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Friday 6 September 2024
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 180 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE –Yesterday, Brandon O. Sanders, 29 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to distributing and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Sanders was sentenced to 180 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, between August and September 2023, on four separate occasions Sanders sold over 4,000 fentanyl pills. Additional fentanyl pills, evidence of drug trafficking, a loaded firearm and $28,000 was found during a search of his residence. Sanders has previous convictions for felony distribution of a controlled substance of and a handgun offense, and as such is prohibited from possessing the firearm in this case.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Former Rockland County Diving Coach Sentenced to 220 Months in Prison for Transporting Two Minors for Illegal Sexual Activity in 2006 and 2008Read the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that VICTOR BYRNE was sentenced to 220 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román for transporting two minors to engage in illegal sexual activity in 2006 and 2008. The sentencing today followed BYRNE’s guilty plea on March 14, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Victor Byrne used his position as a diving coach to sexually exploit young athletes. Byrne’s conduct is the nightmare of every parent who entrusts their child to a coach. Today’s sentencing demonstrates that the passage of years will not prevent us from holding child predators accountable for their conduct.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in related court proceedings:
In or about July 2006, BYRNE transported a 16-year-old minor (“Victim-1”) from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to Rockland County, New York, and, once in New York, engaged in illegal sexual activity with Victim-1.
In or about February 2008, BYRNE arranged for a 16-year-old minor (“Victim-2”) to be transported from New Jersey to Rockland County, New York, and, thereafter, engaged in illegal sexual activity with Victim-2.
From in or about 2001 through at least 2009, BYRNE was a diving coach for competitive youth divers. He coached several teams of youth divers in and around Rockland County, New York. BYRNE began abusing Victim-1 when she was 14 years old. For Victim-2, the abuse began when she was 16. To gain the trust of his victims and their families and others he coached, BYRNE falsely held himself out as a police officer.
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In addition to the prison term, BYRNE, 58, was sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release.
Mr. Williams praised the efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshal Service, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, and the New York City Police Department Special Victims Unit assigned to the HSI Human Trafficking Task Force in connection with this investigation. He added that the investigation is ongoing.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcia S. Cohen is in charge of the prosecution.
Former District of Columbia Public School Employee and Government Contractor Indicted in Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON—A federal grand jury yesterday returned an indictment charging Dana Garnett, 60, of Hyattsville, Maryland, a former District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) employee, with conspiracy to commit bribery and wire fraud. The indictment also charges Yelake Meseretu, 40, owner of U.S. Office Solutions, a vendor of goods to DCPS, with bribery and wire fraud in exchange for Garnett steering business to Meseretu’s business, and for accepting significantly fewer supplies than ordered in exchange for the bribe payments.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist, of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia.
The indictment alleges that over the course of at least five years, Garnett accepted payments from several vendors who supplied goods to DCPS. In exchange, Garnett steered business to the vendors. Some of the payments were generated from falsified orders awarded to the vendors that were paid in full by DCPS. According to the indictment, however, Garnett and co-conspirator Patricia Bailey, another former DCPS employee had coordinated with the vendors to deliver a lesser amount of goods than were listed on the orders. Based on false certifications made by or at the direction of Garnett, DCPS paid the full amount of the orders as if the orders had been fulfilled in full. The vendors paid cash to Garnett and Bailey in various locations in the D.C. and Maryland area.
In several related cases, three defendants have accepted responsibility and pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme. Patricia Bailey pleaded guilty pursuant to a plea agreement and information filed in October 2023 in U.S. District Court. Two of the vendors who made cash payments to Garnett and Bailey have also pleaded guilty: Donald McWhirter, owner of General Merchandise, and Duane King, owner of American Business Supplies (ABS), for their roles in the scheme. King additionally pleaded guilty to his role in a similar scheme in which King made bribe payments to District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Services Department (DC FEMS) employees Charity Keys and Louis Mitchell in return for the award of business by DC FEMS to King’s company and for the authorization of payments to King’s company for goods that were not actually delivered. Sentencing is pending for each of the three defendants who have pleaded guilty.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case is being investigated by FBI’s Washington Field Office and the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Aloi and Christopher R. Howland of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
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Firearms straw purchaser convictedRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A federal jury has returned a guilty verdict against a woman with ties to the Houston area on one count of conspiracy and seven counts of making false statements to licensed firearms dealers, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
The jury deliberated for less than three hours before finding Karina Deluna, 37, guilty after a four-day trial.
From approximately Sept. 29, 2018, through at least Aug. 11, 2022, Deluna conspired with others to knowingly make false written statements to licensed firearms dealers aka straw purchasing.
Deluna and her co-conspirators conducted straw purchases of at least 13 firearms, including multiple AR-15 style rifles, 9 mm handguns and a .50-caliber rifle. Testimony revealed Deluna’s co-conspirators intended to export the illegally obtained firearms to Mexico.
The jury also heard that on Aug. 11, 2022, law enforcement discovered that conspirators were picking up a straw purchased Barrett, .50-caliber rifle from a federal firearms licensee in Houston. Authorities quickly responded and seized the $9,000 firearm from Deluna and others. The investigation revealed it had been destined for Mexico.
During trial, the jury also heard from experts regarding the regulations and various licensing requirements necessary for exporting firearms to Mexico.
The jury also saw the straw purchased .50-caliber rifle.
U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks presided over the trial and set sentencing for Nov. 19. At that time, Deluna faces up to 40 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. Previously released on bond, Deluna was taken into custody following the guilty verdicts where she will remain pending sentencing.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation with the support of Homeland Security Investigations and the departments of Commerce and State. ATF Mexico provided substantial assistance in recovering some of the straw purchased weapons. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Smith and Assistant U.S. Attorney Byron Black are prosecuting the case.
Finance director of prominent aviation provider indicted for $1.2 million mail fraud schemeRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment against a 57-year-old resident of Mission for engaging in a sophisticated scheme to defraud her employer, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Elizabeth Batten has turned herself into authorities and is expected to make her initial appearance at 9 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker.
According to the indictment returned Sept. 4, Batten was the director of financing at McCreery Aviation in the Rio Grande Valley from 2019 to 2023. While serving in that role, she allegedly diverted company funds to pay for her personal expenses. She used signed blank company checks, intended for legitimate business purposes, to settle her personal credit card accounts, according to the charges. She allegedly concealed her actions by sending the fraudulent payments through the U.S. Postal Service.
In late 2023, a McCreery Aviation employee noticed irregularities in the handling of company checks. A subsequent investigation allegedly uncovered the full extent of the financial damage Batten’s actions caused.
The indictment charges Batten with 10 counts of mail fraud. If convicted, she faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric D. Flores is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Finance Director Indicted for Embezzling from Non-ProfitRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jarrett Lewis, 44, of Washington, D.C., was arrested and charged with embezzling over $320,000 from a District non-profit advocacy organization, according to an indictment unsealed today.
The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist, of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.
Lewis was arrested yesterday. The indictment alleges that between October 2021 and October 2022, while serving as Director of Finance for the non-profit, Lewis perpetrated a scheme to defraud his employer. On at least 35 occasions, Lewis used his position to misdirect hundreds of thousands in payments to bank accounts he controlled, while falsely designating the payments to a vendor for “digital” services and creating other false documentation to hide the embezzlement. Lewis also allegedly misused the organization’s credit card on at least eleven occasions to purchase airfare for travel by Lewis and his friends and family.
Lewis is charged with nine counts of wire fraud. If convicted, he would face up to 20 years in prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Father and Son Fentanyl Dealers Who Operated on Yuma Street Sentenced to Federal Prison TermsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Alphonso Lorenzo Murray, 50, and Marquete Alonzo Murray, 31, both of Washington D.C., were sentenced today in U.S. District Court for participating in an open-air narcotics market operating on the 100 block of Yuma Street, in Southeast.
The sentencings were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington Field Office, Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols sentenced Alphonso Murray today to 45 months in prison and ordered him to serve three years of supervised release. Alphonso Murray pleaded guilty May 28, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and crack cocaine. In his plea agreement, Alphonso Murray acknowledged that he was accountable for distributing 42.179 grams of fentanyl, 15.87 grams of fentanyl analogue, and 5.67 grams of crack cocaine.
Judge Nichols sentenced Marquete Murray to 60 months and prison and ordered him to serve five years of supervised release. Marquete Murray, Alphonso’s son, pleaded guilty May 28, 2024, to possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking offense. Marquete Murray acknowledged that law enforcement recovered weapons from his home in Northeast on two occasions. On July 19, 2023, HSI agents seized a .40 caliber Smith & Wesson with an obliterated serial number loaded with 13 rounds ammunition and an additional 37 rounds of ammo. On December 6, 2023, HSI agents recovered a Glock pistol with a 17-round magazine.
According to court documents, law enforcement began an investigation into an open-air drug market in December 2022, operating around the 100 block of Yuma Street Southeast. Agents identified several men who worked together to distribute a variety of drugs. On August 9, 2023, an HSI undercover bought 9.03 grams of fentanyl pre-packaged into 60 plastic bags from Marquete Murray who was assisted in the sale by his father. On September 21, 2023, an undercover officer from the MPD bought 10 grams of fentanyl in 56 small bags from Alphonso Murray. On October 5, 2023, the MPD undercover bought an additional 15.87 grams of fentanyl from Alphonso Murray.
On November 29, 2023, HSI agents arrested Alphonso Murray at his home on the 200 block of Adams Street, NE, where they also recovered 5.67 grams of crack cocaine. On December 6, 2023, HSI agents arrested Marquete Murray at his apartment on the 700 block of Kenilworth Ave. NE.
The arrests were part of a year-long Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation that resulted in many more prosecutions of fentanyl dealers in and around the Washington Highlands neighborhood of Southeast Washington, D.C. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations Washington Field Office, U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division, the U.S. Marshals Service, and MPD’s Violent Crime Suppression Division.
It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Will Hart and Andrea Duvall and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Javier Urbina and Jordan Leiter from the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
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Family Members Who Conspired to Defraud U.S. Sentenced in San AntonioRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Kenneth, Christopher, and Irma Flores, the three San Antonio family members who pleaded guilty to government fraud and gratuities charges in August 2023, were sentenced in federal court Friday.
According to court documents, Kenneth Flores, 51, Christopher Flores, 55, and Irma Flores, 75, conspired together to defraud the United States by eliminating competition and fixing contract awards and prices on Army contracts for the housekeeping and janitorial services at Army Hospitals and Medical Centers. Kenneth Flores pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government; Irma and Christopher Flores pleaded guilty to paying gratuities to government officials who helped in the scheme to defraud government contracts. The scheme involved a corrupt partnership between the three Flores family members and co-conspirator government employees. Karisa Waysepappy Kelley and John Jordan “Chip” Mathes. The scheme brought in millions of dollars in work on Army healthcare housekeeping and janitorial services contracts to the Flores family in return for bribes and kickbacks, which helped induce Kelley and Mathes to aid the Flores’ in eliminating competition in the process.
From Nov. 15, 2018, until June 25, 2020, Christopher Flores’s company, Alliance Supply, paid $216,710.46 to Mathes’ company, C & S Consulting. From Feb. 21, 2019, until July 17, 2020, Alliance Supply paid Kelley’s company Waysepappy Consulting $57,906.50. Irma Flores served as the bookkeeper for Allegiance Environmental Services, a company owned by Kenneth Flores, under which Alliance operated. Mathes and Kelley pleaded guilty in February 2023. Both are scheduled to sentenced in the coming weeks.
