing, for which Goldsmith is serving a 220-month sentence in prison for Assaulting a Federal Officer with Bodily Injury from the Western District of Louisiana. In announcing the sentence, the Court noted the disgusting and demeaning nature of the crime, and that Goldsmith had thrown bodily fluids on officers repeatedly throughout his incarceration.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Service and the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Nichols and Cedric Bond prosecuted the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
District Election Officers in Nationwide Federal Election Day ProgramRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland –Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced today that Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) Bijon A. Mostoufi and Joseph Wenner will lead the efforts of his Office that support the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024 general election. AUSAs Mostoufi and Wenner have been appointed to serve as the District Election Officers (DEOs) for the District of Maryland, and in that capacity, they are responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints involving voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, all in consultation with the Justice Department in Washington, D.C.
The Department of Justice plays an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud, wherever they may occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.
Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters and provides that they must be able to vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).
U.S. Attorney Barron stated: “Voting is a hallmark of our democracy and an essential right in our State and in this country. My Office is committed to protecting that right and to pursue and prosecute those who discourage or interfere with the exercise of it. I am proud to lead the District of Maryland’s efforts to support the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program.” In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSAs Mostoufi and Wenner will be on duty in Maryland while the polls are open. AUSAs Mostoufi and Wenner can be reached at 301-344-4433. Any allegation of election fraud or voting rights violations will be reviewed in consultation with state and federal authorities where appropriate, and we will pursue any case that warrants prosecution.”
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 410-265-8080.Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ .
Protecting the right to vote, prosecuting election fraud, 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 on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.# # #
Delaware Precious Metals Depository Owner Convicted of Mail, Wire and Tax FraudRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced that a federal jury convicted a West Chester, Pennsylvania man on October 24, 2024, on charges of Mail, Wire and Tax Fraud. U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika accepted the verdict and detained the defendant pending sentencing at the government’s request.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Robert Higgins, age 69, owned and operated First State Depository, a precious metals depository located in Wilmington, Delaware. First State Depository held over $100 million in customer assets, primarily in the form of gold and silver bars and coins. According to evidence presented at the trial, Higgins diverted customer assets to pay debts and finance his personal life, including two timeshares in Hawaii and luxury vacations. First State Depository’s records indicated that at least $58 million worth of customer assets had been misappropriated. Industry sources generally agree that this is the largest theft from a precious metals depository in U.S. history.
U.S. Attorney Weiss stated, “The jury found that Mr. Higgins defrauded his customers by repeatedly lying to and stealing from them over a 10-year period. Mr. Higgins used his customers’ gold and silver as if their precious metals were his own, and at the same time failed to declare and pay his fair share of taxes on his income. By the end of his scheme, over $50 million in customers’ precious metals was gone. In some instances, victims lost their entire hard-earned life savings because of Mr. Higgins’ theft and fraud. I want to commend the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI) for working tirelessly to bring Mr. Higgins to justice.”
“The level of deceit and greed revealed by this investigation is staggering. With his conviction, Robert Higgins will now be held accountable for the lies he told and the millions he stole from swindling his customers,” said FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno. “The FBI and our partners at the United States Attorney's Office and IRS Criminal Investigation Division remain steadfast in our commitment to combating corruption and making sure criminals like Higgins are brought to justice.”
“Anyone contemplating cheating on their taxes should know that IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agents work tirelessly, year-round, to investigate tax and financial crimes,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Amy MacNeely. "Our largest enforcement program is directed at the portion of American taxpayers who willfully and intentionally violate their known legal duty of filing and paying their taxes."
Higgins faces a maximum penalty of 20 years on the wire and mail fraud charges and 5 years on each tax fraud charge A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case was investigated by the FBI and IRS-CI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander Ibrahim, Edmond Falgowski, and Bryan Williamson are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-44.
Delaware Man Sentenced to a Year and a Day in Prison for Defrauding City of Philadelphia in the Purchase, Sale of Three Point Breeze PropertiesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Felton Hayman, 54, of Wilmington, Delaware, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Mark A. Kearney to 12 months and a day in prison and three years of supervised release for defrauding the City of Philadelphia of almost $150,000. Hayman was also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine, $149,000 in restitution to the City, forfeiture of $100,000, and a $300 special assessment.
In July 2023, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against the defendant, charging him with three counts of wire fraud. Hayman pleaded guilty to all charges in April of this year.
From approximately July 2014 through approximately September 2018, Hayman devised and willfully participated in a scheme to obtain money and property from the City of Philadelphia – specifically, real estate located in and owned by the City – by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises.
The defendant used his longtime friendship with a Philadelphia city councilmember to obtain three vacant city properties at below-market prices, based on a promise that Hayman would build affordable housing on the lots. Hayman, however, never intended to develop affordable housing on any of the three sites. Instead, he planned to sell the properties as quickly as he obtained them, in order to make a profit.
Hayman’s scheme largely succeeded. In late August 2018, his construction company, Hayman Construction, purchased the vacant properties located at 1200 South Bucknell Street, 2040 Titan Street, and 2046 Titan Streets for a total of $101,000.
Less than a month later, Hayman sold the Titan Street properties for approximately $115,000 apiece. Hayman also entered into a separate agreement to sell the South Bucknell Street property for $150,000, but that deal fell apart, despite Hayman’s efforts to further defraud city officials about the nature of that sale.
In total, Hayman profited by at least $165,000 from his fraud, with the loss to the City of Philadelphia estimated to be $149,000.
“Felton Hayman got a steal of a deal on these lots because he promised to build affordable housing,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “But his plan all along was to flip the properties for a quick and tidy profit — he advertised them for sale before even holding title! Hayman defrauded the City and people of Philadelphia, purely out of greed, and my office and the FBI will continue to work to hold fraudsters like him accountable.”
“Under false pretenses, this defendant sought and succeeded in buying properties from the City of Philadelphia and used the proceeds to line his own pockets,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Today’s sentencing shows, we at the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office will pursue crimes of corruption that impact our city.”
This case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Dubnoff.
Defendants with Ties to White Supremacy Sentenced in Connection with Plot to Destroy Energy FacilitiesRead the Press Release
The fifth of five defendants charged with targeting an energy facility was sentenced today.
Jordan Duncan, 29, of Bailey, North Carolina was sentenced today to seven years in prison for manufacturing a short barrel rifle in violation of the National Firearms Act. Joseph Maurino, 25, of Manalapan, New Jersey, was sentenced on Oct. 25. Paul James Kryscuk, 38, of Boise, Idaho, Liam Collins, 25, of Johnston, Rhode Island, and Justin Wade Hermanson, 25, of Swansboro, North Carolina, were sentenced in July. Duncan, Collins, and Hermanson are former Marines who were previously assigned to Camp Lejeune.
“We have now brought to justice all five of the defendants involved in a self-described ‘modern day SS,’ who conspired, prepared, and trained to attack America’s power grid in the name of violent white supremacist ideology,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department is aggressively investigating, disrupting, and prosecuting these kinds of hate-fueled plots that seek to sow violence and chaos and endanger our national security.”
“This NCIS-led investigation has been crucial in dismantling a domestic terrorist cell intent on targeting innocent people and destroying critical infrastructure,” said NCIS Director Omar Lopez. “The tireless efforts of NCIS, our dedicated law enforcement partners, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office demonstrate our commitment to ensuring that those who conspire to undermine our national security are thoroughly investigated and held accountable.”
“There is no place for hate in America,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “The Department of Homeland Security is proud to support the whole-of-government, and in fact whole-of-society, effort to disrupt acts of hate-fueled violence and bring the perpetrators to justice. Every single day, Special Agents of Homeland Security Investigations bring tremendous dedication, bravery, and skill to this vital mission, and our whole country is safer for their service — because whenever one community is targeted by an act of hate, we are all the victims.”
“Today’s sentencing is the final step in holding accountable five men who were planning to attack an energy facility and were inspired by racially motivated violent extremism,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “If the defendants had been able to carry out an attack it could have caused suffering to thousands of American citizens. The FBI is committed to detecting and stopping such acts and will continue to work with prosecutors to see justice is served in such cases.”
“Driven by a white supremacist ideology, these defendants set out to terrorize the nation by targeting America’s power grid, aiming to create chaos, instill fear, and put countless innocent lives at risk,” said Director Steven Dettelbach of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “The sentences handed down reflect not only the depravity of their intentions but also ATF’s steadfast commitment—alongside our law enforcement partners—to protect our nation from extremist threats and violent attacks, regardless of the motives behind them.”
“HSI, along with its law enforcement partners, keep the safety and security of the American public at the forefront of our actions,” said Executive Associate Director Katrina W. Berger of Homeland Security Investigations. “This case sends a clear message to those who wrongfully believe they can plot in the shadows undetected; they will be caught and there will be consequences.”
“Attacks on our critical infrastructure pose a threat to all Americans,” said U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley Jr. for the Eastern District of North Carolina. “We will relentlessly pursue anyone who seeks to destabilize our national security and institutions through hate-fueled violence.”
Kryscuk was sentenced to six years and six months in prison for conspiracy to destroy an energy facility. Collins was sentenced to 10 years in prison for aiding and abetting the interstate transportation of unregistered firearms. Hermanson and Maurino were each sentenced to one year and nine months in prison for conspiracy to manufacture firearms and ship interstate.
Previously filed charges alleged that Collins and Kryscuk were members of and made multiple posts on the “Iron March” forum, a gathering point for young neo-Nazis to organize and recruit for extremist organizations, until the forum was closed in late 2017. Collins and Kryscuk met through the forum and expanded their group using an encrypted messaging application as an alternate means of communication outside of the forum. Collins and Kryscuk recruited additional members, including Duncan, Hermanson, and Maurino.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, the group researched, discussed, and reviewed at length a previous attack on the power grid by an unknown group who used assault-style rifles in an attempt to explode a power substation. Between 2017 and 2020, Kryscuk manufactured firearms while Collins stole military gear, including magazines for assault-style rifles, and had them delivered to the other defendants. During that time, Duncan, gathered a library of information, some military-owned, regarding firearms, explosives, and nerve toxins and shared that information with Kryscuk and Collins. Members of the group went on to conduct training, including a live-fire training in the desert near Boise. From video footage recorded by the members during the training, Kryscuk, Duncan, and others produced a montage video of their training. In the video, the participants are seen firing short barrel rifles and other assault-type rifles, and the end of the propaganda video shows the four participants outfitted in AtomWaffen masks giving the “Heil Hitler” sign, beneath the image of a black sun, a Nazi symbol. The last frame bears the phrase, “Come home white man.”
