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Wednesday 4 September 2024
Omaha Man Sentenced for Armed Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Andrew Kincaid, age 30, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on September 4, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during and in furtherance of the bank robbery. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Kincaid to a total sentence of 240 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Kincaid’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. Kincaid was also ordered to pay $269,822 in restitution.
In pronouncing the sentence, Judge Buescher stated, “What happened here was sickening.”
On January 26, 2023, Kincaid and co-defendant Taliaferro D. Thompson while armed with handguns entered the First National Bank of Omaha location at 2625 S. 175th Streets in Omaha. Upon entering the bank, Thompson and Kincaid brandished the handguns pointing them at the employees and customers. Kincaid shoved a victim customer to the ground. During the robbery, Thompson pistol whipped a bank employee in the head and then forced that bank employee to open the vault while holding a gun to his head. Thompson also drug a pregnant bank employee across the floor by her hair before forcing her to open the teller drawer while putting a gun to her head. Thompson and Kincaid stole $348,920 from the bank which they placed in a trash bag before fleeing.
Thompson was identified as a potential suspect based on a facial recognition match from the surveillance video. Law enforcement learned of a possible residence that Thompson and Kincaid were located at. Thompson was stopped leaving that residence and found to be in possession of approximately $76,000 in currency and a handgun; a second handgun was also located in the vehicle. Kincaid was located by law enforcement in the residence and had apparent red dye on his face and head. A dumpster nearby included burnt money with red dye on it that would have been consistent with the stolen money from the bank robbery that contained a hidden red dye pack within it. Officers searched the residence and found a white belt and black mask that were consistent with items worn by Thompson during the robbery.
Thompson was sentenced on May 22, 2024, to 270 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 5-year term of supervised release.
This case was investigated by officers with the Omaha Police Department’s Robbery Unit and Gang Unit as part of the FBI’s of Great Plains Violent Crimes Task Force.
North Carolina Musician Charged with Music Streaming Fraud Aided by Artificial IntelligenceRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Christie M. Curtis, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the unsealing of a three-count criminal Indictment charging MICHAEL SMITH in connection with a scheme to create hundreds of thousands of songs with artificial intelligence and use automated programs called “bots” to stream the AI-generated songs billions of times. SMITH fraudulently obtained more than $10 million in royalty payments through his scheme. SMITH was arrested today and will be presented before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in North Carolina.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Michael Smith fraudulently streamed songs created with artificial intelligence billions of times in order to steal royalties. Through his brazen fraud scheme, Smith stole millions in royalties that should have been paid to musicians, songwriters, and other rights holders whose songs were legitimately streamed. Today, thanks to the work of the FBI and the career prosecutors of this Office, it’s time for Smith to face the music.”
FBI Acting Assistant Director Christie M. Curtis said: “Michael Smith allegedly produced hundreds of thousands of songs with artificial intelligence and utilized automatic features to repeatedly stream the music to generate unlawful royalties to the tune of $10 million. The defendant’s alleged scheme played upon the integrity of the music industry by a concerted attempt to circumvent the streaming platforms’ policies. The FBI remains dedicated to plucking out those who manipulate advanced technology to receive illicit profits and infringe on the genuine artistic talent of others.”
As alleged in the Indictment:[1]
Music can be streamed through music streaming platforms such as Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube Music (the “Streaming Platforms”). Each time a song is streamed through one of the Streaming Platforms, the songwriter who composed the song, the musician who performed it, and in certain cases other rights holders, are entitled to small royalty payments. Royalty payments are made proportionately to musicians and songwriters, so that streaming fraud diverts funds from musicians and songwriters whose songs were legitimately streamed by real consumers to those who use automation to falsely create the appearance of legitimate streaming.
SMITH created thousands of accounts on the Streaming Platforms (the “Bot Accounts”) that he could use to stream songs. He then used software to cause the Bot Accounts to continuously stream songs that he owned. At a certain point in the charged time period, SMITH estimated that he could use the Bot Accounts to generate approximately 661,440 streams per day, yielding annual royalties of $1,207,128.
SMITH spread his automated streams across thousands of songs to avoid anomalous streaming as to any single song. SMITH was aware that if, for example, a single song was streamed one billion times, it would raise suspicions at the Streaming Platforms and the music distribution companies that those streams were the result of streaming manipulation. A billion fake streams spread across tens of thousands of songs, however, would be more difficult to detect, because each song would only be streamed a much smaller number of times. As a result, SMITH repeatedly identified the need for more songs as crucial for facilitating the fraud scheme. For example, on or about December 26, 2018, SMITH emailed two coconspirators that, “We need to get a TON of songs fast to make this work around the anti-fraud policies these guys are all using now.”
To obtain the necessary number of songs for his scheme to succeed, SMITH eventually turned to artificial intelligence. In or about 2018, SMITH began working with the Chief Executive Officer of an AI music company (“CC-3”) and a music promoter (“CC-4”) to create hundreds of thousands of songs using artificial intelligence that SMITH could then fraudulently stream. CC-3 soon began providing SMITH with thousands of songs each week that SMITH could upload to the Streaming Platforms and manipulate the streams for. In a 2019 email to SMITH, CC-3 wrote: “Keep in mind what we’re doing musically here... this is not ‘music,’ it’s ‘instant music’ ;).”
CC-3 ultimately provided SMITH with hundreds of thousands of AI songs for which he could manipulate the streams. CC-3’s songs were typically given file names that were a randomized list of letters and numbers, such as “n_7a2b2d74-1621-4385-895d-b1e4af78d860.mp3.”
SMITH then created randomly generated song and artist names for audio files so that they would appear to have been created by real artists rather than artificial intelligence. For example, an alphabetically consecutive selection of 25 of the names of the AI songs SMITH used is as follows: “Zygophyceae,” “Zygophyllaceae,” “Zygophyllum,” “Zygopteraceae,” “Zygopteris,” “Zygopteron,” “Zygopterous,” “Zygosporic,” “Zygotenes,” “Zygotes,” “Zygotic,” “Zygotic Lanie,” “Zygotic Washstands,” “Zyme Bedewing,” “Zymes,” “Zymite,” “Zymo Phyte,” “Zymogenes,” “Zymogenic,” “Zymologies,” “Zymoplastic,” “Zymopure,” “Zymotechnical,” “Zymotechny,” and “Zyzomys.”
Similarly, an alphabetically consecutive selection of 25 of the names of the “artists” of the AI songs SMITH used is as follows: “Calliope Bloom,” “Calliope Erratum,” “Callous,” “Callous Humane,” “Callous Post,” “Callousness,” “Calm Baseball,” “Calm Connected,” “Calm Force,” “Calm Identity,” “Calm Innovation,” “Calm Knuckles,” “Calm Market,” “Calm The Super,” “Calm Weary,” “Calms Scorching,” “Calorie Event,” “Calorie Screams,” “Calvin Mann,” “Calvinistic Dust,” “Calypso Xored,” “Camalus Disen,” “Camaxtli Minerva,” “Cambists Cagelings,” and “Camel Edible.”
SMITH made numerous misrepresentations to the Streaming Platforms in furtherance of the fraud scheme. For example, SMITH repeatedly lied to the Streaming Platforms when he used false names and other information to create the Bot Accounts and when he agreed to abide by terms and conditions that prohibited streaming manipulation. SMITH also deceived the Streaming Platforms by making it appear as if legitimate users were in control of the Bot Accounts and streaming music when, in fact, the Bot Accounts were hard coded to stream SMITH’s music billions of times. SMITH also caused the Streaming Platforms to falsely report billions of streams of his music, even though SMITH knew that those streams were in fact caused by the Bot Accounts rather than real human listeners.
SMITH’s hundreds of thousands of AI-generated songs were streamed by his Bot Accounts billions of times, which allowed him to fraudulently obtain more than $10 million in royalties.
* * *
SMITH, 52, of Cornelius, North Carolina, is charged with wire fraud conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and money laundering conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the FBI.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas W. Chiuchiolo and Kevin Mead are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment, and the description of the Indictment set forth herein, constitutes only allegations, and every fact described therein should be treated as an allegation.
Niagara Falls man sentenced for selling cocaineRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Ronald Rowles, 37, of Niagara Falls, NY, who was convicted of distribution of cocaine, was sentenced to serve 33 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua A. Violanti and Jeffrey E. Intravatola, who handled the case, stated that between December 2016, and June 13, 2019, Rowles sold cocaine in and around Lewiston, NY. In January 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence, seizing approximately 59 grams of cocaine and drug paraphernalia. On June 13, 2019, while on federal pre-trial release, Rowles sold approximately an ounce of cocaine to an individual working with law enforcement.
The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division, the Niagara County Drug Task Force, under the direction of Sheriff Michael Filicetti, and the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Stauffiger.# # # #
New Jersey Man Charged with Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on August 29, 2024, a federal grand jury returned a four count indictment charging Andy Soto, 32, of Jersey City, New Jersey, with conspiring to distribute controlled substances; possessing with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine; possessing with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl; and possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year. Soto entered a plea of not guilty to the charges during an arraignment on September 3, 2024, before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle. Judge Doyle previously had ordered that Soto be detained during the pendency of this matter.
