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24 October 2024
Long Island Man Sentenced to 28 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting MinorsRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, Edgardo Mejia was sentenced by United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack to 28 years in prison for sexually exploiting minors. The defendant was charged with causing an 11-year-old girl (“Jane Doe 1”) to create numerous sexually explicit videos of herself, as well as at least two sexually explicit images of Jane Doe 1’s two-year-old niece, all of which was sent to the defendant. Mejia pleaded guilty in August 2022.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the sentence.
Mr. Peace expressed his appreciation to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Nassau County Police Department (NCPD) for their work on the case.
As set forth in the government’s sentencing memorandum and other court documents, on February 20, 2017, Facebook reported several cybertips to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding social media accounts that were being used to sexually exploit female minors. One account was under the name “Bryan Gonsalez” and two other accounts were under the name “Eddie Mejia.” Further investigation by law enforcement determined that the electronic device being used to access the accounts was registered to the defendant at an address in Uniondale, New York. Mejia was using the accounts to communicate with numerous minors, sending them explicit images of himself and enticing them to engage in sexually explicit conduct and send him images of such conduct. On December 15, 2017, Mejia, while posing as a 13-year-old boy, communicated with Jane Doe 1 asking her if she wanted to be his “gf” and send a picture of herself. Mejia also asked her to perform sexually explicit acts and record them on video. On December 17, 2017, Mejia asked Jane Doe 1 to take sexually explicit images of her niece and send them to him. The defendant engaged in similar conduct with numerous other minors, and frequently threatened and extorted those victims when they did not comply with his requests.
On January 25, 2018, the defendant was arrested in Port Washington, New York by HSI and NCPD, and has been detained since then.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices, 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc
The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan E. Farrell is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
EDGARDO MEJIA (also known as “Eddie Mejia,” “Eddie Reyes,” “Carlos Reyez,” and “Bryan Gonsalez”)
Age: 42
Uniondale, Long IslandE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-81 (JMA)
Local business owner admits to receiving over $400,000 in CARES Act conspiracyRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 52-year-old Stafford resident has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Kristen Fenrick admitted the fraud was in connection to false applications through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Programs provided through the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
From March 2020 until February 2022, at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, Fenrick conspired to submit false and fraudulent applications to the Small Business Administration (SBA) via the PPP and EIDL programs.
Fenrick was the owner of Klearly Kristen Inc., a business engaged in the sale of jewelry and accessories. As part of her plea, she admitted to conspiring to submit a PPP loan application that grossly inflated the number of employees her business purportedly had as well as the business’s average monthly payroll expenses.
In support of the application, she and a co-conspirator she paid for assistance submitted fraudulent IRS documents to the lender. Relying on the false representations in the application, a third-party lender with SBA-delegated authority disbursed a PPP loan to Klearly Kristen in the amount of $405,340 in June 2020.
Fenrick admitted to using at least some of those funds for her own personal benefit including the lease of a luxury vehicle and not for the loan’s intended use. The loan was later forgiven based on continued misrepresentations about the business’s employee headcount and payroll expenses.
Fenrick further admitted she submitted several false EIDL applications for Klearly Kristen and several other purported businesses she owned, most of which were unsuccessful except for a $10,000 advance issued to Klearly Kristen.
Due to her actions, the PPP and EIDL programs lost a total of $415,340.
U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett has set sentencing for Jan. 30, 2025. At that time, Fenrick faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. Fenrick was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
The SBA-Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shirin Hakimzadeh is prosecuting the case.
Little Rock Man Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Federal Prison for Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
FAYETTEVILLE – A Little Rock man was sentenced today to 121 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court documents, on June 26, 2023, the Arkansas State Police (ASP) dispatcher advised ASP troopers of a reported incident that occurred on Interstate 49. The caller advised dispatch that he believed the defendant, Richard Joseph Price, age 59, had a firearm. Both parties involved in the accident had relocated to a motel in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where Fayetteville Police Department (FPD) Officers and ASP Troopers responded to investigate the reported incident. In speaking to Price, law enforcement suspected that Price was under the influence of alcohol and ultimately arrested him for Driving While Intoxicated. ASP Troopers along with FPD officers continued to investigate and searched Price’s truck. Inside the truck, law enforcement found an open container of alcohol, a loaded, stolen .9mm pistol with a filed off serial number, and two additional loaded magazines. Law enforcement determined that Price was a felon at the time of this incident.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the Arkansas State Police, Fayetteville Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Assistant United States Attorney Briana Robbins prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov.
Lewiston Man Arrested, Charged with Possessing Cocaine with Intent to Distribute and Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Lewiston man was arrested on Wednesday and charged by criminal complaint today with possessing controlled substances with the intent to distribute and unlawfully possessing a firearm.
According to the criminal complaint filed in the case and other court documents, Nasir Kenya-Malik White (aka Biggie), 24, was arrested at his residence in Lewiston on Wednesday evening on probable cause following a search of his apartment. Investigators recovered more than 300 grams of suspected cocaine during the search. Ten firearms, including several assault-style rifles, were also recovered. The complaint alleges that White is precluded from possessing firearms as a result of a 2023 conviction in Androscoggin County Superior Court for reckless conduct with a firearm or dangerous weapon. White was scheduled to make his first appearance in U.S. District Court in Portland today.
The FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force is investigating the case with assistance from the Lewiston Police Department and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Justice Department and Department of Transportation Launch Broad Public Inquiry into the State of Competition in Air TravelRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and Department of Transportation (DOT) today jointly announced a broad public inquiry into the state of competition in air travel. The agencies are seeking public information on consolidation, anticompetitive conduct and a wide range of issues affecting the availability and affordability of air travel options. The topics covered in the agencies’ joint Request for Information (RFI) include previous airline mergers, exclusionary conduct, airport access, aircraft manufacturing, airline ticket sales, pricing and rewards practices and the experiences of aviation workers.
“Competition in air travel is a vehicle for better quality, better fares and better choices for Americans,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “With this inquiry, we hope to learn more from the businesses and travelers at the center of this essential industry. Their feedback will ensure the Justice Department can continue to build on its historic efforts to protect competition in air travel.”
“Americans count on air travel to visit loved ones, explore their country and get business done,” said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Good service and fair prices depend on ensuring that there is real competition, which is especially challenging for the many American communities that have lost service amid airline consolidation. Our goal with this inquiry is to identify and remove barriers to competition so that more Americans can access the opportunities that come with good, affordable air service.”
The agencies jointly issued the RFI requesting public comments explaining how the air travel industry has been impacted by consolidation and anticompetitive practices and identifying ways to address any harms to competition. Key topics in the RFI include:
- General state of competition in the aviation sector and its effects on passengers, workers and jobs, regions and local communities and economic growth.
- Airline consolidation and the effects of previous mergers, common ownership, joint ventures, international alliances, structural advantages, exclusionary conduct and other anticompetitive practices.
- Airport access and its impact on airlines and their ability to enter and fairly compete in different areas of the country and the world.
- Aircraft manufacturing and the impact of consolidation and anticompetitive practices on new aircraft manufacture and sale, aircraft leases or secondary markets for used aircraft.
- Air transportation sales channels, pricing and airline rewards programs and the impact on the availability, access and affordability of air travel.
- Labor market issues and the effects of consolidation and anticompetitive practices in other parts of the aviation industry on pilots, in-flight crews, ground crews, airport services, union contracts and/or travel agents or other vendors of travel services.
The public will have 60 days to submit comments at Regulations.gov, no later than Dec. 23. Once submitted, comments will be posted to Regulations.gov. All market participants are invited to provide comments in response to this RFI, including passengers, consumer advocates, pilots, in-flight and ground crews, airport authorities, employers, airlines, private and charter aircraft operators, travel agents, trade groups, industry analysts, purchasers of corporate travel services and other entities that provide or rely upon air travel services.
The Antitrust Division has previously taken action to protect competition in the passenger air travel industry, including its successful lawsuits to block the proposed merger of JetBlue and Spirit Airlines and to unwind the anticompetitive Northeast Alliance between JetBlue and American Airlines.
DOT has taken historic action to improve airline passenger rights and oversight of the airline industry. Most recently, prior to the close of the Alaska-Hawaiian Airlines merger, DOT secured binding, enforceable public-interest protections aimed at preventing harms to the traveling public, rural communities and smaller airline competitors. DOT has issued new rules requiring airlines to provide automatic cash refunds when owed and protecting against costly surprise airline junk fees. DOT has also secured enforceable guarantees from airlines to provide food, lodging and other support when they strand passengers. Finally, since 2021, DOT has gotten nearly $4 billion in refunds and reimbursements owed to passengers and issued nearly $225 million in penalties against airlines for consumer protection and civil rights violations.
Justice Department Secures Agreement to Resolve Claims of Retaliation at State Farm Corporate Office in TexasRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it secured a settlement agreement with State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm) resolving the department’s determination that one of State Farm’s corporate offices in Richardson, Texas, violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) when it terminated a worker in retaliation for raising concerns about citizenship status discrimination.
“Workers have the right to oppose perceived discrimination, without retaliation,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to ensuring workers are able to speak up about discrimination without fear of unlawful retaliation.”
The Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) determined that State Farm terminated a worker and placed her on a “do not hire” list because the worker opposed State Farm’s rejection of her valid documentation showing her permission to work. State Farm rejected the worker’s valid documentation, which included a Permanent Resident Card together with a notice from the Department of Homeland Security that extended the validity of the card past the expiration date listed on the card. The worker complained of discrimination and opposed the rejection of the documents. The department determined that State Farm retaliated against the worker when it terminated her employment and labeled her as “do not hire” for complaining about the discrimination.
Under the terms of the settlement, the company will pay civil penalties to the United States and pay more than $30,000 in backpay to the affected worker who filed a complaint with IER. The agreement also requires State Farm to train its personnel on the INA’s anti-discrimination requirements, revise its employment policies and be subject to departmental monitoring and reporting requirements.
IER is responsible for enforcing the antidiscrimination provision of the INA. Among other things, the statute prohibits discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; or retaliation and intimidation.
Find more information on how employers can avoid unlawful discrimination and retaliation on IER’s website. Learn more about IER’s work and how to get assistance through this brief video. Applicants or employees who believe they were discriminated against based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment or during the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify); or subjected to retaliation, may file a charge. The public can also call IER’s free hotline at 1-800-255-7688 for workers or at 1-800-255-8155 for employers (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a live webinar or watch an on-demand presentation; email [email protected] or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Sign up for email updates from IER.
Judge Sentences "Biggest Pill Dealer in Chambersburg" to Life in PrisonRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that David Bruce Darby, age 46, of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on October 22, 2024, to life in prison by United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner for drug trafficking, money laundering, and weapons offenses.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Darby was convicted by a jury after a trial which Judge Conner presided over in January 2024. Judge Conner referred to the evidence presented at that trial when he sentenced him. The trial evidence included an extensive investigation of Darby and his drug trafficking crew by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Darby brought in oxycodone pills from New York City and reselling them in the Chambersburg area from 2018 to 2019. Darby continued to sell drugs while he was incarcerated in York County Prison. The jury heard evidence that police monitored Darby’s telephone calls, during which Darby described himself as “the biggest pill dealer in Chambersburg.” Darby was also convicted of delivering fentanyl laced pills that killed one of his customers in August of 2019.
Judge Conner noted that Darby’s criminal history was one of the worst he had seen in 23-years on the bench. Darby’s criminal history also involved multiple criminal convictions for assaulting prison guards.
