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25 October 2024
Brooklyn Park Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for $2.3M Romance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Brooklyn Park man has been sentenced to 63 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay full restitution in the amount of $2,144,291.86 for facilitating a national romance fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, beginning in May 2018 through June 2022, Dodzi Kwame Kordorwu, 38, helped facilitate an online romance fraud scheme that targeted primarily elderly victims and lured them into sending money under false pretenses. The scheme relied on perpetrators impersonating a real or plausible but fictitious person, such as a senior U.S. diplomat or military official, that contacted the victims through online social media applications. The scheme participants then sought to forge a romantic connection with the victims. If successful, the scheme participants would then ask the victims for money purportedly to assist the false persona with some problem or need. Occasionally, the scheme participants would even introduce the victims to a purported third-party intermediary who would corroborate the false persona’s story and assist in defrauding the victims. The victims eventually were directed to send large sums of money by mail or other commercial means to a specified name and address.
In total, Kordorwu received over 250 victim packages containing over $2M in fraud proceeds throughout the scheme. Kordorwu then helped disperse these fraud proceeds to others. To do so, he created numerous dummy corporations and opened a variety of bank accounts to make the transactions appear less suspicious. He also interacted with known victims during the scheme to ensure the successful receipt of their money. Kordorwu kept some of the proceeds for his personal benefit and disbursed the rest to other perpetrators.
U.S. District Judge Eric C. Tostrud sentenced Kordorwu on Tuesday, October 22, 2024. In handing down the sentence, Judge Tostrud specifically commented on the way this fraud scheme targeted elderly victims experiencing loneliness and remarked “the only word I have to describe the nature and circumstances of [Kordorwu’s] offense is ‘cruelty.’”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and a Digital Forensic Investigator with Hennepin County.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jordan L. Sing and Robert M. Lewis prosecuted the case.
Brockton Man Sentenced to over Five Years in Prison for Cocaine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brockton man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with a wide-ranging drug trafficking conspiracy that that involved over 100 parcels containing kilograms of cocaine sent from Puerto Rico to various addresses throughout Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Investigators intercepted 10 parcels and seized more than 20 kilograms of cocaine from the mail stream.
Robert Monteiro, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 69 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In July 2024, Monteiro was convicted by a federal jury of one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. In July 2021, Monteiro was indicted alongside 10 co-defendants.
Beginning in February 2020, law enforcement investigated a drug trafficking organization operated by Patrick Joseph. Based on a wiretap investigation, Joseph coordinated the transportation of 10-20 kilograms of cocaine at a time from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico, and eventually to Massachusetts and Rhode Island via the U.S. Mail. During the investigation, cocaine was found concealed in two-kilogram quantities inside air fryers and cash boxes before being sent through the mail. Various firearms, 21 kilograms of cocaine and over $100,000 cash was also seized following the arrests in this investigation. Monteiro served as a member of Joseph’s drug trafficking organization, collecting packages and redistributing kilograms of cocaine that came in through the mail.
Joseph was sentenced in June 2024 to 138 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; Geoffrey Noble, Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division and Homeland Security Investigations in New England. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip C. Cheng and Howard Locker of the Criminal Division prosecuted 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.
Baltimore Man Found Guilty of Assaulting Federal Correctional Officers After Four-Day TrialRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – After a four-day jury trial, a federal jury has convicted Igor Yasinov, age 35, of Baltimore, Maryland, of four counts of Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers or Employees, Inflicting Bodily Injury.
The conviction was announced by Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland; Clinton J. Fuchs, United States Marshal for the District of Maryland; and Carolyn J. Scruggs, Secretary of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.
According to the evidence presented at his trial, on November 16, 2021, Igor Yasinov assaulted multiple members of the correctional staff at the Chesapeake Detention Facility (“CDF”) causing several injuries. CDF is a pretrial detention facility located in Baltimore, Maryland, that, in November 2021, exclusively housed federal inmates awaiting the disposition of criminal cases in the District of Maryland, pursuant to an intergovernmental agreement between the United States Marshal Service (“USMS”) and the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (“DPSCS”). DPSCS employs correctional officers to effectuate the goals and directives of USMS.
The assaults began after Yasinov broke a control center window within the facility with a broom stick and sustained minor injuries. Yasinov was transported to the medical unit for treatment by members of the correctional staff, during which time he made threats of violence to the escorting correctional officers. After receiving medical treatment, Yasinov was transported to a segregation unit. Though initially cooperative, Yasinov became irate and refused the orders of the correctional officers when he learned that he was not returning to his original housing unit.
Yasinov refused to lock into his cell. As correctional officers attempted to escort him into the cell, he began to fight them and swept the leg of one correctional officer, causing her and other officers to fall to the ground. During that time, correctional officers were able to apply leg irons to Yasinov’s legs to prevent further attacks and carried him to his cell. While in the cell, Yasinov continued to fight the officers. Eventually, Yasinov relented, and allowed officers to remove the leg irons. They ordered Yasinov to face the cell wall to allow the group to exit the cell individually. Yasinov was told to remain facing the wall until all officers had exited and the door to the cell was closed.
As the last officer attempted to exit the door, Yasinov charged the group, slamming his body into them. Yasinov continued to flail on the floor, kicking officers and attempting to strike them with his hands. As a result of Yasinov’s actions, several of the officers sustained bodily injuries, including one officer sustaining a fractured tibia, and three other officers sustaining injuries to their heads, necks, backs, and limbs.
Yasinov faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for each count of Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers or Employees, Inflicting Bodily Injury. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties and a federal district judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. United States District Judge Julie R. Rubin has scheduled sentencing for February 20, 2025, at 11 a.m.
U.S. Attorney Barron commended USMS for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant United States Attorney Michael Aubin and Special Assistant United States Attorney Jacob Gordin, 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 https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Associate of Violent Gang Pleads Guilty to Drug and Firearms Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brockton man associated with Cameron Street, a violent Boston gang, pleaded guilty yesterday to drug and firearms trafficking charges.
Steve Depina, age 37, pleaded guilty to distribution of cocaine and cocaine base and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for Feb. 25, 2025.
During the investigation, Depina was identified as an older associate of the Cameron Street gang who had a history of drug trafficking. In 2018, Depina was convicted in Plymouth Superior Court of possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl and was sentenced to 3-5 years in prison.
Depina was recorded as he distributed cocaine and cocaine base to a cooperating witness. Depina also sold a cooperating witness a 9 millimeter firearm and 16 rounds of ammunition. On Aril 15, 2022, during a search of his residence, another firearm and an additional quantity of cocaine base was seized from Depina.
According to court documents, Cameron Street, a violent gang based largely in the Dorchester section of Boston that uses violence and threats of violence to preserve, protect, and expand its territory, promote a climate of fear, and enhance its reputation.
The charge of distribution of cocaine and cocaine base provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of $1 million. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office; Suffolk, Plymouth, Norfolk and Bristol County District Attorney’s Offices; and the Canton, Quincy, Randolph, Somerville, Brockton, Malden, Stoughton, Rehoboth and Pawtucket (R.I.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Pohl and Charles Dell’Anno of Levy’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
The remaining defendants named in the indictment are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Alien Smuggler Sentenced to Prison for Role in Fatal Smuggling EventRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Alberto Ubaldo Quintero-Rivas of Mexicali, Mexico, was sentenced in federal court today to 36 months in prison for smuggling unauthorized migrants into the United States in an event that lead to the death of one of the migrants.
According to his plea agreement, Quintero-Rivas brought two migrants into the United States near the Andrade Port of Entry – the easternmost border crossing on the California-Mexico border - on February 22, 2024. Quintero-Rivas guided the two migrants over the international boundary fence between the United States and Mexico, which stands at more than 30 feet tall in that area. While scaling the fence, one of the migrants, a 51-year-old man, fell. The migrant suffered a head injury and died from his injuries.
Border Patrol agents found Quintero-Rivas and the other migrant he had guided into the United States at a nearby RV park. An agent traveled to the nearby border wall to find out where the pair had entered the United States. It was there that the agent found the body of the deceased man and called for emergency medical services. EMS arrived on the scene and declared the man deceased.
Quintero-Rivas initially denied knowing the fallen man, but agents compared his shoeprints to prints found alongside the man’s body and discovered that they matched. The other migrant Quintero-Rivas smuggled told agents that she saw the man fall from the fence. She wanted to stay and help him, but Quintero-Rivas told her that he was in charge and instructed her to leave the fallen man and follow him.
“This tragic death serves as a haunting reminder that heartless smugglers would not – and in this case did not - hesitate to leave a man to die,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “As we seek justice for those lost, we remind anyone contemplating a similar journey that smugglers consider human lives simply as a transaction. Don’t trust your life to a smuggler.”
“Illegally crossing the border into the United States is a dangerous business, and callous smugglers have no value for human life,” said Yuma Sector’s Acting Chief Patrol Agent Dustin W. Caudle. “We are glad to see Alberto Ubaldo Quintero-Rivas brought to justice for his role in the death of this migrant. We also hope this acts as a reminder that crossing the border at any point other than a port of entry can have deadly consequences. It is not worth the risk.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Fawcett.
DEFENDANT Case Number 24cr0600-RBM
Alberto Ubaldo Quintero-Rivas Age: 37 Mexicali, Mexico
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Bringing In Aliens Resulting in Death – Title 8, U.S.C., Section 1324(a)(1)(A)(i) & (B)(iv)
Maximum penalty: Death or Life in Prison; $250,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
United States Border Patrol
Aldie man sentenced to seven years and six months in prison for multi-million-dollar investment schemeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Aldie man was sentenced today to seven years and six months in prison for scheme to defraud dozens of investors in Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, Missouri, and elsewhere, causing $15 million in losses.
According to court documents, Babu Ramaraj, 47, owned DAB Inspection and Consulting Services, LLC (DAB), a small home contractor with modest revenues doing patio and deck projects. Ramaraj claimed to investors and potential investors that DAB had lucrative contracts with the Federal Aviation Administration, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), and others, and was a joint venture partner on a Washington DC Water Clean Rivers Project, for tens of millions of dollars each, supposedly to perform engineering inspection work on huge infrastructure projects.
Ramaraj claimed he needed to make large upfront bond payments to secure the work but could not obtain bank financing because of the relative youth of DAB as a company and the speed with which DAB needed to secure the funding, which was supposedly not feasible with banks.
In support of his claims, Ramaraj supplied to victims falsified contract award letters, invoices, DAB financial records, and other documents to induce dozens of investors to loan funds to DAB. The supposed bonds were never paid.
From January 2020 through May 2024, Ramaraj pitched individuals, including members of his Loudon County cricket league, the opportunity to loan DAB money at high interest rates, annualized at 30% or more. Using money from later investors, Ramaraj paid initial investors the promised returns to entice them to continue investing and to recruit other friends and family to invest.
After being confronted by two investors and signing an acknowledgment in October 2023 that he had "tampered" with numerous contracts and financial records, Ramaraj continued to make material misrepresentations concerning DAB to other investors and potential investors. Ramaraj was pitching investors up to the time he was arrested on May 30, 2024. He has been held in custody as a flight risk since his arrest.