According to court records, Soto was arrested by state authorities in North Troy, Vermont on July 24, 2024, in connection with the execution of a state search warrant at a residence where he had recently been staying. Law enforcement located over 600 grams of suspected cocaine powder, over 300 grams of suspected cocaine base, over 700 grams of suspected fentanyl, over 80 grams of suspected xylazine, approximately $46,000 in currency, and five loaded firearms from the bedroom identified as Soto’s. The majority of the suspected narcotics, the currency, and a loaded .40-caliber firearm were located in a safe bolted to the floor of that room. Soto had been the subject of a long-standing drug investigation, during which authorities conducted multiple controlled purchases involving Soto between July and December 2023.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Soto is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Soto faces at least ten years’ and up to life imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Vermont State Police, the Northeast Vermont Drug Task Force, and Homeland Security Investigations. This case is part of ongoing collaborative efforts between those agencies, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives to address drug and gun trafficking in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Lasher. Soto is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Steven Barth.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
New Castle Resident Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl and Fluorofentanyl ViolationsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of New Castle, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of conspiring to distribute fentanyl and fluorofentanyl, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Kailin Stewart, 37, pleaded guilty before Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab to conspiring to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 10 grams or more of fluorofentanyl between May 2021 and October 2022.
Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for January 8, 2025. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than five years and up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $5 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Lawrence County Drug Task Force, Mercer County Drug Task Force, New Castle Police Department, Sharon Police Department, and Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Stewart.
Nebraska Man Indicted for Violent Carjackings in MinneapolisRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Nebraska man has been indicted for two carjackings, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on June 16, 2024, Nathan Mathias Sughroue, 31, used violence and intimidation to steal a Hyundai Elantra from one victim. Later that same day, Sughroue used force and violence that resulted in serious bodily injury to steal a Nissan Murano from a second victim.
The indictment charges Sughroue with two counts of carjacking. Sughroue made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court on August 29, 2024, before Magistrate Judge Tony N. Leung. He was ordered to remain in federal custody pending further proceedings.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Shakopee Police Department, Robbinsdale Police Department, Minneapolis Police Department, Minnesota State Patrol, and the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Classen is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Motocross Coach Sentenced for Child Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
A motocross instructor who mentored children was sentenced today to 40 years in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, and ordered to pay at least $193,500 in restitution for sexually exploiting numerous children.
According to court documents, Ryan Meyung, 33, of no fixed address, sexually exploited multiple young children that he met and befriended while traveling the country as a motocross instructor between July 2019 and December 2021. As part of his predatory behavior, Meyung produced images and videos of six different minor victims engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including sex acts with him and with each other. The victims were between 6 and 13 years old at the time. Meyung also possessed and transported images and videos of child sexual abuse produced by other sex offenders and sexually abused and recorded other children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Meyung pleaded guilty in April to six counts of sexual exploitation of a minor (producing child sexual abuse material) and has been in custody since his arrest in December 2021.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia, and Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Nashville made the announcement.
HSI Chattanooga investigated the case, with assistance from HSI Dalton, the Hamilton County, Tennessee, Sheriff’s Office, Chattanooga, Tennessee, Police Department, and HSI field offices throughout the country.
Trial Attorneys Jessica L. Urban and James E. Burke IV of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin N. Spritzer for the Northern District of Georgia prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department. 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, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Monroe County Man Convicted of Making Straw Purchases of FirearmsRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Delvin Hutchinson, age 33, of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was convicted of three counts of making false statements in connection with the purchase of six firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer following a four-day jury trial before U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Hutchinson purchased six firearms in three separate transactions at Dunkelberger’s Sports Outfitter, in Stroudsburg, within a 19-day period in March 2019. When investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives later interviewed Hutchinson, he was in possession of none of the firearms and claimed that some of the firearms had been stolen. Testimony presented at trial showed that Hutchinson’s story regarding the theft was false and that he had “straw purchased” the firearms for one or more other individuals. In connection with the purchase of the firearms, Hutchinson completed federal forms in which he falsely stated that he was purchasing the firearms for himself, when in fact he was purchasing the firearms for one or more other individuals. Hutchinson was convicted of three counts of providing false information to Dunkelberger’s Sports Outfitter regarding the purchase of the firearms.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Bensalem Police Department also participated in the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Robert J. O’Hara and Sarah R. Lloyd 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.
The maximum penalty under federal law for each of the offenses is ten years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.
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Milford Man Who Used Telegram App to Traffic Drugs Sentenced to 3 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that WILSON GUZMAN, JR., 40, of Milford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford 36 months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for distributing various drugs on Telegram, an encrypted phone messaging application.
According to court documents and statements made in court, a DEA New Haven Task Force investigation revealed that Guzman advertised various controlled substances, including fake oxycodone pills containing fentanyl and fake Adderall pills containing methamphetamine, and other drugs, on Telegram. He then distributed the drugs to customers in person and through the U.S. mail. Guzman used locations in West Haven, North Haven, and East Haven to store and prepare narcotics for distribution. Between May and August 2023, investigators made controlled purchases of drugs from Guzman, including more than 1,000 counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, counterfeit Adderall containing methamphetamine, and psilocybin mushrooms.
Guzman was arrested on September 6, 2023. On that date investigators searched his Milford residence and the West Haven and North Haven locations and seized various controlled substances, including counterfeit Adderall pills, psilocybin mushrooms, and approximately 20 kilograms of marijuana, as well as an AR-15 style rifle and a Glock style Polymer 80 handgun that had no serial numbers (“ghost guns”).
Guzman has been detained since September 21, 2023, after he continued to use Telegram for drug trafficking activity and his bond was revoked. He pleaded guilty on May 20, 2024.
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Task Force, and the East Haven Police Department, West Haven Police Department, New Haven Police Department, Connecticut State Police, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Marshals Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel E. Cummings.
Mexican national admits laundering $1.5 million on behalf of CartelRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 40-year-old associate of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) has pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and money laundering offenses, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar H. Hamdani.
Mexican national Victor Miguel Curiel Valadez admitted to conspiring to launder monetary instruments, possession with intent to distribute meth and that he was an associate of the CJNG.
Members and associates of the CJNG hired Valadez to retrieve drug proceeds in the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia and move them back to Mexico.
From 2016 to 2019, Valadez recruited others in Chicago, Illinois; Atlanta, Georgia; Detroit, Michigan; Kansas City, Missouri, and other cities across the United States to pick up drug proceeds in the United States. Those individuals were in possession of drug proceeds that needed to be moved to Mexico. Valadez then coordinated the transfer of proceeds back to Mexico through financial institutions.
Valadez and co-conspirators laundered more than $1.5 million in drug proceeds during the course of the conspiracy.
He also admitted in February 2018 that he negotiated and coordinated the distribution of three kilograms of meth. He proceeded to direct a co-conspirator to deliver the meth to an individual in Houston.
“The CJNG is one of the most powerful and dangerous criminal organizations in Mexico, characterized by a business model of extreme violence and trafficking in the most deadly of substances - cocaine, heroin, meth and fentanyl - relying on money launderers and drug distributors, like Valadez, to wash its ill-gotten gains and infect local communities with drugs,” said Hamdani. “This prosecution should serve as a warning to the Mexican cartels of my office’s focus on dismantling and disrupting their operations, while holding to account anyone who seeks to help launder monies and deliver dangerous drugs that destroy our neighborhoods and communities.”
U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison has set sentencing for Nov. 20. At that time, Valadez faces up to life in federal prison and a possible $1o million maximum fine for the drug conviction. He also faces up to 20 years and a $500,000 maximum fine or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction, whichever is greater, for the money laundering conspiracy.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted investigation as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration and IRS Criminal Investigation. These such cooperative matters provide for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the Houston Strike Force is to disrupt and dismantle the drug trafficking organizations that are designated as Consolidated Priority Organization or Regional Priority Organization Targets and that impact Houston and south Texas. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anibal J. Alaniz and Casey N. MacDonald are prosecuting the case.
Methamphetamine Trafficker Is Sentenced to 19+ Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Bobby Lee Fish, Jr., 44, of Catawba, N.C., was sentenced today to 235 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for trafficking methamphetamine, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Reed Baer of the Hickory Police Department (HPD), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents and court proceedings, in 2022, HPD was investigating Fish’s drug trafficking activities in Catawba County. During the investigation, HPD utilized a confidential informant (CI) to conduct a series of controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Fish. Court records show that one of the drug transactions occurred on April 6, 2022, where Fish sold the CI approximately 52.8 grams of actual methamphetamine. A few days later, on April 21, 2022, Fish sold the CI approximately 105.9 grams of actual methamphetamine. On May 2, 2022, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of Fish’s vehicle. During a subsequent search of the vehicle, HPD officers seized four packages from the car. Laboratory testing revealed the packages contained 919.3 grams, 916.9 grams, 918.8 grams, and 919.1 grams of actual methamphetamine, respectively.
On April 3, 2024, Fish pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine. Fish has an extensive criminal history for crimes committed in North Carolina, Florida, and Georgia. Fish is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
U.S. Attorney King thanked the ATF and HPD for their investigation of the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte 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.
Meth trafficking sentences send six defendants to federal prisonRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: Six Augusta-area defendants have been sentenced to substantial federal prison terms after pleading guilty to participation in a methamphetamine trafficking operation.