On Friday, U.S. District Judge Fred Biery sentenced Kenneth Flores to four years in prison, Christopher Flores to two years in prison, and Irma Flores to five years of probation. As part of their plea agreements, they agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $3.7 million.
“The actions of these three family members—defrauding our institutions and corrupting the integrity of government contracts intended to support military facilities—were a betrayal of public trust,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “Our office remains committed to rooting out corruption and holding accountable those who seek to exploit government resources for personal gain.”
“The Department of Defense (DoD) Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, is committed to protecting the integrity of the DoD procurement process," said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryan Settle for the DCIS Southwest Field Office, "Today's outcome represents the extraordinary efforts by our law enforcement partners, alongside the Department of Justice, to hold accountable those who seek to enrich themselves by fraudulent means and pilfer precious taxpayer resources.”
“Today’s sentencing illustrates Army CID’s commitment to protecting the integrity of the Army’s procurement process and ensuring that Department of the Army resources are safeguarded against unlawful and unfair practices,” said Special Agent in Charge Maria E. Thomas for the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Central Texas Field Office. “We’ll continue to work diligently with our law enforcement partners to expose fraudulent activity and hold individuals accountable who attempt to defraud the U.S. Army and government for services Soldiers and families rely on.”
“Government contracts support the missions of the United States and its military,” said Special Agent in Charge Jamie Willemin for the U.S. General Services Administration Office of Inspector General’s Southwest and Rocky Mountain Investigations Division. “Those who do business with the federal government are expected to engage in fair and honest business practices. GSA OIG will work diligently with investigative partners to investigate fraudulent activity and hold offenders accountable for their actions.”
“It is fitting that the sentences for these felons are handed down in Military City USA. Whether you’re from San Antonio or anywhere else in our country, defrauding our nation’s armed forces is a level of greed that shouldn’t be explored,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Lucy Tan of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Houston Field Office. “Today’s sentences underscore our unwavering commitment to partner with other law enforcement agencies to bring to justice those who engage in bribery and corrupt practices, regardless of their position or influence.”
The DCIS, Army CID, GSA-OIG, and IRS-CI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly Stephenson, Joe Blackwell, former AUSA William Lewis, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Jay Porier prosecuted the case.
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El Departamento de Justicia monitoreará el cumplimiento de las leyes federales de derechos electorales en Rhode IslandRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que monitoreará el cumplimiento con las leyes federales electorales en la ciudad de Pawtucket (en Providence County), Rhode Island, en las elecciones primarias del 10 de septiembre.
El Departamento asignará observadores federales para monitorear las elecciones en la ciudad de Pawtucket para asegurar el cumplimiento con la Ley de Derechos Electorales. Con anterioridad este año, una corte federal aprobó un decreto por consentimiento para resolver las alegaciones del Departamento bajo la sección 203 de la Ley de Derechos Electorales sobre la disponibilidad de asistencia electoral y materiales en español para votantes hispanos con conocimientos limitados del idioma inglés en la ciudad de Pawtucket. La sección 203 exige que ciertas jurisdicciones, incluyendo a Pawtucket, provean materiales electorales y asistencia en otros idiomas, además del inglés. El decreto también aborda una reclamación bajo la sección 302 de la Ley de Ayudemos a Estados Unidos a Votar. La sección 302 exige que las jurisdicciones provean votos provisionales en elecciones federales. El decreto por consentimiento autoriza a observadores federales a monitorear las actividades el Día de Elecciones en los lugares de votación del condado.
El Departamento envía personal periódicamente a monitorear elecciones en comunidades a través de todo el país. Además, la División envía observadores federales de la Oficina de Administración de Personal de EE.UU. según autorizado por una orden judicial federal.
La Sección de Votación de la División de Derechos Civiles, junto con las Oficinas de los Fiscales Federales, vela por el cumplimiento de las leyes federales civiles que protegen el derecho al voto, incluyendo la Ley del Derecho al Voto, la Ley Nacional de Inscripción de Votantes, la Ley Ayudemos a Estados Unidos a Votar, y la Ley de Votación para los Uniformados y los Ciudadanos en el Extranjero.
Información adicional sobre la votación y las elecciones está disponible en el sitio web del Departamento de Justicia en www.justice.gov/crt/voting/. Aprenda más sobre la Ley del Derecho al Voto y otras leyes federales electorales en www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section. Denuncias relacionadas a posibles vulneraciones de las leyes federales de derechos electorales pueden presentarse mediate el formulario en línea de la División de Derechos Civiles en https://civilrights.justice.gov/ o por teléfono al (800) 253-3931.
El Departamento de Justicia monitoreará el cumplimiento de las leyes federales de derechos electorales en Rhode IslandRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que monitoreará el cumplimiento con las leyes federales electorales en la ciudad de Pawtucket, Rhode Island, en las elecciones primarias del 10 de septiembre.
El Departamento asignará observadores federales para monitorear las elecciones en la ciudad de Pawtucket para asegurar el cumplimiento con la Ley de Derechos Electorales. Con anterioridad este año, una corte federal aprobó un decreto por consentimiento para resolver las alegaciones del Departamento bajo la sección 203 de la Ley de Derechos Electorales sobre la disponibilidad de asistencia electoral y materiales en español para votantes hispanos con conocimientos limitados del idioma inglés en la ciudad de Pawtucket. La sección 203 exige que ciertas jurisdicciones, incluyendo a Pawtucket, provean materiales electorales y asistencia en otros idiomas, además del inglés. El decreto también aborda una reclamación bajo la sección 302 de la Ley de Ayudemos a Estados Unidos a Votar. La sección 302 exige que las jurisdicciones provean votos provisionales en elecciones federales. El decreto por consentimiento autoriza a observadores federales a monitorear las actividades el Día de Elecciones en los lugares de votación del condado.
El Departamento envía personal periódicamente a monitorear elecciones en comunidades a través de todo el país. Además, la División envía observadores federales de la Oficina de Administración de Personal de EE.UU. según autorizado por una orden judicial federal.
La Sección de Votación de la División de Derechos Civiles, junto con las Oficinas de los Fiscales Federales, vela por el cumplimiento de las leyes federales civiles que protegen el derecho al voto, incluyendo la Ley del Derecho al Voto, la Ley Nacional de Inscripción de Votantes, la Ley Ayudemos a Estados Unidos a Votar, y la Ley de Votación para los Uniformados y los Ciudadanos en el Extranjero.
Información adicional sobre la votación y las elecciones está disponible en el sitio web del Departamento de Justicia en www.justice.gov/crt/voting/. Aprenda más sobre la Ley del Derecho al Voto y otras leyes federales electorales en www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section. Denuncias relacionadas a posibles vulneraciones de las leyes federales de derechos electorales pueden presentarse mediate el formulario en línea de la División de Derechos Civiles en https://civilrights.justice.gov/ o por teléfono al (800) 253-3931.
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Defense Contractor Agrees to Pay $600,000 to Settle False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger announced today that a defense contractor based out of Killeen, Texas, will pay $600,000 to resolve allegations that it improperly billed for services that it did not perform.
The settlement resolves allegations that Solution One Industries Inc. made false claims in conjunction with a contract awarded to Solution One by the U.S. Air Force. Solution One contracted to support the 421st Combat Training Squadron based out of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey by performing different tasks under specific contract line items, on an as-needed basis. The settlement resolves allegations that from December 2017 through June 2019, Solution One billed for tasks that it did not perform, including providing backup power and providing briefings to military personnel.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited the U.S. Department of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, under the direction of Brig. Gen. Amy S. Bumgarner, with the investigation of the allegations.
The United States is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark C. Orlowski of the U.S. Attorney’s Healthcare Fraud Unit in Newark.
solutionone.settlement.pdfCredit Union Robber Sentenced to 12 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Thursday sentenced a man who robbed a credit union in Jennings, Missouri in 2018 to 12 years in prison.
Shayne McKee, 42, pleaded guilty in June to robbery, brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted committing the armed robbery of the St. Louis Community Credit Union at 7345 West Florissant Avenue in Jennings, Missouri on May 5, 2018. McKee and an accomplice entered the credit union wearing masks and McKee announced a robbery, pulled a gun on bank employees and demanded money.
McKee’s DNA linked him to the robbery. When he was arrested on Sept. 4, 2019, he had a backpack on his lap containing a loaded .45-caliber Glock pistol. As a felon, McKee was barred from possessing a firearm.
The FBI and the Saint Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Don Boyce and Cassandra Wiemken prosecuted the case.
Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation Awarded more than $1 Million to Fight Gang and Cartel CrimeRead the Press Release
Yakima, Washington – The Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation has been awarded a million-dollar grant through the U.S. Department of Justice Byrne Discretionary Community Project Grants program to address active gang and cartel-related drug activity and violent crime on the reservation, announced Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
“The strong partnerships we have with the leaders of the Yakama Nation are critical to our shared mission of addressing the root causes of the MMIP crisis, which include combatting illegal narcotics and reducing violent crime. This grant demonstrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to partnering with Tribes to ensure the safety and security of Indigenous communities,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “Working together we will continue to build trust and foster stronger communities on Tribal lands and throughout Eastern Washington.”
The project description for the $1,028,000 awarded to the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation says the funds will be used by the Yakama Nation Public Safety Department (YNPD) to dedicate up to four officers to the local county and Federal Drug Task Forces, purchase equipment, provide detention space, and provide essential investigative resources.
The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program is a U.S. Department of Justice formula grant program. The JAG program allocates funds to the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, America Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands for a variety of state and local criminal justice initiatives. The program is administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA).
Claremore Man Sentenced for Sexual Abuse of Incapable VictimRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge Stephen J. Murphy, III, sentenced Cody Paul Miller after being found guilty by a Federal jury in January. Miller, 47, was found guilty of Sexual Abuse of an Incapable Victim in Indian Country. Judge Murphy ordered Miller to 138 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release. Upon his release, Miller will also be required to register as a sex offender.
In July 2023, the 18-year-old victim spent the night at Miller's house with two friends, both under 18. The victim and underage minors began consuming alcohol with the Miller. The victim testified that later into the night, she woke up to Miller sexually assaulting her. She repeatedly asked the defendant to stop, and he did not. After leaving Miller’s home, the victim went to a friend’s home to disclose what Miller did. After receiving encouragement from her friend, the victim contacted the police.
When police questioned Miller, he told officers that the victim “got drunk really fast that night” and even “fell off the bed” because she was so drunk. Miller stated that the sexual acts were consensual and that he stopped when the victim asked him to stop.
Miller is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The FBI and Collinsville Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Valeria G. Luster and Matthew P. Cyran prosecuted the case.
Chester Man Convicted of Tax Evasion, False Statements, and Illegal Gun Possession in Multi-Million Dollar Business SchemeRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Lawrencium Germaine Martin, 47, of Chester, has pleaded guilty to tax evasion, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and making false statements to federal investigators.
At the plea hearing, the Government presented evidence that from at least 2019 through 2021, Martin operated a business known as Lancaster Tactical Supply (LTS) through the website LTacticalSupply.com. LTS appeared to customers to be a legitimate business that sold firearm accessories and parts, including Glock and Sig Sauer build kits, slides, imitation suppressors, optics, and body armor. However, at least 380 customers from 43 states lodged complaints with the Better Business Bureau and the S.C. Department of Consumer Affairs, generally alleging that LTS took their money and failed to ship the products, ultimately leaving the customer without their money or the products they paid for.