In October 2020, during his arrest, a handwritten list of approximately one dozen intersections and places in Idaho and surrounding states was discovered in Kryscuk’s possession, including intersections and/or places containing a transformer, substation, or other component of the power grid for the northwest United States. Prior to their arrests, Collins and Duncan had relocated to Idaho from North Carolina and Texas, respectively, to be near Kryscuk.
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and ATF investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barbara Kocher and Gabriel Diaz for the Eastern District of North Carolina and Trial Attorney John Cella of the National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Idaho, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, and District of Rhode Island.
Defendants with Ties to White Supremacy Sentenced in Connection with Plot to Destroy Energy FacilitiesRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – The fifth of five defendants charged with targeting an energy facility has been sentenced. The combined sentences total 324 months in prison. Jordan Duncan, 29, was sentenced to 84 months in prison for manufacturing a short barrel rifle in violation of the National Firearms Act. Previously, co-defendant Liam Collins, 25, was sentenced to 120 months for interstate transportation of a short barrel rifle, Paul James Kryscuk, 38, was sentenced to 78 months for conspiracy to damage an energy facility, and both Joseph Maurino, 25, and Justin Wade Hermanson, 25, were sentenced to 21 months in prison for conspiracy to manufacture firearms for criminal purposes. Duncan, Collins, and Hermanson are former Marines who were previously assigned to Camp Lejeune.
“We have now brought to justice all five of the defendants involved in a self-described ‘modern day SS,’ who conspired, prepared, and trained to attack America’s power grid in the name of violent white supremacist ideology,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department is aggressively investigating, disrupting, and prosecuting these kinds of hate-fueled plots that seek to sow violence and chaos and endanger our national security.”
“Attacks on our critical infrastructure pose a threat to all Americans,” said U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. “We will relentlessly pursue anyone who seeks to destabilize our national security and institutions through hate-fueled violence.”
“This NCIS-led investigation has been crucial in dismantling a domestic terrorist cell intent on targeting innocent people and destroying critical infrastructure,” said NCIS Director Omar Lopez. “The tireless efforts of NCIS, our dedicated law enforcement partners, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office demonstrate our commitment to ensuring that those who conspire to undermine our national security are thoroughly investigated and held accountable.”
“There is no place for hate in America,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “The Department of Homeland Security is proud to support the whole-of-government, and in fact whole-of-society, effort to disrupt acts of hate-fueled violence and bring the perpetrators to justice. Every single day, Special Agents of Homeland Security Investigations bring tremendous dedication, bravery, and skill to this vital mission, and our whole country is safer for their service — because whenever one community is targeted by an act of hate, we are all the victims.”
“Today’s sentencing is the final step in holding accountable five men who were planning to attack an energy facility and were inspired by racially motivated violent extremism,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “If the defendants had been able to carry out an attack it could have caused suffering to thousands of American citizens. The FBI is committed to detecting and stopping such acts and will continue to work with prosecutors to see justice is served in such cases.”
“Driven by a white supremacist ideology, these defendants set out to terrorize the nation by targeting America’s power grid, aiming to create chaos, instill fear, and put countless innocent lives at risk,” said Director Steven Dettelbach of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “The sentences handed down reflect not only the depravity of their intentions but also ATF’s steadfast commitment—alongside our law enforcement partners—to protect our nation from extremist threats and violent attacks, regardless of the motives behind them.”
“HSI, along with its law enforcement partners, keep the safety and security of the American public at the forefront of our actions,” said Executive Associate Director Katrina W. Berger of Homeland Security Investigations. “This case sends a clear message to those who wrongfully believe they can plot in the shadows undetected; they will be caught and there will be consequences.”
Previously filed charges alleged that Collins and Kryscuk were members of and made multiple posts on the “Iron March” forum, a gathering point for young neo-Nazis to organize and recruit for extremist organizations, until the forum was closed in late 2017. Collins and Kryscuk met through the forum and expanded their group using an encrypted messaging application as an alternate means of communication outside of the forum. Collins and Kryscuk recruited additional members, including Duncan, Hermanson, and Maurino.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, the group researched, discussed, and reviewed at length a previous attack on the power grid by an unknown group who used assault-style rifles in an attempt to explode a power substation. Between 2017 and 2020, Kryscuk manufactured firearms while Collins stole military gear, including magazines for assault-style rifles, and had them delivered to the other defendants. During that time, Duncan, gathered a library of information, some military-owned, regarding firearms, explosives, and nerve toxins and shared that information with Kryscuk and Collins. Members of the group went on to conduct training, including a live-fire training in the desert near Boise, Idaho. From video footage recorded by the members during the training, Kryscuk, Duncan, and others produced a montage video of their training. In the video, the participants are seen firing short barrel rifles and other assault-type rifles, and the end of the propaganda video shows the four participants outfitted in AtomWaffen masks giving the “Heil Hitler” sign, beneath the image of a black sun, a Nazi symbol. The last frame bears the phrase, “Come home white man.”
In October 2020, during his arrest, a handwritten list of approximately one dozen intersections and places in Idaho and surrounding states was discovered in Kryscuk’s possession, including intersections and/or places containing a transformer, substation, or other component of the power grid for the northwest United States. Prior to their arrests, Collins and Duncan had relocated to Idaho from North Carolina and Texas, respectively, to be near Kryscuk.
Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the FBI Salt Lake City and Charlotte Field Offices with assistance from Fields Offices in Boston, New York, and Newark, the Boise Police Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barbara Kocher and Gabriel Diaz of the Eastern District of North Carolina and Trial Attorney John Cella of the Justice Department’s National Security Division prosecuted the case, with assistance from Assistant United States Attorneys for the District of Idaho, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, and the District of Rhode Island.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:20-CR-167-M.
Court Sentences Fentanyl Trafficker to 37 Months ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – On October 22, 2024, United States District Court Judge William H. Steele sentenced Victoria Wyman to 37 months imprisonment for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl.
Documents filed with the court established that beginning in or around July 2023 and continuing to or about December 8, 2023, Victoria Wyman conspired with others to distribute fentanyl pills throughout the Mobile area.
Wyman was indicted for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and pled guilty to the charge. United States District Court Judge William H. Steele sentenced Wyman to 37 months in prison followed by a 5-year term of supervised release.U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica S. Terrill prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Colombian Citizen Sentenced to 41 Months for Illegally Exporting Firearms from Florida to ColombiaRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell has sentenced Jorge Giovanny Gonzalez-Lopez (42, Colombia) to 41 months in prison for conspiring to smuggle firearms from the United States to Colombia. Gonzalez-Lopez was also sentenced to a 3-year term of supervised release. Gonzalez-Lopez was extradited from Colombia to the United States in February 2024, and has been in custody since that time. Gonzalez-Lopez pled guilty on July 11, 2024.
According to court documents, Gonzalez-Lopez is a citizen of Colombia who traveled to Florida in late 2017 and again in early 2018, and aided and abetted by others, acquired firearms, including several types of assault rifles, then illegally exported them from Clearwater, Tampa and Kissimmee, Florida, to Colombia. Gonzalez-Lopez and his co-conspirators attempted to obliterate the serial numbers on some of the firearms so that they could not be traced. Neither Gonzalez-Lopez nor his co-conspirators applied for or obtained the necessary licenses for exporting defense articles as required by federal law.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Colombia’s Policía Fiscal y Aduanera (POLFA), a unit of the National Police of Colombia. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá worked with Colombian authorities to secure the arrest and extradition of Gonzalez-Lopez. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney E. Jackson Boggs, Jr.
Chicopee Man Sentenced to over 12 Years in Prison for Robbing and Assaulting a Confidential InformantRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Chicopee man was sentenced on Oct. 25, 2024 in federal court in Springfield for robbing and assaulting a confidential informant using a firearm.
Hector Laureano, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 147 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In July 2024, Laureano pleaded guilty to one count of assaulting with a dangerous weapon a person assisting an officer or employee of the United States in performance of official duties; one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence; and one count of robbery of money of the United States. Laureano was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2023.
On May 4, 2023, Laureano intentionally assaulted a confidential informant performing official duties. Laureano allegedly used of a Cobra Model .380 caliber pistol to rob a confidential informant of $1,400 belonging to the United States.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd E. Newhouse of the Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Braintree Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A member of a nationwide drug trafficking ring was sentenced on Oct. 25, 2024 in federal court in Boston for drug trafficking and money laundering. During the investigation, over 160 pounds of pure methamphetamine, as well as an AK-47, a Glock with no serial number, two loaded Smith & Wesson handguns and over 4,200 rounds of ammunition were seized. An illegal marijuana grow operation with hundreds of marijuana plants was also dismantled.
Patrick O’Hearn, 64, of Braintree was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 15 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. In March 2024, O’Hearn pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, as well as one count of money laundering conspiracy and one count of money laundering.
O’Hearn was charged along with 10 others in September 2021 in a 15 count superseding indictment.
O’Hearn was part of a large-scale methamphetamine distribution network that distributed significant quantities of pure methamphetamine throughout New England. The investigation began in late 2020, when O’Hearn’s methamphetamine supplier Reshat Alkayisi was identified as a large-scale methamphetamine trafficker, who distributed multi-pound quantities to customers throughout the New England area. O’Hearn was subsequently identified as one of Alkayisi’s regular large-scale distributors who routinely purchased methamphetamine and redistributed it throughout the Boston area. Bank records indicated that O’Hearn paid Alkayisi at least $100,000 between January and July 2021. O’Hearn also purchased over $465,000 worth of methamphetamine from Alkayisi between January and May 2021.
O’Hearn conspired with Alkayisi to launder their drug proceeds. As part of that money laundering conspiracy, Alkayisi used O’Hearn’s residence as the address for his shell company that he used to launder drug proceeds.