Instead of paying for the promised bonds, Ramaraj electronically transferred investor funds to his online brokerage accounts to engage in securities trades; wired over $1 million to accounts in India; purchased several automobiles, including several Teslas; obtained real properties; incurred millions in stock market trading losses, and made other payments to fund his lifestyle. Ramaraj took in nearly $40 million and caused losses to investors of approximately $15 million.
In addition to the prison sentence, the Court ordered Ramaraj to pay over $15 million in restitution.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and David E. Geist, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton. The Virginia State Corporation Commission assisted in the investigation of this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell L. Carlberg prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Annie Zanobini is handling asset recovery efforts in the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-147.
Activity in the U.S. Attorney's OfficeRead the Press Release
Tax Fraud
Pau Kim Ly, 52, of Jackson, Wyoming, was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment and four months of home confinement with one year of supervised release for filing a false tax return. The court also ordered Ly to pay a total of $371,803 in restitution to the IRS and the State of Wyoming and an additional $16,588 to the U.S. Government for the cost of prosecution. According to court documents, Ly was a part owner of Chinatown restaurant in Jackson and the person responsible for running the day-to-day operations of the restaurant. For tax years 2019 through 2022, Ly knowingly underreported the restaurant’s true cash receipts to the IRS and the State of Wyoming. The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation was responsible for investigating the crime. Ly waived indictment and pleaded guilty to an Information on July. 23. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Oct. 24 in Casper. Case No. 24-CR-00096
Drug Trafficking
Roddeen Ingawanup, 56, of Fort Washakie, Wyoming, was sentenced to 35 months’ imprisonment with three years of supervised release for distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. According to court documents, during an investigation into drug trafficking on the Wind River Indian Reservation, agents with the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) received information that Ingawanup was involved in distributing controlled substances. A controlled purchase led to a search of the defendant’s residence resulting in a seizure of $12,535 in U.S. currency, 20 fentanyl pills, 50 grams of methamphetamine, and other drug related contraband. FBI and DCI Agents with the Rocky Mountain Safe Trails Task Force investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy W. Gist prosecuted the case. Ingawanup was indicted on May 24 and pleaded guilty on July 24. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Oct. 22, in Casper. Case No. 24-00078
Firearm Offenses
Stephen Clifford Swingle, 45, of Evansville, Wyoming, was sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment with three years of supervised release for being in possession of an unregistered firearm. According to court documents, Swingle was sentenced to three years of supervised probation in November 2023 for willfully injuring government property. Swingle violated the terms of his probation by failing multiple urinalysis tests so federal probation officers searched his home. During the search, they found two homemade, unregistered silencers. This crime was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Evansville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christyne Martens prosecuted the case. Swingle pleaded guilty on Aug. 8 and U.S. District Court Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence on Oct. 24, in Cheyenne. Case No. 24-CR-00071
About the United States Attorney’s Office
The United States Attorney’s Office is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the District of Wyoming, including all criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits brought by or against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. The Office is involved in several programs designed to make our communities safer. They include:
Environmental Justice
The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.
Project Safe Childhood
Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is a DOJ initiative that combats the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for sexual contact is well-known and serious.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a nationwide commitment to reducing gun and gang crime in America by networking existing local programs that target gun crime and providing these programs with additional tools necessary to be successful.
Victim Witness Assistance
The Victim Witness Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming is dedicated to making sure that victims of federal crimes and their family members are treated with compassion, fairness, and respect.To report a federal crime, go to: https://www.justice.gov/actioncenter/report-crime#trafficking
24 October 2024
Woman admits to smuggling rare chickensRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 46-year-old Aransas Pass resident has pleaded guilty to smuggling Dong Tao chickens into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
In August 2023, Jennifer Mayo had illegally smuggled 60 Dong Tao chicken eggs into the United States from Vietnam and Cambodia. She was also attempting to hatch them at her home in Ingleside.
Although Mayo initially reported all the animals that hatched had died, authorities conducted subsequent checks which revealed there were multiple live Dong Tao chickens on her property. However, due to their health, they had to be euthanized.
Dong Tao chickens aka Dragon chickens are a rare, expensive breed of chicken typical to southeast Asia. Originally from the village of Dong Tao in Vietnam, these chickens have very large legs as their identifying feature.
It is illegal to import poultry into the United States from regions affected by highly pathogenic avian influenza or regions where Newcastle disease exist in commercial poultry populations unless specific conditions are met.
According to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Vietnam and Cambodia are listed as regions affected with highly pathogenic avian influenza and are not listed as free of Newcastle disease.
U.S. District Court Judge David S. Morales will impose sentencing Jan. 23, 2025. At that time, Mayo faces up to 20 years imprisonment and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Mayo was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture conducted the investigation with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Liesel Roscher and Tyler Foster are prosecuting the case.
Wilkes-Barre Man Sentenced to 180 Months' Imprisonment for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Kevin Jones, aka “Hat,” age 40, formerly of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, was sentenced on October 23, 2024, by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, to 180 months’ imprisonment on the charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Jones was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl after a four-day jury trial before Judge Mannion in June 2024. Jones was one of fifteen individuals indicted in February 2023 for conspiring to distribute fentanyl in Northeastern Pennsylvania and elsewhere. Jones and his co-conspirators obtained pills containing fentanyl via the mail from co-conspirators in Arizona. Jones and his co-conspirators then distributed the pills in Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, and other locations in Northeastern Pennsylvania, as well as other states.
At trial, the Government presented testimony from six of Jones’s co-conspirators. Investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Wilkes-Barre Police Department, and the United States Postal Inspection Service also testified. Assistant United States Attorneys Robert J. O’Hara and Gerard T. Donahue prosecuted the case.
To date, thirteen co-defendants have pleaded guilty. Some are still awaiting sentencing.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Whittier Man Pleads Guilty to Operating Illegal Firearms Business and Arranging the Armed Robbery of Confidential InformantRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Whittier man pleaded guilty today to arranging the armed robbery of a confidential federal informant and running an unlicensed firearm dealing business that, in part, sold so-called “ghost guns,” or guns lacking serial numbers.
Salvador Lopez, 24, a.k.a. “Chava,” pleaded guilty to one count of armed robbery of money of the United States using a dangerous weapon and one count of engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license.
“This defendant not only sold guns illegally, putting firearms on the streets where they could be used to hurt others, but he also directed a minor to engage in violent crime,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Now, this defendant will be held accountable. Those who would engage in violent gun crime should be aware that my office is laser focused on protecting our community by bringing violent criminals to justice.”
According to his plea agreement, Lopez conspired with his codefendants to conduct firearms transactions. Lopez both sold firearms himself, sent pictures of firearms for sale to others who sold the firearms, and directed associates to sell firearms for him. In total, Lopez sold or helped to sell a total of 15 firearms to law enforcement agents and those working for them. Neither defendant Lopez nor his co-defendants are federal firearms licensees.
Later, Lopez agreed to sell firearms to a confidential informant working for federal law enforcement. Instead of following through with the transaction, Lopez messaged a minor with instructions to rob the informant at gun point. The minor and his coconspirators not only robbed the informant of $5,000, but they also robbed the informant’s personal cellphone and vehicle. Lopez then received a share of the robbery proceeds.
As part of the plea agreement, Lopez admitted that he instructed minor to threaten the informant with a firearm during the robbery.
United States District Judge Percy Anderson scheduled a January 6, 2025, sentencing hearing, at which time Lopez will face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years imprisonment.
Ivan Quintos, 27, of Azusa, another defendant charged in this case, also pleaded guilty today to one count of firearms trafficking. He will face up to 15 years in federal prison at his February 3, 2025, sentencing hearing.
The two remaining defendants charged in this case – Mark Perez, 22, of Henderson, Nevada; and Zachary Dry, 23, also of Henderson, Nevada – are scheduled to plead guilty to criminal charges in this case on October 25 and October 30, respectively.
Operation Safe Cities establishes strategic enforcement priorities with an emphasis on prosecuting the most significant drivers of violent crime. Across this region, the most damaging and horrific crimes are committed by a relatively small number of particularly violent individuals. This strategic enforcement approach is expected to increase the number of arrests, prosecutions and convictions of recidivists engaged in the most dangerous conduct. It is designed to improve public safety across the region by targeting crimes involving illicit guns, prohibited persons possessing firearms, or robbery crews that cause havoc and extensive losses to retail establishments.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Baldwin Park Police Department; and the Los Angeles Police Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney William M. Larsen of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
Waterbury Felon on Supervised Release Sentenced to More Than 3 Years in Prison for Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that GLENN JAMISON, 43, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 39 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for drug distribution and firearm possession offenses, and for violating the conditions of his federal supervised release that followed a prior firearm possession conviction.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in July 2019, Jamison was sentenced in New Haven federal court to 25 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
On July 24, 2023, while he was on supervised release, Jamison ran from Waterbury Police officers toward a vacant lot, holding his waistband. After Jamison was apprehended, a search of his person revealed fentanyl, carfentanil, and crack cocaine. Officers also found a loaded handgun that Jamison discarded as he ran.
In addition to his prior federal firearm conviction, Jamison’s criminal history includes numerous state convictions. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Jamison has been detained since his arrest. On July 1, 2024, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
Judge Chatigny sentenced Jamison to 33 months of imprisonment for the July 2023 offenses, and a consecutive six months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Waterbury Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha Freismuth.
This prosecution was brought through the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.
United States Attorneys Available to Receive Election ComplaintsRead the Press Release
United States Attorneys Breon Peace and Damian Williams announced today that Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) will lead the efforts of their Offices in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024 general election. AUSA Erik Paulsen has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Eastern District of New York, and AUSA David J. Kennedy has been appointed to serve as the DEO for the Southern District of New York. In their capacity as DEOs, these AUSAs are responsible for overseeing the Districts’ 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.
“A free election is the cornerstone of our democracy and every citizen in the Eastern District of New York must be able to vote and have their votes counted fairly and without interference, discrimination or threat of violence,” said United States Attorney Peace. “Election officials and their staff also must be able to perform their duties without being subjected to unlawful threats of violence or intimidation. My Office will defend those rights with the full force of federal law.”
United States Attorney Williams said, “Free, fair, and accessible elections are critical to democracy, and every voter in the Southern District of New York deserves to cast their vote with confidence in the integrity of our electoral process. It is the responsibility and privilege of this Office to work together with our law enforcement partners to ensure that New Yorkers are able to exercise their right to vote free of unlawful intimidation or hindrance. We encourage anyone who finds their civic voting protections subject to any attempted undue interference to please contact the numbers below.”
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. 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 individuals who are limited English proficient).
United States Attorneys Peace and Williams 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, AUSAs will be on duty in this District while the polls are open.”
In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights concerns during the voting period that ends on November 5, 2024, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, the United States Attorneys said that their Offices will be available to receive complaints at the following numbers through Tuesday, November 5, 2024:
(646) 369-4739 (for Manhattan, Bronx, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, and Westchester counties) and (718) 254-6085 (for Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Nassau, and Suffolk counties).
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/
In addition, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (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 (212) 384-1000.
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.