James Andrew McPherson, 30, of Hephzibah, Ga., the lead defendant, was sentenced to 188 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered McPherson to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term.
“We applaud the work of our law enforcement partners in identifying and disrupting this meth-trafficking conspiracy,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Our communities are safer with these illegal drug distributors off the streets.”
As described in court documents and proceedings, investigators from the Drug Enforcement Administration worked with local law enforcement agencies to identify McPherson as the leader of a drug trafficking conspiracy that transported large quantities of high-purity methamphetamine for distribution in Richmond, Columbia, and Burke counties.
McPherson transported the methamphetamine from an Atlanta supplier, or used couriers – including his mother – to bring in the drugs, which he then broke down into smaller quantities for the others to sell.
Other defendants sentenced in the case are:
- Brandon Wayne Johnson, 43, of Hephzibah, Ga., sentenced to 87 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
- Marcus Smith, a/k/a “Smoke,” 32, of Augusta, sentenced to 151 months in prison after pleading guilty to Distribution of Methamphetamine.
- Leslie Helinski, 54, of Augusta, the mother of James McPherson, sentenced to 130 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
- Tony Watson, 49, of Conover, N.C., sentenced to 120 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
- Charity Porter, 25, of Augusta, sentenced to 37 months in prison after pleading guilty to Distribution of Methamphetamine.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Driven by greed, these drug traffickers’ activities posed a significant threat to the Augusta area and beyond,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “The success of this investigation is proof that those responsible for destroying our communities with methamphetamine will be held accountable.”
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Georgia State Patrol, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, and Burke County Sheriff’s Office, and the McDuffie County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Z. Spitulnik.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced for Hate Crime Against Asian American ManRead the Press Release
A Massachusetts man was sentenced today to 18 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for a federal hate crime.
On April 3, John Sullivan pleaded guilty to willfully causing bodily injury to a victim, identified in court papers only by his initials, G.N., through the use of a dangerous weapon (a vehicle), because of G.N.’s actual and perceived race and national origin.
“Racially motivated and hate-fueled attacks have no place in our society,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This defendant targeted this man solely because he was Asian American. This behavior will not be tolerated, and the Justice Department is steadfast in its commitment to vigorously prosecute those who commit unlawful acts of hate.”
“Every single man, woman and child living in Massachusetts has a fundamental right to be free from acts of hate and violence,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy for the District of Massachusetts. “The conduct here is truly despicable, and this office will dedicate whatever resources are needed to vigorously prosecute these types of hate crimes. Fueled by his hate of Asian-Americans, John Sullivan twice used his car to strike and injure an innocent man. He engaged in these acts of hate in front of the victim’s friends, including three children under the age of 12, who all watched in horror. These violent acts of hate spread fear throughout our community and will never be tolerated.”
“A run of the mill trip to the post office turned into a nightmare for this Vietnamese man when John Sullivan decided to target him because of the color of his skin and the country of his ancestors. There is no way to undo the damage Mr. Sullivan caused with his hateful, repulsive and violent behavior, but hopefully today’s sentence provides some measure of comfort,” said Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Boston Field Office. “All communities in our Commonwealth – deserve respect and the ability to live, work, and raise their children without fear. We encourage anyone who has been the victim of or witness to a hate crime to report it to the FBI.”
According to documents filed in connection with this case, Sullivan encountered G.N., who is Vietnamese, and other individuals he was with, who are also Asian American, outside a post office. Sullivan had never met the victim or the group before. In front of the group’s three children under the age of twelve, Sullivan yelled for them to “go back to China,” threatened to kill them — pointing in turn members of the group, including two of the children, and separately telling them, “I’m going to kill you” — and twice drove his car into G.N., causing G.N. to land on the hood of the moving car and remain there while the car moved approximately 200 feet while keeping pace with traffic. Eventually Sullivan stopped the car, causing G.N. to fall into a construction ditch and suffer bodily injury and pain.
The FBI Boston Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Torey Cummings for the District of Massachusetts and Trial Attorney Tara Allison of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case.
Man Arrested for Making Threats to Elected OfficialsRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – A Palo Alto man was arrested today for sending threats of violence to a United States Congresswoman and a Florida State Representative. The defendant, Aaditya Chand was arrested earlier today.
According to the criminal complaint unsealed earlier today, on Feb. 15, 2024, Chand, 22, allegedly used an Instagram account to send direct messages to a member of the U.S. House of Representatives (identified in the complaint as “Victim 1”). The messages stated, “I’m gonna shoot up ur office tomorrow u Palestinian scum,” and “Get ready.” The complaint alleges that the messages were received by Victim 1’s staff in Washington, D.C.
In addition, Chand allegedly used his Instagram account to send another direct message over Instagram to a Florida State Representative (identified in the complaint as Victim 2). Federal agents allegedly viewed Chand’s Instagram messages to the Florida representative during an interview of the defendant. The threatening Instagram message allegedly states, “I’m gonna bring a gun to ur office tomorrow and shoot u and ur staff.”
The complaint charges Chand with a felony, transmitting in interstate or foreign commerce a communication containing a threat to injure a person, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 875(c).
A criminal complaint merely alleges that crimes have been committed and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Chand is scheduled to make his initial federal court appearance later today before United States Magistrate Judge Susan van Keulen. If convicted, Chand faces a maximum statutory sentence of five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a mandatory special assessment. In addition, the defendant may be ordered to pay restitution if appropriate. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the Court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey and United States Capitol Police Chief of Police J. Thomas Manger.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Johnny James, with assistance from Susan Kreider. This prosecution is the result of an investigation by the United States Capitol Police.
Louisville Man Sentenced to over 10 Years in Federal Prison for CarjackingRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A Louisville, Kentucky, man was sentenced yesterday to 10 years and 5 months in federal prison for carjacking and brandishing a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Division, and Interim Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
According to court documents, Corey M. Buford, 23, was sentenced to 10 years and 5 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for illegally carjacking a 2014 BMW on April 14, 2022. Buford’s sentence included his conviction for brandishing a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence, a crime that carries a mandatory sentence of 84 months consecutive to the sentence imposed for the carjacking.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Louisville Metro Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marisa Ford and Emily Lantz 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.
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Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Charged with Federal Civil Rights Violation for Violent Altercation with WomanRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Today a federal grand jury returned an indictment against a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputy alleging that he used excessive force when he assaulted and pepper-sprayed a woman during a shoplifting investigation outside a WinCo Foods in Lancaster last year.
Trevor James Kirk, 31, of Santa Clarita, is charged in a single-count indictment with deprivation of rights under color of law for the force he used during one of his shifts as a sheriff’s deputy in June 2023. Kirk caused injuries to, and used pepper spray on, victim J.H. Kirk will be arraigned on the charge in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles later this month.
“When an officer violates the civil rights of another person, it undermines public safety for all of us,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Officers must be held accountable when they violate constitutional rights, and my Office is committed to prosecuting those who abuse their authority and breach the public’s trust.”
“All law enforcement personnel who take an oath to protect and serve the American people must be held to a higher standard,” said Akil Davis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI remains committed to holding those who do not meet this standard accountable for their actions.”
According to the indictment, Kirk and another deputy were responding to a possible robbery at the WinCo by a male and female suspect. Kirk and the other deputy arrived on scene and handcuffed and detained a man matching the description of the male suspect, while a female, J.H., who matched the description of the female suspect, videotaped the deputies. While videotaping, J.H. told Kirk that he had a legal obligation to inform D.B. of the basis for his detention and that she was broadcasting his actions on social media.
The indictment alleges that Kirk then approached J.H. and, without giving any commands, attempted to grab her phone. J.H. turned away, at which point Kirk allegedly grabbed J.H. by her arm, hooked his left hand behind her neck, and violently threw her to the ground. While on the ground, Kirk yelled at J.H. to “get on the ground,” and she told him that “It’s already on YouTube Life,” implying her video of Kirk and the other deputy handcuffing D.B. had already been made public. Kirk then placed his knee on J.H.’s shoulder and when J.H. yelled for Kirk to “stop” and called him an expletive, Kirk cocked his right arm back with a clenched fist and said, “Stop or you’re gonna get punched in the face.” Kirk then allegedly pressed his knee into J.H.’s neck, and she said, “Get your neck [sic] off my . . . off my . . . I can’t breathe.” While on top of J.H., the indictment alleges that Kirk used his LASD radio to misleading report that he was in a “fight.”
The indictment further alleges that shortly thereafter, without giving any additional commands to J.H., Kirk sprayed her twice in the face with pepper spray. J.H. received medical attention for the pepper spray used on her and the injuries she received from being thrown to the ground. The indictment also alleges that Kirk then drafted and submitted a misleading report to LASD in which he portrayed J.H. as a threat to his physical safety, claiming that J.H. assaulted him, attempted to hit him, and took a “fighting” or “blading” stance.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
If convicted, Kirk would face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
The FBI is investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Eli A. Alcaraz of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section is prosecuting this case.
Liberty County woman sentenced to prison after attacking Fort Stewart medical staffRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: A Liberty County woman was sentenced to federal prison after her conviction at trial for attacking medical professionals at Fort Stewart.