“This career drug trafficker who prioritized profits over people’s safety will never have another opportunity to inflict harm,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry said. “I am thankful for the collaboration with our federal law enforcement partners, which led to a life sentence for someone who ignored numerous prior opportunities to reform his conduct.”
Co-defendant Malik Bonds was also convicted of drug trafficking at the same trial. On June 17, 2024, Judge Conner sentenced Bonds to 156 months in prison.
The case was investigated by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Franklin County Drug Task Force, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Smulktis and Assistant United States Attorney Michael Consiglio are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
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Humble resident arrested in connection to fatal fentanyl overdoseRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 22-year-old man has been taken into custody in connection to the fentanyl overdose death of a Houston resident, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Law enforcement arrested Cole Martin Millsap Oct. 23. He is set to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena Hanovice Palermo at 2 p.m.
“The victim in this case had just completed rehabilitation before allegedly receiving the fatal dose,” said Hamdani. “Time and time again, Millsap had the chance to change his ways; however, he allegedly continued to sell fentanyl while on bond. Alleged poison peddlers who think they’re getting away with plaguing our communities have no place to hide.”
According to court documents, Millsap allegedly sold drugs to the victim multiple times. A forensic examination of the victim’s phone allegedly revealed text message conversations between Millsap and the victim discussing the purchase of illegal narcotics.
On April 22, law enforcement discovered the victim deceased at his residence following a welfare check, just three days after his last message to Millsap, according to the charges. The criminal complaint alleges an autopsy later confirmed that fentanyl toxicity caused the victim’s death.
At the time, Millsap was allegedly on felony bond with a condition that he wear a GPS monitoring device. Millsap’s GPS coordinate allegedly corroborate the delivery described in the text messages.
Through a cell phone number in the victims’ phone allegedly labeled as “COLE WORLD,” law enforcement identified Millsap as the alleged fentanyl dealer responsible for the overdose death.
On Aug. 29, Millsap allegedly arranged the sale of 0.4 grams of powder fentanyl for $40 to a member of law enforcement as part of an undercover investigation.
On Sept. 4, Millsap sold 3.55 grams of powder fentanyl and 3.9 grams of heroin in plastic baggies to an undercover member of law enforcement for $530, according to the charges.
Again, on Oct. 3, Millsap allegedly sold 105.4 grams of fentanyl powder for $3,470.
If convicted, Millsap faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years and up to life in prison as well as a possible $5 million maximum fine.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Fentanyl/Overdose Task Force conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Houston Police Department and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart Tallichet is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Harrisburg Man Indicted for EscapeRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Kyle Eugene Gordon, age 36, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted on October 23, 2024 by a federal grand jury on escape charges.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on October 7, 2024, Gordon escaped from custody of the Capital Pavilion Residential Reentry Center in Dauphin County, where he was confined. Following the escape, he was apprehended on October 15, 2024.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Scalera is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is five years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Great Falls meth, fentanyl trafficker sentenced to more than 13 years in federal prisonRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A federal judge today sentenced a Great Falls man to 13 years and eight months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl pills in the community, U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.
The defendant, John Meade Ogburn, 45, pleaded guilty in June to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute meth and fentanyl.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
“Repeat federal felons will be pursued aggressively, especially drug traffickers. After previously serving federal time, Ogburn resumed his criminal lifestyle, trafficked large quantities of fentanyl pills and meth in Montana and has earned a stiffer federal prison sentence. We remain undeterred in holding repeat drug dealers, like Ogburn, accountable," U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.
The government alleged in court documents that drug task force officers learned in the fall of 2023 that Ogburn was a source of supply of meth and fentanyl. In November 2023, law enforcement intercepted a package that was found to contain approximately 1,757 fentanyl pills and determined that Ogburn was responsible for arranging the shipment. The investigation led to a traffic stop in early February 2024 of two vehicles, one driven by Ogburn and another driven by his girlfriend, as the vehicles traveled back to Montana from Washington. In a search of the vehicles, law enforcement found approximately two pounds of meth wired under the vehicle driven by Ogburn’s girlfriend. Ogburn admitted in a recorded jail call that he was responsible for placing the meth under the vehicle and that his girlfriend did not know it was there. At the time, Ogburn was on supervised release for a previous federal drug offense in which he served more than a decade in prison.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Russell Country Drug Task Force, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Great Falls Police Department and Montana Highway Patrol 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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Grafton, Vermont Man Charged with Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office stated that Terry Russ, 42, of Grafton, Vermont, has been charged by criminal complaint with possessing a firearm, knowing that he had previously been convicted of a felony.
On October 23, 2024, Russ appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle, who ordered that Russ be detained during the pendency of this matter.
According to court records, a search warrant was executed at Russ’s residence in Grafton on October 22, 2024. During execution of the search warrant, law enforcement recovered three firearms from the bedroom Russ had identified as his. An on-and-off housemate of Russ’s, who was also present, stated that he had purchased cocaine base and fentanyl/heroin from Russ in Russ’s bedroom and that Russ displayed a silver pistol next to the drugs he was selling. The housemate’s description of the silver pistol’s appearance was consistent with that of one of the firearms recovered from Russ’s bedroom.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that Russ is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Russ faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Vermont State Police, and the Springfield, Massachusetts Police Department.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Corinne Smith. Russ is represented by Robert Behrens, Esq.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 70 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE–Javion D. Woods, 23 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to distributing fentanyl and fentanyl analogue, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Woods was sentenced to 70 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, Woods sold fentanyl pills on two occasions and operated his drug business for months out of a Fort Wayne apartment. Specifically, on February 11, 2022, Woods coordinated a drug transaction and sent another individual to complete the deal. On February 18, 2022, Woods was the one who completed the drug deal. When his residence was later searched in March 2022, multiple firearms and ammunition were recovered.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Fort Wayne Safe Streets Gang Task Force, which includes the FBI, the Indiana State Police, the Allen County Sheriff’s Department, and the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony W. Geller.
This case was 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.
Fort Dodge Man Sentenced to More Than 13 Years in Federal Prison for Firearm and Meth ConvictionsRead the Press Release
Nicholas Janvrin, 32, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, was sentenced on October 23, 2024, to more than 13 years in federal prison.
Janvrin pled guilty March 27, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City to illegally possessing a firearm and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Janvrin was previously convicted of burglary, third degree, a felony, in the Iowa District Court for Hamilton County, which prohibits Janvrin from possessing any firearm.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that on August 1, 2023, law enforcement was called to a local hotel in Webster City regarding a disturbance where they observed Janvrin, who was arrested for outstanding arrest warrants. During a search of the hotel room, law enforcement seized a firearm (Smith & Wesson .22 revolver) and drug user/distribution paraphernalia from a bag in the room. The Iowa DCI Criminalistics Laboratory matched DNA from a known sample of Janvrin to the handle of the firearm and a toothbrush. Evidence further established Janvrin’s involvement in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from January 2023 through August 2023. Janvrin obtained more than 40 pounds of methamphetamine from a source in Des Moines to re-distribute to others in the Fort Dodge area.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Janvrin was sentenced to 160 months’ imprisonment and must serve a five-year term of supervised release following the imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Janvrin remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, the Webster City Police Department, the Fort Dodge Police Department, the Webster County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa DCI Laboratory, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-3026. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Fort Dodge Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – A Fort Dodge man was sentenced today to 20 years in federal prison for attempted enticement of a minor.
According to public court documents, Mitchell Keith Russell, 38, initiated a Facebook chat with a person that Russell believed was a 13-year-old Altoona female. For over three weeks in March 2024, Russell engaged the minor in sexually explicit discussion. Russell repeatedly requested the minor create and send him sexually explicit photos of herself and sent the minor sexually obscene videos. Ultimately, Russell arranged to meet the minor at an Altoona motel to engage in sex acts on March 26. When Russell arrived at the motel, he was arrested by the Altoona detective who had been posing as the 13-year-old Facebook user.
Russell committed this crime while he was a registered sex offender and on state parole. Russell was convicted in 2015 of sexual abuse in the Iowa District Court for Humboldt County, for engaging in a sex act with a 15-year-old minor; Russell was in his late 20s when he abused that minor. Russell was required to register as a sex offender as a result of that conviction.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Russell will be required to serve a seven-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Altoona Police Department.
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 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc. For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the resources tab.
Former Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office Correctional Lieutenant Sentenced to Four Months’ ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad announced that on October 24, 2024, Johanna Grace (age: 34) was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release, after providing marijuana and a cellular telephone to an inmate of the Waukesha County Jail, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2(a), 1791(a)(1), 1791(b)(3), and 1791(b)(4).
Publicly filed documents reflect that when Grace committed this offense, she was serving as a Correctional Lieutenant with the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office. On multiple occasions, Grace coordinated with associates outside the Waukesha County Jail to bring contraband inside the facility. When a tipster outside the jail alerted authorities to Grace’s misconduct, Grace shared internal law enforcement reports with her associates, who then confronted the tipster. Grace acknowledged that as part of her offense of conviction, she obstructed justice.
Before imposing sentence, United States District Judge J.P. Stadtmueller found that this was a “deadly serious matter.” Judge Stadtmueller explained that as a supervisor at the Waukesha County Jail, Grace was entrusted to preserve the rule of law. Judge Stadtmueller further noted that a sentence of imprisonment was required to deter others. Judge Stadtmueller also explained that the defendant’s request for a probationary sentence was not appropriate, because a non-custodial sentence would do “no service to the rule of law.”
“Today’s sentence is the direct result of an individual abusing her authority and violating the trust of the residents she was entrusted to serve and protect,” said U.S. Attorney Haanstad. “I commend the courage of the tipster to come forward and the collaborative efforts of all involved in pursuing this investigation and prosecution.”
“It’s incomprehensible that Ms. Grace used her position to smuggle contraband into the jail," said FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Hensle. “Today’s sentence reinforces the FBI’s commitment along with our local, state and federal partners to keep Wisconsin’s county jail system safe and secure while holding those accountable who work within the criminal justice system.”
“Correctional officers are not above the law, and this sentence illustrates the importance of investigating corrupt officials who compromise the safety within our jails,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon of the Chicago Field Division. “Working in coordination with our local and federal law enforcement partners ensures these cases are investigated and prosecuted as appropriate.”
This matter was investigated by the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Katherine Halopka-Ivery and Kevin Knight.
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Former Tamaqua Police Officer Indicted on Charges of Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Illegal Sexual Activity, Attempted Receipt and Possession of Child Pornography, and Animal CrushingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Christopher J. Cordes, age 29, of Nazareth, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, attempted receipt of and possession of child pornography, and animal crushing.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that while employed as a Tamaqua Police Officer for the Tamaqua Police Department, Cordes communicated with at least one minor victim on a social media platform, whom he attempted to solicit for child pornography. Additionally, Cordes is alleged to have used at least one social media platform to attempt to receive child pornography. Cordes is also alleged to have created and then sent images to at least one minor victim, and others, depicting himself engaged in sexual activity with animals. When Cordes was arrested, he was in possession of child pornography.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luisa Honora Berti is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Former Rhode Island Man Indicted in Alleged Fraudulent Investment SchemeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A former Rhode Island resident who held himself out to be a “Master Software Architect” and “Data Scientist” while allegedly orchestrating fraudulent investment schemes has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Providence on seven counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
The indictment alleges that Jack A. Ranallo, aka Giacomo A. Siciliano, 69, most recently of Manorville, NY, held himself out to potential investors as a software developer and businessman. He falsely claimed to would-be investors in Rhode Island that he was in the process of developing software programs, such as iGuardian360, a purported cyber security program, and Intelligrid, a program designed to divert electricity between power stations to avoid an outage. Additionally, he falsely claimed to own a company, iGuardian Angel, which held copyrights on his cybersecurity software, when in fact no such company or copyrights existed.