Investigators with the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and IRS Criminal Investigation determined that the revenue LTS was generating was significant. Through one payment processor alone in 2020, LTS generated more than $2,000,000 in revenue. Although those proceeds were deposited into Martin’s personal bank accounts, and LTS was operated out of Martin’s residence and Martin’s business location, the investigation also revealed Martin failed to pay state or federal income tax for any year from 2015 through 2022.
As for tax evasion, Martin admitted that he evaded federal income tax. IRS Criminal Investigation has determined that figure is more than $800,000 for 2020 alone, but Martin did not admit to a specific figure. Martin further admitted that he obtained the personal identifying information of another person through a legitimate employment relationship, and then operated LTS in that person’s name without authorization so that revenue was reported to the IRS as attributable to that person rather than Martin.
As for felon in possession of a firearm, when agents searched Martin’s residence and business in Chester pursuant to a federal search warrant, Martin was found to be in possession of a 9mm handgun despite multiple felony convictions, including for theft by deception, possession of stolen property, obtaining property under false pretenses, fraudulent check, larceny after breaking and entering, possession of implements used in a crime, burglary, and larceny of a motor vehicle. Agents also found shipping labels and material associated with LTS during that search.
Finally, Martin admitted that when the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office interviewed Martin, he claimed to have never heard of LTS, to have never received money from LTS or its customers, and to not know how his name became associated with LTS. Those statements were false and material to the investigation.
Martin faces up to 10 years in federal prison, mandatory restitution, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of Court-ordered supervision following any term of imprisonment. Martin was placed on bond by United States Magistrate Judge Paige J. Gossett. United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Martin at a later date.
The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and IRS Criminal Investigation, with critical assistance from the Chester County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliott B. Daniels is prosecuting the case.
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Buffalo man charged with burning restaurant and barRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that John W. Burns, 40 years old, of Buffalo, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with maliciously damaging and destroying, and attempt to damage and destroy, by means of fire, a building and real property used in interstate commerce and in activity affecting interstate commerce, namely a restaurant and bar located at 223 Allen Street in Buffalo, NY, which carries a minimum penalty of 5 years in prison and a maximum of 20 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard P. Antoine, who is handling the case, stated that on June 17, 2024, Burns was at the restaurant and bar, known as the “Old Pink”, and had a confrontation with another individual formerly contracted to work security for the Old Pink. Following that confrontation, Burns left the Old Pink and told the former security guard he would return to “burn that bitch down” and “ain’t nobody going to have a job”. Approximately two hours later, the restaurant was engulfed in flames. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement obtained video evidence, which shows an individual setting the building on fire. Burns is identified by witnesses as the individual in the video.
“Arson is an extremely dangerous crime, placing lives and property in danger”, stated United States Attorney Trini E. Ross. “Arson has tremendous ripple effects, leaving people homeless, without employment, or both. Here, the arson of the Old Pink left employees without jobs and destroyed an iconic gathering place in the Buffalo community. Such harm to our community will not be tolerated. My office will continue to investigate and prosecute all persons who commit arson, and other federal crimes, that negatively impact the Western District of New York.”
The defendant is schedule for an Initial Appearance on the criminal complaint at 1:00 pm today, before Magistrate Judge H, Kenneth Schroeder.
The complaint is the culmination of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Bryan Miller, Special Agent-in-Charge; Erie County District Attorney’s Office, under the direction of Acting District Attorney Michael J. Keane; Buffalo Fire Department, under the direction of Commissioner William Renaldo; and Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Joseph A. Gramaglia.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Boone County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Billy Ray Castle Jr., 40, of Bim, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 24, 2023, Castle possessed a Beretta Pietro SPA Model APX 9mm pistol and a Sig Sauer model P250 .40-caliber pistol in the Bim area of Boone County.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Castle knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for robbery in Boone County Circuit Court on November 18, 2003.
Castle is scheduled to be sentenced on December 11, 2024, 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 Boone County Sheriff's Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Troy D. Adams 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-71.
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Bealeton woman sentenced to 40 years in prison for sexually exploiting two childrenRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Bealeton woman was sentenced yesterday to 40 years in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for sexual exploitation of children.
According to court documents, in 2023 and 2024, Anna Grace Layher, 27, produced sexually explicit videos and images of two children, ages six and three, both of whom were family members. Layher sent the videos to her boyfriend, Davey Jonathan Sisk, 29, of Culpeper, Virginia.
Layher pled guilty on May 2 to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child. Sisk pled guilty on July 9 to attempting to sexually exploit a child and receiving child pornography. Sisk is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 21.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alessandra Serano and Christina Schiciano 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. 1:24-cr-52.
Baltimore Man Sentenced for Possession of A Firearm and Ammunition by A Prohibited Person and Possession of A Firearm in A School ZoneRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin sentenced Troy Spencer, age 49, of Baltimore, Maryland, to a total of 96 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm in a school zone and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”); and Commissioner Richard Worley of the Baltimore Police Department (“BPD”).
On March 6, 2023, Spencer attended an elementary school basketball game at Leith Walk Elementary Middle School in the Northeastern District of Baltimore. Toward the end of the game, Spencer confronted the coaches of his son’s team over what he believed to be a lack of playing time. An argument escalated into a physical altercation, during which Spencer withdrew a firearm from his waistband and pointed it one of the coaches. The firearm was wrestled from Spencer, who then fled the scene in his car. Spencer was arrested on March 15, 2023 by the Baltimore Police Department’s Warrant Apprehension Task Force.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Barron commended the ATF and the Baltimore Police Department for their help in the investigation as well as the Leith Walk Elementary Middle School community for their support. Mr. Barron also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Gordin, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
Assailant Sentenced to 24 Months for Assaulting United States Border Patrol AgentRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Pedro Anival Coc-Caal, 22, of Tectitan, Huehuetenango, Guatemala, was sentenced on Tuesday by United States District Judge John C. Hinderaker to 24 months in prison. Coc-Caal pleaded guilty to Assault on a Federal Agent Inflicting Bodily Injury and Improper Entry by an Alien on June 24, 2024.
On August 12, 2023, a United States Border Patrol agent was in the process of arresting Coc-Caal for illegal entry into the United States. As the agent attempted to handcuff him, Coc-Caal struck the agent on the left side of the agent’s face, causing the agent’s head to snap downwards and knocking his sunglasses off his face. As the agent tried to prevent Coc-Caal from escaping, Coc-Caal kicked the agent in the arm, causing the agent to fall backwards onto jagged rocks, causing injury to the agent’s finger. Coc-Caal escaped into the desert but was eventually apprehended after a foot pursuit aided by helicopter.
Customs and Border Protection’s United States Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Serra M. Tsethlikai, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-23-01369-TUC-JCH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-120_Coc-Caal# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Arizona Man Arrested at Nashville International Airport and Charged with Possession of over 50 Pounds of Fentanyl-Laced PillsRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE –A criminal complaint obtained today charges Yusef Ibn Abdul Jabbar Hunter, 23, of Phoenix, Arizona, with possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute, announced United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Henry C. Leventis.
According to the complaint, on September 5, 2024, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents in Nashville learned the defendant was flying from Phoenix, Arizona to Nashville, that he made his travel arrangements shortly before the flight and that he had checked luggage that may contain illegal drugs. Once the plane landed, a trained drug detection dog alerted on the defendant’s luggage. Thereafter, the defendant consented to a search of his luggage and agents found hundreds of blue pills stamped with “M30” markings designed to make them look like prescription Oxycodone. A field test confirmed the presence of fentanyl. In total, the pills weighed over 50 pounds.
“This seizure is a testament to the continued vigilance of the DEA and local law enforcement and the great work they are doing every day to protect our communities,” said United States Attorney Henry Leventis. “However, it is also a frightening reminder of the prevalence of counterfeit pills that can be laced with fentanyl or other dangerous drugs and of the need for people to purchase prescription drugs from licensed vendors to ensure their safety.”
If convicted, Hunter faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years with the possibility of life in federal prison.
This case is being investigated by the DEA and the Nashville International Airport Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire is prosecuting the case.
A federal complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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Amsterdam Man Sentenced to 130 Months for Drug and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Samuel Payano, age 24, of Amsterdam, New York, was sentenced today to 130 months in prison for engaging in a drug trafficking conspiracy involving fentanyl pills, cocaine, and methamphetamine, for distributing fentanyl pills, and for using a firearm during or in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division; and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement.
As part of his prior guilty plea, Payano admitted that he conspired with Bernardo Tovar to distribute counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, as well as cocaine and methamphetamine, from May 2022 to December 2022. Payano also admitted that he distributed fentanyl pills and a firearm to another person on October 12, 2022. He also admitted that he and Tovar possessed fentanyl pills, cocaine, and methamphetamine, as well two firearms in their apartment, on December 7, 2022, when their apartment was searched.
Chief United States District Judge Branda K. Sannes also ordered that Payano serve a 4-year term of supervised release following his release from prison.
Payano’s co-conspirator, Tovar, previously pled guilty and was sentenced to 181 months in prison.
The DEA and ATF investigated this case, and Assistant United States Attorney Alexander P. Wentworth-Ping prosecuted the case.
American Airlines Mechanic Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Import Cocaine Bricks in Compartment Under Cockpit of JetlinerRead the Press Release
UPDATE
The defendant’s conviction for the conduct described in the press release below was vacated by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on January 23, 2026. See 20-CR-219 (DLI) ECF No. 169.
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Paul Belloisi, a former American Airlines mechanic at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK Airport), was sentenced by United States District Judge Dora L. Irizarry to 108 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to import and possess cocaine. Belloisi was convicted in May 2023 following a one-week jury trial of all three counts of an indictment charging him with conspiring to possess and import cocaine, and importing cocaine.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Darren B. McCormack, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI), and Francis J. Russo, Director of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, New York Field Office (CBP), announced the sentence.
“The defendant abused his insider position at JFK Airport to help smuggle more than 25 pounds of cocaine into the United States in a highly sensitive electronics compartment of an international aircraft,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This conduct not only furthers the trafficking of drugs that harms our communities, but also poses a serious threat to the security of a vital border crossing in our district and our transportation infrastructure. Today’s sentence demonstrates that the government takes these threats very seriously, and those who work in trusted positions at our airports and in other critical industries must know that they face serious consequences for crimes of corruption.”
“Paul Belloisi put his personal gain before the safety of the aviation industry by abusing his position to participate in a scheme to import over 25 pounds of cocaine into the U.S., storing smuggled narcotics within sensitive areas of passenger airplanes. His demise should send a message to anyone attempting to exploit the aviation industry: HSI New York and our law enforcement partners are committed to maintain the safety of the U.S. domestic and international transportation infrastructure,” stated HSI New York Acting Special Agent in Charge McCormack. “I am proud to stand alongside the Eastern District of New York and CBP in bringing this corrupt ‘inside man’ to justice.”
“This case serves as a great example of collaborative law enforcement efforts to combat international narcotics trafficking conspirators. U.S. Customs and Border Protection thanks our partners at HSI and the USAO for their continued cooperation,” stated CBP Director of Field Operations Russo.