The United States Attorneys also noted that the following additional telephone numbers are available on Election Day for citizens to call for routine inquiries, such as where to vote or how late the polls are open, or to register complaints that may concern violations of New York State election laws:
IN NEW YORK CITY
New York City Board of Elections
Main Office (866) 868-3692
TTY #: 212-487-5496
IN COUNTIES OUTSIDE NEW YORK CITY
County Boards of Elections
Dutchess (845) 486-2473
Nassau (516) 571-8683
Orange (845) 360-6500
Orange (Spanish language) (855) 331-2444
Putnam (845) 808-1300
Rockland (845) 638-5172
Suffolk (631) 852-4500
Sullivan (845) 807-0400
Westchester (914) 995-5700
United States Attorneys Available to Receive Election ComplaintsRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Breon Peace, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced today that Assistant United States Attorneys (“AUSAs”) will lead the efforts of their Offices in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election. AUSA David J. Kennedy has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (“DEO”) for the Southern District of New York, and AUSA Erik Paulsen has been appointed to serve as the DEO for the Eastern District of New York. In their capacity as DEOs, these AUSAs are responsible for overseeing the Districts’ 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, D.C.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Free, fair, and accessible elections are critical to democracy, and every voter in the Southern District of New York deserves to cast their vote with confidence in the integrity of our electoral process. It is the responsibility and privilege of this Office to work together with our law enforcement partners to ensure that New Yorkers are able to exercise their right to vote free of unlawful intimidation or hindrance. We encourage anyone who finds their civic voting protections subject to any attempted undue interference to please contact the numbers below.”
U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said: “A free election is the cornerstone of our democracy and every citizen in the Eastern District of New York must be able to vote and have their votes counted fairly and without interference, discrimination or threat of violence, Election officials and their staff also must be able to perform their duties without being subjected to unlawful threats of violence or intimidation. My Office will defend those rights with the full force of federal law.”
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. 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. Attorneys Damian Williams and Breon Peace said: “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, AUSAs will be on duty in this District while the polls are open.”
In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights concerns during the voting period that ends on November 5, 2024, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, the U.S. Attorneys said that their Offices will be available to receive complaints at the following numbers through Tuesday, November 5, 2024:
(646) 369-4739 (for Manhattan, Bronx, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, and Westchester counties) and (718) 254-6790 (for Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Nassau, and Suffolk counties).
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/
In addition, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“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 (212) 384-1000.
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/
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.
The U.S. Attorneys also noted that the following additional telephone numbers are available on Election Day for citizens to call for routine inquiries, such as where to vote or how late the polls are open, or to register complaints that may concern violations of New York State election laws:
IN NEW YORK CITY
New York City Board of Elections
Main Office (866) 868-3692
TTY #: 212-487-5496
IN COUNTIES OUTSIDE NEW YORK CITY
County Boards of Elections
Dutchess (845) 486-2473
Nassau (516) 571-8683
Orange (845) 360-6500
Orange (Spanish language) (855) 331-2444
Putnam (845) 808-1300
Rockland (845) 638-5172
Suffolk (631) 852-4500
Sullivan (845) 807-0400
Westchester (914) 995-5700
U.S. Reaches Settlement for over $100M in Civil Lawsuit Against Owner and Operator of the Vessel That Destroyed the Francis Scott Key BridgeRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Private Limited, the Singaporean corporations that owned and operated the Motor Vessel DALI, have agreed to pay $101,980,000 to resolve a civil claim brought by the United States for costs borne in responding to the catastrophic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
The settlement resolves the United States’ claims for civil damages for $103,078,056 under the Rivers and Harbors Act, Oil Pollution Act, and general maritime law. The settlement monies will go to the U.S. Treasury and to the budgets of several federal agencies directly affected by the allision or involved in the response.
“Nearly seven months after one of the worst transportation disasters in recent memory, which claimed six lives and caused untold damage, we have reached an important milestone with today’s settlement,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “Thanks to the hard work of the Justice Department attorneys since day one of this disaster, we were able to secure this early settlement of our claim, just over one month into litigation. This resolution ensures that the costs of the federal government’s cleanup efforts in the Fort McHenry Channel are borne by Grace Ocean and Synergy and not the American taxpayer.”
“This is a tremendous outcome that fully compensates the United States for the costs it incurred in responding to this disaster and holds the owner and operator of the DALI accountable,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The prompt resolution of this matter also avoids the expense associated with litigating this complex case for potentially years.”
In the early morning hours of March 26, the Motor Vessel DALI left the Port of Baltimore bound for Sri Lanka. While navigating through the Fort McHenry Channel, the vessel lost power, regained power, and then lost power again before striking the bridge. The bridge collapsed and plunged into the water below, tragically killing six people. In addition to this heartbreaking loss of life, the wreck of the DALI and the remains of the bridge were left to obstruct the navigable channel, bringing all shipping into and out of the Port of Baltimore to a standstill. The loss of the bridge also severed a critical highway in the transportation infrastructure and blocked a key artery for local commuters.
The United States led the response efforts of dozens of federal, state, and local agencies to remove about 50,000 tons of steel, concrete, and asphalt from the channel and from the DALI itself. While removal operations were underway, the United States set up temporary channels to start relieving the bottleneck at the port and mitigate some of the economic devastation caused by the DALI. The Fort McHenry Channel was cleared by June 10, and the Port of Baltimore was once again open for commercial navigation.
On Sept. 18, the Justice Department filed a civil lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, seeking over $100 million in damages from Grace Ocean and Synergy. The Department’s claim was part of a legal action that the vessel companies filed shortly after the tragedy, in which they seek exoneration or limitation of their liability to approximately $43.7 million. Today’s settlement is in addition to $97,294 recently paid by Grace Ocean to the Coast Guard National Pollution Fund Center for costs incurred to abate the threat of oil pollution arising from the incident.
The settlement does not include any damages for the reconstruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The State of Maryland built, owned, maintained, and operated the bridge, and attorneys on the state’s behalf filed their own claim for those damages. Pursuant to the governing regulation, funds recovered by the State of Maryland for reconstruction of the bridge will be used to reduce the project costs paid for in the first instance by federal tax dollars.
The resolution of the civil matter was handled by attorneys from the Civil Division’s Aviation, Space & Admiralty Litigation Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.
U.S. Reaches Settlement for over $100m in Civil Lawsuit Against Owner and Operator of the Vessel That Destroyed the Francis Scott Key BridgeRead the Press Release
Washington – The Justice Department announced today that Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Private Limited, the Singaporean corporations that owned and operated the Motor Vessel DALI, have agreed to pay $101,980,000 to resolve a civil claim brought by the United States for costs borne in responding to the catastrophic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
The settlement resolves the United States’ claims for civil damages for $103,078,056 under the Rivers and Harbors Act, Oil Pollution Act, and general maritime law. The settlement monies will go to the U.S. Treasury and to the budgets of several federal agencies directly affected by the allision or involved in the response.
“Nearly seven months after one of the worst transportation disasters in recent memory, which claimed six lives and caused untold damage, we have reached an important milestone with today’s settlement,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “Thanks to the hard work of the Justice Department attorneys since day one of this disaster, we were able to secure this early settlement of our claim, just over one month into litigation. This resolution ensures that the costs of the federal government’s cleanup efforts in the Fort McHenry Channel are borne by Grace Ocean and Synergy and not the American taxpayer.”
“This is a tremendous outcome that fully compensates the United States for the costs it incurred in responding to this disaster and holds the owner and operator of the DALI accountable,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The prompt resolution of this matter also avoids the expense associated with litigating this complex case for potentially years.”
In the early morning hours of March 26, the Motor Vessel DALI left the Port of Baltimore bound for Sri Lanka. While navigating through the Fort McHenry Channel, the vessel lost power, regained power, and then lost power again before striking the bridge. The bridge collapsed and plunged into the water below, tragically killing six people. In addition to this heartbreaking loss of life, the wreck of the DALI and the remains of the bridge were left to obstruct the navigable channel, bringing all shipping into and out of the Port of Baltimore to a standstill. The loss of the bridge also severed a critical highway in the transportation infrastructure and blocked a key artery for local commuters.
The United States led the response efforts of dozens of federal, state, and local agencies to remove about 50,000 tons of steel, concrete, and asphalt from the channel and from the DALI itself. While removal operations were underway, the United States set up temporary channels to start relieving the bottleneck at the port and mitigate some of the economic devastation caused by the DALI. The Fort McHenry Channel was cleared by June 10, and the Port of Baltimore was once again open for commercial navigation.
On Sept. 18, the Justice Department filed a civil lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, seeking over $100 million in damages from Grace Ocean and Synergy. The Department’s claim was part of a legal action that the vessel companies filed shortly after the tragedy, in which they seek exoneration or limitation of their liability to approximately $43.7 million. Today’s settlement is in addition to $97,294 recently paid by Grace Ocean to the Coast Guard National Pollution Fund Center for costs incurred to abate the threat of oil pollution arising from the incident.The settlement does not include any damages for the reconstruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The State of Maryland built, owned, maintained, and operated the bridge, and attorneys on the state’s behalf filed their own claim for those damages. Pursuant to the governing regulation, funds recovered by the State of Maryland for reconstruction of the bridge will be used to reduce the project costs paid for in the first instance by federal tax dollars.
The resolution of the civil matter was handled by attorneys from the Civil Division’s Aviation, Space & Admiralty Litigation Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, Baltimore Division.
# # #
U.S. Attorney Announces District Election Officer for 2024 General ElectionRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Daniel R. Schiess will lead the efforts for the District of Nevada in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election. AUSA Schiess has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the District of Nevada, 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 Frierson 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 Frierson 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 Schiess will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone numbers: 702-388-6336.”
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 702-385-1281.
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 Frierson 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.
###
Two former Richmond County deputies plead guilty to violating civil rights of jail detaineeRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: Two former Richmond County Sheriff’s Office deputies have pled guilty to federal civil rights charges involving an assault on a jail detainee.
Daniel D’Aversa, 52, and Melissa Morello, 27, await sentencing after each pled guilty to an Information charging them with Deprivation of Civil Rights Under Color of Law. The guilty plea subjects each defendant to a possible sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison, along with substantial fines and restitution, followed by up to three years of supervised release upon completion of any prison term.
There is no parole in the federal system.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg for the Southern District of Georgia Acting Special Agent in Charge Sean Burke of the FBI Atlanta Field Office made the announcement.
As described in the plea agreements, Morello was a jailer at Richmond County’s Charles D. Webster Detention Center, and D’Aversa was a corporal with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office. Both were at the jail on May 7, 2022, working with other Richmond County Sheriff’s Office jailers and deputies to secure inmates who had caused flooding in a section of the jail.
A pretrial detainee, referred to in court documents as Victim 1, was handcuffed face-down in the jail when D’Aversa and Morello shouted to other staff members that Victim 1 wanted his handcuffs removed. Morello then “attempted to unlock Victim 1’s handcuffs so that another employee would have an excuse to go hands-on with him,” and when Morello was unsuccessful, a deputy listed as Deputy 2 then unlocked and removed the handcuffs.
A deputy listed as Deputy 1 then “repeatedly punched Victim 1 and placed him in a chokehold. … During Deputy 1’s assault on Victim 1,” and both Morello and D’Aversa “failed to intervene to stop or attempt to stop the assault,” despite having the opportunity to do so.