It is further alleged that Ranallo falsely claimed to investors to be in the process of developing yet another company, 1013 Products Group, to acquire and resell liquidated products.
The indictment alleges that, to bolster his credibility with potential investors, Ranallo created bogus text messages and simulated incoming calls from well-known entrepreneurs, such as the founders of Apple, Oracle Corporation, Amazon, Microsoft, and the hedge fund Appaloosa Management. To reinforce the impression that some of these corporations had interests in his businesses, Ranallo allegedly purchased bank checks made out to some of these companies, and to the “Register of Copyrights,” which he showed to an investor. After allegedly showing the investor the checks, Ranallo deposited them into his personal bank account, along with monies he collected from would-be investors. He allegedly used the funds to purchase a condominium, vehicles, and to pay personal expenses.
A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sandra R. Hebert.
The matter was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Rhode Island State Police Financial Crimes Unit, with the assistance of the Suffolk County, NY, Police Department.
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indictment.pdfFormer Nurse from Atlantic County Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – An Atlantic County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 33 months in prison for possessing images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Anthony Barbarino, 38, of Egg Harbor City, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb to an information charging him with one count of possession of child pornography. Judge Bumb imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From April 12, 2022, to Aug. 3, 2022, Barbarino knowingly possessed 93 still photographs and 108 videos of child sexual abuse across three electronic devices, including at least one image of a prepubescent minor or a minor under 12 years of age, and at least one image that portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct or other depictions of violence. Barbarino was arrested and charged by federal criminal complaint on Aug. 3, 2022, with the same offense. Prior to that arrest, Barbarino was employed as a nurse.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Bumb sentenced Barbarino to 10 years of supervised release, and ordered him to pay $13,000 in restitution to his victims, $5,000 under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, and $5,000 under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas, with the investigation leading to the sentencing. He also thanked the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office for its assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elisa T. Wiygul of the Criminal Division in Camden.
Former Henry County Jail Corrections Officer Charged in Federal Court with Using Excessive Force on an InmateRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS— Federal charges have been filed against Curtis Doughty, 27, of Muncie, with deprivation of rights under color of law.
According to court documents, Doughty was employed as a corrections officer in the Henry County Jail, as well as a member of the Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team. On February 13, 2024, Doughty participated in a scheduled search of an inmate housing pod in the jail. During the search, inmates were moved into a holding area in the recreation yard while officers searched the cells for contraband.
During the search, Doughty was one of two officers responsible for directing inmates to face the wall and remain seated. When inmate turned his head away from the wall, Doughty, without warning, shot his pepper ball gun at point blank range into the inmate’s spine. The pepper ball shot caused bodily injury to the inmate. Doughty then yelled to the other inmates in the holding area, “congratulations, you all inhale that now,” in reference to the pepper ball gas.
Shortly after the incident, other members of the team reported the incident to a commander. The commander pulled Doughty from duty and sent him home.
The FBI investigated this case, with valuable assistance provided by the Henry County Sheriff’s Office. If convicted, Doughty faces up to ten years in federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter A. Blackett, who is prosecuting this case.
A criminal information is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Former General Counsel for Major Public Company Sentenced to Eight Months in Prison for Criminal Tax OffensesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Morris County, New Jersey man, and former general counsel for a large public corporation, was sentenced today to eight months in prison for willfully failing to file federal income tax returns, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
John Goggins, 63, of Chatham, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa to a four-count information charging him with willfully failing to file federal income tax returns for tax years 2018 through 2021. Judge Espinosa imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Goggins was a former senior vice-president and general counsel of a large publicly traded corporation. For the years 2018 through 2021, Goggins earned total gross income of $54 million from wages, restricted stock awards, the exercise of annual nonqualified stock options, interest, dividends, and gains from stock sales. Nevertheless, Goggins failed to file federal income tax returns for those years.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Espinosa sentenced Goggins to one year of supervised release, ordered restitution to the IRS of $3.11 million, which has already been paid, and fined him $40,000.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan with the investigation leading to the sentence.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shontae D. Gray of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark, and Trial Attorney Kenneth Vert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
Former Delaware Resident Charged with Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Wilmington, Del. – Alfred E. Daking, Jr., an 81-year-old former Delaware resident currently serving a federal prison sentence in an unrelated case, was charged on October 22, 2024, with possession of child sexual abuse material (“CSAM”), announced David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware.
According to the indictment, on an unknown date, Daking buried material depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct in his parents’ then backyard in New Castle County, Delaware. Later, while serving a sentence in federal prison on an unrelated case, Daking told a fellow inmate that he had buried an ammunition can containing video footage in his parents’ backyard. Daking also gave that inmate a hand-drawn map of the backyard depicting the location that the ammunition can was buried on the property. Per the hand-drawn map, law enforcement searched and located an ammunition can buried underground. Both the ammunition can, and its contents were wrapped in plastic. Inside the can, law enforcement found three videocassettes and an 8mm film containing CSAM. One of the videocassettes contained a latent fingerprint that matched Daking.
U.S. Attorney Weiss stated, “For years the defendant hid evidence of his victimization of children. Today’s indictment demonstrates the commitment of my office, and our law enforcement partners to protect our communities from predatory individuals like this defendant. We will never stop working to uncover evidence of sexual exploitation and to bring the perpetrators of these heinous crimes to justice.”
The FBI investigated this case, with the assistance of New Castle County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Claudia L. Pare and Trial Attorney Angelica Carrasco of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section are assigned to prosecute this case.
The U.S Attorney’s Office and the FBI are seeking to identify additional victims of Daking’s. If you, your family member, or anyone that you know had contact with Daking and would like to provide additional information, please contact the FBI Baltimore Field Office at 410-265-8080.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER.
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.
Former Border Patrol Agent Sentenced to 50 Years in Federal Prison for 10 Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A former Border Patrol agent was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to 50 years in prison for 10 counts related to the production, distribution and possession of child sexual abuse material.
According to court documents, Paul Casey Whipple, 41, of Hondo, was arrested Dec. 19, 2017, during a search warrant at his residence. Agents seized evidence showing Whipple had produced and distributed hundreds of image and video files depicting a child victim engaged in sexually explicit content. The law enforcement actions came after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received information from a foreign law enforcement agency related to seven files depicting the sexual exploitation of a prepubescent female child. Agents with the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and IRS, worked to identify the child depicted in the images.
Whipple was indicted for four counts of production of child pornography, five counts of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. He pleaded guilty to all 10 counts June 6. In addition to spending 50 years in federal prison, Whipple was ordered to pay $54,000 in restitution, forfeit the electronic items used to commit the offenses, pay a $1,000 special assessment, and serve a term of supervised release if he is released from prison.
“This significant 50-year sentence reflects the seriousness of Whipple’s heinous crimes and the devastating impact that child sexual abuse material has on its victims,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “Thank you to our federal agency partners for their thorough and dedicated investigative work in this case and were instrumental in securing this outcome. Together, we will continue to bring perpetrators to justice and strive to protect our children and our communities.”
“Whipple’s long-term exploitation of a minor is reprehensible, and we hope this sentence will grant the victim some measure of comfort in knowing he will never be able to hurt another child,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp for the FBI’s San Antonio field office. “We want to thank our partners at the IRS for their continued assistance in keeping our communities safe.”
The FBI, HSI and IRS investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Thompson prosecuted 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 CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Florida Man Admits to Operating a Gift Card Draining ScamRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Yasmany Roque Cruz, age 34, of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, pled guilty to a federal charge of access device fraud.
According to court documents and statements made in court, during a traffic stop of Cruz’s vehicle, the Ohio County Sheriff’s Office conducted a search of the car and found 748 gift cards. The investigation revealed that Cruz possessed the cards in relation to a gift card draining scam. As part of the scheme, Cruz would alter the gift cards so that once the cards were purchased by others and funds added to them, Cruz would be able to drain the funds from the cards and transfer them to an account he controlled.
As part of his guilty plea, Cruz agreed that he intended to cause a loss of approximately $374,000.
Cruz faces up to 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod Douglas is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The United States Secret Service and the Ohio County Sheriff’s Office investigated. The Ohio County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office assisted.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
Florida Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Violate the Clean Air ActRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington - Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today Ryan Hugh Milliken and his company, Hardaway Solutions, LLC (Hardaway), pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Violate the Clean Air Act. Milliken is scheduled to be sentenced on January 22, 2024 at 10:30 a.m., in Spokane, Washington.
Under the Clean Air Act, diesel trucks are required to maintain systems and components that limit harmful emissions of dangerous pollutants such as diesel particulates. Exposure to diesel exhaust can lead to serious health conditions like asthma and respiratory illnesses and can worsen existing heart and lung disease, especially in children and the elderly. Heavy-duty diesel trucks are also required under the Clean Air Act to maintain an onboard-diagnostic system which monitors the functionality of the hardware emissions control components. In order to ensure that the required emissions control systems are functioning properly, if the system detects that an emissions control component is not working, or has been removed, it will ultimately put the truck into what is known as “limp mode,” which limits the top speed to as low as 5 miles per hour.
Based on the plea agreement accepted by the court and information disclosed during court proceedings, between August 2017 and November 2023, Milliken and Hardway created and sold illegal “delete tune” files designed to disable and defeat required emissions controls and monitoring systems. According to the Plea Agreement and information disclosed during court proceedings, Milliken and Hardway created and sold these “delete tune” files for specific customers and vehicles and their specifications, including for numerous Spokane-based trucking companies and their owner, Pavel Ivanovich Turlak, who is also charged in the Indictment that names Milliken and Hardway.
“Mr. Milliken had an illegal business built around defeating important safeguards regulating the amount of emissions from diesel engines,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “These safeguards are critical to protecting public health and a safe environment. I am grateful to investigators with the Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division, technical experts with EPA’s National Enforcement Investigations Center, and prosecutors in my office who work to achieve environmental justice and make Eastern Washington a clean, safe place to live and work.”
This case was investigated by the EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division with assistance from EPA’s National Enforcement Investigations Center, the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General, and the Spokane Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Dan Fruchter and Jacob E. Brooks are prosecuting the case.
While Ryan Milliken and Hardway have pled guilty and those pleas have been accepted by the court, the indictment as to Pavel Turlak is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Five Orlando Residents Indicted for Scheme to Facilitate Evasion of Payroll Taxes and Workers’ Compensation Requirements in Construction IndustryRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of two indictments charging Eduardo Anibal Escobar (44), Carlos Alberto Rodriguez (45), Adelmy Tejada (56), Rene Mauricio Escobar (53), and Juana Nelida Escobar (45), all residents of Orlando, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit tax fraud. Each wire fraud count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and each tax fraud count carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison. The indictments also notify the defendants that the United States intends to seek forfeiture of a total of at least $19 million as well as five residential properties located in Orlando, which are proceeds of the alleged wire fraud offenses.