In July 2021, O’Hearn was arrested and over 680 grams of pure methamphetamine was seized, as well as small quantities of cocaine, ketamine, MDMA and other controlled substances from O’Hearn’s residence. Over $213,000 in cash was also found in O’Hearn’s residence and in bank safe deposit boxes.
Alkayisi pleaded guilty in April 2024 and in September 2024 sentenced to 23 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. O’Hearn is the 10th defendant to be sentenced in the case. The remaining defendant has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts Department of Correction; Norfolk County Sherriff’s Office; and Concord, Hudson, Peabody, Reading, Watertown and Waltham Police Departments. Assistance was also provided by the Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Maine State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alathea Porter and Katherine Ferguson of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Beckley Man Sentenced for COVID-19 Relief FraudRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Mark William Bailey, 51, of Beckley, was sentenced on Friday, October 25, 2024, to five years of federal probation, including one year on home detention, and ordered to pay $451,237.51 in restitution for theft of government monies. Bailey admitted to stealing approximately $451,237.51 in COVID-19 relief loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Bailey has fully paid the restitution and an additional $451,237.98 as a civil penalty to settle False Claims Act allegations.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 10, 2020, Bailey was the sole owner and president of RMR Delivery Service Inc. when he obtained an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) for $150,000. The EIDL program was created by the CARES Act for eligible small businesses experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. EIDL proceeds can only be used on certain permissible business expenses, which can include payment of fixed business debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other business-related expenses that could have been paid had the COVID-19 disaster not occurred.
Bailey sought two modifications of his EIDL, increasing the loan amount first to $500,000 and then to $2 million. To obtain each modification, Bailey certified that RMR Delivery Service Inc. would use all loan proceeds solely as working capital to alleviate economic injury caused by the pandemic. Bailey admitted that he fraudulently used approximately $403,768.04 of the EIDL proceeds for his own personal benefit from about March 1, 2022 through about October 20, 2022. Among other personal uses, Bailey purchased a garage and a personal vehicle with the EIDL proceeds.
In or around April 2020, Bailey also applied for and received a $110,032 loan through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Also created by the CARES Act for qualifying small businesses, PPP loans were for job retention and certain other business expenses. Bailey admitted that he misappropriated $47,469.47 of the PPP loan to pay his personal mortgage on or about June 4, 2020.
“Mr. Bailey was required to pay not only full restitution but also an equally substantial civil penalty, which represents another tool to bring to justice those who stole COVID-19 relief funds during a national emergency,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “The outcome in this case sends a message to others throughout West Virginia and the United States who are or were engaged in pandemic relief fraud schemes that the consequences for such conduct are serious.”
Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Office of Inspector General (NASA OIG), the United States Secret Service, the West Virginia State Police-Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI) and the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU).
NASA OIG is an active member of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Fraud Task Force. The PRAC was established to promote transparency and facilitate coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC’s 20 member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending, including spending via the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. This case was also supported by the PRAC’s Pandemic Analytics Center of Excellence, which applies the latest advances in analytic and forensic technologies to help OIGs and law enforcement pursue data-driven pandemic relief fraud investigations.
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes prosecuted the case.
The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who suffered the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. 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, among other methods, 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.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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. 5:23-cr-131.
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Beaumont felon guilty of federal firearms violationRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Beaumont man has pleaded guilty to a federal firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today.
Brian Keith Murphy, 32, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm before U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on October 28, 2024.
According to information presented in court, on August 11, 2024, law enforcement officers received a call of shots fired near a gas station on Concord Avenue in Beaumont. As officers were being dispatched to the scene, the Beaumont Police Department was able to view a live stream of the shooting through their “Real-Time-Crime Center.” Officers monitoring the live stream were able to witness the shooter fire multiple shots near vehicles and individuals in the parking lot. Through coordination with officers monitoring the live stream and officers on scene, law enforcement was able to identify the vehicle the shooter had fled in. The vehicle was stopped, and Murphy was identified as the shooter. Two firearms were recovered from the vehicle Murphy was fleeing in, one of which was the firearm Murphy used in the shooting. Murphy was on federal supervised release at the time for a previous conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Possessing a firearm by previously convicted felons is prohibited under federal law.
Murphy was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 4, 2024. Murphy faces up to 15 years in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing 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 U.S. Probation Office.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Beaumont Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell James.
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Assistant United States Attorney Dan Fruchter Receives ‘Honest Abe Integrity in Government Award’Read the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – United States Attorney, Vanessa Waldref announced Assistant United Attorney (AUSA) Dan Fruchter received the 2024 “Honest Abe Integrity in Government” award from the Taxpayers Against Fraud Coalition.
This award recognizes dedication to public service and a commitment to False Claims Act enforcement and the whistleblowers who make these cases possible. When announcing the award, the TAF Coalition called AUSA Fruchter, “a master tradesman of False Claims Act enforcement.”
Taxpayers Against Fraud CoalitionAUSA Fruchter is the Chief of the Fraud & White-Collar Crime Unit for the Eastern District of Washington. Throughout his career, he has led the prosecution of hundreds of fraud cases, spanning a wide range of subjects including procurement fraud, health care fraud, and pandemic relief fraud. AUSA Fruchter is a life-long public servant and passionate advocate for whistleblowers.
Under his leadership, the Eastern District of Washington has expanded its health care fraud practice, focusing its efforts on patient safety and justice. Last year, as part of a $29 Million settlement with Lincare Holding, Inc to address claims that Lincare submitted to Medicare and Medicare Advantage, in what is believed to be a first-of-a-kind False Claims Act settlement, Lincare also agreed to identify and repay Medicare beneficiaries who were overcharged co-pays. Pursuant to this provision, as of September 2024, Lincare has refunded payments to 4,917 patients for a total of $976,137.
AUSA Fruchter also spearheaded the Eastern District of Washington’s innovative and nationally-recognized COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force, which was launched in Spring 2022. The Strike Force brings together 15 federal agencies with a team of prosecutors to quickly respond to investigative leads. Since it was launched, the Strike Force has charged 35 defendants, secured 20 criminal convictions, 4 civil settlements, and recovered more than $30 million in settlements, seizures, and restitution judgments.
One qui tam filed by a whistleblower tenant resulted in a settlement of over $300,000 with All Star Property Management to resolve claims that they falsely and fraudulently claimed hundreds of thousands of dollars in rent assistance intended to benefit struggling renters during the COVD-19 pandemic. The legal aid organization that brought the case, Northwest Justice Project, produced a short video about the case featuring the whistleblower and AUSA Fruchter.
“No matter the shape or scope of the scheme, Assistant United States Attorney Dan Fruchter is tireless in his pursuit to fight for the underdog and hold fraudsters accountable,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “AUSA Fruchter has cemented the Eastern District of Washington as a district of choice for whistleblowers and relator’s counsel due to his strategic and tenacious approach to fighting fraud and white-collar crime. This award is a well-deserved honor.”
Arson and Cell Phone Threats Land Del City Man in Federal Prison for 10 YearsRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – ALLEN JAMES BULLOCK, 43, of Del City, has been sentenced to serve 120 months in federal prison for interstate transmission of threatening communications and arson, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On March 19, 2024, a federal grand jury returned a two-count Superseding Indictment against Bullock, charging him with interstate transmission of threatening communications and arson. On May 21, 2024, a federal jury found Bullock guilty on both counts.
Evidence presented at trial indicated that in the early morning hours of November 14, 2023, the Del City Fire Department extinguished a fire at a nearby apartment complex. The fire was contained to the entrance of the apartment and did not spread further. The tenant of the apartment was not home at the time and told authorities he believed Bullock may have started the fire. The victim worked with Bullock’s wife and claimed that just hours before the fire, Bullock called and threatened the victim several times because the victim gifted a shirt to Bullock’s wife. Cell phone records show that Bullock did call the victim multiple times the night of the fire, and an analysis of surveillance footage shows Bullock arriving at the victim’s apartment complex shortly before the fire was set. Surveillance footage also shows that Bullock visited a nearby gas station to purchase $.50 of gasoline minutes before the fire, and expert testimony at trial confirmed that debris samples from the fire tested positive for the presence of gasoline.
At the sentencing hearing on October 24, 2024, U.S. District Judge Jodi W. Dishman sentenced Bullock to serve 10 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing the sentence, the Court noted the serious nature of these offenses, including issuing threatening communications and setting an apartment unit on fire. It further noted that both offenses involved victims and that the fire could have involved additional victims, which include other residents of the apartment complex, had the Del City Fire Department not intervened in a timely manner. The Court also noted that Bullock has some significant criminal history, including violent offenses.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Del City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stan J. West and Matt Dillon prosecuted the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Agriculture Product Producer Sentenced for Violating Federal Hazardous Waste LawRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — AMVAC Chemical Corporation was sentenced today to three years of probation time and a $400,000 fine for violating the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the federal hazardous waste law.
According to court documents, AMVAC is a California corporation formed in 1945, which manufactures and distributes fungicide, defoliant, insecticide, herbicide, molluscicide, fumigant and pesticide products. AMVAC owned and operated a facility in Axis, Alabama, where it made pesticides to distribute and sell in the United States and other countries. In 2006, AMVAC purchased the Thimet pesticide product line from another company. The active ingredient in Thimet was Phorate. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identified waste Phorate to be an acute hazardous waste under the RCRA.
AMVAC sold and shipped Thimet in reusable containers that it would ship back to its production facility in Axis. The reusable containers would contain small quantities of Thimet. In 2015, AMVAC arranged for the return from Australia of 1,080 reusable containers that had been used for Thimet and contained Thimet residue with Phorate, which the EPA had not authorized to be reformulated into a pesticide. AMVAC directed its transporter to complete an import declaration form called “Notice of Arrival Pesticides and Devices,” for these containers. AMVAC stated the Thimet from Australia was “not registered” with EPA and described disposal as the purpose for the importation into the United States from Australia.
The containers with waste Thimet arrived at the Port of Savannah in Georgia and were picked up by a transporter hired by AMVAC to move them to a warehouse in Saraland, Alabama, used by AMVAC. AMVAC did not notify its transporter that the containers held hazardous waste nor did AMVAC cause a hazardous waste manifest to be created for the transportation of the waste Thimet, in violation of RCRA.Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello for the Southern District of Alabama and Acting Special Agent in Charge Leslie Carrol of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division made the announcement.