U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall will schedule sentencing for D’Aversa and Morello upon completion of pre-sentence investigations by U.S. Probation Services.
The case is being investigated by the FBI, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney George J.C. Jacobs III and Anita T. Channapati of the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.
Two Inland Empire Women Arrested on Indictment Alleging $3.5 Million Scheme to Defraud COVID-19 Business Loan ProgramRead the Press Release
RIVERSIDE, California – Two Riverside County women were arrested today on a 23-count federal grand jury indictment alleging they and two men schemed to defraud a COVID-19 pandemic-relief program out of more than $3 million by helping others fraudulently obtain COVID business loans in exchange for a cut of the illicit proceeds.
Vanessa M. Williams, 35, of Corona,and Denise Mata, 34, of Moreno Valley, were arrested this morning and are scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon in United States District Court in Riverside.
Williams and Mata are charged with nine and 10 counts of wire fraud, respectively. Mata is charged with an additional count of aggravated identity theft. Also charged in the indictment are Daryl D. Knighten Jr., 32, and Mikhail G. Hoalim, 33, who face seven and nine counts of wire fraud, respectively. Law enforcement continue to search for both men.
According to the indictment that a grand jury returned on August 14, from March 2021 to August 2021, the defendants submitted and caused to be submitted fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans for themselves, family members, close associates, and individuals they recruited. Congress created the program in 2020 to assist businesses dealing with COVID-19’s severe economic impact.
The defendants made false statements to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and banks in connection with the fraudulent PPP loan applications. Each application falsely stated that the PPP loan applicant was self-employed and falsely certified that each loan would be used for permissible business purposes. Each loan application also contained fraudulent tax forms to deceive the SBA and PPP participating lenders into disbursing loan funds.
Lenders approved PPP loans for the defendants and more than 100 co-schemers. The lenders then disbursed the PPP loan funds into bank accounts belonging to the defendants and their co-schemers. Co-schemers paid kickbacks to the defendants within days of receiving the fraudulently obtained PPP loan funds.
The defendants and their co-schemers used the illicitly obtained money for their own personal benefit and not for expenses allowable under the PPP. The defendants also submitted fraudulent documents to the SBA and lenders to obtain loan forgiveness for the illegally obtained PPP loans.
In March 2021, Mata allegedly used the Social Security numbers belonging to another person – without that person’s permission – in connection with the scheme to defraud the PPP.
Law enforcement believes the losses caused by this scheme are approximately $3.5 million.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted, each defendant would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count. Mata would face an additional mandatory two-year prison sentence consecutive to any other prison term if convicted of aggravated identity theft.
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.
On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Central and Eastern Districts of California to jointly head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. The Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors, as well as those who committed multiple instances of pandemic relief fraud. The Strike Force uses prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. Additional information regarding the Strike Force may be found at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-covid-19-fraud-strike-force-teams.
As part of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Task Force, this investigation was conducted by Amtrak Office of Inspector General with support from Homeland Security Investigations. The PRAC was established to promote transparency and facilitate coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. 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.
Assistant United States Attorney Max A. Shapiro of the General Crimes Section, along with Senior Litigation Counsel Gary Bell and Trial Attorney Ambris Saravanan from the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division are prosecuting this case.
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.
Two Former Georgia Deputies Plead Guilty to Violating Civil Rights of Jail DetaineeRead the Press Release
Two former Richmond County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office deputies pleaded guilty yesterday to federal civil rights charges involving an assault on a jail detainee.
Daniel D’Aversa, 52, and Melissa Morello, 28, pleaded guilty to an information charging both officers with one felony count of deprivation of civil rights under color of law.
According to court documents, Morello was assigned as a jailer at Richmond County’s Charles D. Webster Detention Center, and D’Aversa was a corporal with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office. On May 7, 2022, Morello and D’Aversa were working with other Richmond County Sheriff’s Office deputies to secure inmates who had caused flooding in a section of the jail. Fellow deputies deliberately removed the handcuffs of a compliant inmate and then proceeded to punch and kick him. Both Morello and D’Aversa pleaded guilty to failing to intervene or stop the assault on the inmate, who was not posing a threat to anyone at the time of the assault.
U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall will schedule sentencing for D’Aversa and Morello upon completion of pre-sentence investigations by U.S. Probation Services.
Sentencing hearings will be set at a later date. Both D’Aversa and Morello face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, along with substantial fines and restitution, followed by up to three years of supervised release upon completion of any prison term. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and any other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg for the Southern District of Georgia and Acting Special Agent in Charge Sean Burke of the FBI Atlanta Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Atlanta Field Office is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney George J.C. Jacobs III for the Southern District of Georgia and Trial Attorney Anita T. Channapati of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
Two Defendants Plead Guilty in Federal Conspiracies Involving High-End Stolen Vehicle RingsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Two defendants appeared in federal court today and entered guilty pleas for their respective roles in cases involving high-end stolen vehicles worth millions of dollars, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to filed documents and statements made in court, Andre Lamar Sumner, 41, of Charlotte, pleaded guilty to a count of conspiracy to violate federal law, including by transporting and possessing stolen vehicles in interstate commerce, and altering vehicle identification numbers (VINs). Sumner also pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a stolen vehicle. According to filed court documents, between 2022 and 2024, Sumner and his co-conspirators engaged in a scheme to buy and sell high-end motor vehicles that were stolen from car dealerships, rental car companies, and private parties across the United States, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Missouri.
Sumner operated as a “fence” in the conspiracy, arranging the buying and selling of the stolen motor vehicles. A fence is someone who assists in finding or dealing with buyers for stolen properties. To maximize profits, Sumner sought to fence high-end stolen vehicles such as luxury models made by BMW, Land Rover, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, and Rolls-Royce, as well as trucks and other expensive modes from Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, and RAM. As court documents show, Sumner and his co-conspirators possessed stolen vehicles with an estimated value well over $2 million.
According to court records, Sumner sold the stolen cars to buyers at prices significantly below the vehicles’ fair market values. As Sumner admitted in court today, to avoid detection and to maximize the stolen vehicles’ resale values, Sumner and others regularly altered the stolen vehicles’ original VINs and fraudulently registered the stolen vehicles with various state motor vehicle agencies.
One of Sumner’s co-conspirators, Erren Woodson, 40, of Charlotte, pleaded guilty last Friday, October 18, 2024, to one count of conspiracy and one count of possession of a stolen vehicle. Court documents show that Woodson purchased stolen vehicles from Sumner. Court documents filed in Woodson’s case show that Woodson regularly communicated with Sumner to discuss the available inventory of stolen vehicles and potential buyers as well as prices for the stolen cars.
Both Sumner and Woodson also pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana. According to court records, the defendants were involved in marijuana trafficking, in part funded by the stolen vehicles scheme.
In a separate case involving high-end stolen vehicles, Terrick D. Lumpkin, 39, of Charlotte, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to violate federal law, including by transporting and possessing vehicles in interstate commerce and altering VIN numbers. Lumpkin also pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a stolen vehicle.
According to documents filed in this case and the plea hearing, between November 2023 and January 2024, Lumpkin conspired with other individuals to steal and possess luxury and high-end models of vehicles worth over $1 million. Lumpkin and his co-conspirators obtained stolen vehicles from various locations throughout the United States, including in North Carolina, Illinois, and New York. In addition, several of the vehicles Lumpkin possessed were stolen from the Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
Court documents show that Lumpkin and others mainly sought high-end vehicles made by Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Lamborghini and Mercedes, as well as sports utility vehicles, and other expensive models from Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, GMC, and Jeep. Once they came to possess the stolen vehicles, Lumpkin and his co-conspirators altered or removed the vehicles’ VINs to avoid detection by law enforcement.
All three defendants are currently released on bond. The conspiracy charges carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Each charge of possession of a stolen vehicle carries a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The charge of possession with intent to distribute marijuana carries a maximum prison sentence of five years. At sentencing, Sumner and Woodson face a maximum of 20 years of imprisonment. Lumpkin faces a maximum of 15 years of imprisonment.
Since August 2023, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has charged 11 individuals with conspiracy offenses related to high-end stolen vehicles and other related offenses. Of those charged, nine have pleaded guilty to federal charges. Additional individuals involved in stolen vehicle possession have also been prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for other federal crimes, including illegal gun possession and drug trafficking.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI and CMPD’s Stolen Car And Recovery Law Enforcement Team (SCARLET) for their investigation of these cases.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Bozin and Daniel Ryan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are in charge of the prosecutions.
St. Louis County Woman Admits Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A woman from St. Louis County, Missouri on Thursday admitted producing child pornography involving a two-year-old.
Raven Ainesis Pointer, 26, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of production of child pornography. Pointer admitted using her phone to produce videos containing child sexual abuse material.
The investigation into Pointer began in August of 2023 in Montgomery, Alabama, where Homeland Security Investigations agents learned that a man who had been distributing child sexual abuse material had also been communicating with a woman from St. Louis who identified herself as “Raven P.” He said she sent him videos involving a two-year-old victim, information which was corroborated by his phone.
Investigators identified Pointer and matched details in the videos to her and the location where they had been filmed, Pointer’s plea agreement says. In an interview with investigators, she confirmed that she was in the videos and also identified the victim, the plea says.
Pointer is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 23, 2025. The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years.
Homeland Security Investigations and the St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Chapman is prosecuting the case.This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
St. Albans Woman Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Sarah J. Ward, 41, of St. Albans, was sentenced to two years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Ward and her husband Timothy A. Ward admitted that they distributed methamphetamine or aided and abetted each other to distribute methamphetamine to confidential informants on seven occasions in Kanawha County from October 2, 2023, through December 6, 2023. The Wards further admitted that they received money for several of these transactions, and for others received clothing that was shoplifted at their direction. The transactions included the sale of a half-ounce of methamphetamine to a confidential informant at a St. Albans bar on October 2, 2023. The Wards also sold a pistol with an obliterated serial number to a confidential informant, which Timothy Ward referred to as a “throwaway” firearm during the transaction.
Timothy A. Ward, 42, was sentenced on June 6, 2024, to eight years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the St. Albans Police Department and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-201.
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Springfield Man Sentenced to 54 months in Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a FelonRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Springfield, Illinois, man, Alvin D. Billups, age 36, was sentenced on October 23, 2024, to 54 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release, for possessing a firearm as a felon.
At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Colleen R. Lawless, the government established that in June 2023 Springfield Police Officers were on foot patrol in an area where numerous people were having a large block party. The officers approached a car containing an open bottle of alcohol. Billups was in the driver’s seat. During a subsequent search, Billups, a felon, was found in possession of a Taurus G2 9mm pistol. During the hearing, Judge Lawless noted that Billups had a significant history of firearms offenses, which included multiple prior state firearms convictions.
Billups remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service, where he has been since his federal arrest on August 23, 2023. He pleaded guilty to the one-count indictment in the case on May 9, 2024.
The statutory penalties for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person are up to 15 years’ imprisonment, up to three years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine.
The Springfield Police Department investigated the firearms case with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case against Billups is part of a committed effort to combat gun violence in Sangamon County, Illinois, by law enforcement including the Springfield Police Department, Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Seberger represented the government in the prosecution.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Spartanburg Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Second Federal Cocaine Trafficking ConvictionRead the Press Release
SPARTANBURG, S.C. —Maurice Suber, 39, of Spartanburg was sentenced to more than 11 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to distribute cocaine.