On February 4, 2020, American Airlines flight 1349 arrived at JFK Airport’s Terminal 8 from Montego Bay, Jamaica. The aircraft was selected for a routine search by CBP officers from the JFK Airport Anti-Terrorism Contraband Enforcement Team. The officers found 10 bricks of cocaine weighing 25.56 pounds hidden inside an electronics compartment on the underside of the cockpit. The cocaine was replaced with fake bricks and sprayed with a substance that glows when illuminated with a special black light. CBP officers and HSI special agents placed the aircraft under surveillance from a distance and shortly before it was scheduled to take off for its next flight, they observed Belloisi drive up and pull himself inside the electronics compartment. Belloisi was confronted by law enforcement who observed his gloves glowing under the black light indicating he had handled the fake bricks. Belloisi was also carrying an empty tool bag and the lining of his jacket had cutouts sufficiently large enough to hold the bricks. The cocaine found in the aircraft had a street value of more than $250,000.
The case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Robert Pollack and Margaret Schierberl are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Sophia Cronin.
The Defendant:
PAUL BELLOISI
Age: 56
Smithtown, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-219 (DLI)
Alleged 18th Street Gang Affiliate Sentenced for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Non-CitizenRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Erik Antonio Hernandez Pineda, 27, recently of Washington D.C., was sentenced today for illegally possessing and discharging a pistol twice within the District during September 2023 and for using the firearm to persistently terrorize his wife. Hernandez Pineda, who is a citizen of El Salvador and an alleged associate of the multinational gang Calle 18, or 18th Street, is in the United States unlawfully and knew that as a noncitizen it was illegal for him to possess a firearm. At the time of the charged possession, he was also subject to a domestic violence protective order barring him from possessing a firearm.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the FBI Washington Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington Field Office, Acting Special Agent in Charge James VanVliet of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Hernandez Pineda, aka “Lucky,” pleaded guilty on June 3, 2024, to possession of a firearm by a noncitizen unlawfully present in the United States. Today he was sentenced to 22 months in prison. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden ordered him to serve three years of supervised release. Hernandez Pineda faces deportation following his prison term.
According to court documents, Hernandez Pineda purchased a 9mm Springfield XD firearm on January 20, 2023. An FBI investigation into the 18th Street gang began focusing on Hernandez Pineda when investigators learned he had purchased the charged firearm from an 18th Street gang member. Specifically, the pistol had been used in a shooting on January 11, 2023, on a Washington, D.C. Metrobus where two children (aged 6 and 9 at the time) were shot as bystanders after an altercation broke out between two individuals.
Review of a phone recovered from the 18th Street gang member eventually linked the sale of the gun to Hernandez Pineda. On September 18, 2023, Hernandez Pineda recorded a video of himself shooting the pistol into the air. The same minute this video was recorded, at 1:37 am, the MPD received a ShotSpotter alert in the vicinity of the Hernandez Pineda’s residence. MPD recovered two 9mm shell casings nearby. These were entered into the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) and yielded a lead to the January 11, 2023, Metrobus shooting. On September 24, 2023, at about 6:48 PM, MPD received another ShotSpotter alert from the area near Hernandez Pineda’s residence. Officers responded and recovered one 9mm shell casing in the alley behind the building.
Between these two shootings, on September 20, 2023, Hernandez Pineda pleaded not guilty to domestic violence charges in Alexandria, Virginia, but was admitted to a diversionary program that granted him a two-year probationary term to comply with the conditions of the program. This plea also included a final order of protection that barred him from possessing a firearm and required him to sign an acknowledgement of that fact.
On December 8, 2023, the FBI executed a search warrant at Hernandez Pineda’s residence and recovered three live 9mm rounds from a drawer. Law enforcement also recovered his cell phone. Hernandez Pineda admitted to possessing the Springfield XD 9mm pistol. Law enforcement reviewed Hernandez Pineda’s phone after his arrest and learned that, not only did he discharge this firearm twice, he also used it as part of his persistent harassment and intimidation of his wife following his arrest on May 17, 2023, for alleged domestic violence and assault.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations – Washington D.C., the MPD, the FBI Washington Field Office, the ATF Washington Field Division, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Gaelin Bernstein of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division.
24cr120
35-Year-Old Man Sentenced to 50 Years for Filming 9-Year-Old’s MolestationRead the Press Release
A Granbury man was sentenced Thursday to 50 years in federal prison for filming himself molesting a 9-year-old girl, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Stephen Wayne, Ashley, Jr., 35, was charged in March and pleaded guilty in May to sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child pornography. He was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman to 600 months in prison – 360 months as to the sexual exploitation count and 240 months as to the child pornography count, to run consecutively. Judge Pittman also ordered the defendant to pay $13,500 in restitution to several victims and to register as a sex offender.
“This defendant chose to repeatedly sexually exploit a child and then made a conscious decision to film himself conducting these egregious offenses,” said HSI Dallas Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jesse Woods. “HSI is grateful for the collaboration of all our law enforcement partners for their role in this investigation, ensuring that this individual will never harm an innocent child again.”
According to court documents, the investigation began when the New South Wales Police in Australia began looking into an individual who shared links containing child pornography on Twitter (now known as X). One of the links, which contained over 1,600 files of mostly child pornography, was traced to Mr. Ashley.
On March 11, agents executed a search warrant at Mr. Ashley’s residence, where they found Mr. Ashley’s phone. On the phone, they found a hidden folder containing videos of Mr. Ashley sexually molesting a 9-year-old girl.
After being Mirandized, Mr. Ashley admitted to officers that he began filming the child when she was 7 and continued to do so for a period of years.
Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation with the assistance of the New South Wales Police and the Hood County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aisha Saleem prosecuted the case.
27 Defendants Charged in Florida Keys-Based Drug Trafficking IndictmentRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On Sept. 5, the United States unsealed an indictment charging 27 defendants, including Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority employees, commercial charter boat operators, and a former City of Marathon employee, with federal drug and firearm offenses in and around the Florida Keys and Miami-Dade County.
The thirteen count indictment charges John Robert Strama Jr., 42, of Marathon, Fla., Rusty John Stiglitz, 39, of Marathon, Fla., Daniel Fernando Ramirez, 43, of Key West, Fla., Daniel Delgado, 38, of Miami Springs, Fla., Orlando Rene Gonzalez, 29, of Hialeah, Fla., Alfred Michael Nunez, 34, of Marathon, Fla., Elvis Lazaro Ruiz, 31, of Marathon, Fla., Pedro Luis Lugo Jr., 36, of Marathon, Fla., Nyran Antonio Ross, 32, of Marathon, Fla., and Tyrell Lamar Williams, 36, of Marathon, Fla., with conspiring with each other, their co-defendants, and others to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more grams of cocaine in Monroe and Miami-Dade Counties.
The indictment charges Louis Charles Arvelo, 38, of Boca Raton, Fla., Andrew Hamill Hunt, 36, of Marathon, Fla., Kevin Andrew Yeider, 46, of Marathon, Fla., Jose Enrique Olivo Sanchez, 34, of Marathon, Fla., Kenyatta Scott Jr., 32, of Key West, Fla., Macarthur Junior Sheppard, 36, of Marathon, Fla., Alberto Ravelo Jr., 34, of Hialeah, Fla., Allison Annmarie Thomas, 29, of Marathon, Fla., Kizmet Yatz Qualls, 51, of Marathon, Fla., James Dean Chatelain, 34, of Marathon, Fla., with conspiring with each other, their co-defendants, and others to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more grams of cocaine in Monroe and Miami-Dade Counties.
The indictment further charges Michael David Corbosiero, 68, of Boca Raton, Fla., Michael Joseph Rodamer, 63, of Key Colony Beach, Fla., Robert Roy Taute Jr., 50, of Marathon, Fla., Bairon Aceituno Machado, 34, formerly of Marathon, Fla., Lazaro Jesus Hernandez, 35, formerly of Marathon, Fla., Anthony Velez Llanes, 38, of Little Torch Key, Fla., and Tyler Jameson Macmillan, 33, of Big Pine Key, Fla., with conspiring with each other, their co-defendants, and others to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute less than 500 grams of cocaine in Monroe and Miami-Dade Counties. The indictment also specified various real estate properties, vessels, and vehicles are subject to criminal forfeiture.
Strama, a convicted felon, also faces additional federal charges for cocaine distribution, using a child under the age of 14 to engage in drug trafficking and avoid detection and apprehension, and possessing a firearm and ammunition after a previous felony conviction.
Stiglitz, Ramirez, Gonzalez, Nunez, Ross, Sheppard, and Chatelain face additional federal charges for cocaine distribution. Ross, Williams, Sheppard, and Scott also face additional federal charges for cocaine distribution within 1,000 feet of playgrounds in Florida City, Fla., and Marathon, Fla.
On Sept. 5, the defendants started to be taken into custody at various locations and began making their initial appearances in the Southern District of Florida. If convicted, Strama, Stiglitz, Ramirez, Delgado, Gonzalez, Nunez, Ruiz, Lugo, Ross, and Williams face up to life imprisonment. Scott and Sheppard face up to 80 years in prison. Arvelo, Hunt, Yeider, Olivo, Ravelo, Thomas, Qualls, and Chatelain face up to 40 years in prison. Corbosiero, Rodamer, Taute, Machado, Hernandez, Llanes, and MacMillian face up to 20 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of FBI, Miami Field Office made the announcement.
FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case with assistance from Homestead Police Department, Miami-Dade Police Department, FBI Detroit Field Office, and U.S. Probation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean T. McLaughlin is prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Annika Maranda is handling asset forfeiture.
An indictment contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at https://www.flsd.uscourts.gov/ or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-cr-20386.
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Thursday 5 September 2024
Woman Who Embezzled from St. Louis-Area Company Before Going to Scotland Sentenced to 45 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel on Thursday sentenced a woman who stole $165,239 from a St. Louis-area company before leaving for Scotland to 45 months in prison.
Sarah Lynn Tweedie, now 49, was also ordered to repay the money. After her release from prison, she will be forbidden from working in a job where she has access to money or the financial information of other people without permission.
Tweedie, formerly known as Sarah Jauregui, pleaded guilty in June to one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. She admitted that while working as the controller of a St. Louis area comic book company, she devised a scheme to steal from her employer in multiple ways. She used her company credit card and a card belonging to a former employee to make $138,137 in purchases, including a Scottish kilt and a $1,239 premium seat upgrade on her flight from Chicago to Glasgow.
Tweedie also used the corporate account to purchase $6,400 in Amazon gift cards.
Finally, she fraudulently increased her annual salary from $80,000 to $110,000 and triggered $16,086 in expense reimbursements to which she was not entitled.
Tweedie began a long-distance relationship with a Scottish man in 2015, according to extradition documents, and they became engaged in March of 2017, the month before she began working for the publishing company.
Tweedie told her employer in December of 2017 that her fiancée had been injured in a car accident and that she needed to leave to be with him, according to court documents. In reality, Tweedie had applied for and received a visa to live in Scotland and did not plan to return. She was arrested on July 9, 2019, but fought extradition until her final appeal was denied in March of 2024.
“Sarah Tweedie fled the United States to avoid accountability for her crimes. She even used the victim company’s credit card to buy her one-way airline ticket to Scotland,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. “Thanks to the persistence of Scottish authorities in successfully locating, arresting, and extraditing her, justice was served today.”
The Florissant Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with Scottish authorities to secure the arrest and extradition of Tweedie. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman prosecuted the case.
Winter Haven Man Indicted for Hobbs Act RobberyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of a superseding indictment charging Raysheio Black (24, Winter Haven) with Hobbs Act robbery, use of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence, and possession of a firearm after having been convicted of a felony offense. If convicted on all counts, Black faces a minimum mandatory sentence of seven years in federal prison—which must be served consecutive to any other term of imprisonment, and a maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
According to court documents, on February 19, 2024, three individuals entered a convenience in Plant City with dark-colored face coverings, gloves, masks, and armed with semi-automatic pistols. They demanded money from the clerk and removed cash from the register. A review of store surveillance video captured the suspects’ arrival and departure in a black SUV.