EPA investigated the case.
Senior Counsel Kris Dighe of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crime Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Anderson for the Southern District of Alabama prosecuted the case.
25 October 2024
Windsor Mill Woman Sentenced to over Five Years’ Imprisonment in Connection with Conspiracy Involving Fraudulently Obtaining and Attempting to Obtain More Than $3 Million in Covid-19 Cares Act LoansRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – On October 23, 2024, Tomeka Glenn, a/k/a “Tomeka Harris” and “Tomeka Davis,” age 47, of Windsor Mill, Maryland, was sentenced by United States District Judge Richard D. Bennett to 65 months’ imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release in connection with her conviction on conspiracy to commit wire fraud relating to the submission of millions of dollars in fraudulent COVID-19 CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan applications. Judge Bennett also directed Glenn to pay restitution in the amount of $3,016,275.62.
Glenn’s co-defendant Kevin Davis, age 43, also of Windsor Mill, Maryland, pleaded guilty on January 25, 2024 to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Judge Bennett on May 22, 2024 sentenced him to 24 months’ imprisonment.
The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge William J. Delbagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Robert McCullough of the Baltimore County Police Department.
Financial assistance offered through the CARES Act included forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the Paycheck Protection Program, administered through the Small Business Administration (“SBA”). The SBA also offered an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and/or an EIDL advance to help businesses meet their financial obligations. An EIDL advance did not have to be repaid, and small businesses could receive an advance, even if they were not approved for an EIDL loan. The maximum advance amount was $10,000.
According to Glenn’s plea agreement, beginning in June 2020 and continuing through March 2021, Glenn and various co-conspirators prepared numerous false and fraudulent EIDL and PPP loan applications for various businesses (including some that did not exist in any legitimate capacity) that included false information concerning, among other things, number of employees, monthly payroll costs, and revenue. The PPP applications also routinely included false and fraudulent Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) tax forms and bank statements, which were submitted by Glenn to substantiate the false representations made in the applications.
Glenn admitted that she received kickback payments from the loan borrowers in exchange for her assistance in connection with the submission of fraudulent PPP and EIDL applications, ultimately receiving more than $400,000 in kickbacks in connection with the scheme. These kickbacks typically amounted to 10% to 20% of the loan amount. In total, the kickback scheme resulted in the disbursement of at least $2,715,649.12 in fraudulently obtained PPP and EIDL funds in connection with 23 fraudulent PPP and EIDL loans.
According to Glenn’s plea agreement, Glenn and Davis, received $300,726.50 in PPP/EIDL funds for various entities that they controlled, and Glenn attempted to obtain $601,511.20 in additional fraudulent PPP and EIDL funds too.
Glenn used the fraudulently obtained funds to pay for a luxury vacation at a resort in Jamaica, to purchase a 2021 Mercedes-Benz S580 sedan valued at $148,171.60, to buy thousands of dollars in luxury jewelry, as well as numerous other luxury goods, including items from Luis Vuitton, Neiman Marcus, Dior, Cartier, Gucci, Chanel, and Hermes.
At the time of her scheme, neither Glenn nor Davis had any legitimate source of income, and in May 2020, each applied for unemployment insurance benefits in the State of Maryland. In addition, as detailed in Davis and Glenn’s plea agreements, on January 6, 2023, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at their residence. Davis and Glenn were present at the residence at the time of the search and were arrested in connection with the fraudulent COVID-19 CARES Act loans. According to Davis’s plea agreement, during the execution of the search warrant, law enforcement found and seized four firearms loaded with ammunition—a 9mm firearm, and three .40 caliber firearms. Later investigation revealed that one of the .40 caliber firearms had earlier been reported stolen by its owner. As further detailed in Davis’s plea, the firearms were hidden by Davis in the air ducts of the residence: two firearms were hidden in the main bedroom air duct where Davis slept and kept his personal effects; the other two firearms were in the air duct of the bathroom closets to the main bedroom. Moreover, two of the firearms were further stuffed in socks in an attempt to hide them. Davis admitted that he possessed and secreted the firearms in the air ducts of his home (and in the socks) in an attempt to conceal them from law enforcement after learning that federal agents had a warrant to search his home. As admitted to at his plea, Davis’s concealment of the firearms constitutes attempted obstruction of the administration of justice with respect to the investigation. Each of the four firearms recovered from Davis’s home on January 6, 2023 were later found to have his DNA on them. A later review of Davis’s iCloud account revealed the existence of, among other things, a series of videos depicting Davis handling firearms, including a shotgun and an assault rifle. Davis knew that his previous felony conviction prohibited him from possessing firearms or ammunition.
As part of their plea agreements, Glenn and Davis will be required to forfeit their interest in any assets derived from or obtained by them as a result of, or used to facilitate the commission of, their illegal activities. Specifically, Glenn is required to forfeit a money judgment in the amount of at least $700,726.50; the 2021 Mercedes-Benz; cash in bank accounts she controlled that were held in the names of business entities; and jewelry, including her 3.03 carat yellow diamond engagement ring, Rolex, Cartier and Breitling watches, and a Diamond Miami Cuban Link Chain with 31.5 carats of VS1 diamonds. Davis must forfeit the firearms and ammunition.
The District of Maryland 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, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. 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.
For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
U.S. Attorney Barron commended the FBI, the SBA-OIG, and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Riley, who is prosecuting the case. He also recognized the assistance of the Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force Paralegal Specialist Joanna B.N. Huber and Paralegal Specialist Juliette Jarman.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao/md.
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Waterbury Man Sentenced to More Than 4 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Drug Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JESUS MALDONADO, also known as “Zeus,” 34, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 51 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking narcotics.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI’s Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task Force and other law enforcement agencies investigated two drug trafficking organizations based in the city of Waterbury. One organization operated in the area of William Street and the other operated in the area of Maple Avenue. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones, video surveillance, GPS tracking of vehicles, and numerous controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that the two organizations distributed cocaine, crack, and fentanyl through a network of sellers. The organizations shared sources of supply and worked together to further their operations.
During the investigation, Maldonado, who was involved in the William Street organization, was intercepted multiple times over a wiretap discussing the distribution of narcotics. On November 16, 2023, he was captured on video engaging in a 500-gram cocaine transaction.
Seventeen individuals were charged with federal offenses as a result of the investigation. Maldonado and several codefendants were arrested on November 29, 2023. In association with the arrests, investigators executed multiple search warrants and seized approximately 700 grams of crack cocaine, more than 900 vials (“caps”) of crack, approximately 200 grams of loose fentanyl, more than 1,600 dose bags of fentanyl/heroin, two stolen firearms, numerous rounds of ammunition, and more than $39,000 in cash.
Maldonado has been detained since his arrest. On June 24, 2024, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
The FBI’s Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task includes members from the FBI, the Waterbury Police Department, the Naugatuck Police Department, and the Connecticut Department of Correction. The DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Connecticut State Police, Wolcott Police Department, and Meriden Police Department have assisted the investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Freismuth and Shan Patel through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the Waterbury State Attorney’s Office for its cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this case.
Washington doctor settles allegations he submitted false claims to federal healthcare programsRead the Press Release
Seattle – The U.S. Department of Justice today resolved allegations that Dr. Joseph Upton, of Bellevue, Washington, caused the submission of false claims to Medicare, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Dr. Upton agreed to pay $65,680 to resolve the matter. Of the settlement amount, $32,840 is restitution and the rest is a penalty under the False Claims Act.
According to the settlement agreement, the United States alleges that between August 1, 2018, and April 30, 2019, Dr. Upton engaged in conduct that resulted in the submission of false claims to the Medicare program. Specifically, in connection with his work for a purported telemedicine company known as REMN, Dr. Upton signed durable medical equipment and genetic testing orders for Medicare beneficiaries, despite never examining or speaking with the patients or confirming that the orders were medically necessary and reasonable as required by Medicare.
“Our federal health care system relies on the basic principle that providers must bill properly and follow the rules, and the taxpayers who fund the Medicare and Medicaid programs deserve nothing less,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven J. Ryan of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “We are committed to protecting the integrity of federal health care programs, including investigating schemes that seek to undermine the legitimate delivery of telehealth services.”
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
The matter was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Burns and investigated by the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS-OIG).
Wapato Man Who Attempted to Avoid Arrest and Pointed Loaded Gun at Federal Officers Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Yakima, Washington – On October 24, 2024, United States District Judge James L. Robart sentenced Leo John Yallup, age 38, of Wapato, Washington, to 10 years in federal prison for assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon. Judge Robart also imposed 3 years of supervised release.
According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, on March 2, 2023, four officers with a U.S. Marshals Service task force traveled to a house at 1161 Donald Wapato Road, in Wapato, Washington, to arrest Yallup on an outstanding warrant.
When Yallup saw the officers pull into his driveway, he took off running behind the house, pursued by the officers. At the back of the property, Yallup drew a firearm and pointed it at the officers. One of the officers fired his service weapon, hitting Yallup in the head, causing him to fall to the ground.
Officers handcuffed Yallup and began to render medical aid. During this process, officers turned Yallup on his back. As officers turned him over, they saw Yallup had been lying on the weapon he pointed at officers. The gun was loaded and had a live round in the chamber. Officers also discovered Yallup was armed with a second weapon in a shoulder holster.
“Mr. Yallup attempted to escape arrest, and in the process, pointed a loaded gun at federal officers, putting their lives, and the lives of others, at great risk,” stated Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington. “I am grateful for the brave men and women of law enforcement who put their lives on the line everyday to keep our communities safe and strong. My office will continue to hold offenders accountable to who threaten the safety of those who protect and serve the people of Eastern Washington.”
“A law enforcement officer does not want to shoot someone.” said Kelly M. Smith, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “However, Mr. Yallup left no other option when he drew his weapon and pointed it at officers. Fortunately, he lived and no officers were hurt. This case is a reminder of the personal sacrifice our law enforcement officers make on a daily basis.”