According to the indictment, the defendants established companies that purported to supply labor for construction contractors. Florida law requires any business that engages in construction work to secure and maintain workers’ compensation insurance. The defendants applied for workers’ compensation insurance policies to cover a few employees and a minimal payroll. The defendants then entered into agreements with construction work crews, often consisting of undocumented aliens, pursuant to which the defendants submitted paperwork to construction contractors to obtain work for the work crews, falsely representing that the workers were the companies’ employees. The workers then performed construction work under the supervision and direction of the contractors.
The contractors wrote payroll checks to the defendants’ companies for this work and provided the checks to work crew leaders. The checks were deposited into bank accounts in the name of the defendants’ companies and the defendants withdrew cash, and sometimes wrote checks, for the workers’ pay and provided the cash and checks to the work crew leaders. However, before turning over the payroll, the defendants deducted a 6% to 8% fee for their services. The funneling of payroll from the contractors to the work crews in this way allowed the contractors and the work crews to disclaim responsibility for ensuring that required payroll taxes were paid, that adequate workers’ compensation insurance was provided, and that the workers were legally authorized to work in the United States.
During the period of the alleged conspiracy, the defendants deposited more than 46,000 payroll checks totaling more than $292 million, of which the defendants kept at least $19 million in fees. No one—neither the contractors nor the work crews nor the defendants or their companies—remitted payroll taxes, such as Social Security and Medicare taxes and federal income tax, to the IRS. According to the IRS, the unpaid taxes on the payroll total at least $52 million.
The defendants also cheated the workers’ compensation insurance companies out of premiums. If the insurance companies had known that the policies were going to be used for more than $292 million in payroll, they would have charged additional premiums totaling at least $28 million.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service –Criminal Investigation, and the Florida Department of Financial Services. It is part of a continuing investigation by those agencies on the use of shell companies and “ghost” employees in the construction industry. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier. The asset forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer M. Harrington.
Five Defendants Involved in String of Violent Crimes, Drug and Gun Offenses, and Money Laundering Have Been SentencedRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A fifth defendant was sentenced this week to 30 years in federal prison for his role in numerous felony offenses, including kidnapping, robbery, drug trafficking, and money laundering. Several other defendants were previously sentenced on the charges.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office, Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department, Sheriff Walt Sholar of the Bullitt County Sheriff’s Office, and Sheriff John E. Aubrey of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office made the announcement.
According to court documents, Dayton Peterson, 24, of Louisville, was sentenced on October 22, 2024, to 30 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for kidnapping, impersonator making arrest or search, robbery, using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and engaging in monetary transactions derived from a specified unlawful activity.
Joshua Lohden, 26, of Louisville was sentenced on July 24, 2024, to 22 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for kidnapping, impersonator making arrest or search, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and robbery.
David Langdon, 39, of Louisville was sentenced on September 11, 2024, to 11 years and 5 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for kidnapping, impersonator making arrest or search, robbery, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. On or about August 23, 2022, Langdon was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses.
On October 14, 2015, in Jefferson County Circuit Court, Langdon was convicted of possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, trafficking in a controlled substance in the first degree, and possession of a controlled substance in the first degree.
On October 15, 2015, in Jefferson County Circuit Court, Langdon was convicted of trafficking in a controlled substance in the first degree greater than 2 grams of heroin.
J. Louis Nance, 34, of Louisville was sentenced on July 24, 2024, to 6 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for kidnapping and impersonator making arrest or search.
Samantha Trummer, 30, of Louisville was sentenced on July 22, 2024, to 4 years of probation for engaging in monetary transactions derived from a specified unlawful activity.
John Lohden is awaiting sentencing.
Defendants Dayton Peterson, John Lohden, and Samantha Trummer were found guilty after a 10-day jury trial in March of 2024. The remaining defendants pleaded guilty prior to trial.
There is no parole in the federal system.
The FBI, LMPD, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and Bullitt County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case, with assistance from the ATF, IRS, DEA, and Kentucky State Police.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alicia P. Gomez and Frank E. Dahl III are prosecuting the case, with assistance from paralegal Adela Alic.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Federal Jury Convicts Two Former Broward Deputy Sheriffs of COVID-19 Relief FraudRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On Oct. 23, a federal jury in Miami convicted Tracy Wade, 51 and Carolyn Wade, 49, both former deputy sheriffs with the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO), of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to make false statements to the Small Business Administration (SBA), and making false statements to the SBA, all in connection with obtaining Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans based on false information.
According to evidence presented at trial, in 2021, Tracy and Carolyn Wade applied for and received PPP loans for phony sole proprietor businesses using falsified Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax forms submitted with each application. The Wades also applied for and received forgiveness of their fraudulently obtained PPP loans based upon additional falsehoods, which included falsely representing to the SBA that they had spent their loan proceeds on payroll. During the commission of the offenses, Tracy and Carolyn Wade were employed as deputy sheriffs in BSO’s Department of Detention.
A sentencing date has not yet been set by the court. The maximum sentence for conspiracy to commit wire fraud is 20 years in prison; the maximum sentence for each wire fraud conviction is 20 years in prison; the maximum sentence for conspiracy to make false statements to the SBA is 5 years in prison; the maximum sentence for each conviction of making false statements to the SBA is 2 years in prison. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe; Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri, FBI, Miami Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Brian Tucker, Eastern Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (FRB-OIG); and BSO Sheriff Gregory Tony made the announcement.
FBI Miami, FRB-OIG, and BSO investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David A. Snider and Adam Love prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Darren Grove is handling asset forfeiture.
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 Sept. 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to 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.
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.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-60173.
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El Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo para resolver acusaciones de represalias en una oficina corporativa de State Farm en TexasRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo conciliatorio con State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm) resolviendo la determinación del Departamento que una de las oficinas corporativas de State Farm en Richardson, Texas, infringió la Ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad (INA) cuando despidió a una trabajadora en represalia por plantear inquietudes sobre la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía.
«Los trabajadores tienen derecho a oponerse a la discriminación percibida, sin represalias», declaró Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «El Departamento de Justicia se compromete a garantizar que los trabajadores puedan denunciar la discriminación sin temor a represalias ilegales».
La Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados («IER», por sus siglas en inglés,) de la División de Derechos Civiles, determinó que State Farm despidió a una trabajadora y la colocó en una lista de personas que no se deben contratar porque la trabajadora se opuso al rechazo de State Farm de su documentación válida que mostraba su permiso para trabajar. State Farm rechazó la documentación válida del trabajador, que incluía una tarjeta de residente permanente junto con un aviso del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional que prorrogó la validez de la tarjeta después de la fecha de vencimiento que figura en la tarjeta. La trabajadora se quejó de discriminación y se opuso al rechazo de los documentos. El Departamento determinó que State Farm tomó represalias contra la trabajadora cuando rescindió su empleo y la etiquetó como «persona que no se debe contratar» por quejarse de la discriminación.
En virtud de los términos del acuerdo, la compañía pagará sanciones civiles a los Estados Unidos y pagará más de $30,000 por concepto de pagos retroactivos al trabajador que presentó una queja ante la IER. El acuerdo también requiere que State Farm capacite a su personal en cuanto a los requisitos antidiscriminatorios de la INA, que revise sus políticas de empleo y que se someta a los requisitos de supervisión y declaración departamentales.
La IER es responsable de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. Entre otras cosas, la ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía y nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión, prácticas documentales injustas y represalias e intimidación.
Puede obtener más información sobre cómo los empleadores pueden evitar la discriminación ilícita y las represalias en el sitio web de la IER. Aprenda más sobre el trabajo de la IER y cómo conseguir ayuda mediante este vídeo corto. Aquellos aspirantes o empleados que creen haber sido discriminados por motivos de su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido, reclutamiento o verificación de la elegibilidad para trabajar (Formulario I-9 e E-Verify) o sujetos a represalias pueden presentar una denuncia. El público también puede llamar a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1-800-255-7688 o para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); inscribirse a un seminario en línea en línea en vivo o visualizar una presentación a la carta; enviar un correo electrónico a [email protected]; o visitar los sitios web de la IER en inglés y español. Inscríbase para recibir actualizaciones por correo electrónico desde la IER.
Eastern Jackson County Men Indicted for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two Eastern Jackson County men have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, with one of the men also charged with possessing six machine gun conversion devices.
Kal J. Nay, 21, of Oak Grove, Mo., and Robert J. Turnage, 20, of Blue Springs, Mo., were charged in a five-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury on Oct. 15, 2024. Nay was arrested yesterday and had his initial court appearance today. Turnage has not yet been arrested.
The federal indictment charges Nay and Turnage with participating in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. They are also charged together in one count of distributing fentanyl from May 2 to June 11, 2024.
Additionally, Nay is charged with two counts of distributing fentanyl and one count of possessing machine guns. The indictment alleges that Nay was in possession of six machine gun conversion devices, commonly referred to as “switches,” on June 18, 2024.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Jennings. It was investigated by the Jackson County Drug Task Force.
Duo sentenced on drug trafficking chargesRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming announced today that a drug trafficking case involving two people was recently closed with both parties being sentenced.
Dusty Harris, 42, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced to 142 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Harris’s co-conspirator, Thelma Faber, 45, of Greeley, Colorado, was sentenced to 57 months for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
According to court documents, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), while investigating drug trafficking in Fremont County, learned Harris sold controlled substances to enrolled members of the Eastern Shoshone and/or Northern Arapaho tribes on or around the Wind River Indian Reservation. In November 2023, agents learned that Harris was transporting drugs from Colorado to Fremont County. Fremont County Sheriff’s Office deputies then stopped a vehicle driven by Harris near Shoshoni. Faber was his passenger. A search of the vehicle yielded a seizure of 94 grams of methamphetamine, 34 grams of fentanyl, a scale, and other drug paraphernalia. A search of the pair’s cell phones revealed a multitude of texts and social media messages being exchanged in late October 2023 through early November 2023 between Harris, Faber, and others regarding the distribution of controlled substances.
Harris and Faber were indicted on January 10 and pleaded guilty on May 9. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl sentenced Harris on July 31 and Faber on October 21.
This crime was investigated by DCI and Fremont County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy W. Gist.
Case No. 24-CR-00020
Driver Sentenced to Almost 16 Years in Prison for His Role in Two Violent Delco CarjackingsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Jamar Miller, 24, of Claymont, Delaware, was sentenced today by United States District Court Chief Judge Mitchell S. Goldberg to 190 months’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, $1,919 in restitution, and a $500 special assessment for his role in two armed carjackings in Delaware County in January of 2023.
In April of 2023, Miller and codefendant Keenan Righter were each indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit carjacking, two counts of carjacking, and two counts of using or carrying a firearm during a crime of violence in connection with these carjackings.
Miller pleaded guilty to all the charges in March of this year.
In May, a federal jury convicted Righter on all counts; he was sentenced last week to 280 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
On January 14, 2023, at approximately 9 p.m., Miller drove Righter and another male to a Wawa on Route 322 in Upper Chichester Township, Delaware County. Righter and the other male then ambushed a 23-year-old college student who was walking to his car after leaving the store. The men, each brandishing firearms and wearing masks to disguise their identities, demanded the victim’s vehicle at gunpoint. They pistol-whipped the victim in the back of the head and fled the scene in the victim’s vehicle, with Miller following in his own car.
On January 24, 2023, at approximately 1:30 a.m., Miller drove Righter and another male to a Wawa on Edgmont Avenue in Brookhaven, Delaware County. Again, Righter and the other male wore masks and carried firearms as they carjacked a 33-year-old victim at gunpoint in the parking lot of the Wawa. The two men pistol-whipped the victim multiple times in the head with a firearm as they stole his belongings and fled the scene in his car, with Miller again trailing behind them in his vehicle.