Christie F. Oxendine, 35, of Hinesville, Ga., was sentenced to 16 months in prison after being found guilty of Obstructing and Hindering Emergency Professionals, along with misdemeanor counts of simple battery and disorderly conduct, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge R. Stan Baker also ordered Oxendine to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of her prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“While family members and patients will occasionally disagree on standards of care in medical facilities, it is inexcusable to physically attack and disrupt the work of health care professionals,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “This sentence of incarceration makes clear that violent and abusive behavior will not be tolerated.”
As described at trial, Oxendine brought her minor child to the Winn Army Community Hospital at Fort Stewart for treatment. Despite not having any medical training, Oxendine demanded that medical staff perform specific procedures during that treatment even though those procedures were not medically recommended, not part of the standard of care, and potentially more dangerous for her child. Oxendine became verbally and physically abusive when staff members attempted to continue treatment.
Oxendine unhooked her minor child from medical equipment and began forcibly removing her from the hospital, and as staff members attempted to prevent Oxendine’s exit she shoved one pregnant nurse and pushed another into a wall while yelling at them and using profane language. Military police officers later removed the child from Oxendine’s vehicle for continued treatment, and Oxendine was banned from the facility.
Oxendine was convicted after a two-day trial in April on all counts. She is ordered to report for incarceration to an assigned Bureau of Prisons facility by Sept. 23.
The case was investigated by the Department of the Army Criminal Investigations Division and Military Police, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew A. Josephson and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Z. Spitulnik.
Lee County Felon Sentenced to Prison for Unlawfully Possessing A Loaded FirearmRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, FL – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Caleb Frank Hamm (21, Lee County) to 30 months in federal prison for unlawfully possessing a loaded firearm. Hamm entered a guilty plea on May 24, 2024.
According to court documents, on September 15, 2023, a deputy from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle Hamm was driving and observed indicators of alcohol impairment. Hamm, a convicted felon and state probationer, was subsequently arrested for DUI and his vehicle was searched before it was towed from the scene. Inside the center console of the vehicle deputies located Hamm’s loaded, unserialized, Glock-style 9mm handgun equipped with a high-capacity magazine and a machinegun conversion device. As a previously convicted felon, Hamm is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon Eth.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Lake County Felon Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida– United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced William Scott Fogg (37, Altoona) to seven years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Fogg entered a guilty plea on May 21, 2024.
According to court records, Fogg has been convicted of eight state felonies since 2008, including burglary, grand theft, and illegal drug possession. As a convicted felon, Fogg is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law. On August 28, 2023, Fogg approached his girlfriend, who was seated in a truck with her minor children. Fogg entered the truck and removed his girlfriend’s loaded handgun from the center console. He then chambered a round of ammunition and told his girlfriend that he was going to shoot her, her children, and himself. Responding deputies took Fogg into custody and recovered the loaded firearm.
This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.
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.
Justice Department Disrupts Covert Russian Government-Sponsored Foreign Malign Influence Operation Targeting Audiences in the United States and ElsewhereRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero and the Justice Department today announced the ongoing seizure of 32 internet domains used in Russian government-directed foreign malign influence campaigns colloquially referred to as “Doppelganger,” in violation of U.S. money laundering and criminal trademark laws.
As alleged in an unsealed FBI affidavit filed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the Russian companies Social Design Agency (SDA), Structura National Technology (Structura), and ANO Dialog, operating under the direction and control of the Russian Presidential Administration, and in particular First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Sergei Vladilenovich Kiriyenko, used these domains, among others, to covertly spread Russian government propaganda with the aim of reducing international support for Ukraine, bolstering pro-Russian policies and interests, and influencing voters in U.S. and foreign elections, including the U.S. 2024 Presidential Election.
The propaganda did not identify, and in fact purposefully obfuscated, the Russian government or its agents as the source of the content. The perpetrators extensively utilized “cybersquatted” domains, a method of registering a domain intended to mimic another person or company’s website (e.g., registering washingtonpost.pm to mimic washingtonpost.com), to publish Russian government messaging falsely presented as content from legitimate news media organizations. In other instances, the perpetrators sought to create their own unique media brands to promote Doppelganger content (e.g., Recent Reliable News). Among the methods Doppelganger used to drive viewership to the cybersquatted and unique media domains was the deployment of “influencers” worldwide, paid social media advertisements (in some cases created using artificial intelligence tools), and the creation of social media profiles posing as U.S. (or other non-Russian) citizens to post comments on social media platforms with links to the cybersquatted domains, all of which attempted to trick viewers into believing they were being directed to a legitimate news media outlet’s website.
“Protecting our democratic processes from foreign malign influence is paramount to ensure enduring public trust,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “As America’s adversaries continue to spew propaganda and disinformation towards the American electorate, we’ll use every tool at our disposal to expose and dismantle their insidious foreign influence campaigns.”
“Today’s disruption sends a clear message to our adversaries: we will not tolerate foreign efforts to influence our elections,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Our office and our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office are committed to identifying, investigating, and counteracting malign foreign influence operations targeting the United States.”
Overview
The affidavit describes the perpetrators’ own internal strategy meeting notes, project proposals, and other records obtained during the course of the investigation. Several notable propaganda project proposals directed against the United States included:
- Good Old USA Project: Attachments 8A, 8B
- The Guerilla Media Campaign: Attachments 9A, 9B
- U.S. Social Media Influencers Network Project: Attachments 10A, 10B
Doppelganger’s foreign malign influence efforts were not directed solely against audiences in the United States. Other targets of the perpetrators’ propaganda included Germany, Mexico, and Israel, among others. Doppelganger’s influence campaigns sought to influence the citizenry of those countries to support Russian government objectives, including by undermining the United States’ relationship with those countries.
Doppelganger’s use of the U.S.-based domain names at the direction and control of, and for the benefit of, sanctioned persons, including Sergei Vladilenovich Kiriyenko, SDA, and Structura, violates the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). As a result, the accompanying payments for Doppelganger’s online infrastructure violate federal money laundering laws. In addition, Doppelganger’s publication of content on cybersquatted domains with names and content that mimic legitimate media outlets violates federal criminal trademark laws because those domains feature trademarks registered on the Principal Register maintained by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
The FBI Philadelphia Field Office is investigating the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and National Security Cyber Section are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance from the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.
In conjunction with the domain seizures, the U.S. Treasury Department announced the designation of 10 individuals and two entities as part of a coordinated response to Russia’s malign influence efforts targeting the 2024 U.S. presidential election. This announcement follows the designation of actors involved in Doppelganger announced by the Treasury Department in March.
Justice Department Disrupts Covert Russian Government-Sponsored Foreign Malign Influence Operation Targeting Audiences in the United States and ElsewhereRead the Press Release
Note: View the affidavit here.
The Justice Department today announced the ongoing seizure of 32 internet domains used in Russian government-directed foreign malign influence campaigns colloquially referred to as “Doppelganger,” in violation of U.S. money laundering and criminal trademark laws. As alleged in an unsealed affidavit, the Russian companies Social Design Agency (SDA), Structura National Technology (Structura), and ANO Dialog, operating under the direction and control of the Russian Presidential Administration, and in particular First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Sergei Vladilenovich Kiriyenko, used these domains, among others, to covertly spread Russian government propaganda with the aim of reducing international support for Ukraine, bolstering pro-Russian policies and interests, and influencing voters in U.S. and foreign elections, including the U.S. 2024 Presidential Election.
In conjunction with the domain seizures, the U.S. Treasury Department announced the designation of 10 individuals and two entities as part of a coordinated response to Russia’s malign influence efforts targeting the 2024 U.S. presidential election. This announcement follows the designation of actors involved in Doppelganger announced by the Treasury Department in March.
“The Justice Department is seizing 32 internet domains that the Russian government and Russian government-sponsored actors have used to engage in a covert campaign to interfere in and influence the outcome of our country’s elections,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “As alleged in our court filings, President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle, including Sergei Kiriyenko, directed Russian public relations companies to promote disinformation and state-sponsored narratives as part of a campaign to influence the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election. An internal planning document created by the Kremlin states that a goal of the campaign is to secure Russia’s preferred outcome in the election. The sites we are seizing today were filled with Russian government propaganda that had been created by the Kremlin to reduce international support for Ukraine, bolster pro-Russian policies and interests, and influence voters in the United States and other countries. Our actions today make clear that the Justice Department will be aggressive in countering and disrupting attempts by the Russian government, or any other malign actor, to interfere in our elections and undermine our democracy.”
“The Department’s seizure of 32 internet domains secretly deployed to spread foreign malign influence demonstrates once again that Russia remains a predominant foreign threat to our elections,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “At Putin’s direction, Russian companies SDA, Structura, and ANO Dialog used cybersquatting, fabricated influencers, and fake profiles to covertly promote AI-generated false narratives on social media. Those narratives targeted specific American demographics and regions in a calculated effort to subvert our election. Our republic depends on elections that are free from foreign interference, and we will not rest in our efforts to expose foreign malign influence operations and protect our democracy, without fear or favor.”
“Today’s announcement exposes the scope of the Russian government’s influence operations and their reliance on cutting-edge AI to sow disinformation,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Companies operating at the direction of the Russian government created websites to trick Americans into unwittingly consuming Russian propaganda. By seizing these websites, the FBI is making clear to the world what they are, Russian attempts to interfere in our elections and influence our society. The FBI will continue to work with our partners to expose and shutdown these covert influence campaigns.”