Craig Thayer, United States Marshal for the Eastern District of Washington commented, “Deputy U. S. Marshals in the Eastern District of Washington, and throughout the nation, serve thousands of federal, state, and local arrest warrants for the most violent offenders in the criminal justice system. They face extraordinary dangers in order to protect our communities while professionally, safely, and efficiently bringing these wanted persons before a court of law. When a wanted person, like Leo John Yallup, draws a firearm, and points it at law enforcement officers, those officers will apply necessary force to stop the threat. It should be noted that these Deputies immediately rendered aid to Yallup once his deadly threat was stopped. With his sentence today, he now faces the consequences of his violent behaviors. The fugitive apprehension mission is one of the primary responsibilities of the United States Marshals Service.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Courtney R. Pratten and Todd M. Swensen.
Wakpala Man Convicted by Federal Jury for Burglary and AssaultRead the Press Release
ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that Francis Lee DuBray, age 35, of Wakpala, South Dakota, was found guilty on October 24, 2024, of First-Degree Burglary and two counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, following a three-day federal jury trial in Aberdeen, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on October 24, 2024.
The charge of First-Degree Burglary carries a maximum penalty of 25 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered. The charges of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
DuBray was indicted by a federal grand jury in September of 2023.
Shortly after nightfall on July 5, 2023, DuBray and two co-defendants went to a woman’s home in McLaughlin, South Dakota, to assault a man they believed had inappropriately touched a girl. McLaughlin lies within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation. As the woman yelled at them to go away, one of the co-defendants kicked in her front door. DuBray’s co-defendants rushed into the house while DuBray stood by on the stoop, hollering and chastising the woman for allowing the man to stay in her house. Although the man was passed out, DuBray’s co-defendants repeatedly struck him with a metal bat and kicked him in the face while the woman pleaded for them to stop. They broke his nose and shattered his orbital and sinus bones. He still struggles with his vision and headaches today. As DuBray’s co-defendants left the home, one of them knocked the woman to the floor. As she crawled towards the front door, DuBray kicked her in the face, then fled with his companions.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain serious crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation report was ordered and a sentencing date of June 2, 2025, was set. DuBray remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing.
US Attorney announces District Election Officer for Alaska ahead of Election DayRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – United States Attorney S. Lane Tucker announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Morgan J. Walker will lead the efforts of her Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election. AUSA Walker has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the District of Alaska, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
United States Attorney Tucker said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election. Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.
Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).
United States Attorney Tucker stated that: “The right to vote is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to vote can exercise that right if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA/DEO Walker will be on duty in this District while the polls are open.”
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The public can contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov, or contact the local FBI Anchorage Field Office at (907) 276-4441.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.
United States Attorney Tucker said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate. It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”
Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Sentencing of Mescalero Man for Stabbing AssaultRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Mescalero man was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison for the repeated stabbing of a woman on the Mescalero Apache reservation.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on May 18, 2023, Lestat Cree Valdez, 21, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache tribe, straddled Jane Doe and stabbed her repeatedly in the head, face, and chest with a knife, with the intent to cause bodily harm. As a result of the assault, Jane Doe suffered serious bodily injury.
Upon his release from prison, Valdez will be subject to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau Investigation with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant United States Attorney Joni Autrey Stahl is prosecuting the case.
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U.S. Attorney ’s Office and FBI Charge Mescalero Man with Sexual Assault of a MinorRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Mescalero man has been charged by criminal complaint with multiple counts of sexual abuse for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl.
Thomas Lee Chaffins, 35, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, appeared before a federal judge on October 10 and was detained pending trial.
According to the criminal complaint, on September 27, 2024, Chaffins engaged in sexual acts with a 15-year-old girl, identified as Jane Doe. At 15 years old, Jane Doe was legally unable to consent to sexual activity with the 35-year-old Chaffins. Additionally, Jane Doe was reportedly too intoxicated to recall details of the assault, further rendering her incapable of consent.
If convicted, Chaffins faces up to life in prison.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant United States Attorneys Matilda McCarthy Villalobos and Alyson Hehr are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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U.S. Attorney Ross appoints 2024 District Election OfficerRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Bonanno will lead the efforts of her Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election. AUSA Bonanno has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Western District of New York, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
U.S. Attorney Ross said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election. Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.
Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).
U.S. Attorney Ross stated that: “The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA/DEO Bonanno will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 716-843-5700.”
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 716-856-7800.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.
U.S. Attorney Ross said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate. It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”
Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
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U.S. Attorney Parker honors community, law enforcement efforts in third annual awards ceremonyRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, presented the 2024 Law Enforcement and Community Awards, honoring individuals and groups for their work to reduce gun violence and provide comprehensive services to victims of domestic violence, human trafficking and exploitation.
“The recipients of this year’s awards embody the spirit and dedication of what it means to come together and work hard for the greater good,” said U.S. Attorney Parker. “These fine individuals exemplify being part of a positive community every day. They deserve our recognition and gratitude.”
The awards include:
Kaia Grant Badge of Bravery and Sacrifice Award
Springboro Police Officer Christopher Heath Martin
Officer Heath Martin, a 20-year veteran of the Springboro Police Department, was first to the scene of a fire inside a home in June 2023. Officer Martin rescued a 36-year-old man, who uses a wheelchair, from a back bedroom of the home. The victim’s battery-operated wheelchair is believed to be the cause of the fire and had exploded. The officer’s body worn camera captured his life-saving actions of finding the victim and bringing him to safety.
Law Enforcement Excellence Award
FBI Special Agent Robert Buzzard
Special Agent Buzzard serves as the lead agent on the FBI's Southern Ohio Safe Streets Task Force (SOSSTF) and is known throughout the Miami Valley for his law enforcement excellence and expertise. The depth of his drug trafficking investigations often leads to the sources of supply outside of the United States. Examples of cases in which he was the lead agent include U.S. v. Walton et al – in which the United States successfully dismantled a sophisticated long-running drug trafficking organization led by two brothers – and U.S. v. Goddard et al – a case involving two Dayton men who were convicted on all counts for crimes related to the 2019 death of Dayton Detective and DEA Task Force Officer Jorge DelRio. The defendants were each sentenced to life in prison.
Project Safe Neighborhood’s Guardian Award
ATF Special Agent Derek Graham
Special Agent Graham has effectively and creatively investigated a significant number of firearms-related crimes in the Southern District of Ohio. He has developed a special expertise in investigating straw purchasing cases. In recent months, Special Agent Graham has investigated and solved cases involving more than 20 defendants and approximately 100 firearms. One case involved a murder and five armed robberies across jurisdictions. The shooter and getaway driver have since been sentenced to 40 years and 23 years in prison respectively. In 2024 alone, Special Agent Graham has also either completed or assisted with 57 call detail records, 61 pen registers, 92 ping orders, 69 location mappings and 21 forensic extractions for agents and task force officers, as well as local police departments.
The Project Safe Childhood Shield of Innocence Award
HSI Special Agent Sara Sellers
Since joining Homeland Security Investigations Columbus in December 2020, Special Agent Sellers has initiated more than 80 criminal investigations. Special Agent Sellers joined the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force in July 2023 and has developed the reputation as an extremely hardworking and diligent investigator. An example of her unwavering commitment to the investigation and prosecution of child predators around the world occurred in December 2023, when Special Agent Sellers was called after hours with an investigative referral from Australia regarding a potential minor victim currently being sexually abused in Ohio. Special Agent Sellers left the restaurant at which she was dining to begin the task of locating the victim and perpetrator immediately. Within 24 hours, Special Agent Sellers had confirmed the identity of the suspect, located her and the minor victim and secured warrants to arrest the suspect and execute a search warrant to obtain additional evidence in this investigation that also spawned new leads. Special Agent Sellers continues to dedicate her efforts to protect minor victims and is helping lead an investigation abroad into an international ring of exploiters who create and distribute child sexual abuse material.
Polaris Community Service Award
Department of Veteran Affairs’ Mobile Evaluation Team, Columbus Division of Police Mobile Crisis Response Team & Columbus Public Health
The partnership between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Police, Veterans Evaluation Team, and the Columbus Division of Police's Mobile Crisis Response Team exemplifies exceptional innovation, collaboration, and dedication in community service. U.S. Attorney Parker recognized VMET’s Clinical Director Dr. Heather Robinson, Investigator Jesse King, Benjamin Stark and Alexandra Woodruff, Columbus Police Lt. Michael Voorhis, Sgt. John Cheatham and Officers Francis Scalfani, Veronica Poehler, Robert Heinzman and Anthony Roberts, and Columbus Public Health Supervisor Kerith Palletti and Social Workers Kierstin Dettmers, Kevin Kincaid, Zach Simmons and Jason Cole for the collaboration that has created a vital connection between law enforcement and the Veteran community, addressing the unique challenges faced by veterans in crisis.
By merging the specialized expertise of the VA Police Veterans Response Team with the crisis intervention skills of the Columbus Division of Police Mobile Crisis Response Team, they have established a comprehensive support system that is both empathetic and effective. Together, these teams have introduced innovative crisis intervention strategies. Through joint protocols and training sessions, they have ensured both teams are well-prepared to handle the complexities of veteran-specific mental health crises. This partnership has pioneered the integration of mental health professionals into crisis response scenarios, leading to more informed and compassionate interactions with veterans in distress.
Serve Thy Neighbor Award (Columbus)
Center for Family Safety & Healing and the Columbus Division of Police’s ACT-DV program
U.S. Attorney Parker recognized Center for Family Safety & Healing’s Interim Director Nancy Cunningham, President Melissa Graves, Justice System In-Research Supervisor Amber Howell and Sheronda Paramore, as well as Columbus Police Assistant Chief Greg Bodker and Commander Joseph Curmode for their work developing bridges to effectively link justice, advocacy and health systems and to build trust between residents and law enforcement.
Through ACT-DV, trained victim advocates respond with police officers at the scene of domestic violence crimes. This important public safety and victim services partnership increases access to support resources by offering safety planning, shelter and linkage to health/ mental health services immediately after a traumatic incident. Advocates also prepare victims for what to expect through the criminal prosecution process. Having advocates and officers work side by side supports the victims’ best interest and builds trust between community and law enforcement. This effort also helps police officers develop a deeper understanding of domestic violence and the complexity, power and danger that far too often keeps women in abusive homes.