Evidence presented to the court showed that since at least 2022, Suber was distributing drugs in the Highlands area of Spartanburg. On Nov. 15, 2023, a search warrant was executed on Suber’s home and multiple firearms and cash were located. Suber had previously been sentenced for conspiracy to distribute cocaine in the same federal courthouse.
United States District Judge Donald C. Coggins sentenced Suber to 141 months in federal prison, followed by a court ordered term of supervision. The court also entered an order of forfeiture for $3.8 million dollars.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Border Enforcement Security Task Force – Upstate South Carolina, Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, Oconee County Sheriff’s Office, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, and Greenville County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Schoen is prosecuting the case.
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Sacramento Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Trafficker Sentenced to over 19 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Michael Valentino Lovato, 35, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley to 19 years and 10 months in prison and for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, after previously being convicted of drug trafficking, Lovato engaged in a conspiracy to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl and over 500 grams of methamphetamine in Sacramento in April 2022. During the conspiracy, Lovato sold fentanyl pills to an undercover source on multiple separate occasions and also sold methamphetamine to the source.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Sacramento Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily G. Sauvageau and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew De Moura prosecuted the case.
Charges are pending against co-defendant Gilbert Ramirez, of Sacramento. The charges against him are only allegations, and he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This prosecution is also part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. The Sacramento Strike Force is a co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the Sacramento Strike Force is to identify, investigate, disrupt, and dismantle the most significant drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) shipping narcotics, firearms, and money through the Eastern District of California, thereby reducing the flow of these criminal resources in California and the rest of the United States. The Sacramento Strike Force leads intelligence-driven investigations targeting the leadership and support elements of these DTOs and TCOs operating within the Eastern District of California, regardless of their geographic base of operations.
Return to Nature Funeral Home Owners Plead Guilty in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Jon Hallford, 44, and Carie Hallford, 47, pleaded guilty today to one count each of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
According to the plea agreements for each, the Hallfords were the co-owners of Return to Nature Funeral Home, which operated both in the Colorado Springs area and in Penrose, Colorado. In October 2023, residents in the Penrose area reported a foul odor emanating from the Return to Nature facility. After obtaining a search warrant, FBI, CBI, and local law enforcement investigators found the remains of approximately 190 deceased persons inside the building in various states of decomposition. Some of the remains discovered had dates of death as far back as 2019. As part of their fraud scheme, the Hallfords misled customers of the funeral home into believing that the remains of their loved ones would be buried or cremated per their wishes and the terms of the parties’ contracts.
As part of their plea agreements, the Hallfords also admitted that they conspired together to defraud the U.S. Small Business Administration of over $800,000 in COVID-19 pandemic relief funds, which they obtained under the government’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program.
Sentencing will be held at a later date. Each defendant faces up to twenty years in federal prison.
United States District Court Judge Nina Y. Wang presided over the hearing. The FBI Denver Field Office and The United States Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Several other state and local law enforcement agencies including the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, the Colorado Springs Police Department, the El Paso County Coroner’s Office, the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, and the Fremont County Coroner’s Office have made significant contributions to this case. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Tim Neff and Craig Fansler.
Retired Boston Police Captain Sentenced to Federal Prison for Overtime Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A retired Captain of the Boston Police Department was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for participating in a long-running overtime fraud scheme at the Boston Police Department (BPD) that cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraudulent overtime payments.
Richard Evans, 65, of Hanover, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to one year and a day in federal prison, two years of supervised release, restitution of $154,249.20 and a fine of $15,000. In March 2024, a federal jury convicted Evans of conspiracy to commit theft concerning programs receiving federal funds, theft concerning programs receiving federal finds, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. Evans was arrested and charged in March 2021 after a lengthy investigation into the overtime practices of Evans and other BPD officers proved that officers had been lying on their overtime slips so that they could get paid for countless hours that they did not work.
“Members of law enforcement are expected to uphold the law, not violate it,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Mr. Evans abused the public trust and violated his oath, and his greed corrupted others in the department. His actions do not reflect the selfless, outstanding work done every day by thousands of Boston Police Department officers and police officers across the Commonwealth. To anyone who may be tempted to follow a similar path, today’s sentence should send a strong message that police officers who steal taxpayer money by fraudulently trying to get paid for hours they do not work will be held accountable and face significant penalties.”
“After 37 years on the force, Richard Evans should know that crime doesn’t pay. Nonetheless, he orchestrated this long-running overtime fraud scheme, ensnared his former officers, and ignored all ethical boundaries in order to make a buck," said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “The public’s trust is critical for our justice system to function properly, which is why the FBI will do everything in its power to bring officers whose criminal actions undermine that trust to justice. We thank the Boston Police Department for its help in rooting out this egregious fraud.”
“Today’s sentencing sends a clear message that public servants who cheat and steal will be held accountable. Evans participated in and orchestrated a scheme to defraud taxpayers by submitting and certifying fraudulent overtime for himself and subordinate officers. This is not a victimless crime. His illicit gains were at the expense of the taxpayers,” said Timothy C. Edmiston, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Mid-Atlantic Region.
Evans, who retired from the BPD shortly after he was charged in this case, was a 42-year veteran of the BPD and one of the highest-ranking officers in the department. From May 2012 to March 2016, Evans was the commander of BPD’s Evidence and Supply Management Division, where he was responsible for, among other things, overseeing the Evidence Control Unit (ECU) that stored and managed all the evidence for the BPD.
The investigation revealed that that when BPD’s evidence warehouse started overflowing with evidence, the department authorized an overtime program to “purge” old and unneeded evidence to make room for new evidence. As part of this purge overtime program, officers in the ECU were authorized to work up to four hours a day, after their regular day shift, to help purge old evidence.
For virtually the entirety of the time that Evans was in charge of the ECU, Evans and those under his command abused the purge overtime program to unjustly enrich themselves. For the purge program, it was contemplated that officers would work up to four hours of overtime in a day, typically from 4:00 to 8:00 from Mondays to Thursdays. The evidence showed that officers rarely worked the hours they were supposed to work, often working only an hour or two of overtime but claiming they worked four hours. Given that overtime was paid at 1.5 times the regular pay rate, this meant that officers could get six hours of pay for claiming four hours of overtime, even though in reality they were only working for an hour or two.
As part of this scheme, for multiple years, officers falsely claimed on BPD pay forms that they worked four hours of overtime when they routinely did not. The BPD’s policies and protocols required that officers, after every shift, submit overtime slips certifying the “actual hours worked” during any shift. On countless occasions over multiple years, Evans and other officers in his unit submitted slips overstating their actual hours worked. The BPD’s evidence warehouse, where the ECU is based, is secured and alarmed when officers are not working in it. Alarm records from the evidence warehouse were introduced to show that the building was not even open during hundreds of hours when Evans and other officers had falsely claimed that they were inside the building purging old evidence.
Evans submitted slips for hundreds of overtime hours he did not work. As a supervisor, Evans also approved the overtime slips of officers under his command who falsely claimed payment for hundreds of overtime hours they did not work. Evans also misled his superior officers about the purge overtime scheme to cover up the fact that officers were inflating their overtime hours and routinely not working even half the number of hours they were claiming.
On top of his base salary, Evans received over $120,000 in overtime payments during his nearly four years as commander of the ECU, including over $17,000 in overtime payments for hours that the evidence warehouse was not even open during the hours Evans claimed he was working. The overtime pay received by Evans allowed his total pay to exceed $200,000 for each of the years between 2013 and 2016 when he led that unit.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy; SAC Cohen; DOJ-OIG SAC Edmiston; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kunal Pasricha and Elysa Wan of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case at trial.
Repeat Sex Offender Sentenced to Life in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK –Steven Valder, age 34, of Syracuse, and formerly of Cayuga County, was sentenced today to Life imprisonment plus 10 years following his trial conviction for sexual exploitation and child pornography offenses. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.
Following a jury trial in June, Valder was convicted of two counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Child for producing sexually explicit images of a 13-year-old boy in 2023, one count of Committing a Felony Offense Against a Minor as a Registered Sex Offender, and one count of Receipt of Child Pornography. The jury also found that Valder committed the Sexual Exploitation offenses after a prior conviction for a sex offense against a minor.
Today, he was sentenced to concurrent mandatory life sentences on each of the two sexual exploitation counts, a concurrent sentence of 40 years for his receipt of child pornography over the internet, and a mandatory consecutive 10 years for committing the exploitation offenses as a registered sex offender.
The evidence at trial showed that approximately one year after being released from prison for 2010 convictions in Cayuga County Court for Criminal Sexual Act in the First Degree (forcible anal sexual conduct with a 14-year-old child for which he received a 10 year sentence), and in Federal Court for transportation and possession of child pornography (for which he received a 15 year sentence), Valder produced sexually explicit images of a 13-year old boy, who he sexually abused multiple times over a period of months in multiple locations around the City of Syracuse. Valder, who also downloaded child pornography over the Internet through Russian applications he had downloaded to his phone, was a registered sex offender on both federal supervised release and state parole at the time of his offenses.
Valder’s crimes were discovered after his United States Probation Officer found him in possession of an unauthorized smart phone on which the images of the child victim and internet child pornography were found.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Albany Division Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, the New York State Police, and the United States Probation Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa M. Fletcher, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator for the Northern District of New York, prosecuted the case.
Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov
Repeat Offender Sentenced for Illegal Gun Possession in Southwest GeorgiaRead the Press Release
ALBANY, Ga. – An Albany resident with a lengthy criminal history caught by Albany-Dougherty Drug Unit officers illegally possessing a loaded pistol was sentenced to serve 15 years in prison for his crime.
Trevin Tywon Davis, 44, of Albany, was sentenced to serve 180 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Leslie Gardner on Oct. 24. Davis pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on April 11. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Repeat convicted felons caught with a loaded firearm will face federal prosecution for their willful disregard for the law,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Our office will bring every available federal resource to bear in support of our local and state law enforcement partners as we work together to make our communities safer for all.”
"I am grateful for the partnership we have with our federal partners due to the number of repeat offenders in our community,” said Albany Police Chief Michael Persley. “These individuals should be attempting to make a positive change in their lifestyle instead of making choices that would set them back and send them back to prison. We ask all persons to be followers of the law so that our community can grow and be a safe haven to those who wish to live, work and play here.”
"The ATF is fully committed to safeguarding our communities from the threat of illegal firearms and violent crime," said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka of the ATF Atlanta Field Division. "We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to ensure that individuals who pose a danger to our neighborhoods are held accountable and brought to justice.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, officers with the Albany-Dougherty Drug Unit (ADDU) initiated a traffic stop on a white Buick sedan with illegal window tint. Davis was driving, and the officer smelled marijuana coming from the car. Davis was detained, and officers found a loaded Glock 9mm handgun on a magnet against the center gear aisle on the driver’s side. Davis has at least three prior felony convictions for a violent felony or serious drug offense in Dougherty County, Georgia, Superior Court and other jurisdictions; it is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm. In recorded jail calls following his arrest, Davis admitted to eating marijuana when he was pulled over and having an illegal loaded firearm.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Albany-Dougherty Drug Unit (ADDU).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Redavid prosecuted the case for the Government
Real Estate Developer Sentenced to Prison for Bribing Former Taylor MayorRead the Press Release
DETROIT –Real estate developer was sentenced to one year and a day in prison for bribing former Mayor of Taylor Richard Sollars with cash, home renovations, and other things of value in exchange for obtaining tax-foreclosed properties from the City of Taylor for redevelopment, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Shady Awad, 44, of Allen Park was sentenced by United States District Judge Mark A. Goldsmith.