“This seizure illustrates vividly what the U.S. government and private sector partners have warned for months: the Russian government and its proxies are aggressively accelerating the Kremlin’s covert efforts to seed false stories and amplify disinformation directed at the American public,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Today’s announcement reveals Russia is willing to impersonate our free and open press in its egregious schemes. This is our third disruption of Russian foreign malign influence operations in two months, and the Justice Department remains relentless in protecting Americans from such unacceptable conduct. To Russia, and any other government seeking to stoke discord in our society: know that we will spare no effort and use every available tool to disrupt and expose this malign activity and defend our democratic institutions.”
“Protecting our democratic processes from foreign malign influence is paramount to ensure enduring public trust,” said U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “As America’s adversaries continue to spew propaganda and disinformation towards the American electorate, we’ll use every tool at our disposal to expose and dismantle their insidious foreign influence campaigns.”
The propaganda did not identify, and in fact purposefully obfuscated, the Russian government or its agents as the source of the content. The perpetrators extensively utilized “cybersquatted” domains, a method of registering a domain intended to mimic another person or company’s website (e.g., registering washingtonpost.pm to mimic washingtonpost.com), to publish Russian government messaging falsely presented as content from legitimate news media organizations. In other instances, the perpetrators sought to create their own unique media brands to promote Doppelganger content (e.g., Recent Reliable News). Among the methods Doppelganger used to drive viewership to the cybersquatted and unique media domains was the deployment of “influencers” worldwide, paid social media advertisements (in some cases created using artificial intelligence tools), and the creation of social media profiles posing as U.S. (or other non-Russian) citizens to post comments on social media platforms with links to the cybersquatted domains, all of which attempted to trick viewers into believing they were being directed to a legitimate news media outlet’s website.
Overview
The affidavit describes the perpetrators’ own internal strategy meeting notes, project proposals, and other records obtained during the course of the investigation. Several notable propaganda project proposals directed against the United States included:
- Good Old USA Project: Attachments 8A, 8B
- The Guerilla Media Campaign: Attachments 9A, 9B
- U.S. Social Media Influencers Network Project: Attachments 10A, 10B
Doppelganger’s foreign malign influence efforts were not directed solely against audiences in the United States. Other targets of the perpetrators’ propaganda included Germany, Mexico, and Israel, among others. Doppelganger’s influence campaigns sought to influence the citizenry of those countries to support Russian government objectives, including by undermining the United States’ relationship with those countries.
Doppelganger’s use of the U.S.-based domain names at the direction and control of, and for the benefit of, sanctioned persons, including Sergei Vladilenovich Kiriyenko, SDA, and Structura, violates the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). As a result, the accompanying payments for Doppelganger’s online infrastructure violate federal money laundering laws. In addition, Doppelganger’s publication of content on cybersquatted domains with names and content that mimic legitimate media outlets violates federal criminal trademark laws because those domains feature trademarks registered on the Principal Register maintained by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
The FBI Philadelphia Field Office is investigating the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and National Security Cyber Section are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance from the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.
Justice Department Announces Civil Rights Investigation into Staff Sexual Abuse at Two California State PrisonsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The Justice Department announced today that it has opened an investigation into the conditions of two prison facilities operated by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR): Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla and the California Institution for Women in Chino.
Based on an extensive review of publicly available information and information gathered from stakeholders, the department has found significant justification to open this investigation. The investigation will evaluate whether CDCR protects people incarcerated at Central California Women’s Facility and the California Institution for Women from sexual abuse by correctional staff.
“Sexual abuse and misconduct will not be tolerated in prisons,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Together, with our colleagues in the Eastern District and the Civil Rights Division, my office will thoroughly investigate the conditions at Central California Women’s Facility and the California Institution for Women to determine whether California is meeting its constitutional obligations to incarcerated persons.”
“No woman incarcerated in a jail or prison should be subjected to sexual abuse by prison staff who are constitutionally bound to protect them,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Every woman, including those in prison, retains basic civil and constitutional rights and should be treated with dignity and respect. California must ensure that the people it incarcerates are housed in conditions that protect them from sexual abuse. This investigation will determine whether California is meeting its constitutional obligations.”
“Concern about the physical safety of people inside California women’s prisons is not new,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert for the Eastern District of California. “Media coverage, state audits, advocates’ efforts and private litigation have sought to draw attention to an issue often unseen by many in the community. This investigation responds to those concerns and will aim to ensure that California is meeting its constitutional duty to incarcerated individuals.”
- Women have filed hundreds of private lawsuits in the past two years alleging officer sexual abuse of people incarcerated at the Central California Women’s Facility over the last decade, ranging from allegations of inappropriate groping during searches and genital rubbing to forcible rape.
- This week in state court, a trial is scheduled to begin involving allegations that a former correctional officer at the Central California Women’s Facility engaged in widespread sexual assaults. Of course, these are allegations and the state process will proceed.
- A civil lawsuit was filed on behalf of 21 women incarcerated at the California Institution for Women and included allegations of forcible rape and penetration, groping, oral copulation, as well as threats of violence and punishment with abusive conduct ranging from 2014 to 2020.
- Correctional staff at both facilities reportedly sought sexual favors in return for contraband and privileges.
- The correctional officers named in these allegations range in rank and have included the very people responsible for handling complaints of sexual abuse made by women incarcerated at these facilities.
- In March, a working group established by the State and composed of advocacy groups and community-based organizations published a report to the California Legislature that identified longstanding cultural deficiencies in addressing staff sexual abuse, including an unsafe and inaccessible reporting process and the absence of staff accountability.
Justice Department officials have informed California state officials of the investigation. The department has not reached any conclusions regarding the allegations in this matter. The investigation will be conducted under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act. This statute gives the department the authority to investigate systemic violations of the rights of individuals in institutional settings, including prisons.
The Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section is conducting this investigation jointly with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Eastern and Central Districts of California. Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the department via phone at 1-888-392-9490 or by email at [email protected].
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division’s work regarding correctional facilities is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt/rights-persons-confined-jails-and-prisons.
Individuals in the seven counties of the Central District of California may file a complaint about housing discrimination or other civil rights violations with the Civil Rights Section, Civil Division of the United States Attorney’s Office by completing and submitting this form (English) (Spanish) by email to [email protected].
Justice Department Announces Civil Rights Investigation into Correctional Staff Sexual Abuse at Two California PrisonsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has opened an investigation into the conditions of two prison facilities operated by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR): Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla and the California Institution for Women in Chino.
Based on an extensive review of publicly available information and information gathered from stakeholders, the department has found significant justification to open this investigation. The investigation will evaluate whether CDCR protects people incarcerated at Central California Women’s Facility and the California Institution for Women from sexual abuse by correctional staff.
“No woman incarcerated in a jail or prison should be subjected to sexual abuse by prison staff who are constitutionally bound to protect them,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Every woman, including those in prison, retains basic civil and constitutional rights and should be treated with dignity and respect. California must ensure that the people it incarcerates are housed in conditions that protect them from sexual abuse. This investigation will determine whether California is meeting its constitutional obligations.”
“Concern about the physical safety of people inside California women’s prisons is not new,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert for the Eastern District of California. “Media coverage, state audits, advocates’ efforts and private litigation have sought to draw attention to an issue often unseen by many in the community. This investigation responds to those concerns and will aim to ensure that California is meeting its constitutional duty to incarcerated individuals.”
“Sexual abuse and misconduct will not be tolerated in prisons,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California said. “Together, with our colleagues in the Eastern District and the Civil Rights Division, my office will thoroughly investigate the conditions at Central California Women’s Facility and the California Institution for Women to determine whether California is meeting its constitutional obligations to incarcerated persons.”
- Women have filed hundreds of private lawsuits in the past two years alleging officer sexual abuse of people incarcerated at the Central California Women’s Facility over the last decade, ranging from allegations of inappropriate groping during searches and genital rubbing to forcible rape.
- This week in state court, a trial is scheduled to begin involving allegations that a former correctional officer at the Central California Women’s Facility engaged in widespread sexual assaults. Of course, these are allegations and the state process will proceed.
- A civil lawsuit was filed on behalf of 21 women incarcerated at the California Institution for Women and included allegations of forcible rape and penetration, groping, oral copulation, as well as threats of violence and punishment with abusive conduct ranging from 2014 to 2020.
- Correctional staff at both facilities reportedly sought sexual favors in return for contraband and privileges.
- The correctional officers named in these allegations range in rank and have included the very people responsible for handling complaints of sexual abuse made by women incarcerated at these facilities.
- In March, a working group established by the State and composed of advocacy groups and community-based organizations published a report to the California Legislature that identified longstanding cultural deficiencies in addressing staff sexual abuse, including an unsafe and inaccessible reporting process and the absence of staff accountability.
Justice Department officials have informed California state officials of the investigation. The department has not reached any conclusions regarding the allegations in this matter. The investigation will be conducted under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act. This statute gives the department the authority to investigate systemic violations of the rights of individuals in institutional settings, including prisons.
The Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section is conducting this investigation jointly with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Eastern and Central Districts of California. Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the department via phone at 1-888-392-9490 or by email at [email protected].
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division’s work regarding correctional facilities is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt/rights-persons-confined-jails-and-prisons.