Agents noticed several similarities between the convenience store robbery and another robbery that had occurred days earlier at a pizza delivery location in Lakeland. On February 22, 2024, after identifying Black, officers with the Lakeland Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a black SUV in Lakeland and ultimately arrested Raysheio Black.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Lakeland Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.
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.
Waterbury Drug Trafficker Sentenced to More than 11 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSE DUPREY, also known as “Red” and “Colorado,” 53, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 141 months of imprisonment, followed by eight years of supervised release, for trafficking kilograms of cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin, and for violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal narcotics trafficking conviction.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from a DEA New Haven Task Force and Waterbury Police Department-led investigation into drug trafficking in and around the city of Waterbury. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones, physical surveillance, controlled purchases of narcotics, and motor vehicle stops that resulted in the seizure of drugs and cash proceeds, revealed that Duprey trafficked kilogram-quantities of cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. Duprey used his place of employment to supply narcotics to other drug distributors, and he used his girlfriend’s business, located on Straits Turnpike in Middlebury, to store narcotics and other items.
Duprey and 13 other individuals identified during this investigation were arrested on May 25, 2022. On that date, a search of Duprey’s Waterbury residence and his Middlebury stash location revealed approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms of heroin, two kilograms of fentanyl, and more than $107,000 in cash.
Duprey has been detained since his arrest. On February 10, 2023, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.
Duprey’s criminal history, which spans more than 30 years, includes a federal conviction in 2008 for trafficking heroin. He was sentenced, as a career offender, to 161 months of imprisonment for that offense, and he was on federal supervised release at the time of his criminal conduct in 2022.
This investigation has been conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department, with the assistance of DEA offices in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Connecticut State Police; Connecticut Department of Correction; Connecticut State Parole; and the Naugatuck, Ansonia, West Haven, Meriden and East Haven Police Departments.
U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the Waterbury State’s Attorney’s Office for its cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this matter.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brendan J. Keefe and Nathaniel J. Gentile through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Virginia Man Sentenced for Bank Robbery ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Brian Tierney a.k.a. “Wodanaz,” age 31, of Lynchburg, Virginia, was sentenced today to 57 months in prison for conspiring to commit bank robbery.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
As part of his guilty plea, Tierney admitted that between November 14 and November 27, 2022, he agreed to and planned to commit an armed bank robbery at a bank branch in Johnstown, New York, with two co-conspirators, Luke Kenna a.k.a. “Lt.” and Michael Brown, Jr. a.k.a. “Russ.” As part of that conspiracy, Kenna conducted surveillance of the bank and purchased items, including weapons, to commit the robbery; Tierney ordered handgun parts for use in the robbery and sent photographs to Kenna of a handgun and a radio scanning and jamming device for use in robbing the bank; and Brown drove to New York to conduct surveillance of the bank with Kenna.
Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes also ordered that Tierney serve a 3-year term of supervised release following his release from prison.
Tierney’s two co-conspirators, Luke Kenna, and Michael Brown, Jr., pled guilty and were sentenced on June 14, 2024, to 41 months and 37 months in prison, respectively.
The FBI Albany Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), which includes FBI Special Agents, and federal, state, and local investigators, including from the New York State Police, investigated the case. The FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office, the FBI’s Richmond Field Office and New York State Police Special Investigations Unit also provided assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping is prosecuting the case.
Undocumented Individual Charged in Connection with Voting Fraud and Passport FraudRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – An undocumented individual has been charged in connection with her fraudulent assumption of a United States citizen’s identity and her use of that identity to vote in multiple elections and obtain multiple United States passports, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Resident Agent in Charge Joseph R. Wysowaty of the U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Atlanta Resident Office.
A nine-count information filed in U.S. District Court charges Angelica Maria Francisco, 42, most recently of Russellville, with false claims of citizenship in connection with voting, false statements in application for a United States passport, use of a United States passport obtained by false statements, and aggravated identity theft. A plea agreement was filed with the information, indicating that Francisco has agreed to plead guilty to all of the charges.
According to the information and plea agreement, Francisco assumed the identity of a United States citizen in or around 2011. Francisco used the false identity to obtain a United States passport in 2011. She subsequently used the United States passport to travel to and from her native country of Guatemala in 2012, 2015, and 2018. Using the same false identity, Francisco also registered to vote in Alabama in 2016 and voted in the 2016 and 2020 primary and general elections. And in 2021, Francisco used the same false identity to apply for and receive a renewed passport, which she used to travel to and from Guatemala in 2022.
The Court will set a date for Francisco to enter her guilty plea.
DSS investigated the case, with assistance from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the East Metro Area Crime Center, and the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett A. Janich is prosecuting the case.
An information contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. Attorney’s Office, AARP Maine, and Maine Council for Elder Abuse Prevention Launch Elder Fraud Program at Hannaford Pharmacies Across MaineRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine today announced an innovative new elder fraud awareness program that will utilize the inherent relationships of pharmacists and their customers to reach older Mainers. The Maine Rx Elder Fraud Program is a collaborative effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office, AARP Maine, and the Maine Council for Elder Abuse Prevention.
“Pharmacists are consistently ranked among the most trusted health care providers, and with approximately 9 out of 10 people over age 65 having at least one regular prescription, pharmacists will be a key partner in our efforts to inform this population,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee. “That trust and regular contact makes pharmacies an ideal conduit to reach older Mainers, as well as their family members or caregivers.”
The program, which is designed to educate Mainers on common signs of scams and how to report elder fraud, will begin at Hannaford Supermarkets’ 60 in-store pharmacies across Maine. Informational brochures will be attached to prescription bags for distribution to Hannaford pharmacy customers.
“We recognize older individuals, as well as their caretakers, make up a large portion of our customer base, and that we are uniquely positioned to help reach this audience directly through our pharmacy services as a trusted source for health and safety information,” said Sara Lane, Manager of Pharmacy Clinical Services, Hannaford Supermarkets. “We are always looking for opportunities to make a positive impact in the communities we serve and by making this information available to our pharmacy customers in all corners of our state, our goal is to help reduce the number of elder fraud incidents in Maine.”
Elder fraud is a growing problem across the nation. Last year, more than 101,000 Americans aged 60-plus were defrauded out of $3.4 billion through an ever-growing variety of scams. According to the FBI, that number included 397 Mainers who filed fraud complaints last year for losses totaling more than $7.1 million, and many others go unreported. While some scams can have negligible losses, recent sophisticated scams have robbed victims of their life savings.
“There are so many different types of scams in circulation, it can be difficult to recognize them all. Add in technology, and it becomes even more difficult,” said Jane Margesson, Communications Director for AARP Maine. “Increasingly, the scams are more sophisticated and with multiple layers, even multiple scammers playing different roles. As the schemes have become more complex, the potential losses have increased as well. Those losses can be especially devastating for victims nearing or in retirement. Some of the stories we hear are absolutely heartbreaking.”
“The actual losses are likely considerably higher than reported,” said Andrew McCormack, Assistant U.S. Attorney and Elder Justice Coordinator for the District of Maine. “For a variety of reasons, older individuals are often hesitant to report when they’ve been scammed. While it is normal to feel embarrassed when you’ve been tricked, it is important to remember that the criminals who take advantage of people are absolute pros at what they do. Older Americans are not the only victims – people of all ages and backgrounds fall prey to scams every day – but after a lifetime of saving and perhaps not being online as often and therefore as current on recent scams, they are a common, and frankly favorite, target for some of the most insidious types of fraud.”
The informational materials were created by the U.S. Attorney’s Office with assistance from the Maine Council for Elder Abuse Prevention. The materials will include common signs of scams as well as information about the National Elder Fraud Hotline.
“We are grateful to all the organizations that have worked together to make this program possible. Our collective aim is to reduce the number of people in Maine who are victimized by these cruel schemes,” said U.S. Attorney McElwee. “Sadly, there are always going to be criminals who try to take advantage and steal your hard-earned money. Recognizing red flags can help prevent you, or someone you love, from becoming a victim.”
For information about the Maine Rx Elder Fraud Program, email [email protected] or call the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 207-780-3257.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Secures Sentence for Dulce Man Convicted of Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Dulce man was sentenced to two years in prison and 15 years of supervised release for the sexual abuse of a 14-year-old girl.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on July 2, 2022, Amadius Archuleta, then 21-years-old, had sex with 14-year-old Jane Doe in an abandoned house on the Taos Pueblo. The investigation determined that Archuleta communicated with Jane Doe on Instagram, arranged to meet with her, provided her with alcohol and marijuana, and then had sex with her. Law enforcement determined that Archuleta knew about the age gap between himself and Jane Doe when he was communicating with her and before engaging in sexual acts with her.
After lengthy plea negotiations, Archuleta pleaded guilty to one count of sexual abuse of a minor.
Upon his release from prison, Archuleta must register as a sex offender.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Taos Pueblo Department of Public Safety. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander F. Flores and Zachary Jones prosecuted this case 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 Justice.gov/PSC.
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U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Sentencing in Tohatchi Assault CaseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man was sentenced to 14 days in prison and three years of supervised release for a violent family dispute that escalated into a near-fatal stabbing.
According to court records, on the morning of December 9, 2022, Eric Watson, 23, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, confronted a family member outside of a residence in Tohatchi, New Mexico. The confrontation escalated to a physical altercation and Watson’s uncle, John Doe, stepped in to stop the fight. Watson and John Doe began to fight instead, and John Doe’s parents stepped in to stop that fight. John Doe then went inside of the residence to Watson’s bedroom with the intent of destroying Watson’s video game console. Watson then came up behind John Doe and repeatedly stabbed him in the back.
John Doe suffered various injuries from the stabbing including a collapsed lung, other stab wounds to the upper back and neck area, and one stab wound inches away from his spinal cord.
Watson will be subject to 3 years of supervised release with special conditions requiring his residence at a residential reentry facility for up to 180 days, treatment for substance abuse and mental health, and 40 hours of community service.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today.
The Navajo Police Department and the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigation investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Mark A. Probasco prosecuted the case.
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U.S Department of Justice and Washington State Parks resolve complaint over Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) violationsRead the Press Release
Seattle – The U.S. Department of Justice and the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission (Washington State Parks) announced today that they have reached a settlement agreement to resolve a complaint that parks facilities fail to conform with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The original complaint concerned a camping area at Paradise Point State Park in southwest Washington. The complainant and his spouse reported non-conforming conditions at what was supposed to be a camping space for persons with disabilities. Deep ruts in the camping area resulted in injuries to the complainant, who has mobility issues. The settlement agreement sets the agency on a multi-year plan to identify and remediate ADA violations at all Washington State Parks.
“I am pleased that Washington State Parks leadership quickly realized that they need to act systematically on ADA compliance statewide,” said U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “Some of the work identifying non-conforming structures and paths had already been done by Washington State Parks. This agreement will ensure that access for those with disabilities is a factor that is addressed in all park projects going forward.”
“At Washington State Parks, we believe that the outdoors are for everyone’s enjoyment,” said Washington State Parks Director Diana Dupuis. “We appreciate the collaboration with the U.S. Department of Justice to help our visitors with accessibility needs better access state parks. The agency continues to make progress on increasing accessibility, with more work to come. We encourage anyone with accessibility requirements looking to visit a state park to learn more at our website, parks.wa.gov, or call our customer service team.”