According to court documents, between 2016 and 2018, Awad provided a steady stream of bribes to then-mayor Sollars in the form of cash, home improvements to Sollars’ home and lake house, appliances, and other items of value. Awad also agreed to charge more than $19,000 to his credit cards, and then convert the charges to cash for Sollars. In total, Awad provided Sollars with goods and services valued at $85,011.73, in exchange for being permitted to acquire tax-foreclosed properties to redevelop through the City of Taylor’s Right of First Refusal (ROFR) program. This was a program designed to allow Taylor to acquire tax-foreclosed properties from Wayne County for redevelopment. As a result of the bribes Awad paid to Sollars, Sollars recommended to City Council that Awad be awarded the vast majority of the City’s ROFR properties.
“Mr. Awad’s conviction and sentence should send a strong message that not only will public officials who accept bribes be brought to justice by my office, but also, those who seek to gain an advantage by bribing public officials will face serious consequences as well,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison.
“Mr. Awad and the former Mayor of Taylor unlawfully corrupted the City of Taylor’s real estate redevelopment program, meant to benefit the city and its residents, for their own private gain,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “FBI Michigan’s Detroit Area Corruption Task Force remains committed to rigorously investigating public corruption, especially individuals who cheat the system by bribing public officials.”
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frances Carlson and Robert Moran.
Prior felon charged with gun and drug chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Derrel Austin, 46, of Niagara Falls, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years, and a $5,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Donna M. Duncan, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in October 1995 and October 2009, Austin was convicted of multiple felony charges in Erie County Court, including kidnapping and manslaughter. On February 17, 2022, New York State Parole and Niagara Falls Police officers went to Austin’s residence to conduct a home visit. Officers knocked and announced for several minutes. During this time, an individual, later determined to be Austin, was seen exiting the residence onto the fire escape carrying several bags, which were left on the fire escape. A short time later, Austin went back inside the residence and opened his apartment door for officers. Wearing a bathrobe, Austin claimed that it took him so long to answer the door because he was in the shower. During the execution of the parole search, officers recovered the bags from the fire escape, which contained suspected cocaine, suspected fentanyl, suspected Suboxone, and drug paraphernalia, a handgun, and multiple rounds of ammunition. Investigators also noted that the shower in the residence was dry.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel F. Martuscello III, the Niagara Falls Police Department, under the direction of Superintendent Nicholas Ligammari, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Possession of stolen firearm sends Reed Point man to prison for more than eight yearsRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Reed Point man who admitted to possessing a stolen firearm found in a stolen vehicle that crashed near Helena following a pursuit was sentenced today to eight years and eight months years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
The defendant, Jarred Lane Saunders, 26, pleaded guilty in June to prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court also ordered $18,252.98 restitution.
“Stolen firearms and drugs are a dangerous combination. Here, Saunders likely stole 23 guns from a vehicle parked at a Billings hotel, then was arrested in Helena after a pursuit and found in possession of fentanyl and one of the stolen guns. Saunders’ criminal conduct posed a serious threat to public safety, and we remain united with our law enforcement partners in getting these offenders off our streets,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.
The government alleged in court documents that on Oct. 12, 2022, Billings police officers responded to a report of 23 firearms that had been stolen from a vehicle parked in a hotel parking lot. Saunders likely stole the 23 firearms because his fingerprints were found at the scene and then brought stolen firearms and fentanyl in a stolen car to Helena. On Oct. 15, 2022, the Montana Highway Patrol pursued a stolen Mercedes, which had been taken in Billings on Oct. 11, 2022. The Mercedes eventually crashed in a private driveway, and Saunders was arrested by Helena police officers. At his arrest, Saunders complained that he ingested 15 to 20 fentanyl pills. A search warrant was executed on the Mercedes, and officers found approximately 300 fentanyl pills, a small amount of methamphetamine and a .22-caliber pistol that had been stolen from the vehicle in Billings. A witness told Billings police of seeing Saunders with three duffle bags full of guns. That person received three of the firearms knowing they were stolen. At the time Saunders possessed the firearms, he was an unlawful user of controlled substances.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Billings Police Department, Montana Highway Patrol, Butte-Silver Bow Law Enforcement, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation and Helena Police Department conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
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Pharmacy Owner Sentenced for Role in $6.9 Million Scheme to Bill Insurance for Medications Not DispensedRead the Press Release
DETROIT - A licensed pharmacist from Dearborn Heights was sentenced to 2 years in federal prison for submitting claims to Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan for her role in a scheme to defraud health care insurers by submitting claims for pharmaceuticals that were not actually purchased, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the FBI’s Detroit Division and Mario M. Pinto, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Region of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
In addition to the prison term, United States District Judge Nancy G. Edmunds also ordered Zeinab Makki, 61, to pay $6.9 million in restitution imposed of a forfeiture judgment of $6.9 million.
According to court records, Makki was the pharmacist in charge from 2001 through 2021 at New Millennium Drugs and Western Wayne Pharmacy. She admitted that she led a scheme to defraud Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan by submitting claims for pharmaceuticals which New Millenium Drugs and Western Wayne Pharmacy did not actually purchase.
“Fraud by health care professionals will be aggressively pursued by our office,” said U.S. Attorney Ison. “We hope that prosecutions like this one will deter health care professionals from stealing money from those who genuinely need it to order to line their own pockets.”
“This sentencing underscores our commitment to holding those who defraud Federal health care programs accountable,” said Mario M. Pinto, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “Our agency remains dedicated to working with our law enforcement partners to identify and investigate fraud allegations.”
“False medical claims divert much needed funding away from patients in need of life-saving services and Ms. Makki will serve her sentence for orchestrating and participating in this scheme,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “The FBI is proud to work alongside our law enforcement partners and pursue justice against medical professionals who defraud government healthcare programs.
The case was investigated by Special Agents of the HHS and FBI, with cooperation and assistance from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Philip A. Ross. Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Nathan is prosecuting the related asset forfeiture matters.
Perry Woman Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Large-Scale Drug Trafficking Conspiracy and Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Miranda Marie Stafford, 57, of Perry, Florida, was sentenced to 300 months in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of over 500 grams of methamphetamine, distribution of over 50 grams of methamphetamine, and possession with intent to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine. The sentence was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“Methamphetamine distribution is a scourge on large and small communities of our district,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “With our dedicated law enforcement partners, we are committed to identifying and aggressively prosecuting those who threaten our citizens’ health and safety by distributing such addictive, controlled substances. This sentence, by a habitual drug trafficker, acknowledges the defendant’s continued criminal conduct and sends a straightforward message that there are real and severe consequences for federal drug offenses.”
Court records show that from March 1, 2023, through April 11, 2023, Stafford, who was already serving an active term of supervised release for a 2019 federal methamphetamine trafficking conviction, conspired with other individuals to possess with intent to distribute and distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine. During the investigation, undercover officers made several purchases of multi-ounce quantities of methamphetamine from Stafford; then as a result of ongoing surveillance of Stafford and her associates, on April 11, 2023, she was found in possession of over 700 grams of methamphetamine during a traffic stop after returning from the Jacksonville area where she was suspected of having been supplied the drugs.
“We will continue to go after bad actors who poison our communities with illicit substances,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “This operation was the result of great teamwork with our law enforcement partners. These relationships allow us to do our jobs more effectively and for that I’m grateful.”
Stafford’s prison sentence will be followed by 10 years of supervised release.
“Those who endeavor to distribute methamphetamine do not observe jurisdictional boundaries. The only way to disrupt the abilities and markets of those dedicated to distributing illicit substances in our rural communities is through strong cooperative enforcement efforts,” said Perry Police Chief Jamie Cruse. The investigation and prosecution in this case was made possible by means of collaborative efforts. To have state, local, and federal partners dedicate competent professionals to this investigation are a positive example of an effective alliance with substantive results. The Perry Police Department and the City of Perry are appreciative of all who participated in this investigation.”
This conviction was the result of a large-scale, regional investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office, Taylor County Sheriff’s Office, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, and the Perry Police Department, as well as members of the NorthStar Drug Task Force, including the Wakulla, Bay, Gulf, and Leon County Sheriff’s Offices. Assistant United States Attorney Eric K. Mountin prosecuted the case.
This prosecution was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. More information about OCDETF may be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Peoria Felon Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine, Heroin, Cocaine, and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A Peoria, Illinois, man, Johnathan S. Sargent, 35, of the 800 block of West Crestwood Drive, was sentenced today to 132 months in federal prison for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine, and possessing a firearm as a felon. Sargent was also ordered to serve a four-year term of supervised release upon completion of his term of confinement.
At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Michael M. Mihm, the government summarized the evidence from the investigation of Sargent’s drug trafficking in late 2023 and early 2024. In February 2024, law enforcement officers obtained a search warrant for Sargent’s person, his vehicle, and two residences. At that time, Sargent was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to his three prior felony convictions, including a prior state conviction in 2009 for possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance for which he was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment in the Illinois Department of Corrections. During the search of his apartment on Crestwood Drive in Peoria on February 21, 2024, agents located a loaded handgun, 415 grams of 100% pure methamphetamine, 87 grams of heroin, 77 grams of cocaine, and over $5,000 cash. Agents also located packaging materials and several scales commonly used in illegal drug sales.
Also at the hearing, Judge Mihm found that Sargent’s conduct was not an isolated incident of drug distribution, but rather a business that Sargent was operating over a period of time. The Court stated that Sargent’s apartment was a “one stop shop” for three types of extremely dangerous and addictive drugs that have devastating effects on the community, often destroying the life of addicts and all of those around them.
A criminal complaint was filed against Sargent in February 2024, followed by a four-count indictment in March 2024. He entered into a written plea agreement in June 2024, pleading guilty to all four counts. Sargent has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals service since his arrest.
The statutory penalties for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine (Count 1) are ten years to life imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release, with a possible $10 million dollar fine. The penalties for possession with intent to distribute heroin (Count 2) and cocaine (Count 3) are not more than 20 years imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release and a possible $1 million dollar fine. The possession of a firearm by a prohibited person charge (Count 4) carries penalties of not more than 15 years imprisonment, supervised release of 3 years and a possible fine of $250,000. Sargent has previous felony convictions for theft and drug charges.
The case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Peoria Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration – Springfield Resident Office. Ronald L. Hanna represented the United States in the prosecution.
The case against Sargent 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.
Parkersburg Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Charles Ray Mackey, 42, of Parkersburg, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 16, 2023, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Mackey in Parkersburg. Officers searched the vehicle following the traffic stop and found a German Sports Guns model Firefly .22-caliber semiautomatic handgun.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Mackey knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for non-aggravated robbery, assault during the commission of a felony upon a person 65 years of age or older, and conspiracy to commit non-aggravated robbery in Wood County Circuit Court on June 12, 2001.