Serve Thy Neighbor Award (Dayton)
Ms. Lisa Lucchesi, CareSource Health Plan
Ms. Lucchesi serves as the National Human Trafficking Project Manager for CareSource Health Plan, and her passion is to advocate for children who are being trafficked or at high risk of trafficking. She coordinated with local law enforcement agencies and service providers to organize a highly successful CareSource Human Trafficking Awareness Summit in Dayton. Ms. Lucchesi continues to host meetings with local and national stakeholders to focus on the crime of the sexual trafficking of minors, how to identify the victims, what resources are available for them and how to help these minor victims to improve their lives. Thanks to Ms. Lucchesi, the Dayton Police Department, Montgomery County Childrens Services and Montgomery County Juvenile Court have improved their processes in looking below the surface in identifying youth victims of sex trafficking who sadly sometimes don’t see themselves as victims.
Serve Thy Neighbor Award (Cincinnati)
John McConnaughey, Cincinnati Citizens Police Association
Mr. McConnaughey’s service to his community has included serving on the Board of Directors for the FBI Citizens’ Academy Alumni Association, as an Associate Member of the Hamilton County Police Association and as the President of the Cincinnati Citizens’ Police Association (CCPA), which provides support to the Cincinnati law enforcement community. He was one of the founders of the Gang Initiative Project and the Southern Ohio Chapter of the Midwest Gang Investigators Association. Both organizations work with the Cincinnati public schools to combat gang activity. Mr. McConnaughey is a dedicated advocate for reducing crime and violence amongst youth.
Mitch Morris, Cincinnati Works
Mr. Morris is a dedicated community servant leader, working to end gun violence in the community. He connects at-risk youth with mentors and helps them find work through Cincinnati Works. Cincinnati Works partners with people in poverty to assist them in advancing economic self-sufficiency. Mr. Morris oversees the organization’s Phoenix Program Outreach & Mentoring. His dedication to ending poverty and gun violence is unwavering.
For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s annual law enforcement awards, please contact Law Enforcement Coordinator Mitchell Seckman at 614-469-5715.
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Two Maryland Men Convicted at Trial After Violent Crime SpreeRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – After a 9-day trial, a federal jury returned verdicts against Thaddeus Lamont Wills, age 51, and Keionta Shawn Hagens, age 44, both of Waldorf, Maryland, of interference with interstate commerce by robbery, conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery, using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, carjacking, and of murder.
The conviction was announced by Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Chief Troy D. Berry of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office; and Chief Peter Newsham of the Prince William County, Virginia Police Department.
Evidence presented at trial established that on November 12, 2020, conspirators, including Wills and Hagens, while armed with firearms, robbed an employee of Business-1 of cash and merchandise, and a customer of Business-1 of personal property. To facilitate their escape from Business-1, conspirators, including Wills and Hagens, forcefully, and using firearms, took a 2016 Dodge Ram pickup truck from the victim customer.
Trial evidence further established that on or about November 17, 2020, conspirators, including Wills and Hagens used a stolen 2014 Ford F-150 pickup truck to drive to Business-2 for the purpose of robbing Business-2. Wills and Hagens thereafter, while using at least one firearm, robbed an employee of Business-2 of cash and merchandise as well as a customer of personal property. During the robbery, Wills and Hagens zip tied the hands of the employee. In addition, Between November 12, 2020, and November 26, 2020, conspirators, including Wills and Hagens, stored and concealed the stolen Dodge Ram pickup and stolen Ford F-150 pickup in the area of Brandywine, Maryland.
On January 6, 2021, in Waldorf, Maryland, conspirators, including Wills, while armed with firearms, forcefully took a 2008 Honda Pilot Sport Utility Vehicle from a victim. On January 6 and January 7, 2021, conspirators, including Wills, used the 2008 Honda Pilot to travel from Maryland into Virginia. Then, on January 7, 2021, in Woodbridge, Virginia, conspirators, including Wills, while armed with firearms, robbed customers, agents and employees of Business-3 of cash, merchandise, and personal property. After driving the 2008 Honda Pilot back from Virginia to Maryland on January 7, 2021, Wills and a co-conspirator burned the vehicle in the area of Brandywine, Maryland.
Finally, on January 18, 2021, conspirators, including Wills and Hagens, robbed Victim-8, the owner of Business-4, of merchandise while using at least two firearms, and shot and killed the business owner during the robbery. In order to escape after the robbery and murder of the victim, Wills used a firearm to forcefully take a 2019 Lexus RX350 Sport Utility Vehicle from a separate victim.
Wills faces a maximum sentence of life in federal prison for the murder of victim-8 during the robbery on January 18, 2021; a mandatory minimum sentence of 7 years and a maximum sentence of life for each count of using, carrying, brandishing a firearm during the robbery on November 17, 2020, the carjacking on January 6, 2021, and the carjacking on January 18, 2021. Wills faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison each for conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery and interference with interstate commerce by robbery related to the robberies on November 17, 2020 and January 18, 2021, as well as a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison for each carjacking.
Hagens faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years and a maximum sentence of life in federal prison for using and carrying a firearm during the robbery on November 17, 2020. Hagens also faces a maximum sentence of 20 years each for conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery and interference with interstate commerce by robbery for the robberies on November 17, 2020 and January 18, 2021.
U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has scheduled sentencing for Wills on February 7, 2024 at 9:30 a.m. and for Hagens on February 14, 2024 at 9:30 am. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Barron commended the FBI, PGPD, Charles County Sheriff’s Office, and the Prince William County, Virginia Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Moomau and Patrick D. Kibbe, who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Twelve Defendants Charged in Alleged Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A newly unsealed federal indictment charges a dozen defendants with allegedly participating in a methamphetamine production and trafficking conspiracy operating out of a ten-acre Walton County property.
According to the indictment unsealed on Oct. 23, and the search warrant, as well as statements made public in court, on Aug. 13, 2024, a federal search warrant was executed at 2370 Mountain Creek Church Road, Monroe, Georgia, as part of a joint law enforcement operation, where agents seized a total of 4,346 grams of “finished” crystal methamphetamine, 22 gallons of liquid methamphetamine (approximately equivalent to 377 kilograms of finished crystal methamphetamine) and $5,401. A federal search warrant was also executed on a Chevrolet Traverse occupied by Yuretzi Gomez, Yirla Gomez, Rafael Gomez and Uriel Garcia where agents recovered 1,046 grams of methamphetamine and $4,350 in cash. In addition, agents seized 4,523 grams of methamphetamine inside a Camaro occupied by Jared Calhoun and Ebony Jones-Tate.
The following defendant charged by indictment will have his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles H. Weigle on Nov. 4:
James Len Ramey, 52, of Comer, Georgia, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison and a $10 million fine.
The following defendants charged by indictment have had their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Weigle:
Christopher Hyatt, 44, of LaGrange, Georgia, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison and a $10 million fine;
Kendell Cawthon, 59, of Baldwin, Georgia, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison and a $10 million fine;
Bonterris Turner, 44, of Athens, Georgia, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison and a $10 million fine;
Demetrius Appling, 36, of Crawford, Georgia, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison and a $10 million fine;
Andrea Robinson, 44, of Cleveland, Georgia; is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine;
Yuretzi Adame Gomez, 39, of Mexico, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison and a $10 million fine;
Yirla Adame Gomez, 24, of Mexico, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison and a $10 million fine;
Rafael Gomez Flores, 21, of Mexico, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison and a $10 million fine;
Uriel Garcia, 32, of Mexico, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison and a $10 million fine;
Jared Calhoun, 32, of Birmingham, Alabama, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison and a $10 million fine; and
Ebony Jones-Tate, 32, of Birmingham, Alabama, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison and a $10 million fine.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Middle Georgia Safe Streets Gang Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department and the Georgia State Patrol (GSP).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Morrison is prosecuting the case for the Government.
An indictment is only an allegation of criminal conduct, and all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt.
Three Defendants Convicted in Murder-for-Hire Conspiracy TrialRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – Following a three-week trial, a federal jury convicted three defendants of a murder-for-hire conspiracy, murder for hire, a carjacking conspiracy, interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle, evidence tampering, and witness tampering.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, John Fitzgerald McCarroll, Jr., 30, Darrius Dwayne Rowser, 20, and Lyteria Isheeia Hollis, 30, each of Mobile, were part of a plot to murder an individual as retribution for a prior killing. Jurors reviewed evidence that McCarroll, aided by Hollis and others, directed payments to hired shooters, including Rowser and others, to carry out the intended murder. The evidence included text messages, social media evidence, financial records, surveillance videos, firearm and toolmark evidence, DNA evidence, and cell tower data, among other things.
As part of the murder plot, evidence showed that McCarroll’s hired shooters attempted but failed to kill the intended target during multiple nightclub shootings. In September 2022, Reginald Dennis Alan Fluker, who pleaded guilty to the conspiracy, opened fire in the Bank Nightlife club using a gun provided to him by McCarroll. Fluker shot the wrong person, who later died of his injuries. In November 2022, Rowser used a machinegun provided to him by McCarroll to shoot at the intended target inside the Paparazzi Lounge. Rowser likewise missed the target and instead hit four victims, one of whom was rendered paralyzed.
The evidence also showed that as part of the conspiracy, Rowser and others, at McCarroll’s direction, traveled to Mississippi to steal cars for use in surveilling the target of the plot. In September 2022, during an attempted carjacking in D’Iberville, Mississippi, Rowser shot and killed a victim. As part of that murder, Rowser and a coconspirator traveled back to Mobile and burned the stolen car they were using during the attempted carjacking.
The evidence further showed that in December 2022, at McCarroll’s direction, Rowser and other coconspirators traveled to the Walmart on I-65 Service Road South in Mobile to purchase a GPS tracker for the target’s vehicle. During that trip, Rowser and a coconspirator opened fire into the self-checkout area of the store, striking two victims.
Finally, evidence showed that following the arrests of McCarroll, Fluker, and other members of the conspiracy, the defendants attempted to tamper with evidence and a witness. Specifically, McCarroll directed Hollis to hide a weapon that he had previously purchased for Fluker because of Fluker’s participation in the murder plot. Federal agents seized that gun from Hollis’s house. Additionally, the jury convicted McCarroll of attempting to tamper with Fluker’s testimony by having him sign a sham affidavit, which was filed in state court to earn McCarroll a bond from jail.