“Jamar Miller drove his co-conspirators to the crime scenes, watched as they violently carjacked two innocent people, and followed as they fled in the stolen vehicles,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “As his almost 16-year prison sentence shows, even a supporting role in a carjacking can lead to federal charges — and utterly life-changing consequences.”
“Today’s sentencing demonstrates how strong partnerships in law enforcement contribute to safer communities,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Our office, alongside the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our local law enforcement partners, will not relent in our efforts toward safer neighborhoods for all of us.”
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 FBI Philadelphia’s Newtown Square Resident Agency, the Brookhaven Police Department, and Upper Chichester Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorneys Brian Doherty and Branwen McNabb O’Donnell.
Detroit Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Tristian Gerrell-Robert Murphy, 35, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 10, 2024, Murphy possessed a Smith & Wesson M&P Bodyguard .380-caliber pistol, found under the driver seat of a vehicle he operated, and a Taurus 9mm pistol found in the trunk in St. Albans. Both firearms were loaded.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Murphy knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan on October 21, 2021.
Murphy is scheduled to be sentenced on February 13, 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 St. Albans Police Department and the assistance provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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-101.
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Defense Contractor Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Fraud, Money Laundering, and Unlawful Export of Technical DataRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – Yuksel Senbol, 36, of Orlando, Florida, was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, money laundering, conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act, violating the Export Control Reform Act, and violating the Arms Export Control Act. As part of her sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $275,430.90, the proceeds of Senbol’s fraud and money laundering scheme. Senbol entered pleaded guilty on May 7.
According to facts taken from public filings, beginning in approximately April 2019, Senbol operated a front company in the Middle District of Florida called Mason Engineering Parts LLC. She used this front company to assist her co-conspirators, Mehmet Ozcan and Onur Simsek, to fraudulently procure contracts to supply critical military components to the Department of Defense. These components were intended for use in the Navy Nimitz and Ford Class Aircraft Carriers, Navy Submarines, Marine Corps Armored Vehicles, and Army M-60 Series Tank and Abrahams Battle Tanks, among other weapons systems.
To fraudulently procure the government contracts, Senbol and her co-conspirators falsely represented to the U.S. government and U.S. military contractors that Mason Engineering Parts LLC was a vetted and qualified manufacturer of military components, when in fact, the parts were being manufactured by Ozcan and Simsek in Turkey. As Senbol knew, Simsek’s involvement had to be concealed from the U.S. government because he had been debarred from contracting with the U.S. government after being convicted of a virtually identical scheme in the Southern District of Florida.
In order to enable Ozcan and Simsek to manufacture the components in Turkey, Senbol assisted them in obtaining sensitive, export-controlled drawings of critical U.S. military technology. Using software that allowed Ozcan to remotely control her computer — and thus evade security restrictions that limited access to these sensitive military drawings to computers within the United States — Senbol knowingly facilitated the illegal export of these drawings. She did so despite having executed numerous agreements promising to safeguard the drawings from unlawful access or export, and in spite of the clear warnings on the face of each drawing that it could not be exported without obtaining a license.
Once Ozcan and Simsek manufactured the components in Turkey, they shipped them to Senbol, who repackaged them — making sure to remove any reference to their Turkish origin. The conspirators then lied about the origin of the parts to the U.S. government and a U.S. government contractor to receive payment for the parts. Senbol then laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars in criminal proceeds back to Turkey through international wire transfers.
This scheme continued until uncovered and disrupted by federal investigators. Parts supplied by Senbol were tested by the U.S. military and were determined not to conform with product specifications. Many of the components supplied to the U.S. military by Senbol were “critical application items,” meaning that failure of these components would have potentially rendered the end system inoperable.
Alleged co-conspirators Mehmet Ozcan and Onur Simsek are fugitives.
The General Services Administration, Office of Inspector General; Defense Criminal Investigative Service; Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security; Air Force Office of Special Investigations; FBI; Homeland Security Investigations; and Department of State, Directorate of Defense Trade Controls are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel J. Marcet and Lindsey Schmidt for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Stephen Marzen of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Section are prosecuting the case.
Defense Contractor Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Fraud, Money Laundering, and Unlawful Export of Technical DataRead the Press Release
Yuksel Senbol, 36, of Orlando, Florida, was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, money laundering, conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act, violating the Export Control Reform Act, and violating the Arms Export Control Act. As part of her sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $275,430.90, the proceeds of Senbol’s fraud and money laundering scheme. Senbol entered pleaded guilty on May 7.
According to facts taken from public filings, beginning in approximately April 2019, Senbol operated a front company in the Middle District of Florida called Mason Engineering Parts LLC. She used this front company to assist her co-conspirators, Mehmet Ozcan and Onur Simsek, to fraudulently procure contracts to supply critical military components to the Department of Defense. These components were intended for use in the Navy Nimitz and Ford Class Aircraft Carriers, Navy Submarines, Marine Corps Armored Vehicles, and Army M-60 Series Tank and Abrahams Battle Tanks, among other weapons systems.
To fraudulently procure the government contracts, Senbol and her co-conspirators falsely represented to the U.S. government and U.S. military contractors that Mason Engineering Parts LLC was a vetted and qualified manufacturer of military components, when in fact, the parts were being manufactured by Ozcan and Simsek in Turkey. As Senbol knew, Simsek’s involvement had to be concealed from the U.S. government because he had been debarred from contracting with the U.S. government after being convicted of a virtually identical scheme in the Southern District of Florida.
In order to enable Ozcan and Simsek to manufacture the components in Turkey, Senbol assisted them in obtaining sensitive, export-controlled drawings of critical U.S. military technology. Using software that allowed Ozcan to remotely control her computer — and thus evade security restrictions that limited access to these sensitive military drawings to computers within the United States — Senbol knowingly facilitated the illegal export of these drawings. She did so despite having executed numerous agreements promising to safeguard the drawings from unlawful access or export, and in spite of the clear warnings on the face of each drawing that it could not be exported without obtaining a license.
Once Ozcan and Simsek manufactured the components in Turkey, they shipped them to Senbol, who repackaged them — making sure to remove any reference to their Turkish origin. The conspirators then lied about the origin of the parts to the U.S. government and a U.S. government contractor to receive payment for the parts. Senbol then laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars in criminal proceeds back to Turkey through international wire transfers.
This scheme continued until uncovered and disrupted by federal investigators. Parts supplied by Senbol were tested by the U.S. military and were determined not to conform with product specifications. Many of the components supplied to the U.S. military by Senbol were “critical application items,” meaning that failure of these components would have potentially rendered the end system inoperable.
Alleged co-conspirators Mehmet Ozcan and Onur Simsek are fugitives.
The General Services Administration, Office of Inspector General; Defense Criminal Investigative Service; Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security; Air Force Office of Special Investigations; FBI; Homeland Security Investigations; and Department of State, Directorate of Defense Trade Controls are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel J. Marcet and Lindsey Schmidt for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Stephen Marzen of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Section are prosecuting the case.
Dauphin County Man Indicted for RobberyRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG– The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a federal grand jury indicted Nicholas Silva-Shaffer, age 29, of Dauphin County, for Hobbs Act robbery.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, on or about September 16, 2024, Shaffer approached an employee of a Rite Aid store in Dauphin County. Shaffer stated that he had a gun and demanded and obtained money from the store employee.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney K. Wesley (Wes) Mishoe is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalties under federal law for the charge against Shaffer is 20 years imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, a fine, and special assessment. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons indicted are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Couple Indicted on Federal Charges for Fraud Scheme Involving Counterfeit iPadsRead the Press Release
Richland, Washington - On September 19, 2024, a federal grand jury for the Eastern District of Washington returned an indictment charging Zhangbo Liang, age 24 and Linda You, age 20, with ten criminal counts for fraud as well as trafficking and transporting stolen and counterfeit items. Liang made his first appearance in federal court in the Western District of Washington on September 30, 2024. You made her first appearance in federal court in the Eastern District of Washington on October 24, 2024.
The indictment alleges beginning no later than January of 2024, Liang and You were involved in a scheme where they would purchase authentic iPads from Target stores in the Eastern District of Washington and elsewhere, remove them from their boxes, place counterfeit iPads in the boxes, then reseal the boxes. Liang and You would then return the counterfeit iPads and receive a refund on a Target gift card. Liang and You would use the gift cards to allegedly purchase additional items from Target, including more iPads they would replace with counterfeit goods for subsequent returns.
According to the indictment, between January 2024 and June 2024, Liang and You returned at least 140 iPads to Target stores and fraudulently obtained a net refund amount of at least $163,000.
“Fraudulent schemes that involve stolen and counterfeit items harm businesses and lead to increased prices for everyone. Our fraud prosecutors, working closely with our law enforcement partners, will continue to aggressively target fraudsters who attempt to scam businesses and individuals to line their own pockets,” said U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref.
The case was referred for federal investigation by the Washington Attorney General’s Office Organized Retail Crime Task Force and the Skagit County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, highlighting the important and successful partnership between federal and state law enforcement agencies to address organized retail crimes.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy J. Kelley.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
4:24-cr-06024-SAB
Conspiracy to Steal Checks from Postal Collection Boxes and Possession of Firearm by Felon Gets Fayetteville Man 15 YearsRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Fayetteville, North Carolina man, Darrell Alan Thompson, age 35, was sentenced today to 15 years and five years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and possession of firearm by felon. The defendant was also ordered to pay restitution to the impacted financial institutions.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the Raleigh Police Department (RPD) initiated the investigation after receiving a large number of mail theft and check fraud reports in Wake County, North Carolina. It was discovered that a Postal Service “arrow key” was being unlawfully used to access and steal mail from official collection boxes located outside of government post offices throughout Wake County. The theft activity targeted checks that had been placed in the mail by postal customers. Thereafter, the subjects altered the checks by changing the payee information, deposited the checks into bank accounts, and withdrew the proceeds at local ATMs.
Thompson was identified on surveillance footage opening and stealing the contents of postal collection boxes between November 2022 and January 2023. Officers eventually tracked Thompson to the North Ridge Post Office parking lot in Raleigh and arrested him on the scene. A search of Thompson’s vehicle recovered, among other things, a 9mm pistol and a backpack containing multiple ammo magazines, approximately 180 stolen checks, and approximately 450 stolen AMEX gift cards. At the time the firearm was recovered, Thompson was a convicted felon.
Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief United States District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The USPIS and the RPD investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Adam F. Hulbig prosecuted the case for the government.
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-42-M-RN.
Claremont, California, man convicted at trial of sexually molesting young woman on flight from Burbank, California to SeattleRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 41-year-old Claremont, California man was convicted yesterday of abusive sexual contact aboard an aircraft enroute to Seattle from Burbank, California, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Justin Baker was arrested March 14, 2024, when the Alaska Airlines plane arrived at SEA. Baker was taken into custody again yesterday immediately after the jury returned its guilty verdict. The jury deliberated about 90 minutes following a three-day trial. U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour scheduled sentencing for January 21, 2025.
According to records filed in the case and testimony at trial, Baker was in the middle seat, with the victim seated to his right next to the wall of the plane. Baker learned the victim was preparing to go to college and was just 18 years old. According to testimony at trial, Baker showed the teen sexually explicit text messages he had on his phone and then draped his jacket over his lap as well as her lower body. The victim attempted to move away from Baker and closer to the wall. He reached under the jacket and groped her leg and genitals over her clothing. Then he reached into her top and groped her breast. Despite the victim saying “No” and moving away when he first tried to touch her, he continued to grope her.