Mackey is scheduled to be sentenced on February 3, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Parkersburg Police Department.
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin and former Assistant United States Attorney Bill Longwell have prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-128.
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Owner of Suburban Chicago Medical Supply Company Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Procurement Fraud at U.S. Department of Veterans AffairsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — The owner of a suburban Chicago medical supply company has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for paying kickbacks to a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs employee in exchange for procuring orders of medical equipment.
DARREN A. SMITH operated a medical distribution company based in Bolingbrook, Ill. From 2017 to 2020, Smith schemed with a procurement clerk in the Veterans Health Administration Prosthetics Service in Chicago to have the VA order costly medical equipment from Smith’s company in exchange for concealed kickbacks to the clerk. The orders placed by the clerk involved unnecessary and more expensive rentals of certain medical equipment from Smith’s company instead of purchasing the equipment outright, as VA physicians had instructed. The VA spent more than $2.7 million at Smith’s company and fraudulently overpaid it by more than $1.3 million. In exchange, the clerk pocketed kickbacks from Smith of at least $220,000.
A federal jury earlier this year convicted Smith, 60, of Hazel Crest, Ill., on eight counts of wire fraud. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang on Wednesday fined Smith $10,000 and ordered him to pay more than $1.3 million in restitution.
The VA procurement clerk, ANDREW LEE, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to a wire fraud charge prior to trial. He is awaiting sentencing.
Smith’s sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Gregory Billingsley, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Central Field Office. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heidi Manschreck and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Christenson.
“Instead of paying for essential equipment and supplies for veterans, the defendants used the VA’s money to line their own pockets,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Pasqual. “Our office remains committed to preserving the integrity of the VA health care system.”
“This sentence should send a message that corrupt VA employees will be rooted out and prosecuted,” said SAC Billingsley. “These fraudulent activities erode public trust and divert taxpayer money intended for our nation’s deserving veterans. The VA OIG thanks the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their efforts in this investigation.”
Organizer sent to prison for smuggling 60 kilos of meth into United StatesRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 55-year-old Mexican national residing in Houston has been sentenced following her conviction of conspiracy to import and possession with intent to deliver meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
A federal jury in Laredo deliberated for less than two hours before returning the guilty verdict Feb. 8, 2023, against Ana Maria Pena-Gutierrez following a two-day trial.
U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña has now ordered Pena-Gutierrez to serve 210 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release.
“Pena-Gutierrez and others like her who poison our communities with drugs and jeopardize the lives of countless persons of all ages deserve to be found and prosecuted without hesitation,” Hamdani said. “That continues to be my commitment to our communities, our people and our youth.”
Between Dec. 13, 2020, and June 14, 2022, Pena-Gutierrez and others conspired to import almost 60 kilograms of meth. She organized transportation, provided vehicles to load drivers and paid the drivers for each successful criminal venture.
At the time of the trial, co-conspirator Mike Mendoza testified Pena-Gutierrez hired and paid him to drive two vehicles to smuggle drugs from Mexico into the United States several times from Jan. 10, 2021, through Feb. 25, 2021.
Law enforcement arrested Mendoza Feb. 25, 2021, as he drove a pickup truck into Laredo with 24 bundles of meth, weighing 56.232 net kilograms and hidden within the tires. According to testimony given at trial, the approximate street value of the drugs was $451,244.
Mendoza admitted he successfully made two prior trips from Mexico at Pena-Gutierrez’s direction; however, an investigation revealed Mendoza had four prior entries from Mexico in a sedan.
Mendoza testified Pena-Gutierrez paid him $5,000 for each of the two prior smugglings and promised to pay him $9,000 at the time of his arrest. Pena-Gutierrez also fronted Mendoza $500 for travel expenses.
Authorities arrested another co-conspirator, Erik Alonso Martinez, April 23, 2021, as he entered Laredo with 52.28 kilograms of meth in the sedan’s fuel tank with a net weight of 25.04 kilograms and an approximate street value of $200,938.
During an interview, Martinez told law enforcement he picked up the car in Houston from someone whom he declined to identify. An investigation later revealed Pena-Gutierrez provided Martinez with the sedan.
After her arrest Aug. 10, 2021, Pena-Gutierrez told authorities others paid her to recruit Mendoza and Martinez. She also told law enforcement she received about $4,000 for each successful drug importation and paid each driver between $7,000 and $8,000 per trip.
During the trial, authorities presented evidence including charts of 350 phone calls and text messages between Pena-Gutierrez and Mendoza regarding the price of meth and how it increases as one travels further north from the border.
At the trial, the jury also heard from an expert in financial records describing the irregularities of Pena-Gutierrez’s bank activities. Authorities also testified, detailing her confession and the entire conspiracy.
Mendoza and Martinez received 84 months and 174 days in federal prison, respectively, for their roles in the smuggling organization.
Pena-Gutierrez will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance from Customs and Border Protection.
Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Jose Homero Ramirez prosecuted the case. Former AUSAs Matthew Isaac and José Angel Moreno tried the case to a jury.
Omaha Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Possession of Fentanyl Pills and FirearmsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Gene Milton, Jr., age 28, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced October 24, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Milton to a total of 300 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Milton’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
“Fentanyl is terrible for our society,” Judge Buescher said while pronouncing sentence. Judge Buescher added: “I sit back and wonder, if these 30,000 pills had gotten into the community, what would have happened?”
On December 4, 2023, Omaha police executed a search warrant at an Omaha residence where Milton lived with his girlfriend and minor children. Inside of a bedroom, officers found more than 30,000 fentanyl pills, three loaded firearms, and three Glock full auto conversion devices. One of the firearms was a Glock pistol with a fully automatic conversion device, which allowed the pistol to fire as fully automatic. Officers also seized marijuana, THC wax, psilocybin mushrooms, and $16,416 in cash.
The $16,416 in cash will be forfeited to the United States as proceeds of illegal drug trafficking.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Omaha Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Possession of Fentanyl Pills and FirearmsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Gene Milton, Jr., age 28, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced October 24, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Milton to a total of 300 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Milton’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
“Fentanyl is terrible for our society,” Judge Buescher said while pronouncing sentence. Judge Buescher added: “I sit back and wonder, if these 30,000 pills had gotten into the community, what would have happened?”
On December 4, 2023, Omaha police executed a search warrant at an Omaha residence where Milton lived with his girlfriend and minor children. Inside of a bedroom, officers found more than 30,000 fentanyl pills, three loaded firearms, and three Glock full auto conversion devices. One of the firearms was a Glock pistol with a fully automatic conversion device, which allowed the pistol to fire as fully automatic. Officers also seized marijuana, THC wax, psilocybin mushrooms, and $16,416 in cash.
The $16,416 in cash will be forfeited to the United States as proceeds of illegal drug trafficking.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
North Platte Woman Sentenced to 10 Years for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Jamie M. Hopkins, age 36, of North Platte, Nebraska was sentenced on October 17, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for one count of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Hopkins to a total of 120 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Hopkin’s release from prison, she will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
Between July 2022 and February 2023, Hopkins led an organization responsible for distributing meth and fentanyl in and around the North Platte area. The group was responsible for the distribution of pounds of meth. She and other coconspirators were subjects of multiple controlled buys, search warrants, and arrests.
Three controlled buys from Hopkins and co-defendant, Joey Romero, occurred in July of 2022. On July 7, 2022, a Confidential Informant (“CI”) purchased 6.2 grams of meth mixture from Hopkins and Romero. On July 13, 2022, the same CI purchased 28.4 grams of meth mixture from Romero in Hopkins’ car in a grocery store parking lot. On July 29, 2022, the CI purchased 26 grams of meth actual from Hopkins and Romero.
Two controlled buys from Hopkins and Romero occurred in August of 2022. On August 2, 2022, the CI purchased 26 grams of meth actual from Hopkins in a hotel room occupied by Hopkins and Romero. On August 17, 2022, the CI purchased 10 pills from Hopkins at her house. The pills later tested positive for meth and fentanyl.
On January 30, 2023, the CI purchased 36 grams of meth actual from Hopkins and a coconspirator at Hopkins’ residence. A search warrant was served on Hopkins’ house on February 7, 2023. During the search, law enforcement found multiple baggies of meth throughout the house, to include: the bedroom, Hopkins’ purse, and in a toilet of a bathroom. Law enforcement also found 2 bongs, 29 pills, owe notes, 3 scales, spoons with residue, 224 rounds of 9mm ammunition, a box of Winchester 380 ammunition with 23 rounds in it, and empty baggies in the home. The baggies of meth were tested by the State Patrol Crime Lab. The lab confirmed the samples contained 35.85 grams of a meth mixture.
Romero pleaded guilty and is set for sentencing on December 12, 2024.
This case was investigated by the CODE Task Force which is made up of law enforcement agencies throughout a 22-county area in west-central/southwest Nebraska and includes the North Platte Police Department, Lexington Police Department, Dawson County Sheriff’s Office, Ogallala Police Department, Nebraska State Patrol, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
New York Native Sentenced to Three Years for Bomb Threat Hoax Made Against AmtrakRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Grotez Simpson of New York City, New York, age 25, was sentenced to three years followed by three years of supervised release, for conveying false information concerning an alleged attempted attack on a mass transportation vehicle. On May 25 and May 26, 2022, Simpson sent fake bomb threats to Amtrak concerning its daily train from Miami to New York City.
“Hoaxes are no joke,” said U.S Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. “Bomb threats on mass transit get real prison time. This three-year prison sentence sends a strong message that we will not normalize threats of mass violence in this country.”
According to court documents and information presented in court, Simpson boarded the 92 Silver Start in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on its way to New York City. During the trip, Simpson repeatedly texted Amtrak’s “Txt-a-Tip” phone application. In those text messages, Simpson claimed on multiple occasions there was a bomb on-board the train located in another passenger’s luggage. While pleading with Amtrak to stop the train, Simpson stated he was a military veteran and knew what a bomb looked like.
Based on those repeated tips, the Amtrak Police Department and the Orange County Sheriff's Office in Orange County, Florida, stopped the train just outside of Orlando, Florida. They had the approximately 225 passengers, including Simpson, deboard the train. During the next roughly five hours, law enforcement swept the train and did not find any explosive devices. After the delay, the passengers reboarded the train and continued their journey to New York. The next morning, Simpson made further claims that there was a bomb on board the train. As the train continued to its destination, Special Agents with the Amtrak Office of Inspector General determined that the threats had come from Simpson. When the train reached Raleigh, FBI agents took Simpson into custody.
Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III sentenced the defendant. The case was investigated by the FBI, Amtrak OIG, and the Amtrak Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Logan Liles 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. 5:24-CR-127-D.
New Orleans Men Indicted for Federal Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that BRIAN PICQUET, age 38 and FURDRELL HANKTON, age 48, of Orleans Parish, were charged in a recently unsealed four-count indictment by a federal grand jury on October 10, 2024 for violations of the Federal Controlled Substances Act.
According to the indictment, PICQUET and HANKTON were indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846; and Distribution of Fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C). Beginning on a date unknown but at least by March 14, March 22, and March 27, 2024 it is alleged that PICQUET and HANKTON engaged in a conspiracy to distribute and possess to distribute fentanyl and distribute fentanyl within the Eastern District of Louisiana.