The ADA requires that structures or improvements to public facilities such as parks, which were constructed after 1992, meet certain requirements to allow access to people with disabilities. The investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office revealed that Washington State Parks does not have formal procedures for identifying and addressing maintenance of accessible features in parks. The agency also had no routine to ensure new construction and alterations satisfy the ADA.
Under the terms of the settlement, Washington State Parks has 90 days to propose new policies and procedures for maintaining accessible features and ensuring that new construction and alterations are ADA compliant. The policies will be implemented to provide for routine inspections to ensure ADA standards are being met.
Within one year, Washington State Parks will provide the U.S. Attorney’s Office with a list of noncompliant buildings and facilities with a remediation plan and a timeline for making the facilities ADA compliant, with remediations to begin as soon as October 1, 2025.
The settlement also calls for Washington State Parks to establish ADA “grievance procedures” for those complaining about accessibility issues. Washington State Parks has an ADA Coordinator who will investigate any complaints and will respond. The coordinator will have the authority to request changes to address access issues.
Washington State Parks will post information about the ADA policies and coordinator on its website, and will log all inspections, complaints, and repairs of accessible features for review by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. All Washington State Parks employees who are involved in planning, development or implementation of any new construction or alterations will be trained on the ADA program outlined in the settlement.
The terms of the settlement will last for 7 years, with reports to the U.S. Attorney’s Office on progress every six months.
The settlement was negotiated by Assistant United States Attorney Susan Kas, Civil Rights Coordinator in the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. For more information on the Civil Rights Unit visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdwa/civil-rights
Trafficker Who Smuggled Fentanyl from Southern California to DC Sentenced to 108 MonthsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Trayveon James Johnson, 20, of Alexandria, Va., was sentenced today to 108 months in prison for participating in a wide-spread narcotics trafficking conspiracy that distributed hundreds of thousands of fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills purchased in Southern California to destinations throughout the United States, including the District of Columbia. Johnson was one of 24 co-defendants arrested over the course of 2023 in D.C., Virginia, Maryland, San Diego, and Los Angeles and charged in the conspiracy.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, DEA Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the DEA Washington Division, Inspector in Charge Damon Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Johnson, aka “Treyski,” pleaded guilty on April 19, 2024, to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. In addition to the 108-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ordered Johnson to serve five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Johnson’s role in the conspiracy was to travel to Southern California where he purchased fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills to bring them back to the District of Columbia. Johnson and his co-conspirators smuggled the pills concealed in luggage and/or personal carry-on items, or alternatively, used commercial mail carriers to ship them to the District. Johnson then conspired with his D.C.-based co-conspirators to redistribute the drugs.
The impetus for the investigation was the overdose death of Diamond Lynch, a young mother in Southeast D.C. In addition to investigating and prosecuting the death resulting case,[1] law enforcement followed the evidence and uncovered a vast network of traffickers who transported fentanyl from Mexico to Los Angeles to the District of Columbia. Since then, investigators have seized more than 450,000 fentanyl pills, 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl powder, and 30 firearms.
Although Johnson entered this conspiracy after Ms. Lynch’s death, the lethality of fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills was well known to him. For example, on December 15, 2022, Johnson received a text message asking if a coconspirator, Mathias Tsegaye, “still got blues.” In January 2023, Tsegaye was found dead, with the cause of death determined to be a drug overdose involving fentanyl. Despite this knowledge of fentanyl’s risks, Johnson continued to traffic the deadly pills.
Johnson was arrested on November 9, 2023, in Alexandria, Va.
This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
DEFENDANT
AGE
LOCATION
CHARGES/SENTENCE
Hector David Valdez,
aka “Curl”
26
Santa Fe Springs, California
Conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl;
Conspiracy to commit international money laundering.
Craig Eastman
20
Washington, D.C.
Pleaded guilty July 25, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl.
Sentencing: January 7, 2025
Charles Jeffrey Taylor
20
Washington, D.C.
Conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl;
Possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Raymond Nava, Jr.
20
Bell Gardens,
California
Pleaded guilty May 9, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Sentencing: September 17, 2024.
Ulises Aldaz
28
Bell Gardens,
California
Sentenced June 28, 2024, to 95 months in prison, four years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Max Alexander Carias Torres
26
Bell Gardens,
California
Conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl;
Conspiracy to commit international money laundering
Teron Deandre McNeil, aka “Wild Boy”
34
Washington, D.C.
Conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Marvin Anthony Bussie,
aka “Money Marr”
21
Washington, D.C.
Sentenced June 28, 2024, to 120 months in prison, five years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Marcus Orlando Brown
28
Washington, D.C.
Pleaded guilty March 11, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Sentencing: October 3, 2024.
Columbian Thomas, aka
"Cruddy Murda”
26
Washington, D.C.
Pleaded guilty June 4, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Sentencing: October 22, 2024.
Wayne Rodell Carr-Maiden
29
Washington, D.C.
Sentenced April 29, 2024, to 45 months in prison, five years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Andre Malik Edmond,
aka “Draco”
23
Temple Hills, Maryland
Sentenced July 22, 2024, to 130 months incarceration, 5 years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Treyveon James Johnson,
aka “Treyski”
20
Alexandria, Virginia
Sentenced Sept. 5, 2024, to 108 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Karon Olufemi Blalock,
aka “Fat Bags”
30
Alexandria, Virginia
Conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl
Ronte Ricardo Greene,
aka “Cardiddy”
28
Washington, D.C.
Conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl;
Possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Melvin Edward Allen, Jr., aka “21”
38
Washington, D.C.
Conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Darius Quincy Hodges,
aka “Brick”
34
Glen Allen, Virginia
Conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Lamin Sesay,
aka “Rock Star”
27
Alexandria, Virginia
Conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Paul Alejandro Felix
25
Glendale,
California
Pleaded guilty July 1, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Sentencing: November 6, 2024
Omar Arana,
aka “Frogs”
27
Cudahy,
California
Conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl
Edgar Balderas, Jr., aka “Nano”
26
San Diego,
California
Conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Raul Pacheco Ramirez
30
Long Beach,
California
Pleaded guilty July 19, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Sentencing: November 26, 2024.
Giovani Alejandro Briones
30
Victorville, California
Conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl;
Conspiracy to commit international money laundering.
Alfredo Rodriguez Gonzalez
26
Rosarito, Mexico
Conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl;
Conspiracy to commit international money laundering.
The prosecutions followed a joint investigation by the DEA Washington Division and the USPIS Washington Divison in partnership with the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional support from the DEA Los Angeles, San Diego, and Riverside Field Offices, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Washington Field Office, and the Charles County, Maryland Sheriff’s Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Central and Southern Districts of California, the Eastern District of Virginia, and the District of Maryland.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey, Solomon S. Eppel, and Iris McCranie, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses (VRTO) Section.
23cr73
[1] https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/brother-and-sister-sentenced-drug-conspiracy-involving-fentanyl-sales
Three Mexican Nationals Charged with Meth TraffickingRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Three Mexican nationals were charged in federal court today after they were caught with more than 56 pounds of methamphetamine during a traffic stop on Interstate 29.
Pedro Alberto Quiroz Ayala, 20, Apolinar Gocovachi Pacheco, 24, and Pablo De Jesus Peralta Anguis, 25, all of whom are citizens of Mexico, were charged with possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute in a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court. They remain in federal custody pending a detention hearing on Tuesday, Sept. 10.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper pulled over a gray 2011 Acura MDX on Interstate 29, near the N.W. 112th Street exit in Kansas City, Mo., at about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 3. Ayala, who did not have a valid driver’s license, was driving the Acura, with a female juvenile in the front passenger seat and Pacheco and Anguis in the back seats.
When the trooper searched the vehicle, he found a large duffle bag in the third-row seating area that contained approximately 55.6 pounds of methamphetamine. He also found a grocery bag that contained approximately one pound of methamphetamine on the floorboard where the female juvenile had been sitting, and a loaded firearm in the driver’s door pouch.
When the four occupants got out of the vehicle for the search, the affidavit says, Ayala and Anguis fled on foot. A manhunt ensued; Ayala was apprehended about half an hour later and Anguis was apprehended after about 12 minutes.
Ayala told investigators they had picked up the drugs at a Walmart parking lot in Omaha, Nebraska. Ayala said he was going to receive $2,000 for transporting the drugs.
The charge contained in this complaint is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the FBI and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Texas man charged with drug traffickingRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging a Texas man with charges related to drug trafficking.
According to court documents, Mario Guerrero, Jr, 33, of Houston is charged with one count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and one count of possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute.
The Drug Enforcement Administration is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Andrusak is prosecuting the case.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Humberto Argueta-Zavala, 42, of Wichita is charged with one count of unlawful re-entry after deportation and one count of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi is prosecuting the case.
An indictment 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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Tampa Man Indicted for Distribution of Cocaine, Possessing AK-47 Pistol, Silencer, Cocaine, and Machinegun SwitchRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Joshua Black (38, Tampa) with several counts of distribution of cocaine, possession of firearms after having been convicted of a felony offense, and possession of an unregistered silencer and machinegun switch. If convicted of all counts, Black faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment and criminal complaint, between February and March 2024, Black distributed cocaine from a residence in Tampa. On April 10, 2024, law enforcement officers with the Tampa Police Department executed a search warrant at the residence. In Black’s bedroom, law enforcement found a 9 mm “Freedom Ordinance” pistol, a “Zastava Arms” AK-47 pistol, a ballistic vest, a silencer, a machinegun switch which had the ability to convert firearms into machineguns, and various items indicative of drug trafficking, including glass bowls and plates containing crack cocaine, individually wrapped marijuana bags, crack cocaine, two digital scales, and $30,000 in cash hidden inside a hollowed out book.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This investigation was led by the Tampa Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.
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.
TV Presenter Who Worked for Channel One Russia Charged with Violating U.S. Sanctions Imposed on RussiaRead the Press Release
Note: View the indictments for District of Columbia cases #24-cr-403 and #24-cr-404.
The Department of Justice today unsealed two indictments charging Dimitri Simes, 76, and Anastasia Simes, 55, both of Huntly, Virginia, and Russia with two separate schemes to violate U.S. sanctions.
As alleged in the first indictment, Dimitri and Anastasia Simes participated in a scheme to violate U.S. sanctions for the benefit of sanctioned Russian broadcaster Channel One Russia and to launder funds obtained from that scheme. Channel One Russia, a state-owned Russian television station, was sanctioned by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on May 8, 2022, for being owned or controlled by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, the Government of the Russian Federation.
From at least in or around June 2022 through the present, Dimitri Simes, Anastasia Simes and others allegedly participated in a scheme to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), by providing services to Channel One Russia, including by serving as a presenter and producer of programming, and by receiving over $1 million, a personal car and driver, a stipend for an apartment in Moscow, Russia, and a team of 10 employees from Channel One Russia following its designation by OFAC. The indictment alleges that Dimitri and Anastasia Simes also engaged in a scheme to commit money laundering, knowing the transactions were intended to conceal the proceeds of IEEPA violations.
Dimitri and Anastasia Simes maintain a home in Huntly, Virginia. They remain at large and are believed to be in Russia. They are each charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the IEEPA, one count of violating the IEEPA, and one count of conspiracy to commit international money laundering. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count.