Ultimately, the victim got out of her seat to contact the flight crew. As she tried to pass by Baker, he groped her buttocks.
In closing argument Assistant United States Attorney Kristine Foerster said the defendant “saw the word ‘No’ as a speedbump, not a stop sign.” At the trial prosecutors presented the testimony of different victim, who in 2004, as a girl of 15, was molested by Baker in a similar fashion. At the time Baker was a youth pastor who didn’t stop despite the victim telling him no when he tried to molest her under a blanket.
Abusive sexual contact is punishable by up to two years in prison. The actual sentence will be determined by Judge Coughenour after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Port of Seattle Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kristine Foerster and Grace Zoller.
City Man Sentenced to 12½ Years in Prison for 2022 Armed Robbery of Northeast Philadelphia StoreRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Nafec Pressley, 28, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Kai N. Scott to 150 months in prison and five years of supervised release for the armed robbery of a store in the city’s Northeast in late 2022.
Pressley was indicted in March 2023 on one count of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He pleaded guilty to those charges this July.
On November 20, 2022, at approximately 4:15 p.m., a male employee was waiting on several customers inside a dollar store on the 6900 block of Bustleton Avenue. After the last customer left, Pressley approached the counter and engaged in small talk with the employee. The defendant suddenly walked around the counter, brandished a black semiautomatic pistol, and demanded money from him. The victim opened the cash register and invited Pressley to take the money inside, which amounted to over $300. Pressley pocketed the cash, then demanded that the victim take him upstairs to get more money.
The victim pleaded with Pressley to leave, finding some more cash by the counter, which he gave to Pressley. When the victim’s wife began to come down the steps from the second floor, Pressley aimed his gun at her, and then back at the male victim. Pressley told the man that he had five seconds to go upstairs and get more money and began to count backwards from five.
The victim then grabbed his own firearm from behind the counter and he and Pressley exchanged gunfire. Pressley was shot numerous times throughout his body, knocking him backwards and onto the floor. The defendant discharged his pistol multiple times as he fell but did not strike the victim. Pressley ran to the back of the store, then made a dash for the front door. As he fled, he turned and fired at the victim, again missing him.
A short time later, Pressley was dropped off at an area hospital where he was treated for gunshot wounds. Philadelphia police officers who responded to the hospital seized Pressley’s clothing, finding approximately $371 in cash in his pants pocket.
“Nafec Pressley nearly got himself killed because he’d rather steal money than work for it,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “He’s extremely fortunate he didn’t kill anyone else when he opened fire in that store. My office and our partners at ATF and the Philadelphia Police Department are committed to protecting the public from these violent criminals who prey on others. With Mr. Pressley behind bars for the next decade-plus, our stores, streets, and city are safer.”
“We will not let violent criminals like Nafec Pressley terrorize Philadelphia’s businesses and communities,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Philadelphia Field Division. “In this robbery turned shootout it was only by good fortune no one was killed. ATF Philadelphia Field Division has a long history of partnership with the Philadelphia Police Department and U.S. Attorney’s Office, and we will continue to work tirelessly together to ensure justice for the victims and to make our communities safer.”
The case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department and the ATF and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. Zaleski.
Cincinnati man who was convicted at trial of sex trafficking, exploiting 2 teens sentenced to 40 years in prisonRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Cincinnati man was sentenced in U.S. District Court here today to 480 months in prison and to a lifetime of supervised release for sex trafficking minors, sexually exploiting children and illegally possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon.
Kelly Richards, 43, was found guilty on all five counts following a six-day jury trial in April before U.S. District Judge Jeffery P. Hopkins.
“Richards drugged, raped, abused, photographed and sold two teenage girls. He held them for days in a one-bedroom apartment with multiple firearms he was forbidden to own, wantonly mistreating them for his own physical, sordid desires, financial gain, and the pleasure of others. He deserves to spend the next 40 years in prison,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker.
Richards is also known as “Scorpio” and has a tattoo of a scorpion on the left side of his face.
According to court documents and trial testimony, investigators were alerted in March 2023 that two juveniles had been screened as potential sex trafficking victims.
Richards picked up the two juveniles after they fled a group home in Dayton. Richards then drove them to his one-bedroom apartment in Cincinnati. At the apartment, Richards provided the minors with cocaine before sexually assaulting them.
Richards forced the juveniles to have sex with other men for money that was paid to Richards. The defendant created prostitution advertisements online with explicit pictures of the minor victims and used physical violence against them. Richards held the juveniles in his apartment for multiple days. Court documents detail that one victim was prostituted up to four times per day in hotels and homes.
Federal agents arrested Richards on May 16, 2023.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and other members of the FBI’s Anti-Trafficking Task Force announced the sentence imposed today. Assistant United States Attorneys Kyle J. Healey and Megan Gaffney Painter are representing the United States in this case.
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China-Based Chemical Manufacturing Companies and Employees Indicted for Alleged Fentanyl Manufacturing and DistributionRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – Today, the Justice Department announced the unsealing of indictments against eight China-based chemical companies and eight employees charging federal crimes, including attempted distribution of synthetic opioids and precursor chemicals used in the production of fentanyl, and money laundering. The indictments were filed under seal in the Middle District of Florida over the past year.
“Today, the Justice Department announced charges against eight China-based companies and eight individuals we allege are responsible for trafficking precursor chemicals that cartels use to manufacture lethal fentanyl,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The global fentanyl supply chain, which ends with the deaths of Americans, often starts with chemical companies based in China. In order to break this critical link in the fentanyl supply chain, the Justice Department has aggressively investigated and prosecuted these companies. We will continue to target every organization and individual that fuels the deadly drug trade.”
As described in the unsealed indictments, the defendants openly advertised their ability to thwart border officials and deliver the synthetic opioids or the chemicals used to make fentanyl to the Middle District of Florida and elsewhere in the United States. The defendants deliberately engaged in evasive activities, such as mislabeling the contents of shipments to ensure the illicit chemicals and controlled substances went undetected. As a result, these companies were able to sell a stable supply of precursor chemicals to clients in Mexico and the United States for years. One of the companies even represented that every month it sends “more than 20 kilograms to the United States, Africa, Canada, and other countries.”
“Today’s indictments against eight China-based chemical companies and eight Chinese nationals are further evidence of DEA’s unwavering commitment to disrupt every aspect of the global fentanyl supply chain,” said Administrator Anne Milgram of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “For the third time in over a year, DEA investigations have resulted in charges against chemical companies and individuals in China who we allege are supplying chemicals to the cartels to make deadly fentanyl. While they may go to great lengths to try to evade our detection, DEA will use every tool and authority we have to save American lives.”
The indictments target the evolving tactics of drug traffickers, who often adapt to tightening restrictions on the production and sale of fentanyl. For example, when China banned the production of fentanyl in 2019, China-based companies began producing and selling fentanyl precursors, the ingredients needed to manufacture the drug. These China-based companies distribute fentanyl precursors throughout the world, including to the United States and to Mexico, where drug cartels such as the Sinaloa Cartel and Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación combine the chemicals into fentanyl and other synthetic opioids that they then distribute throughout the United States and the rest of the world.
“These indictments are part of our continuing commitment to the protection of our country from the deadly scourge of fentanyl,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “Along with our partners at the Drug Enforcement Administration, we will be relentless in our pursuit of China-based chemical companies and their employees who are knowingly manufacturing and exporting fentanyl precursors that cause thousands of deaths every year in the United States.”
The Justice Department acknowledges the efforts of the People’s Republic of China, Ministry of Public Security. The following indicted companies are now out of operation: Jiangsu Jiyi Chemical, Tianjin Furuntongda Tech Co. Ltd, Wuhan Jinshang Import & Export Trading Co. Ltd., Hubei Shanglin Trading Co., and Wuhan Mingyue Information Technology.
In addition, the People’s Republic of China has recently scheduled three key chemicals, which in turn provides additional tools for the People’s Republic of China to regulate the chemicals’ production and distribution. DEA Administrator Milgram said, “I would also like to recognize the work done by the People’s Republic of China’s Ministry of Public Security in taking action to schedule protonitazene, piperidone, and 1-BOC-4-AP, which were not scheduled at the time of these investigations, but have now been scheduled.”
The DEA investigated the cases.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Chee, David Pardo, Lauren Stoia, and Adam McCall and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Haynes for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the cases.
These cases are 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Case Summaries
In January, Guangzhou Tengyue Chemical Co. Ltd., based in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China, was charged with attempted importation of protonitazene, along with Chinese national Xiaojun Huang, who allegedly maintained a Bitcoin wallet for the remittance of payments for illicit synthetic opioids on the company’s behalf.
In January, Hubei Shanglin Trading Co., based in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, was charged with attempted international money laundering, along with Chinese national Zhihan Wang, who was the alleged registered owner of a Bitcoin wallet associated with the company utilized to complete the sale of fentanyl precursors.
In November 2023, Jiangsu Jiyi Chemical, based in Beijing, Hebei Province, China, was charged with attempted importation of protonitazene, along with Ji Zhaohui, a Chinese national, who was the alleged holder of the Bitcoin wallet associated with the company.
In January, Tianjin Furuntongda Tech Co. Ltd, based in Tianjin, Hebei Province, China, was charged with attempted importation of fentanyl precursors, along with Wenxing Gao, a Chinese national, who was the alleged registered agent of Tianjin Furuntongda and the owner of a cryptocurrency wallet associated with the company.
In November 2023, Wuhan Jinshang Import & Export Trading Co. Ltd., based in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, was charged with attempted importation of protonitazene, attempted importation of a fentanyl precursor, and attempted international money laundering, along with Wenying Nie, a Chinese national, who was the alleged holder of a Bitcoin wallet associated with the company.
In January, Wuhan Mingyue Information Technology, based in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, was charged with attempted importation of fentanyl precursors and attempted international money laundering, along with Chinese national Huanhuan Song, who was the alleged recipient of funds via Western Union on the company’s behalf and the alleged holder of a cryptocurrency wallet associated with the company.
In June, Henan Oumeng Trade Co. Ltd., based in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China, was charged with attempted importation of protonitazene and attempted international money laundering, along with Yinxia Zhao, a Chinese national, who was the alleged holder of the Bitcoin wallet associated with the company.
In June, Shanghai Senria New Materials Co. Ltd., doing business as Shanghai Senria Biotechnology Co. Ltd., based in the Fengxian District of Shanghai, China, was charged with attempted importation of protonitazene and attempted international money laundering, along with Zhenbo Han, a Chinese national, who was the alleged holder of the Bitcoin wallet associated with the company.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
China-Based Chemical Manufacturing Companies and Employees Indicted for Alleged Fentanyl Manufacturing and DistributionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, the Justice Department announced the unsealing of indictments against eight China-based chemical companies and eight employees charging federal crimes, including attempted distribution of synthetic opioids and precursor chemicals used in the production of fentanyl, and money laundering. The indictments were filed under seal in the Middle District of Florida over the past year.
“Today, the Justice Department announced charges against eight China-based companies and eight individuals we allege are responsible for trafficking precursor chemicals that cartels use to manufacture lethal fentanyl,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The global fentanyl supply chain, which ends with the deaths of Americans, often starts with chemical companies based in China. In order to break this critical link in the fentanyl supply chain, the Justice Department has aggressively investigated and prosecuted these companies. We will continue to target every organization and individual that fuels the deadly drug trade.”