If convicted the defendants face a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, a fine of up to $1,000,000.00, at least three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charging document and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Briana Williams of the Narcotics Unit.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Federal Gun and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JUAN MATTHEWS (“MATTHEWS”), a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on October 16, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo, after previously pleading guilty to Counts 3 through 5 of an indictment charging him with possession with the intent to distribute marijuana and tapentadol, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C) (Count 3); possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(C)(1)(a)(i) (Count 4); and possession of a machine gun, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(o) and 924(a)(2) (Count 5).
MATTHEWS was sentenced to 72 months imprisonment consisting of 12 months imprisonment as to Counts 3 and 5 to run concurrently and 60 months imprisonment as to Count 4 to run consecutively to the term imposed in Counts 3 and 5. Judge Milazzo also ordered that MATTHEWS be placed on supervised release for 4 years and pay a $300 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, on May 18, 2023, members of the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) observed a black Audi sport utility vehicle matching a description of a vehicle used in a shooting. After the vehicle fled to the intersection of Bullard Road and Dwyer Road, in New Orleans, officers saw three black males, including MATTHEWS, abandon the SUV and flee on foot. Officers then saw MATTHEWS throw a firearm in the front yard of a nearby residence before they successfully apprehended him. Later, officers retraced MATTHEWS’s flight path and located the weapon, a Glock Model 23, .40 caliber handgun with an extended magazine and a Glock switch. MATTHEWS had also discarded a pink backpack, containing 16 individually wrapped baggies of marijuana, blister packs containing 118 tapentadol tablets, and a scale.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crime Unit.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Heroin TraffickingRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – KEVIN JOHNSON (“JOHNSON”), age 34, a New Orleans resident, was sentenced on October 23, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Mary Ann Vial Lemmon, after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, heroin, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846. JOHNSON was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, the Federal Bureau Investigation New Orleans Gang Task Force and the New Orleans Police Department investigated JOHNSON for his involvement in a drug distribution operation in April 2021. The investigation revealed that JOHNSON conspired with AL VERNON BROWN, CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON, DONALD MYLES, and others to distribute heroin. On June 22, 2021, agents seized a package containing 485 grams of heroin that was mailed by AL VERNON BROWN from California to New Orleans and intended for JOHNSON.
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation - New Orleans Gang Task Force, with the assistance of the New Orleans Police Department, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Gretna Major Crimes Task Force, led the investigation. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Rachal Cassagne of the Narcotics Unit.
Mexican National Admits Role in Smuggling and Labor Trafficking SchemeRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MARIA DEL CARMEN SANCHEZ POTRERO, also known as Maria Carmela Sanchez, 73, a citizen of Mexico last residing in Hartford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to a charge stemming from her involvement in a scheme to smuggle aliens into the U.S., harbor them at Hartford area residences, force them to work, and threaten to harm them in various ways if they failed to pay exorbitant fees, interest, and other living expenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in September 2022, the FBI and Hartford Police interviewed several Mexican nationals who disclosed that they were smuggled from Mexico into the U.S. and transported to Hartford. The investigation revealed that victims typically arranged with Sanchez, her co-conspirators in Connecticut, and associates in Mexico to cross the border into the U.S. in exchange for a fee of between $15,000 and $20,000 that each would need to pay once they were in the U.S. In most cases, the victims were required to turn over a property deed as collateral before leaving Mexico. They were then smuggled across the border and transported to Hartford area residences, including Sanchez’s residence on Madison Street in Hartford, often at a substantial risk of bodily injury or death.
After the victims arrived in Connecticut, they were told that they would have to pay $30,000, with interest, and that they would have to pay Sanchez and her co-coconspirators for rent, food, gas and utilities. Sanchez and her co-conspirators created false documents for the victims, including Permanent Residence cards and Social Security cards, and helped the victims find employment in the Hartford area. In addition to their own jobs, some victims were required to perform housework and yardwork without compensation and without having their debt reduced.
Victims were rarely provided with an accounting of their debt. If victims failed to make regular payments, or in amounts that Sanchez and her co-conspirators expected, they were sometimes threatened, including with threats to harm family members in Mexico, to take property in Mexico that had been secured as collateral, to reveal victims’ immigration status to U.S. authorities, and to raise their interest payments.
To date, investigators have identified 18 victims of this scheme.
Sanchez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to encourage and induce, bring in, transport, and harbor aliens, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for January 16, 2025.
As part of her plea agreement, Sanchez has agreed to a restitution order of $494,608.
Sanchez has been detained since her arrest on March 1, 2023.
This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Hartford Police Department, U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angel Krull and Shan Patel.
Manly, Iowa Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Drug UserRead the Press Release
A man who possessed a firearm as un unlawful drug user was sentenced on October 22, 2024 to 2 years in federal prison.
Cory Allen More, age 33, from Manly, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 3, 2024, guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a drug user.
In a plea agreement, More admitted that on October 23, 2023, his vehicle ran out of gas in Clear Lake, Iowa. A Clear Lake police officer saw More pull his vehicle over to the side of the road. The officer made contact with More while he was outside of his vehicle near the engine bay where he had just opened the hood. At that time, the officer observed 2 marijuana baggies with a green leafy substance on the ground between More’s feet and the officer’s feet. The officer seized the two baggies which were found to contain marijuana. More also had a handgun in a holster on his belt in plain view of the officer. On October 27, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at More’s residence in Manly, Worth County, Iowa, and seized marijuana, scales, drug paraphernalia, and an additional 16 firearms and ammunition.
More was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. More was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
More was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Fletcher and was investigated by the Clear Lake Police Department, Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office, Manly Police Department, Worth County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa State Patrol, Cerro Gordo County Attorney’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Iowa Division of Criminalistics Investigations Laboratory, and United States Marshal’s Service.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-03006.
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Man Who Murdered Fellow Soldier on Military Base in Germany Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — A former U.S. soldier was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for the murder of a pregnant, 19-year-old fellow soldier on a U.S. Army base in Germany over 22 years ago.
On May 7, a jury in Pensacola, Florida, found Shannon L. Wilkerson, 44, guilty of second-degree murder in the death of Amanda Gonzales.
According to court documents, Wilkerson beat and strangled Amanda Gonzales to death on Nov. 3, 2001, in her barracks room at Fliegerhorst Kaserne, then a U.S. Army base in Hanau, Germany. Evidence introduced at trial indicated that Wilkerson feared he was the father of Gonzales’ unborn child and that her pregnancy would interfere with his military career and his marriage to another soldier on the base. Wilkerson was a member of the U.S. Armed Forces at the time of the offense but was later discharged.
“Shannon Wilkerson brutally murdered Amanda Gonzales, a fellow soldier who Wilkerson knew was pregnant at the time,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “While nothing we can do will reunite Amanda with her family, we hope today’s sentencing brings some measure of closure and comfort to Amanda’s loved ones. I am proud of the dedicated and hardworking members of the Criminal Division and our law enforcement partners, who are committed to pursuing justice for victims of violent crime, no matter how challenging that pursuit may be.”
“The murder of Amanda Gonzales and her unborn child was a horrific act of violence,” said U.S. Attorney Jason R. Coody for the Northern District of Florida. “This decades-long investigation and resulting prosecution demonstrate the unwavering resolve of our law enforcement partners and their commitment to obtain justice for the victims and their family. The defendant took the life of a 19-year-old woman serving her country far from home — knowing that he was killing her unborn child. The sentence acknowledges the brutal, selfish nature of his crime and imposes just punishment.”
“Justice for victims is not just a promise, it’s a commitment, no matter how long it takes,” said Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “This sentencing comes just as Amanda Gonzales’ family will mark 23 years since she and her unborn child were brutally murdered by Shannon Wilkerson on Nov. 3, 2001. While no amount of prison time will bring the young Army solider back, we hope this will close another chapter in the Gonzales family’s grieving process.”
The FBI New York and Jacksonville Field Offices investigated this case, with assistance from the Army Criminal Investigative Division, which originally investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Patrick Jasperse of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Goldberg for the Northern District of Florida prosecuted the case.
Man Who Murdered Fellow Soldier on Military Base in Germany Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
A former U.S. soldier was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for the murder of a pregnant, 19-year-old fellow soldier on a U.S. Army base in Germany over 22 years ago.
On May 7, a jury in Pensacola, Florida, found Shannon L. Wilkerson, 44, guilty of second-degree murder in the death of Amanda Gonzales.
According to court documents, Wilkerson beat and strangled Amanda Gonzales to death on Nov. 3, 2001, in her barracks room at Fliegerhorst Kaserne, then a U.S. Army base in Hanau, Germany. Evidence introduced at trial indicated that Wilkerson feared he was the father of Gonzales’ unborn child and that her pregnancy would interfere with his military career and his marriage to another soldier on the base. Wilkerson was a member of the U.S. Armed Forces at the time of the offense but was later discharged.
“Shannon Wilkerson brutally murdered Amanda Gonzales, a fellow soldier who Wilkerson knew was pregnant at the time,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “While nothing we can do will reunite Amanda with her family, we hope today’s sentencing brings some measure of closure and comfort to Amanda’s loved ones. I am proud of the dedicated and hardworking members of the Criminal Division and our law enforcement partners, who are committed to pursuing justice for victims of violent crime, no matter how challenging that pursuit may be.”
“The murder of Amanda Gonzales and her unborn child was a horrific act of violence,” said U.S. Attorney Jason R. Coody for the Northern District of Florida. “This decades-long investigation and resulting prosecution demonstrate the unwavering resolve of our law enforcement partners and their commitment to obtain justice for the victims and their family. The defendant took the life of a 19-year-old woman serving her country far from home — knowing that he was killing her unborn child. The sentence acknowledges the brutal, selfish nature of his crime and imposes just punishment.”
“Justice for victims is not just a promise, it’s a commitment, no matter how long it takes,” said Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “This sentencing comes just as Amanda Gonzales’ family will mark 23 years since she and her unborn child were brutally murdered by Shannon Wilkerson on Nov. 3, 2001. While no amount of prison time will bring the young Army solider back, we hope this will close another chapter in the Gonzales family’s grieving process.”
The FBI New York and Jacksonville Field Offices investigated this case, with assistance from the Army Criminal Investigative Division, which originally investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Patrick Jasperse of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Goldberg for the Northern District of Florida prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced for Voluntary Manslaughter After Heated ExchangeRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge Raul M. Arias-Marxuach sentenced Thomas Lee Knox, 39, of Tulsa, for Voluntary Manslaughter in Indian Country. Judge Arias-Marxuach ordered Knox to 180 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on Nov. 20, 2023, Knox admittedly got into a heated argument with someone he considered his friend. During the argument, Knox pulled out a firearm, shooting Paul Schultz in the leg.
Video surveillance from the area showed the altercation. Knox was seen fleeing the area in a vehicle while Paul crawled away. Tulsa County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a 911 call, where someone discovered Paul wounded. The medical examiner's report showed that Paul died as a result of the gunshot wound.
Knox is a citizen of the Choctaw Nation and will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The FBI and Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alicia Hockenbury and Dennis Fries prosecuted it.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about PSN, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.