U.S. District Judge Terry F. Moorer scheduled sentencing for March 6, 2025. Under federal law, each defendant faces a mandatory life sentence.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Mobile Police Department, and the D’Iberville, Mississippi Police Department are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin Roller, Gaillard Ladd, and Kasee Heisterhagen are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
Third Man Sentenced to Prison for Robbing U.S. Postal Service Letter CarriersRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A third St. Lucie County man, responsible for a string of robberies of U.S. Postal Service (USPS) letter carriers for their Postal keys, was sentenced to federal prison yesterday by U.S. District Court Judge K. Michael Moore sitting in Ft. Pierce, Fla. Two other defendants were previously sentenced.
"The defendants brazenly terrorized loyal public servants, U.S. Postal Service letter carriers working in Florida, at gunpoint for their postal keys with the intent to steal mail from collection boxes. Their sentencing shows that the safety of U.S. Postal Service employees is of the utmost importance,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “Armed assaults on letter carriers negatively impact our entire community, which relies on the U.S. Postal Service for the safe delivery of the mail.”
“The prison sentences handed down to these defendants should serve as a reminder that violent acts committed against U.S. Postal Service employees providing service to the community will not be tolerated and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, along with our law enforcement partners, will ensure that those committing these acts will be pursued and justly punished for their crimes,” said Juan A. Vargas, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Miami Division.
Bernard Jerome Davis III, 20, of Port St. Lucie, Fla., was sentenced to 192 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by 3 years’ supervised release, after pleading guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, two counts of armed Postal/U.S. property robbery, a single count of brandishing a firearm during and in furtherance of a crime of violence, attempted Hobbs Act robbery, and Hobbs Act robbery.
Jalen Dennis Elliott, 19, of Port St. Lucie, was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by 2 years’ supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and Hobbs Act robbery.
Jamal Travon Brown Weathers, 23, of Fort Pierce, was sentenced to 162 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by 3 years’ supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, armed Postal/U.S. property robbery, and brandishing a firearm during and in furtherance of a crime of violence.
According to the court record, to include factual proffers in support of the defendants’ guilty pleas, between Nov. 19, 2022, and Oct. 21, 2023, Brown Weathers, Davis and Elliott robbed at least six USPS letter carriers in St. Lucie, Brevard, Orange and Miami-Dade counties in Florida.
On Nov. 19, 2022, a USPS letter carrier was delivering mail inside an apartment complex in Port St. Lucie. While the carrier was at the mailboxes, Brown Weathers demanded “Give me the key.” Brown Weathers then grabbed and started yanking the letter carrier’s keys, which were attached to her uniform pants. Brown Weathers then brandished a semi-automatic handgun and demanded “Give me the f------ key. You got five seconds to give up the key.” At that point the letter carrier unhooked her arrow key and handed it over to Brown Weathers, who fled in a vehicle driven by Davis. The vehicle, belonging to Brown Weathers’ mother, was later chased by a St. Lucie County Sheriff’s deputy in Fort Pierce. The occupants fled and a K-9 deputy recovered the firearm used in the robbery along the path of flight.
A Postal arrow key is an accountable property assigned to U.S. Post Office(s) that is only authorized to be used by USPS employees in an official capacity. A Postal arrow key is used by USPS employees to open mail receptacles within a geographic area to collect and deliver mail.
On May 12, 2023, Brown Weathers and Davis robbed two USPS letter carriers at gunpoint in the Middle District of Florida. At approximately 12:13 p.m., a USPS letter carrier was delivering mail in Melbourne, Fla., when Davis approached the letter carrier with a black firearm and demanded the letter carrier’s Postal arrow key. Once the letter carrier handed over the key, Davis fled the scene in a Nissan Altima that he rented. At approximately 1:20 p.m., another USPS letter carrier was on his mail delivery route in Orlando, Fla., when a Nissan Altima stopped behind his Postal vehicle. Brown Weathers exited the Nissan Altima, ran towards the letter carrier while holding a black firearm, grabbed the letter carrier by the shirt, and demanded the letter carrier give him the arrow key. The letter carrier removed the arrow key from his belt loop and gave it Brown Weathers, who fled in the vehicle rented and driven by Davis.
On Aug. 1, 2023, a USPS letter carrier was delivering mail in Fort Pierce when a white Pontiac Grand Prix began to follow her and pulled up behind her USPS vehicle. The letter carrier observed Davis carrying a black semi-automatic firearm and walking toward the Postal vehicle. Fearing a robbery, the letter carrier quickly drove away and called 911. The same white vehicle followed another letter carrier, who also called 911.
On Oct. 11, 2023, a USPS letter carrier was delivering mail in Fort Pierce when Davis approached the driver’s side of the Postal vehicle brandishing a black semi-automatic handgun and demanded that the letter carrier give him the key. Once the letter carrier handed the Postal arrow key to Davis, he entered a white vehicle and drove away.
On Oct. 21, 2023, a USPS letter carrier was delivering mail in an apartment community in Miami Beach, Fla. when she was confronted by Davis who shouted, “give me the keys.” Davis ripped the keys, including a Postal arrow key, from the letter carrier's hand, causing an injury. Davis then fled to a waiting black BMW SUV, driven by Elliott.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Inspector in Charge Juan A. Vargas of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division, Chief Wayne A. Jones of the City of Miami Beach Police Department, Sheriff Keith Pearson of the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, Chief Diane Hobley-Burney of the Fort Pierce Police Department, Sheriff John W. Mina of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and Sheriff Wayne Ivey of the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office made the announcement.
The USPIS, Miami Beach Police Department, St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Pierce Police Department, Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, investigated the case. The Port St. Lucie Police Department provided assistance. Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Lineberger prosecuted the case.
This case is the result of Project Safe Delivery (PSD), a joint U.S. Postal Service and U.S. Postal Inspection Service initiative aimed at countering postal crime and safeguarding postal employees. Announced in May 2023, in direct response to a rise in threats and attacks on letter carriers and mail theft incidents, PSD seeks to protect Postal employees and the mail stream, prevent incidents through education and awareness, and enforce the laws that protect our nation’s mail stream. Since the launch of PSD, postal inspectors, working with law enforcement partners, have arrested more than 287 individuals for postal-related robberies through June 30, 2024. In the first six months of the fiscal year, the number of arrests for postal-related robberies rose 72% versus the same period the previous year, while the number of postal-related robberies dropped 21%. Meanwhile, the number of mail theft complaints received during that period decreased 35%, suggesting the PSD approach is achieving the intended result.
Customers are encouraged to report stolen mail as soon as possible by submitting an online complaint to the Postal Inspection Service at www.uspis.gov/report or calling 877-876-2455. The Postal Inspection Service is authorized to issue monetary rewards for the forcible assault, robbery or attempted robbery of any custodian of any mail, money, or other property of the United States under the control and jurisdiction of the Postal Service. Additionally, individuals are encouraged to report allegations of Postal Service employee misconduct, including attempts to corrupt a Postal Service employee, to the USPS OIG at 1-888-877-7644 or www.uspsoig.gov.
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 23-cr-14053.
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Tennessee Business Owner Convicted of $35M Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted a Tennessee business owner yesterday for fraudulently billing federal health care programs approximately $35 million for medically unnecessary injections, which were administered over the course of approximately eight years to a population of opioid-dependent patients.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Michael Kestner, 72, of Nashville, at various times owned, operated, and managed pain clinics in Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia, which were ultimately branded under the name Pain MD. The trial evidence proved that Kestner, who is not a physician, pressured nurse practitioners and physician assistants employed by clinics in the Pain MD network to provide multiple back injections to many, if not most, patients who came to Pain MD seeking opioid treatment. Witnesses testified that patients who refused to accept regular injections risked being turned away from Pain MD and suffering withdrawals from their opioid medication.
The evidence further demonstrated that the injections were uniformly billed as Tendon Origin Insertion injections (TOIs), even though almost none of these patients were diagnosed with pain in their tendons, and in many cases, it would have been medically impossible to administer TOIs with the equipment available to the practitioners. Nevertheless, Kestner relentlessly pressured the providers at his clinics to administer and bill for injections.
The evidence also demonstrated that, to keep billings up, Kestner sent regular emails ranking the practitioners’ “production” against one another, criticizing providers for “below average” performance, and otherwise making providers feel they would lose their jobs or let down their clinic staff if they did not perform an increasing number of injections. He ignored repeated notices — including a lawsuit — from insurance companies alerting him that his clinics were billing these injections improperly. Through these practices, Pain MD became Medicare’s single highest biller of TOI procedures in the country, outranking the next highest biller by approximately eightfold.
The jury convicted Kestner of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and 12 counts of health care fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 27, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Kelly J. Blackmon of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Special Agent in Charge Darrin K. Jones of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Southeast Field Office, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General; Special Agent in Charge Kim R. Lampkins of the Department of Veteran Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG) Mid-Atlantic Field Office; and Director David Rausch of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) made the announcement.
HHS-OIG, DCIS, VA-OIG, and TBI are investigating the case.
Assistant Chief James V. Hayes and Trial Attorney Victor Yanz, with the assistance of Assistant Chief Kate Payerle, all of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Tampa Man Indicted for Series of Robberies in Polk, Marion, and Hillsborough CountiesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Malcolm Green (29, Tampa) with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, Hobbs Act robbery, and use of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence. If convicted on all counts, Rodriguez faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.
According to court documents, on May 27, 2024, Green and others robbed a convenience store in Brooksville, stealing approximately $8,000 worth of cigarettes. The following month, on June 24, 2024, Green and others robbed a retail store in Ocala, and another in Brooksville.
On June 28, 2024, Green entered a drugstore in Tampa wearing a black hoodie, blue medical mask, and black clothing. He walked behind the counter and lifted his shirt, displaying a pistol with an extended magazine to the clerk. After filling the bag with cigarettes, Green jumped the counter and fled in a sedan.
Within two hours of the drugstore robbery, ATF agents and deputies from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office found the sedan used in the commission of the robberies in the parking lot of a store in Tampa. A traffic stop was conducted, and Green attempted to escape, driving onto the sidewalk in front of the business and striking a building column before being taken into custody.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.