Justice Department Announces Civil Rights Investigation into Correctional Staff Sexual Abuse at Two California PrisonsRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Justice Department announced today that it has opened an investigation into the conditions of two prison facilities operated by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR): Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla and the California Institution for Women in Chino.
Based on an extensive review of publicly available information and information gathered from stakeholders, the department has found significant justification to open this investigation. The investigation will evaluate whether CDCR protects people incarcerated at Central California Women’s Facility and the California Institution for Women from sexual abuse by correctional staff.
“The Central California Women’s Facility, located in the County of Madera, is the largest state prison in California for adult female inmates,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert for the Eastern District of California. “Ensuring that inmates in the California state prison system are treated consistent with Constitutional standards is a priority of my office since so many of the State’s adult prisons are located in the Eastern District.”
“No woman incarcerated in a jail or prison should be subjected to sexual abuse by prison staff who are constitutionally bound to protect them,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Every woman, including those in prison, retains basic civil and constitutional rights and should be treated with dignity and respect. California must ensure that the people it incarcerates are housed in conditions that protect them from sexual abuse. This investigation will determine whether California is meeting its constitutional obligations.”
“Sexual abuse and misconduct will not be tolerated in prisons,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California said. “Together, with our colleagues in the Eastern District and the Civil Rights Division, my office will thoroughly investigate the conditions at Central California Women’s Facility and the California Institution for Women to determine whether California is meeting its constitutional obligations to incarcerated persons.”
- Women have filed hundreds of private lawsuits in the past two years alleging officer sexual abuse of people incarcerated at the Central California Women’s Facility over the last decade, ranging from allegations of inappropriate groping during searches and genital rubbing to forcible rape.
- This week in state court, a trial is scheduled to begin involving allegations that a former correctional officer at the Central California Women’s Facility engaged in widespread sexual assaults. Of course, these are allegations, and the state process will proceed.
- A civil lawsuit was filed on behalf of 21 women incarcerated at the California Institution for Women and included allegations of forcible rape and penetration, groping, oral copulation, as well as threats of violence and punishment with abusive conduct ranging from 2014 to 2020.
- Correctional staff at both facilities reportedly sought sexual favors in return for contraband and privileges.
- The correctional officers named in these allegations range in rank and have included the very people responsible for handling complaints of sexual abuse made by women incarcerated at these facilities.
- In March, a working group established by the State and composed of advocacy groups and community-based organizations published a report to the California Legislature that identified longstanding cultural deficiencies in addressing staff sexual abuse, including an unsafe and inaccessible reporting process and the absence of staff accountability.
Justice Department officials have informed California state officials of the investigation. The department has not reached any conclusions regarding the allegations in this matter. The investigation will be conducted under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act. This statute gives the department the authority to investigate systemic violations of the rights of individuals in institutional settings, including prisons.
The Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section is conducting this investigation jointly with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Eastern and Central Districts of California. Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the department via phone at 1-888-392-9490 or by email at [email protected].
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division’s work regarding correctional facilities is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt/rights-persons-confined-jails-and-prisons.
Jamestown man pleads guilty for his role in narcotics conspiracyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Curtis Snyder, 51, of Jamestown, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $1,000,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua A. Violanti and Jeffrey E. Intravatola, who are handling the case, stated that Snyder was an associate and co-conspirator of Rocco Beardsley, who sold large quantities of heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other controlled substances in the Jamestown area. On April 9, 2019, an individual identified as J.A. was discovered deceased from an apparent overdose at a residence in Jamestown and Beardsley was believed to be involved in the overdose. About a month after J.A.’s overdose death, Beardsley sent Snyder to the residence of another individual to force this individual to make a video regarding Beardsley’s lack of involvement with J.A.’s overdose death. In exchange, Snyder would receive a “bundle” of heroin/fentanyl. The individual complied and made the video, stating that Beardsley was not present at J.A. residence the date of J.A.’s overdose death.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Jamestown Police Chief Timothy Jackson, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone.
Sentencing is scheduled for January, 9, 2025, before Judge Vilardo.
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Jamaican Man Sentenced to 63 Months for His Role in Conspiracy to Defraud Elderly WomanRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On September 4, 2024, Morice Armani Brown, 24 years old, a Jamaican national, currently of Florida, was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 63 months by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Following his imprisonment, he will be on supervised release for a period of one year. The defendant was also ordered to repay nearly $700,000 in restitution to the victim in this case.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Brown pled guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1349 and 1341. Brown’s co-conspirators, Marklyn Antonio Forrester, Jamali Jermaine Ramsay, and Jahmarley Kiboki McFarlane, were sentenced to 63 months, 36 months, and 57 months in prison, respectively. A fifth individual, Tessa Nicole Hines, is scheduled to be sentenced in October 2024, for her role in laundering money related to this scheme.
According to court documents, Brown conspired to defraud a 76-year-old Lenoir City resident out of nearly $700,000 by tricking her into believing she had won millions of dollars in a sweepstakes’ competition through the mail. Brown and the co-conspirators convinced the victim to pay various fees and taxes to claim the winnings and traveled to Lenoir City to collect funds from the victim. The conspirators then split the proceeds between themselves and others.
United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton, III, of the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement.
The charges were the result of an investigation by the Lenoir City Police Department and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anne-Marie Svolto and Michael Deel of the Eastern District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.
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Inmate Charged with Assaulting OfficersRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Mark Randall Harken, 42, an inmate at Federal Correctional Institution Gilmer, was indicted by a grand jury today on four counts of assault of a correctional officer resulting in bodily injury.
According to the indictment, Harken injured four correctional officers during an altercation, causing injuries.
Harken is facing up to 20 years in prison for each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Flower is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Clarence Montana Walls, 38, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 11, 2023, Walls sold a controlled substance containing methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Richwood.
Walls is scheduled to be sentenced on January 16, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Central West Virginia Task Force.
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander A. Redmon is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-77.
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Hoover Brothers Plead Guilty to Selling Stolen Goods OnlineRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Two Hoover brothers have pleaded guilty to running an online fencing scheme that resulted in the sale of over $1 million worth of stolen goods, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis.
Appearing before U.S. District Judge Madeline Haikala, Abdurrahman Amar, 32, and Yahya Amar, 33, each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in the interstate transportation of stolen goods.
According to the defendants’ plea agreements, from January 2022 through December 2023, Abdurrahman Amar organized and led a network of “boosters”—professional thieves. The boosters regularly offered the Amars various new and unopened goods for purchase, especially personal electronic devices and tools. The Amars knew that the boosters obtained these goods by stealing them from various retailers, including Wal-Mart, Target, Home Depot, and Lowe’s.
After purchasing the goods from the boosters at a steep discount from their retail value, the Amars listed the goods for re-sale on various online platforms—primarily eBay and Facebook—at prices that included a markup from the boosters’ prices but that were still well below the stolen goods’ retail value.
Over the course of the conspiracy, the Amars completed approximately 7,283 separate sales of stolen goods on eBay, resulting in total revenue of approximately $1,014,191.44. After selling the stolen goods online, the Amars shipped the stolen goods to customers located throughout the United States and internationally.
The maximum penalty for conspiracy to engage in interstate transportation of stolen goods is five years in prison.
The U.S. Secret Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett A. Janich is prosecuting the case.
Georgia Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Impersonating a U.S. Marshal and Stealing $84,000Read the Press Release
Yakima, Washington - Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Charmmorro Vijay Strothers, 31, of Auburn, Georgia, was sentenced for Wire Fraud. Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian imposed a sentence of 30 months in federal prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, as well as restitution of $85,945.
According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, on August 13, 2023, Strothers rented a car at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and drove to Yakima, Washington. Two days later, on August 15, Strothers’ co-schemer called the victim, told her she was speaking with law enforcement, and that she had an active warrant for her arrest. The co-schemer then told the victim that to avoid arrest, she needed to drive to Egley’s Bail Bonds in Yakima and pay a bond of $14,000. The co-schemer remained on the phone with the victim while she withdrew the money. The co-schemer then instructed the victim to report to the Yakima County Jail Parking lot, which is across the street from Egley’s Bail Bonds.
When the victim arrived, Strothers approached the victim, collected the cash, and gave the victim a handwritten receipt indicating it was from Egley’s Bail Bonds and listing a fraudulent case number.
A short time later, another co-schemer called the victim and told her a felony warrant was issued for her arrest. The victim was again told she needed to drive to the parking lot at the Yakima County Jail and this time pay a bond of $25,000 or she would be arrested. The victim complied, and Strothers collected the additional $25,000 payment. The victim asked for identification information and Strothers falsely told the victim he could not provide it because he was a United States Marshal.
On August 16, 2023, a second victim received a call informing her a federal arrest warrant was issued because she failed to appear as an expert witness. The second victim received several follow up calls. The caller ID on the victim’s phone showed the number to be from the Puyallup Police Department. The victim was concerned this was a scam, but because of the information provided on the call and concern for their reputation, the victim withdrew $44,000 from her bank account. The victim met Strothers at CJ Johnson Bail Bonds in Tacoma, Washington, and handed over the money. Strothers provided the victim with a receipt and left the scene.
On August 18, 2023, law enforcement located and arrested Strothers inside the Sea-Tac airport. During a search, investigators located a receipt booklet containing a copy of the receipt issued to one of the victims and $59,000 in cash.