As alleged in the second indictment, Anastasia Simes further participated in a scheme to violate U.S. sanctions for the benefit of, and to receive funds from, sanctioned oligarch Aleksandr Yevgenyevich Udodov. Udodov was sanctioned by OFAC on Feb. 23, 2023 for operating or having operated in the management consulting sector of the Russian Federation economy. From at least in or around February 2023 through the present, Anastasia Simes and others allegedly participated in a scheme to violate IEEPA by purchasing art and antiques for the benefit of Udovov from galleries and auction houses in the United States and Europe, and having the items shipped to her residence in Huntly, Virginia, where they were stored for onward shipment to Russia. In return, Anastasia Simes was reimbursed and received a service fee. The indictment alleges that Anastasia Simes also engaged in a scheme to commit money laundering, knowing the transactions were intended to conceal the proceeds of IEEPA violations. Below are photographs of some of the art and antiques intended for Udodov and stored in Anastasia and Dimtiri Simes’s residence.
In connection with this scheme, Anastasia Simes is charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the IEEPA, one count of violating the IEEPA, and one count of conspiracy to commit international money laundering. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia, and Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch made the announcement.
The FBI Washington Field Office is investigating both cases.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Hughes for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorneys Menno Goedman and Sean O’Dowd of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
The investigation was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls and economic countermeasures that the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2, 2022, and under the leadership of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
St. Louis County Felon Caught with Stolen Gun Sentenced to 102 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Thursday sentenced a felon caught with a stolen gun to 102 months in prison.
Euron Jennings, 45, of Pagedale, pleaded guilty in May to one count of possession of a stolen firearm. He admitted that on June 19, 2022, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers tried to pull over a Jeep with expired temporary license tags at Kingshighway Boulevard and Cote Brilliante Avenue. The driver failed to pull over and continued to drive slowly as Jennings threw a firearm out of the window and onto the street. The Jeep then stopped and Jennings ran away. He was caught, then broke free and ran again before being arrested with the aid of a Taser.
Jennings, who has an extensive criminal history that includes three separate convictions for crimes of violence, had discarded a stolen Hermann Weihrauch HW 7 .22-caliber revolver.
More than 1 million firearms were stolen from private citizens between 2017 and 2021, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Stolen firearms represent the main source of gun recovered at crime scenes.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Christian Goeke prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Southeastern Connecticut Drug Trafficker Sentenced to More Than 16 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANTHONY WHYTE, also known as “Jak Mac,” 50, of New London, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 195 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for narcotics trafficking, money laundering, and firearm possession offenses.
This matter stems from an investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Connecticut Statewide Narcotics Taskforce East, Connecticut Department of Correction and the New London, Waterford, City of Groton and Stonington Police Departments, into the distribution of narcotics and illegal possession of firearms in southeastern Connecticut. The investigation included court-authorized wiretaps and controlled purchases and seizures of heroin, cocaine, and firearms.
According to the evidence introduced during the trial of Whyte and his co-defendant, Amy Sarcia, Whyte obtained heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine from various sources in Connecticut, New York, and elsewhere. He then distributed the narcotics to co-conspirators in southeastern Connecticut who sold the drugs to customers and other street-level drug dealers. Sarcia, who both distributed and used cocaine, accepted narcotics proceeds from Whyte and provided Whyte with weekly paychecks from her business, Two Wives Pizza, and a federal W-2 tax form, in an attempt to disguise the narcotics proceeds as employment wages. Sarcia also accepted cash from Whyte for allowing him to use three apartments in a building she managed to store and dispense narcotics.
On February 21, 2019, Whyte, Sarcia, and several other co-conspirators were arrested. On that date, a search of Whyte’s New London apartment and other apartments he used revealed more than a kilogram of cocaine; approximately 180 grams of heroin; approximately 100 grams of fentanyl and fentanyl pills; 10 firearms, several of which were stolen; and thousands of dollars in cash. Investigators seized additional narcotics, another firearm, and nearly $200,000 in cash from other members of the conspiracy.
Whyte has been detained since his arrest on February 21, 2019. On September 28, 2021, Whyte and Sarcia were found guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, various narcotics, and one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments (“money laundering”). Whyte was also found guilty of three counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, various narcotics, and one count possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
On October 24, 2023, Judge Bolden sentenced Sarcia to three years of probation and ordered her to pay a $7,500 fine.
Twenty-four others were charged and convicted as a result of this investigation.
This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Marshals Service, Connecticut Statewide Narcotics Taskforce East, Connecticut Department of Correction and the New London, Waterford, City of Groton, Stonington, Norwich, Old Saybrook, and UConn Police Departments.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha M. Freismuth and Angel M. Krull through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
South Charleston Man Indicted on Federal Fraud, Money Laundering and Obstruction ChargesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A federal grand jury returned a 15-count indictment yesterday charging Theodore Miller, 34, of South Charleston, with wire fraud, money laundering, and obstruction.
The indictment alleges that, beginning as early as October 2021, Miller conceived and perpetrated two fraudulent schemes to bolster his businesses’ monthly cash flow and to pay unrelated personal and professional debts, obligations and expenses. As part of these schemes, Miller portrayed himself on social media as a wealthy and successful real estate mogul with enough disposable income to travel the world at his leisure. In reality, Miller had poor credit, thin month-to-month financial margins, was delinquent on property taxes and bills, and had defaulted on loans.
One scheme sought to defraud investors by inducing them to invest in two specific real estate projects located on Bigley Avenue in Charleston. One project proposed to rehabilitate a small residential property into a dry-storage lot, and the other proposed to develop duplex housing. Misrepresenting himself on social media as a wealthy and successful real estate investor, Miller created and shared false and misleading promotional materials for these direct investments. Between July 5, 2022, and September 8, 2022, Miller fraudulently induced several individuals to wire a total of $90,000 from California, Florida and Texas to him in Charleston for these projects. Upon receiving the investments, Miller did not proceed with either of the projects and in fact never owned any of the properties involved. Miller ceased all contact with the individuals after they began inquiring about the projects and the money they had invested.
Miller’s other scheme sought to defraud investors by inducing them to invest in “Bear Lute,” a pooled real estate investment vehicle. In or around May 2022, Miller launched Bear Lute and began directing his social media followers to invest through bearlute.com. Miller advertised Bear Lute as a way for ordinary people to invest in real estate and become wealthy and successful, like him. Miller made numerous misrepresentations through his social media posts, his website and one-on-one communications. Among other misrepresentations, Miller falsely that claimed Bear Lute generated exceptionally high and guaranteed returns, investors would receive a minimum return of 6 percent, the average investor historically received a return exceeding 20 percent, the investment was secured by income-producing real estate, and investors could request to withdraw their funds and receive them within 60 days.
Between June 30, 2022, and February 28, 2024, Miller fraudulently induced more than 100 individuals to invest in Bear Lute and obtained more than $200,000 in investor funds. The defrauded investors included two individuals who wired a total of $17,500 from Texas to Miller in Charleston. Nearly all of Miller’s representations and promises about Bear Lute were untrue, including that he owned the property pledged as security for investors. Miller posted false figures on an online investor dashboard that purported to allow investors to track and manage their investments, and ceased all communications with investors who requested withdrawals. Miller also failed to disclose to Bear Lute investors that the West Virginia Securities Commission ordered him to cease and desist operating Bear Lute.
Miller directed most of the fraudulently obtained funds from both schemes toward personal expenses, private investments, and other business expenses. These expenditures were for the benefit of Miller and an individual identified in the indictment as D.D. A resident of Charleston, D.D. was as an active participant in Miller’s businesses, held herself out as the vice president of the Miller-owned and operated Bear Industries LLC, and acted as Miller’s agent while he was outside of the United States. Miller remained outside of the United States from on or about February 12, 2022, to on or about August 8, 2024.
On or about July 20, 2022, Miller engaged in and caused others to engage in a electronic transfer of $20,000 between the bank accounts of Bear Industries LLC and another business he owned and operated, T&C Construction LLC, knowing that the property involved in the monetary transaction was criminally derived. On August 11, 2024, Miller sought to have a backpack and a cell phone destroyed, concealed or altered.
Miller is charged with 12 counts of wire fraud, one count of money laundering and two counts of obstruction. If convicted, Miller faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each wire fraud count, 10 years in prison for money fraud, and 20 years in prison for each obstruction count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the West Virginia Fusion Center, the West Virginia Securities Commission, and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Assistant United States Attorney Holly Wilson is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed a parallel civil action yesterday against Miller, Bear Industries LLC, Bear Investments and Business Consulting LLC, and Deanna Drumm in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia. The lawsuit alleges that Miller has engaged in the unregistered and fraudulent offer of securities related to his real estate-related investment programs since at least 2022, and that Miller’s social-media persona and businesses were all a calculated fraud to divert investor funds for his own personal benefit. The lawsuit seeks permanent injunctive relief, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains and prejudgment interest, and civil penalties.
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 Nos. 2:24-cr-145 and 2:24-cv-479.
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South African Company Agrees to Pay $617,914 to Resolve False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Interactive Research and Development South Africa NPC (IRD SA) has agreed to pay $671,914 to resolve allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act by knowingly submitting to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) false claims for payment related to employees of IRD SA who were allegedly not working.
In October 2019, USAID awarded a Cooperative Agreement (the Award) to IRD SA to provide healthcare services in South Africa. The Award’s period of performance was between Oct. 15, 2019, and Jan. 30, 2023. Federal funds were used to make payments to IRD SA under the Award. These federal funds were processed through a service center in Charleston, South Carolina. Under the Award, IRD SA agreed to provide a comprehensive package of tuberculosis treatment and prevention services across various provinces or districts in South Africa. Performing such services required a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between IRD SA and certain local South African authorities. Because the execution of the MOU with the local authorities in one of the provinces or districts was delayed for several months, approximately 62 employees of IRD SA were unable to perform Award-related services between January and June 2021. During this time, IRD SA failed to inform USAID that the idled employees weren’t performing such services. Instead, between March and July 2021, IRD SA submitted six vouchers to USAID that falsely certified compliance with the Award, and that improperly sought reimbursement for non-allowable labor costs and other costs associated with the idled workers. As a result, IRD SA received and/or retained approximately $335,957 in federal funds related to the idled workers covering the period of January to June 2021.
“We are committed to protecting federal funds and holding companies accountable that fraudulently obtain federal dollars,” said Adair F. Boroughs, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina. “We are thankful for the great work of the USAID Office of Inspector General agents. Their work helps ensure that foreign companies only receive federal funds for services actually rendered.”
“The USAID Office of Inspector General is committed to pursuing those who defraud USAID programs by submitting false claims for services that were not provided,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Sean Bottary. “This resolution demonstrates our office’s resolve to hold U.S. foreign assistance award recipients accountable.”
The case was investigated by USAID’s Office of Inspector General, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Ragsdale of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
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Six Plead Guilty to Methamphetamine Trafficking Ring in the UpstateRead the Press Release
SPARTANBURG, S.C —Six individuals in the Upstate have pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine.