As described in the unsealed indictments, the defendants openly advertised their ability to thwart border officials and deliver the synthetic opioids or the chemicals used to make fentanyl to the Middle District of Florida and elsewhere in the United States. The defendants deliberately engaged in evasive activities, such as mislabeling the contents of shipments to ensure the illicit chemicals and controlled substances went undetected. As a result, these companies were able to sell a stable supply of precursor chemicals to clients in Mexico and the United States for years. One of the companies even represented that every month it sends “more than 20 kilograms to the United States, Africa, Canada, and other countries.”
“Today’s indictments against eight China-based chemical companies and eight Chinese nationals are further evidence of DEA’s unwavering commitment to disrupt every aspect of the global fentanyl supply chain,” said Administrator Anne Milgram of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “For the third time in over a year, DEA investigations have resulted in charges against chemical companies and individuals in China who we allege are supplying chemicals to the cartels to make deadly fentanyl. While they may go to great lengths to try to evade our detection, DEA will use every tool and authority we have to save American lives.”
The indictments target the evolving tactics of drug traffickers, who often adapt to tightening restrictions on the production and sale of fentanyl. For example, when China banned the production of fentanyl in 2019, China-based companies began producing and selling fentanyl precursors, the ingredients needed to manufacture the drug. These China-based companies distribute fentanyl precursors throughout the world, including to the United States and to Mexico, where drug cartels such as the Sinaloa Cartel and Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación combine the chemicals into fentanyl and other synthetic opioids that they then distribute throughout the United States and the rest of the world.
“These indictments are part of our continuing commitment to the protection of our country from the deadly scourge of fentanyl,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “Along with our partners at the Drug Enforcement Administration, we will be relentless in our pursuit of China-based chemical companies and their employees who are knowingly manufacturing and exporting fentanyl precursors that cause thousands of deaths every year in the United States.”
The Justice Department acknowledges the efforts of the People’s Republic of China, Ministry of Public Security. The following indicted companies are now out of operation: Jiangsu Jiyi Chemical, Tianjin Furuntongda Tech Co. Ltd, Wuhan Jinshang Import & Export Trading Co. Ltd., Hubei Shanglin Trading Co., and Wuhan Mingyue Information Technology.
In addition, the People’s Republic of China has recently scheduled three key chemicals, which in turn provides additional tools for the People’s Republic of China to regulate the chemicals’ production and distribution. DEA Administrator Milgram said, “I would also like to recognize the work done by the People’s Republic of China’s Ministry of Public Security in taking action to schedule protonitazene, piperidone, and 1-BOC-4-AP, which were not scheduled at the time of these investigations, but have now been scheduled.”
The DEA investigated the cases.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Chee, David Pardo, Lauren Stoia, and Adam McCall and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Haynes for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the cases.
These cases are 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Case Summaries
In January, Guangzhou Tengyue Chemical Co. Ltd., based in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China, was charged with attempted importation of protonitazene, along with Chinese national Xiaojun Huang, who allegedly maintained a Bitcoin wallet for the remittance of payments for illicit synthetic opioids on the company’s behalf.
In January, Hubei Shanglin Trading Co., based in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, was charged with attempted international money laundering, along with Chinese national Zhihan Wang, who was the alleged registered owner of a Bitcoin wallet associated with the company utilized to complete the sale of fentanyl precursors.
In November 2023, Jiangsu Jiyi Chemical, based in Beijing, Hebei Province, China, was charged with attempted importation of protonitazene, along with Ji Zhaohui, a Chinese national, who was the alleged holder of the Bitcoin wallet associated with the company.
In January, Tianjin Furuntongda Tech Co. Ltd, based in Tianjin, Hebei Province, China, was charged with attempted importation of fentanyl precursors, along with Wenxing Gao, a Chinese national, who was the alleged registered agent of Tianjin Furuntongda and the owner of a cryptocurrency wallet associated with the company.
In November 2023, Wuhan Jinshang Import & Export Trading Co. Ltd., based in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, was charged with attempted importation of protonitazene, attempted importation of a fentanyl precursor, and attempted international money laundering, along with Wenying Nie, a Chinese national, who was the alleged holder of a Bitcoin wallet associated with the company.
In January, Wuhan Mingyue Information Technology, based in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, was charged with attempted importation of fentanyl precursors and attempted international money laundering, along with Chinese national Huanhuan Song, who was the alleged recipient of funds via Western Union on the company’s behalf and the alleged holder of a cryptocurrency wallet associated with the company.
In June, Henan Oumeng Trade Co. Ltd., based in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China, was charged with attempted importation of protonitazene and attempted international money laundering, along with Yinxia Zhao, a Chinese national, who was the alleged holder of the Bitcoin wallet associated with the company.
In June, Shanghai Senria New Materials Co. Ltd., doing business as Shanghai Senria Biotechnology Co. Ltd., based in the Fengxian District of Shanghai, China, was charged with attempted importation of protonitazene and attempted international money laundering, along with Zhenbo Han, a Chinese national, who was the alleged holder of the Bitcoin wallet associated with the company.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
China-Based Chemical Manufacturing Companies and Employees Indicted for Alleged Fentanyl Manufacturing and DistributionRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department announced the unsealing of indictments against eight China-based chemical companies and eight employees charging federal crimes, including attempted distribution of synthetic opioids and precursor chemicals used in the production of fentanyl, and money laundering. The indictments were filed under seal in the Middle District of Florida over the past year.
“Today, the Justice Department announced charges against eight China-based companies and eight individuals we allege are responsible for trafficking precursor chemicals that cartels use to manufacture lethal fentanyl,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The global fentanyl supply chain, which ends with the deaths of Americans, often starts with chemical companies based in China. In order to break this critical link in the fentanyl supply chain, the Justice Department has aggressively investigated and prosecuted these companies. We will continue to target every organization and individual that fuels the deadly drug trade.”
As described in the unsealed indictments, the defendants openly advertised their ability to thwart border officials and deliver the synthetic opioids or the chemicals used to make fentanyl to the Middle District of Florida and elsewhere in the United States. The defendants deliberately engaged in evasive activities, such as mislabeling the contents of shipments to ensure the illicit chemicals and controlled substances went undetected. As a result, these companies were able to sell a stable supply of precursor chemicals to clients in Mexico and the United States for years. One of the companies even represented that every month it sends “more than 20 kilograms to the United States, Africa, Canada, and other countries.”
“Today’s indictments against eight China-based chemical companies and eight Chinese nationals are further evidence of DEA’s unwavering commitment to disrupt every aspect of the global fentanyl supply chain,” said Administrator Anne Milgram of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “For the third time in over a year, DEA investigations have resulted in charges against chemical companies and individuals in China who we allege are supplying chemicals to the cartels to make deadly fentanyl. While they may go to great lengths to try to evade our detection, DEA will use every tool and authority we have to save American lives.”
The indictments target the evolving tactics of drug traffickers, who often adapt to tightening restrictions on the production and sale of fentanyl. For example, when China banned the production of fentanyl in 2019, China-based companies began producing and selling fentanyl precursors, the ingredients needed to manufacture the drug. These China-based companies distribute fentanyl precursors throughout the world, including to the United States and to Mexico, where drug cartels such as the Sinaloa Cartel and Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación combine the chemicals into fentanyl and other synthetic opioids that they then distribute throughout the United States and the rest of the world.
“These indictments are part of our continuing commitment to the protection of our country from the deadly scourge of fentanyl,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “Along with our partners at the Drug Enforcement Administration, we will be relentless in our pursuit of China-based chemical companies and their employees who are knowingly manufacturing and exporting fentanyl precursors that cause thousands of deaths every year in the United States.”
The Justice Department acknowledges the efforts of the People’s Republic of China, Ministry of Public Security. The following indicted companies are now out of operation: Jiangsu Jiyi Chemical, Tianjin Furuntongda Tech Co. Ltd, Wuhan Jinshang Import & Export Trading Co. Ltd., Hubei Shanglin Trading Co., and Wuhan Mingyue Information Technology.
In addition, the People’s Republic of China has recently scheduled three key chemicals, which in turn provides additional tools for the People’s Republic of China to regulate the chemicals’ production and distribution. DEA Administrator Milgram said, “I would also like to recognize the work done by the People’s Republic of China’s Ministry of Public Security in taking action to schedule protonitazene, piperidone, and 1-BOC-4-AP, which were not scheduled at the time of these investigations, but have now been scheduled.”
The DEA investigated the cases.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Chee, David Pardo, Lauren Stoia, and Adam McCall and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Haynes for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the cases.
These cases are 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Case Summaries
In January, Guangzhou Tengyue Chemical Co. Ltd., based in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China, was charged with attempted importation of protonitazene, along with Chinese national Xiaojun Huang, who allegedly maintained a Bitcoin wallet for the remittance of payments for illicit synthetic opioids on the company’s behalf.
In January, Hubei Shanglin Trading Co., based in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, was charged with attempted international money laundering, along with Chinese national Zhihan Wang, who was the alleged registered owner of a Bitcoin wallet associated with the company utilized to complete the sale of fentanyl precursors.
In November 2023, Jiangsu Jiyi Chemical, based in Beijing, Hebei Province, China, was charged with attempted importation of protonitazene, along with Ji Zhaohui, a Chinese national, who was the alleged holder of the Bitcoin wallet associated with the company.
In January, Tianjin Furuntongda Tech Co. Ltd, based in Tianjin, Hebei Province, China, was charged with attempted importation of fentanyl precursors, along with Wenxing Gao, a Chinese national, who was the alleged registered agent of Tianjin Furuntongda and the owner of a cryptocurrency wallet associated with the company.
In November 2023, Wuhan Jinshang Import & Export Trading Co. Ltd., based in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, was charged with attempted importation of protonitazene, attempted importation of a fentanyl precursor, and attempted international money laundering, along with Wenying Nie, a Chinese national, who was the alleged holder of a Bitcoin wallet associated with the company.
In January, Wuhan Mingyue Information Technology, based in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, was charged with attempted importation of fentanyl precursors and attempted international money laundering, along with Chinese national Huanhuan Song, who was the alleged recipient of funds via Western Union on the company’s behalf and the alleged holder of a cryptocurrency wallet associated with the company.
In June, Henan Oumeng Trade Co. Ltd., based in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China, was charged with attempted importation of protonitazene and attempted international money laundering, along with Yinxia Zhao, a Chinese national, who was the alleged holder of the Bitcoin wallet associated with the company.
In June, Shanghai Senria New Materials Co. Ltd., doing business as Shanghai Senria Biotechnology Co. Ltd., based in the Fengxian District of Shanghai, China, was charged with attempted importation of protonitazene and attempted international money laundering, along with Zhenbo Han, a Chinese national, who was the alleged holder of the Bitcoin wallet associated with the company.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Chilton County Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a Firearm He Used in a ShootingRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Ala. – Today, Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced the sentencing of a Chilton County, Alabama man for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On October 23, 2024, a federal judge ordered that 57-year-old Alvin Lee McCary, serve 300 months in prison. A jury found McCary guilty of illegally possessing a firearm following a trial in March of this year. Federal inmates are not eligible for parole.