Syracuse Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Firearms CrimesRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Uqoeon Lawrence, age 28, of Syracuse pled guilty today to four federal felony offenses that included possession and distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, and interstate firearms trafficking, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
As part of his plea of guilty today, Uqoeon Lawrence admitted that he sold fentanyl and methamphetamine during two undercover law enforcement operations in June of 2023. He further admitted that he possessed with intent to distribute fentanyl and a loaded 20-gauge pump shotgun and ammunition recovered during the execution of a federal search warrant at his Syracuse apartment on June 26, 2023. Lawrence also admitted he illegally possessed the shotgun and ammunition after previously being convicted of a felony.
Uqoeon Lawrence also pled guilty today to separately trafficking handguns sourced in Maine to Syracuse, where he sold them on the street in July 2023.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 25, 2025, at which time Lawrence faces a mandatory sentence of ten (10) years and up to life imprisonment for his conviction for distribution and possession with intent to distribute of at least 50 grams of methamphetamine and a quantity of fentanyl, as well as a fine of up to $10 million. He faces a mandatory consecutive sentence of 5 years and up to life in federal prison for his conviction for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Lawrence also faces up to 15 years in federal prison for his convictions for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, and interstate firearms trafficking as well as a term of at least 5 years of post-incarceration supervised release, and fines of up to $250,000.00.
A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
The United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Syracuse Police Department-Intelligence Unit (SPD-INTEL) are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Southwick is prosecuting the case.
Switch Dealer Pleads Guilty to Possessing MachinegunRead the Press Release
A switch dealer who shot a machinegun out the window of a moving vehicle on a public highway pleaded guilty to a federal firearm crime, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas.
Juan Angel Rendon, 18, was charged via criminal complaint in September and indicted the following month. He pleaded guilty on Wednesday to illegal possession of a machinegun.
“As we said when we launched Operation Texas Kill Switch, machinegun conversion devices are putting our communities in danger. This defendant’s conduct – shooting a switch-equipped handgun out of a moving vehicle for no apparent reason – is case in point,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “Weapons of war belong on the battlefield, not the streets North Texas streets. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will relentlessly pursue anyone who manufactures, sells, or possesses machinegun conversion devices.”
“The brazenness of Mr. Rendon shown here does not surprise me. We are seeing similar videos all around the country which is why ATF is doubling down on our unwavering commitment to stopping the spread of machinegun conversion devices. We commend all our law enforcement partners across the region as we work together in this fight. Firing a machinegun wildly in public, while being filmed, may have made Mr. Rendon feel like a gangster that evening. However, he will now have plenty of time in prison to think about how isn’t a modern-day Capone” stated ATF Dallas Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek II.
According to court documents, Mr. Rendon sold a 9mm Glock pistol equipped with a machinegun conversion device, colloquially known as a “switch,” to an undercover ATF agent on Aug. 27, 2024.
During the purchase, which occurred at his mobile home, Mr. Rendon explained to the undercover agent how to install and operate the machinegun conversion device so the gun would fire full auto.
At a detention hearing last month, agents testified that Mr. Rendon advertised Glock switches for sale on his Instagram. At the hearing, prosecutors played a video from Mr. Rendon’s Instagram account showing him firing a switch-equipped Glock out the window of a moving vehicle on a public highway, with cars visibly passing by in the distance.
When he was arrested in September, agents recovered nine firearms, including two equipped with switches, and seven additional switches or switch parts.
A query of the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) linked firearms he possessed to two shootings in the Fort Worth area.
Mr. Rendon now faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division - Fort Worth Resident Agency conducted the investigation with assistance from the Fort Worth and Haltom City Police Departments and the Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Beck is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of “Operation Texas Kill Switch,” a statewide initiative taking aim at machinegun conversion devices, also known as “switches,” which transform commercially available semi-automatic firearms into fully-automatic weapons capable of firing faster than military-grade machine guns. Spearheaded by U.S. Attorneys Leigha Simonton, Alamdar Hamdani, Damien Diggs and Jaime Esparza, Operation Texas Kill Switch relies on partnerships with state and local law enforcement as well as rewards offered by Crime Stoppers.
Stoughton Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A member of a nationwide drug trafficking ring was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for drug trafficking charges. During the investigation, over 160 pounds of pure methamphetamine, as well as an AK-47, a Glock with no serial number, two loaded Smith & Wesson handguns and over 4,200 rounds of ammunition were seized. An illegal marijuana grow operation with hundreds of marijuana plants was also dismantled.
James Holyoke, 43, of Stoughton, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 14 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. In August 2022, Holyoke pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, as well as to six counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Holyoke was charged along with seven others in July 2021 and was subsequently charged in a superseding indictment that added an additional three defendants in September 2021. Holyoke was arrested in August 2021 and has remained in custody since that arrest.
In late 2020, Reshat Alkayisi was identified as a large-scale methamphetamine trafficker, who distributed multi-pound quantities to customers throughout the New England area. Holyoke was identified as one of Alkayisi’s regular large-scale distributors who routinely purchased methamphetamine and redistributed it throughout the Boston area. As part of the investigation, Holyoke participated in 11 controlled purchases of methamphetamine from a cooperating witness. Those controlled purchases resulted in the seizure of over four kilograms of pure methamphetamine.
Alkayisi pleaded guilty in April 2024 and in September 2024 sentenced to 23 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Holyoke is the 9th defendant to be sentenced in the case. All remaining defendants have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts Department of Correction; Norfolk County Sherriff’s Office; and Concord, Hudson, Peabody, Reading, Watertown and Waltham Police Departments. Assistance was also provided by the Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Maine State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alathea Porter and Katherine Ferguson of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Special Police Officer Arrested on Indictment Charging Unreasonable Use of ForceRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ehren Fluellyn, 36, of Temple Hills, Maryland, was arrested today on a one-count federal indictment charging him with violating the constitutional rights of a detained citizen on April 12, 2023, announced United States Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division.
According to the indictment, on April 12, 2023, while acting under color of law as a special police officer employed by Capital City Protection Solutions, Fluellyn willfully deprived a person of a right or privilege secured and protected by the Constitution and the laws of the United States; specifically, the right to be from the use of unreasonable force by a law enforcement officer. Fluellyn allegedly assaulted the victim by kicking, punching, and striking the victim, without legal justification, resulting in bodily injury.
Deprivation of rights under color of law involving bodily injury carries a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. The sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Truscott, of the Fraud, Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Sioux Falls Man Found Guilty of Attempted Enticement of a Minor and Sex Trafficking of a ChildRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Gerber David Santos Gonzalez, age 25, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, of Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet and Sex Trafficking of a Child by Force or Coercion following a two-day jury trial in federal district court in Sioux Falls. The verdict was returned on October 23, 2024.
The charges carry a maximum penalty of life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, up to life of supervised release, and a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Santos Gonzalez was indicted by a federal grand jury in April of 2024.
Santos Gonzalez used his cell phone and the Facebook Messenger app to try to convince who he believed was a 15-year-old girl to have a sexual encounter with him and offered her $100 to do so. The 15-year-old girl was actually an undercover law enforcement officer. Santos Gonzalez arranged to meet the 15-year-old girl persona at a park in Sioux Falls, where he was apprehended by authorities and taken into custody.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Sioux Falls Police Department, Watertown Police Department, Tea Police Department, Rapid City Police Department, Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date has not been set. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Sex Offender and Drug Trafficker Receives 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – Roy Cox, 37, of Jacksonville, North Carolina, was sentenced to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release for three counts of distribution of crack cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine, and one count of failure to register as a sex offender. On March 27, 2024, and June 27, 2024, Cox pled guilty to the drug charges and failure to register as a sex offender, respectively.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office received information that Cox was selling large quantities of cocaine in the Jacksonville area. They further received information that Cox was involved in the transportation of controlled substances from Florida to the Eastern District of North Carolina. During May 2023, law enforcement made three controlled purchases of crack cocaine from Cox in Jacksonville. In June 2023, law enforcement received information that Cox was traveling from Florida back to Jacksonville. On June 4, 2023, law enforcement arrested Cox when he arrived at his residence. Law enforcement found a bag that contained 470 grams of cocaine in the car in which he was a passenger.
Cox has a prior conviction for a sex offense in Florida that required him to register as a sex offender. Cox left the state of Florida to live in North Carolina without registering as a sex offender in North Carolina. Cox had lived in North Carolina for more than a year at the time of his arrest. The United States Marshal Service (USMS) had been independently investigating him for this at the time of his arrest in this case.
Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, USMS, the Jacksonville Police Department and the Onslow County Sheriff's Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:23-CR-113.
Romanian Man Pleads Guilty for Role in Scheme to Steal Identities of Victims on Public Assistance to Fraudulently Obtain EBT FundsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Romanian man pleaded guilty today to his role in a scheme that involved using illegal skimmers on ATMs to harvest data, creating counterfeit debit cards using the stolen account holders’ information, and then using the cards to make cash withdrawals from numerous victims’ accounts.
Sorin-Miguel Ghiorghe, 46, of the Fairfax district of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, three counts of bank fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, one count of possession of 15 or more unauthorized access devices, and one count of possession of device-making equipment.
Ghiorghe – whom prosecutors believe illegally entered the United States – admitted that he and his accomplices used counterfeit cards to fraudulently make withdrawals from the accounts of numerous victims, and that he specifically used the counterfeit cards to withdraw thousands of dollars from victims’ accounts.
According to the indictment, the skimming ring focused on illegally accessing funds administered by the California Department of Social Services to low-income California residents through Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) accounts, including CalFresh and CalWorks benefits. When law enforcement searched the apartment Ghiorghe was living in, they located ATM-skimming equipment and EBT account numbers in other peoples’ names.
United States District Judge John F. Walter scheduled a January 6, 2025, sentencing hearing, at which time Ghiorghe will face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each bank fraud count, up to 10 years in federal prison for the unauthorized access devices and device-making equipment counts, and a mandatory two-year prison sentence consecutive to his underlying sentence for the aggravated identity theft count.
The United States Secret Service investigated this case and received significant assistance from the Los Angeles Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Max A. Shapiro of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.