The following defendants entered guilty pleas in federal court:
Jonathan Sarratt, 38, of Gaffney
Christopher Biggerstaff, 41, of Chester. Biggerstaff also pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Mikenzi Walker, 25, of Gaffney
Sondra Walker, 66, of Gaffney
Aa’lyah Tukes, 29, of Anderson
Brenda Mincey, 34, of Shelby, N.C.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that since at least early 2023, Jonathan Sarratt, while incarcerated in the South Carolina Department of Corrections, was facilitating supplying the ring with at least 250 kilograms of methamphetamine for distribution in the Upstate. Mikenzi Walker, Christopher Biggerstaff, and Brenda Mincey distributed the methamphetamine. In July of 2023, Mincey was arrested with approximately 390 grams of methamphetamine and approximately 100 blue pills containing fentanyl she obtained from co-defendants. Biggerstaff was arrested in January 2024, with three loaded handguns and ounce quantities of methamphetamine. Both Sondra Walker and Aa’lyah Tukes moved methamphetamine into their residences for distribution during the conspiracy. Law enforcement seized $150,000 in drug proceeds from Tukes during the takedown operation in this case.
Sarratt and Biggerstaff face a maximum of life in federal prison and a $10,000,000 fine. Sondra Walker, Mikenzi Walker, Tukes, and Mincey face up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1,000,000 fine. Biggerstaff faces an additional five years consecutive to any sentence he receives due to his firearms charge. All defendants face a maximum of lifetime supervision.
United States District Judge Donald C. Coggins, Jr., accepted the guilty pleas and will sentence the defendants after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, and Greenville Drug Enforcement Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Lea Schoen is prosecuting the case.
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Sheldon Woman to Federal Prison for Meth and Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Kelli Biller, 39, from Sheldon, Iowa, was sentenced on September 4, 2024, to over 9 years in federal prison. On April 24, 2024, Biller pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that from about January 2022 through November 2023, Biller was involved in a conspiracy that distributed more than 2.5 pounds of methamphetamine and at least 200 grams of fentanyl. Biller admitted to helping transfer 2,000 fentanyl pills from a source in Sioux City to another for re-distribution in the Sheldon/Primghar area. Biller also admitted obtaining several ounces of methamphetamine from her source for redistribution in Northwest Iowa. During a traffic stop in Sioux City on November 10, 2023, agents seized 19 M30 type fentanyl pills from Biller for re-distribution.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Biller was sentenced to 119 months’ imprisonment and must serve a four-year term of supervised release following the imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Biller remains in custody of the United States Marshal until she can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4010.
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Sex Offender Sentenced to 116 Months in Federal Prison for Possession of Obscene Visual Representations of the Sexual Abuse of ChildrenRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced Michael Becnel, age 56, of Baton Rouge, to 116 months in federal prison following his conviction for possessing obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children. The Court further sentenced Becnel to serve five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered him to forfeit his interest in property used to commit the offense.
According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, on June 6, 2023, Becnel knowingly possessed more than three obscene visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. He had previously downloaded the visual depictions to his cellphone from a website, which cellphone was found in his possession when law enforcement agents were executing a search warrant of his residence.
At the time Becnel was found in possession of the unlawful visual depictions in June 2023, he was on federal supervised release following a previous federal conviction for failing to register as a sex offender. In April 2024, U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson revoked his term of supervision and sentenced him to serve 14 months consecutively to the term of imprisonment ordered today.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ben Wallace.
September Federal Grand Jury 2024-A Indictments AnnouncedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the September Federal Grand Jury 2024-A Indictments.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Esteban Abarca-Calbario. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Abarca-Calbario, 45, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed in Jan. 2023. U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cheryl L. Baber is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-281
Gerardo Becerra-Quiroz. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Becerra-Quiroz, 36, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed in May 2020. U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Harris is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-282
Courtney Jamar Calamease. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition (Counts 1 & 2) (superseding). Calamease, 34, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition in May 2024 and Aug. 2024, knowing he was previously convicted of felonies. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mallory Richard is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-252
Raul Yepez Garcia. Assault of a Federal Officer; Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of a Firearm. Yepez Garcia, 46, a Mexican national, is charged with resisting, impeding, and assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon while the officer was performing his official duty. Additionally, Yepez Garcia knowingly possessed a firearm, knowing he was an unlawful alien in the United States. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney George Jiang is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-292
Michael Vincent Martin. Assault of an Intimate/Dating Partner by Strangling in Indian Country and Attempting to Strangle in Indian Country (Count 1); Abusive Sexual Contact by Force and Threat in Indian Country (Count 2); Tampering with a Witness by Intimidation, Threats, and Corrupt Persuasion (Counts 3 & 7); Sexual Abuse Without Consent in Indian Country (Count 4); Cyberstalking (Count 5); Tampering with a Witness by Intimidation, Threats, and Corrupt Persuasion (Count 6) (superseding). Martin, 34, of Tulsa, is charged with assault by strangulation of an intimate dating partner, engaging in sexual contact by force or threat, and without consent. Martin is further charged with attempting to influence and prevent the tribal victim from testifying and communicating with law enforcement. Additionally, he is charged with cyberstalking. The FBI and Broken Arrow Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey P. Todd is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-180
Victor Muniz-Nieto. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Muniz-Nieto, 41, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed in Feb. 2016. U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Harris is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-283
Steve Earl Perry, Jr. Escape from Federal Custody. Perry, 34, of Tulsa, is charged with escaping from federal custody while confined in the Turley Residential Center. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Greenough is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-284
Jerico Lee Reddell. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition (Count 1); Kidnapping in Indian Country (Counts 2, 5 & 8); Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country (Counts 3, 6 & 9); Carrying, Using, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence (Count 4 & 7); Witness Tampering (Counts 10 & 11); Conspiracy to Obstruct Justice by Witness Tampering (Count 12) (superseding). Reddell, 41, of Bartlesville and a member of the Cherokee Nation, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of felonies. He allegedly kidnapped two different victims, intentionally assaulted them with a dangerous weapon, and used a firearm in a crime of violence. Additionally, Reddell is charged with obstructing a federal Grand Jury investigation and conspiring with someone else to tamper with a witness. The FBI, Tulsa Police Department, and Bartlesville Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michele W. Hulgaard and Stacey Todd are prosecuting the case. 24-CR-105
Seattle Woman Pleads Guilty to Feeding Our Future Jury Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Seattle woman has pleaded guilty to her role in providing a $120,000 bribe to a juror in the Feeding Our Future trial, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on April 22, 2024, seven defendants went to trial before U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel for their roles in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme. During the trial, Ladan Mohamed Ali, 31, and four others conspired with each other to provide a cash bribe to one of the jurors in exchange for the juror returning a not guilty verdict in the trial.
As part of the scheme, on May 17, 2025, Ali flew from Seattle to Minneapolis to meet with co-defendant Abdimajid Nur to discuss the plan to bribe Juror 52. Ali agreed to deliver the bribe money to Juror 52 in exchange for a $150,000 cash payment. On May 30, 2024, Ali again flew from Seattle to Minneapolis to carry out the bribery scheme. On May 31, 2024, at the direction of Nur, Ali attempted to follow Juror 52 home as she left a downtown Minneapolis parking ramp at the conclusion of the first day of closing arguments in the trial. Nur had previously provided Ali with a photo of Juror 52’s car and a map of the parking ramp.
According to court documents, although Ali had agreed to contact Juror 52 about the bribe, Ali was concerned that the plan would not work and that she would not get paid for her involvement in the bribery. Instead, Ali came up with an alternative plan to steal some or all of the bribe money. On June 1, 2024, Ali told Nur —falsely—that she had approached Juror 52 at a bar and that Juror 52 was interested in taking the bribe but wanted $500,000 in exchange for returning a not guilty verdict. Ali told Nur that Juror 52 wanted Ali to deliver the money at a specific time when Juror 52 would be home alone. In reality, Ali did not speak with Juror 52, and Juror 52 never agreed to accept a bribe.
Nevertheless, Nur believed Ali and told her that he would obtain the bribe money from co-defendants Abdiaziz Farah and Said Farah. On June 2, 2024, Ali met Nur in a parking lot in Bloomington to pick up the bribe money. Prior to the meeting, Ali purchased two Hallmark gift bags in which to deliver the bribe money. During the meeting, Nur handed Ali a cardboard box containing $200,000 in cash. Ali took the cash out of the box and put it into one of the Hallmark gift bags. Ali then drove to an area near Juror 52’s house to meet Abdulkarim Farah, who would accompany Ali to Juror 52’s house and video record her delivery of the bribe as proof that the bribe money was delivered and Juror 52’s acceptance of the bribe. Abdulkarim Farah insisted that he drive Ali to Juror 52’s house. This prevented Ali from stealing all of the bribe money. After Ali met up with Abdulkarim Farah, they stopped at a nearby store to purchase a screwdriver. Abdulkarim Farah used the screwdriver to remove the license plate from Ali’s rental car prior to delivering the bribe.
According to court documents, at approximately 8:50 p.m. on June 2, 2024, upon arriving at Juror 52’s house, Ali approached the house with the gift bag containing the bribe money, handed it to a relative of Juror 52 and explained that there would be more money if Juror 52 voted to acquit the defendants. Abdulkarim Farah remained in the car and took a video of Ali’s delivery of the bribe money. Ali received $200,000 in cash from Nur, all of which was intended to be used to bribe Juror 52. But Ali only delivered $120,000 to Juror 52’s relative and kept the remaining $80,000 cash for herself.
Ali pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge David S. Doty to one count of bribery of a juror. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI with assistance from IRS – Criminal Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph H. Thompson, Matthew Ebert, Harry Jacobs, and Daniel Bobier are prosecuting the case.
San Antonio Man Sentenced to 17 Years in Federal Prison After Sending Child Pornography to Australian Police OfficerRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced in federal court to 210 months in prison for distribution of child pornography.
According to court documents, Thomas Jeffrey McKissick V, 42, sent 18 images and four video files containing child pornography to an undercover police officer in Queensland, Australia on Feb. 6, 2022 and Feb. 7, 2022. Homeland Security Investigations executed a federal search warrant at McKissick’s San Antonio residence on March 10, 2022, seizing a cell phone that contained more than 10,000 images and nearly 800 video files of child sexual abuse material.
McKissick was arrested March 11, 2022 and has remained in federal custody. He pleaded guilty to one count March 5, 2024. In addition to the 210 month imprisonment, McKissick was ordered to serve lifetime supervised release and pay $15,000 restitution.
“This case demonstrates that our partnerships to combat criminal activity and prosecute child predators reach far beyond our state lines and our nation’s borders,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “Thanks to this bilateral investigation and the collaboration between HSI San Antonio and the Queensland Police Service in Australia, this predator can no longer inflict harm on children.”
“While this significant sentence cannot repair the permanent damage done to the children depicted in these images, it should serve as a warning to those who engage in this behavior. HSI and our partners will be relentless in our pursuit of online predators," said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee for HSI San Antonio. "The collaboration between HSI and our international partners is critical in our mission to protect vulnerable children and bring perpetrators to justice.”
“This arrest is an excellent outcome, made possible through the exceptional collaboration between the Queensland Police Service and Homeland Security Investigations,” said Detective Inspector Glen Donaldson for the Queensland Police Service child exploitation unit Argos. “This joint effort underscores the importance of interagency cooperation in our shared mission to target high-harm offenders, enhance community safety and remove children from harm.”
HSI takes a victim-centered approach to child exploitation investigations by working to identify, rescue and stabilize victims. HSI works in partnership with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Internet Crimes Against Children partners, and other federal, state and local agencies to help solve cases and rescue sexually exploited children. You can report suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s toll-free, 24-hour hotline at 800-THE-LOST.
HSI is a founding member of the Virtual Global Taskforce, an international alliance of law enforcement agencies and private industry sector partners working together to prevent and deter online child sexual abuse.
HSI and the Queensland Police Service investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bettina Richardson 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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