According to court records and evidence presented during McCary’s trial, on July 22, 2020, McCary had an argument with another individual at a residence in Clanton, Alabama. The argument escalated and McCary retrieved a shotgun. Witness reported that McCary shot the victim and then fled. When searching McCary’s residence, investigators eventually discovered a shotgun and ammunition at the bottom of a well adjacent to the property. McCary has previous felony convictions and is prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
This case was prosecuted as 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Chilton County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case, which Assistant United States Attorneys Mark E. Andreu and Ashley J. Avera prosecuted.
Chesapeake man sentenced to 29 years in prison for preying on family’s economic vulnerability to abuse 11-year-old girlRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Chesapeake man was sentenced today to 29 years in prison for coercion and enticement of a minor.
According to court documents, after befriending an economically vulnerable woman in 2020, Christopher Digges, 41, moved in with the woman and her child in 2021 after offering to help them by paying rent. On numerous occasions, Digges engaged in sexual conduct with the child and directed her to perform sexual acts to produce Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).
Digges bought a residence in Chesapeake on October 18, 2021, and moved the mother and child into it. Digges made clear to the child that he purchased the residence for her and used it to manipulate her when she wasn’t available to him. Digges struck the child in addition to sexually abusing her, and threatened to take away her possessions if she did not comply with his requests or demands.
Digges continued coercing and abusing the child until 2023 when she was 14 years old. In July 2023, the mother provided information to law enforcement that Digges had engaged in sexually explicit conduct with the child and had produced and received CSAM.
The government recovered $169,462.62 from the sale of the Chesapeake residence.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Mark G. Solesky, Chief of Chesapeake Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Clayton D. LaForge and Kevin P. Hudson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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. 2:23-cr-140.
Cherokee County Felon and Five Straw Purchasers Sentenced for Federal Firearms CrimesRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Eduardo Garcia, age 55, Eric Lopez, age 46, Eric Jesus Lopez, age 28, Savanna Jade Lopez, age 28, Francisco Hernandez, age 25, and Christian Lopez, age 27, each of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, were sentenced on federal firearms charges.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Eduardo Garcia, aka Eduardo Garcia Olvera, aka Eduardo Olvera Garcia, aka “Lalo”, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. On May 18, 2023, Garcia pleaded guilty to the charge.
Eric Lopez, Eric Jesus Lopez, Savanna Jade Lopez, and Christian Lopez each pleaded guilty to one count of False Statements During the Purchase of a Firearm and were sentenced to five years’ probation.
Francisco Hernandez pleaded guilty to one count of False Statements During the Purchase of a Firearm and was sentenced to four years’ probation.
According to investigators, on November 4, 2022, ATF agents discovered Eduardo “Lalo” Garcia in possession of one 20 GA Browning Light Twenty shotgun, one 20 GA Mossberg model 185K shotgun, one 9mm Ruger PC Carbine, and one completely built AR-15 style upper receiver in 5.56 NATO caliber, together with 19 empty gun boxes for manufactured firearms and over 2,900 rounds of ammunition, all shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce. At the time Garcia possessed the firearms, he had been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year and was prohibited from possessing firearms.
An investigation by ATF agents revealed that five of those gun boxes bore serial numbers that matched firearms purchased for Garcia.
The investigation also revealed that between October of 2021 and October 2022, Eric Lopez, Eric Jesus Lopez, Savanna Jade Lopez, Christian Lopez, and Francisco Hernandez purchased a total of 107 firearms from four licensed firearms retailers in the Tahlequah and Muskogee areas. For each purchase, the defendants falsely stated on a Department of Justice ATF Form 4473 that they were the actual buyers of the firearms. In reality, the defendants were purchasing the firearms for Garcia, who was unable to complete purchases due to his felony conviction. Law enforcement in Mexico recovered one of those firearms, a Glock 9mm pistol, five months after a family member purchased it for Garcia.
“Enforcing federal firearm regulations is a crucial part of protecting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens and ensuring public safety,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “Felons like Mr. Garcia and others who would otherwise not be able to legitimately purchase or possess firearms often look for buyers with no previous criminal history to act as straw purchasers on their behalf. Garcia and his co-defendants attempted to thwart the safeguards and are being held accountable for their acts.”
“When family and friends choose to commit crime together, they become felons together. Federal firearms laws are designed to keep weapons from those that shouldn’t have them, and today’s sentencing is a notice to all that ATF and its partners will relentlessly pursue those who choose to ignore them. Whether you are a felon in possession or supplying prohibited persons with firearms, we will find you and prosecute,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek II.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The Honorable Raúl M. Arias-Marxuach, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Garcia will remain out of custody pending assignment to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney Erin Cornell represented the United States.
Career Offender Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Today, Terry Meach, 43, was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison following a guilty to plea to two counts of bank robbery and one count of attempted bank robbery earlier this year.
As part of his guilty plea, Meach admitted that on Feb. 23, 2024, he entered a Truist Bank in Hollywood, Fla., demanded money and claimed that he had a gun. The teller complied with his demands, and Meach made off with $2,419.
Four days later, on Feb. 27, 2024, Meach entered a Fifth Third Bank in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and approached the teller with his hand in his pocket. Meach said words to the effect of “give me the money, I have a bomb.” The teller backed away and Meach fled the bank empty handed. Undeterred, Meach continued down the street about 100 yards to a Truist Bank, which he entered and approached the teller saying words to the effect of “give me the money, I have a gun.” The teller complied, and this time Meach made off with $2,379.
Prior to robbing the banks in February 2024, Meach had been convicted of robbing or attempting to rob four other banks charged in two separate federal cases. In April 2012, Meach robbed a TD Bank in Fort Lauderdale, and two days later attempted to rob a Suntrust Bank in Miami. Meach pled guilty to both charges and was sentenced to 54 months in federal prison in October 2012 (Case No. 12-cr-20302). Meach was released from prison on March 14, 2016.
Eight days after his release, on March 22, 2016, Meach robbed a Suntrust Bank in Fort Lauderdale. Two days after that, Meach robbed a Chase Bank in Doral. Meach pled guilty to both robberies in November 2016, and was sentenced to 99 months in federal prison (Case No. 16-cr-60087). Meach was released from prison on Feb. 9, 2024.
Fourteen days later, Meach committed the first of the robberies for which he was sentenced in this case.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
FBI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey O’Neal prosecuted the case.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-60100.
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California man pleads guilty to sex trafficking and illegal firearms possessionRead the Press Release
Seattle – A California man pleaded guilty today to two federal felonies related to his sex trafficking of adult female victims, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Winston Cornell Burt aka “Dice Capone,” 32 of Hemet, California, was arrested November 6, 2022, after he allegedly brutally assaulted a 20-year-old woman and engaged in a rolling gun battle as she fled in a van driven by a man who picked her up from the roadway. Burt pleaded guilty to Sex Trafficking through Force, Fraud, and Coercion and Unlawful Possession of Firearms. Burt is scheduled for sentencing by U.S. District Judge John H. Chun on February 3, 2025.
According to records filed in the case, Burt self-identifies as a “pimp” who led a sex trafficking enterprise through California, Arizona, and Washington. The young women in the case were required to provide all the money they earned in prostitution to Burt. Three women had his name tattooed on their faces – an apparent sign of “ownership.”
On November 2, 2022, Burt assaulted the 20-year-old victim in this case by kicking her, punching her, and pistol whipping her after she indicated she wanted to stop working for Burt. The assault occurred at an Airbnb in south Seattle. Three days later, on November 5, 2022, Burt assaulted the victim again and forced her to strip to her underwear. The victim tried to escape from the rental home by jumping out a third story window. The defendant and two women working for him forced her into a car and drove towards a motel on north Aurora Avenue. Burt was armed with a gun, but the victim was able to get out of the car and ran into traffic on Aurora wearing only her underwear. Burt and his female assistants tried to force the victim back into their car, but the victim stayed in the middle of the roadway until finally picked up by a driver who saw her in distress.
Even after the victim was driven away in a van, Burt gave chase on Aurora Avenue and fired shots at the van with the victim inside. The driver was eventually able to evade Burt and called the Washington State Patrol for assistance.
Ultimately law enforcement responded to the scene and got the victim to Harborview Medical Center for treatment.
Burt was arrested on November 6, 2022, as he was attempting to leave the Airbnb in south Seattle.
As part of the plea agreement, Burt also agrees to plead guilty to charges in King County Superior Court: three counts of Assault 2; Drive-by Shooting; Unlawful Imprisonment; and Assault-3
The plea agreement calls for the forfeiture of both firearms and more than $72,000 in cash.
Sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion is punishable by a mandatory minimum 15 years in prison and up to life in prison and illegal possession of a firearm is punishable by ten years in prison. Both the prosecution and defense have agreed to recommend 15 years in prison to run concurrent with any sentence imposed in state court.
The case was investigated by the FBI, Seattle Police Department with assistance from the Washington State Patrol (WSP). FBI Phoenix also assisted.
Senior Deputy King County Prosecutor Alexandra Voorhees worked closely with the FBI, Seattle Police Department and Assistant United States Attorney Kate Crisham on this case.
Businessman Charged with Conspiring to Own Unlicensed Money Transmitting BusinessRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A businessman and former resident of Utah has been charged with illegally operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Christopher James Scanlon, 43, originally from Utah and now living in Florida, is indicted on one count of conspiring to control and own an unlicensed money transmitting business. Scanlon was arrested at Miami International Airport on Oct. 10, 2024, and made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida on Oct. 11, 2024. He was arraigned today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lede Dunn Wettre in Newark federal court and pleaded not guilty.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Scanlon is the founder and chief executive officer of businesses Aurae Lifestyle and Club Swan. From as early as 2015 through 2019, Scanlon controlled a series of legal entities – PMA Media Group Inc.; AU Card LLC; AU Card Ltd., and Nvayo Ltd., (collectively, the “AU Entities”) – that he operated as a money transmitting business to provide fiat and cryptocurrency financial services to customers of Aurae Lifestyle. Scanlon served as a customer service representative for several high-net-worth Aurae Lifestyle customers. Scanlon operated Aurae Lifestyle during this time period without appropriately registering as a money transmitting business with FinCEN.
At times, Scanlon agreed to conduct transactions on behalf of customers through other customers’ accounts and performed at least one “off the books” transaction for a customer who was later indicted for operating a large-scale cryptocurrency mining scheme. Scanlon exchanged messages with the customer, who requested that the transaction be kept off of the customer’s account ledger as a “Ghost” transaction. Scanlon agreed, and upon completing the transaction, the customer asked Scanlon to confirm that the transaction was not posted on the ledger of his Aurae Lifestyle account, asking Scanlon: “Ghost, right?,” to which Scanlon confirmed: “Boo.”
The conspiracy count carries a maximum term of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the pecuniary gain to the defendant or loss to the victims, whatever is greatest.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of IRS - Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jennifer L. Piovesan, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan Linares of the Cybercrime Unit, and Aaron Webman of the Economic Crimes Unit, in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
scanlon.indictment.pdfBurlington Man Sentenced to 151 Months in Federal Prison for Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Burlington man was sentenced today to 151 months in federal prison for receiving and distributing child pornography.
According to public court documents, law enforcement received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that Edward Allen Billheimer, 64, had uploaded files containing child sexual abuse material. Law enforcement located electronic devices at Billheimer’s Burlington residence and a search of those devices revealed approximately 100 videos and 400 images of child sexual abuse material, including content of toddlers and infants.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Billheimer will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Billheimer was also ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution. In addition, Billheimer will be required to register as a sex offender.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Burlington Police Department.
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 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.