“Mr. Strothers used the threat of arrest as part of a fraudulent scheme to deceive law-abiding people and con them out of significant amounts money. However, once the fraud was discovered, dedicated investigators worked quickly and effectively to identify Mr. Strothers, and were waiting to take him into custody when he arrived for his flight to attempt his getaway,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “Working with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to protect Eastern Washington from fraudsters and make our communities safe and strong.”
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, Yakima Police Department, and Puyallup Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Courtney R. Pratten and Benjamin D. Seal prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
Four Sacramento Men Charged in Federal Grand Jury Indictment Alleging They Kidnapped Antelope Valley BusinessmanRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Three Sacramento men have been arrested on a two-count indictment charging them with kidnapping an Antelope Valley business owner at gunpoint last year, in an alleged attack in which the victim was beaten, his home was burglarized, and he was abandoned in a desolate part of California, the Justice Department announced today. A fourth defendant remains at large.
The indictment, returned August 27 and unsealed Tuesday, charges the following defendants with two counts of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and kidnapping:
- Shanjeet Brar, 57;
- Jerome Franklin Jr., 43;
- Peter Arafiles Jr., 29; and
- Andrae Hawkins, 39.
Brar, Arafiles, and Hawkins, who were arrested last week, are expected to be arraigned in the United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles in the coming weeks. Franklin remains at large.
“These defendants are charged with putting the victim through a terrifying ordeal, one that will leave lasting emotional and psychological scars,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “We will not tolerate such brazen acts of violence and will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to ensure stiff penalties for perpetrators of such violent acts.”
“The community can rest assured that the perpetrators of this violent and heinous kidnapping are now in custody and will face serious consequences for their actions,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The exemplary collaboration and perseverance from the men and women of the FBI and our law enforcement partners resulted in today's arrests and have made our streets safer.”
According to the indictment and underlying criminal complaint, on October 27, 2023, the defendants traveled from Sacramento to Lancaster to kidnap the victim at gunpoint from the victim’s workplace. They beat the victim, zip-tied his hands, and duct-taped his turban over his face. They demanded $100,000 or more from him, as well as gold and jewelry. They threatened to kill the victim if he did not comply with their demands and told him, “This is your last day.”
While the victim was kidnapped, some of the defendants traveled to the victim’s home to burglarize it. After the victim’s wife noticed the burglars on their home security system, she contacted the victim’s phone, which was in the kidnappers’ possession. The kidnappers eventually abandoned the victim in a desolate area.
Brar allegedly rented one of the two vehicles used in the kidnapping – specifically, the one used in the burglary.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted of all charges, the defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
Operation Safe Cities establishes strategic enforcement priorities with an emphasis on prosecuting the most significant drivers of violent crime. Across this region, the most damaging and horrific crimes are committed by a relatively small number of particularly violent individuals. This strategic enforcement approach is expected to increase the number of arrests, prosecutions and convictions of recidivists engaged in the most dangerous conduct. It is designed to improve public safety across the region by targeting crimes involving illicit guns, prohibited persons possessing firearms, or robbery crews that cause havoc and extensive losses to retail establishments.
The FBI and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin J. Butler and Jena A. MacCabe of the Violent and Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.
Former Pittsburgh Resident Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Investors in $2 Million Green Energy SchemeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A former resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court on September 3, 2024, to a charge of conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Jonathan Freeze, 65, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Robert J. Colville.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that Freeze and his co-conspirators, Robert Irey (deceased) and Kevin Carney, 62, of Euclid, Ohio, owned and ran a company called Alternative Energy Holdings, LLC (AEH). The defendants informed victims that AEH was going to build a plant that would convert biodegradable waste into green energy and offered victims an opportunity to invest in AEH. Specifically, Freeze and his co-conspirators solicited short-term loans that offered high interest rates and, in some cases, an ownership interest in AEH. Additionally, Freeze informed several victims that he personally guaranteed repayment of their loans, despite having insufficient funds to cover any of the guarantees. From approximately June 2016 until April 2018, approximately 22 victims loaned AEH $2,017,228.44. Freeze and his co-conspirators further told victims that their funds would be used for costs associated with building the plant and other business expenses. Instead, the defendants often split the victims’ funds three ways and used it for their personal benefit, including for gambling, high-end clothing, and restaurants. Despite the promise of a short-term repayment and personal guarantees, the co-conspirators did not repay the victims.
Judge Colville scheduled sentencing for January 22, 2025. The law provides for a total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Both Irey and Carney pleaded guilty to the same charge, with Carney’s sentencing scheduled for December 5, 2024.
Assistant United States Attorneys Lee J. Karl and Heidi M. Grogan are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Postal Inspection Service and Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Freeze and his co-defendants.
Former New Mexico Sheriff’s Office Deputy Sentenced for Civil Rights Offense for Sexually Assaulting Arrestee and Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
A former New Mexico sheriff’s deputy was sentenced today to nine years in prison followed by three years of supervised release and required to register as a sex offender under the Federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act for violating the civil rights of a female arrestee and for obstruction of justice.
On April 23, Michael A. Martinez, 34, pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a female arrestee inside his patrol car and for obstructing justice by attempting to destroy his patrol car’s WatchGuard DVR system, which had recorded footage from his patrol car’s internal cameras of the sexual assault.
“Sexual assaults perpetrated by police officers are heinous crimes and a disgraceful breach of the public’s trust in law enforcement,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This defendant’s misconduct — exploiting the power of his badge, weaponizing his authority as a police officer and sexually assaulting a handcuffed victim in the back of his patrol vehicle — violated the victim’s core civil rights and basic standards of decency. We encourage survivors to come forward and report these crimes to the FBI. The sentence imposed today should send a strong message that the Justice Department will do all it can to hold accountable those who abuse their authority by sexually assaulting people in their custody.”
“Those that wear the uniform are expected to treat members of the public they serve with dignity and respect,” said U.S. Attorney Alexander M. M. Uballez for the District of New Mexico. “This includes protecting the rights of those who are in their custody. When an officer abuses their position, they erode the trust of the community we serve. We will scrupulously investigate, and vigorously prosecute, those who abuse the public trust and then try to cover up their misdeeds. The badge will not shield you from justice.”
“The violation of civil rights is a serious issue, especially when committed by those entrusted with enforcing the law,” said Special Agent in Charge Raul Bujanda of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office. “An officer who betrays their duty to protect and serve undermines the integrity of the entire profession. The FBI will not hesitate to investigate any officer or agent who breaks the laws they are meant to enforce or who infringes on the civil rights of others.”
According to court documents, at the time of the offense, Martinez worked as sheriff’s deputy for the Doña Ana Sheriff’s Office in Doña Ana County, New Mexico. On April 30, 2023, Martinez responded to a car accident and placed the victim under arrest for driving while intoxicated and careless driving. Martinez transported the victim to a medical center and, after the victim received medical clearance, he handcuffed her hands behind her back and put her back inside his patrol car, where he proceeded to sexually assault her. Afterwards, he transported her to the Doña Ana Detention Center.
Several hours later, Martinez attempted to physically destroy his patrol car’s WatchGuard DVR system, which is the patrol car’s internal video camera system that, among other things, records and stores footage from the patrol car’s backseat camera. Martinez, correctly, believed that that the DVR system contained a video recording of him sexually assaulting the victim in the backseat of his patrol car and attempted to destroy and conceal that recording from any future investigation.
The FBI Albuquerque Field Office, Las Cruces Resident Agency investigated the case, with assistance from the Doña Ana Sheriff’s Office and New Mexico State Police.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matilda Villalobos for the District of New Mexico and Trial Attorney Laura Gilson of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case.
Former Lauderdale County Teacher Arrested for Online Threats to School Officials and Former StudentsRead the Press Release
MERIDIAN, MS – A Meridian man, who is a former teacher in Lauderdale County, Mississippi, was charged today with federal offenses related to his alleged online threats against school officials and former students.
According to court documents, Daniel Christian Johnson, 36, made online threats over social media, including threats to kill named victims and commit other acts of violence using firearms and explosives. Additionally, law enforcement officers conducted a search of Johnson’s home last week and discovered what are alleged to be components of explosive devices or materials used for the manufacturing of explosives.
Johnson is charged by federal criminal complaint with Interstate Communications with Threat to Kidnap or Injure and Willfully Making a Threat involving Explosive Materials. If convicted, Johnson faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Johnson has also been charged with Mississippi state offenses by the Office of the District Attorney for the 10th Circuit Court District, and he is presently in custody.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.
The FBI and the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel Goff and Brett Grantham are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former International Cyclist Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for International Gun SmugglingRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos Mendoza today sentenced Varun Maharajh (32, Trinidad and Tobago) to seven years in federal prison for smuggling firearms overseas and possessing firearms as an unlawful alien. The court also ordered Maharajh to forfeit the firearms and ammunition seized in the case. Maharajh entered a guilty plea on March 21, 2024.
According to court documents, on June 28, 2022, Maharajh shipped a parcel to London containing a microwave with five concealed pistols inside. The package contained a Taurus G2C pistol, a Glock 17 Gen 5 pistol, two Glock 19 Gen 5 pistols, and 59 rounds of 9 mm ammunition. The serial numbers were obliterated on the firearms and Maharajh used a fake name, “Kelvin Singh,” to ship the package.
On July 18, 2022, Maharajh dropped off a package at a freight forwarding company in Miami. The package was addressed to Trinidad and Tobago and Maharajh worked with an intermediary who filled out the paperwork. The package contained a tent with two AK-47 style firearms concealed within its folds along with a microwave containing pistols. All of the serial numbers on the firearms were obliterated. While Maharajh worked with another individual, he did show a fake ID with the name “Kelvin Singh” to the freight forwarding company when he dropped off the package.
Maharajh was arrested in Indian River County on November 19, 2023, and engaged in a high-speed chase on I-95 before totaling his vehicle and attempting to flee on foot.
Maharjh had entered the United States in 2020 and stayed without legal status after he was scheduled to depart. Maharajh was previously a World Cup cyclist for Trinidad and Tobago and qualified for the Olympics in 2016.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Industry and Security at the U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Florida Highway Patrol, the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office, and the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.
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 Community College Coach Sentenced to Federal Prison for Sexual Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland man who served as the head men’s basketball coach at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, Oregon, was sentenced to federal prison today for persuading a child to send him sexually explicit images.
Nathan Ezell Bowie, 38, was sentenced to 162 months in federal prison and 20 years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, in November 2021, Bowie conducted a basketball camp at an Oregon high school. Bowie asked students at the camp to connect with him online, and the victim sent Bowie a message asking for basketball drills. Bowie continued communicating with the minor, eventually persuading the victim to send sexually explicit images. In January 2022, another coach learned of the communications and alerted law enforcement.
On March 15, 2022, Bowie was charged by criminal complaint with sexually exploiting a child, coercion and enticement, and receipt of child pornography.
On May 15, 2024, Bowie pleaded guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor.
This case was investigated by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and FBI Portland’s Eugene Resident Agency. It was prosecuted by Jeffrey S. Sweet, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
The FBI CETF conducts sexual exploitation investigations, many of them undercover, in coordination with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. CETF is committed to locating and arresting those who prey on children as well as recovering and assisting victims of sex trafficking and child exploitation.
Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former Chief Operating Officer of Covid-19 Testing Kit Company Sentenced to More Than Six Years in Federal Prison for Embezzling $1.85 MillionRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — The former Chief Operating Officer of a suburban Chicago company that sold Covid-19 testing kits has been sentenced to more than six years in federal prison for embezzling more than $1.85 million in company funds.
While on pre-trial and pre-sentencing release for an earlier fraud scheme, DENNIS W. HAGGERTY, JR. issued fraudulent payments from the Willowbrook, Ill.-based company’s bank account for services and goods purportedly provided by himself or the company’s main vendor, a manufacturer from whom the company purchased Covid-19 testing kits. In reality, the services and goods had not been provided. The money purportedly sent to the testing-kit supplier was wired to a bank account that Haggerty controlled, and he spent the funds for his personal benefit.
In addition to the wire transfers, Haggerty issued checks drawn from the company’s bank account to himself, knowing that he would spend the money for his personal benefit. Haggerty concealed his fraud by making false and misleading statements on the checks and to the company’s president.
In all, Haggerty in 2021 and 2022 embezzled and fraudulently misappropriated more than $1.85 million from the company.
Haggerty, 48, of Burr Ridge, Ill., pleaded guilty earlier this year to a wire fraud charge and admitted that he committed the offense while on pre-trial and pre-sentencing release. U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey on Thursday sentenced Haggerty to six years and five months in federal prison.
Haggerty must serve the sentence after completing his federal sentence for the earlier fraud scheme. In the prior case, Haggerty pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering charges for swindling hospitals that had paid him millions of dollars for scarce personal protective equipment in the early weeks of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. He was sentenced in December 2022 to nearly five years in federal prison.
The recent sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Mario Pinto, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney L. Heidi Manschreck.
Federal, County, and City Law Enforcement Officials Announce Initiative to Combat Sexual Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Federal and local law enforcement officials today announced a significant collaborative effort aimed at combatting human trafficking and the sexual exploitation of minors on the Figueroa Corridor in South Los Angeles.
United States Attorney Martin Estrada, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, Los Angeles Police Chief Dominic Choi, FBI Assistant Director in Charge Akil Davis, Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang, and Los Angeles City Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson made the announcement.
The criminal cases announced today involve the Figueroa Corridor – a 3.5-mile stretch of Figueroa Street stretching from Gage Avenue down to Imperial Highway, long known as a haven for prostitution.
The initiative – called the Figueroa Corridor Human Trafficking Initiative – features federal and local law enforcement working together to target human traffickers and those who perpetuate illegal sex work, especially involving minors. This initiative also is designed to help victims – the young women and girls who perform the sex work – to find opportunities and to help get them off the streets.
“The Figueroa Corridor area is ground zero for human trafficking and victims are abused and exploited there every day,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “With this initiative, we are combining federal and local resources to focus on prosecuting more cases federally, particularly those involving victims who are children, and coordinating with our local partners to hold perpetrators accountable. It is imperative that we take an all-hands approach to stop the human trafficking happening right in our backyard.”
“Often, people think of human trafficking as something that happens only in other countries, but it happens in our own City,” said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. “This is an issue that community leaders and former foster youth have been working to fight back against for decades and today’s announcement continues a commitment to protecting children, many of whom have spent time in the child welfare system, and hold traffickers and abusers accountable. I thank our law enforcement partners, especially the hardworking officers of LAPD’s 77th Division, for their continued work on this important issue."
“We are so proud of this unprecedented strategic collaboration, with all of our justice partners leveraging their resources. We have made tremendous progress in our efforts to combat the human trafficking and sexual exploitation of minors that has plagued the Figueroa Corridor for far too long,” said Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto. “By disrupting the illegal activity and the businesses that have harbored it and with our U.S. Attorney taking the lead on federal felony prosecutions, we are declaring loud and clear that our children are not for sale, and our community will not be a hub for sex trafficking of minors.”
“In the fight against human trafficking, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has made significant strides thanks to the relentless dedication of our prosecutors and the unwavering support of our multi-agency law enforcement partners. This collaborative effort has been instrumental in bringing traffickers to justice and dismantling these heinous operations,” said Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón. “Equally important is our dedication to supporting survivors through LADA’s Bureau of Victim Services. Our team is trained to provide trauma-informed care, offering survivors the support they need to heal and rebuild their lives. From the moment they come into contact with our office through to their testimony in court, we stand by their side, ensuring they are treated with the utmost respect and care. We recognize that the fight against human trafficking is ongoing. Together, we will continue to advance justice and work toward a future where human trafficking is eradicated from our community.”
The criminal cases announced today are:
United States v. O’Neal
Christian Brandon O’Neal Scurlock, 21, of Moreno Valley, has been indicted for allegedly sex trafficking two minors – including a 13-year-old girl – and transporting the minor victims across state lines for the purposes of engaging in prostitution. Last month, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging O’Neal with two counts of sex trafficking of a minor and two counts of transportation of a minor in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution and criminal sexual activity.
According to an affidavit that supported a criminal complaint previously filed in this case, in April 2024, officer with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department stopped O’Neal, who had been seen grabbing a young girl by her neck and pushing her into a Mercedes-Benz. When the officers approached, they found two minor girls inside the car – one victim was 13 years old and the other victim was 16 years old. Officers saw several condoms inside the car in plain view.
A record check of the girls revealed that both had been reported as missing juveniles out of California. Both victims told police that O’Neal had brought them to Las Vegas to provide prostitution services as minor commercial sex workers and that they usually worked on “Fig,” short for Figueroa Street in Los Angeles. O’Neal required both minor victims to give him the money they earned from prostitution.
Further investigation revealed that O’Neal advertised himself on Instagram as being a pimp. A review of text messages from the victims’ phones corroborated that O’Neal was their pimp and he had them engaged as minor commercial sex workers on the Figueroa Corridor. Also, in March 2024, police camera footage on the Figueroa Corridor showed O’Neal appearing to yell at the 13-year-old victim, take her clothes, and depart the area, leaving her completely naked on the street.
O’Neal was arrested on August 7, was ordered jailed without bond by a federal magistrate judge and has remained in federal custody since then. He pleaded not guilty on August 27 to the criminal charges against him and an October 7 trial date has been scheduled in this case.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kelsey A. Stimson and Danbee C. Kim of the General Crimes Section and Kathy Yu, Chief of Ethics and Post-Conviction Review, are prosecuting this case.
United States v. Castillo, et al.
Nanci Jasmin Castillo, 31, and Jonathan Gonzalez-Reyes, 38, both of Anaheim, are charged in a six-count federal grand jury indictment alleging they befriended a 13-year-old girl, provided her with alcohol, and sexually assaulted her, taking photographs and making videos of the attack.
According to court documents, Castillo befriended a 13-year-old identified in court documents as “Victim 1.” In February 2021 at Castillo’s Anaheim home, Castillo and Gonzalez-Reyes allegedly sexually assaulted the victim – to whom Castillo had given an alcoholic beverage after the victim previously had taken Xanax anti-anxiety medication – while the victim was going in and out of consciousness. The defendants photographed and made videos of the attack.
A search of Gonzalez-Reyes’ phone and Castillo’s iCloud account by law enforcement revealed the existence of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) depicting the victim and the defendants. Additionally, law enforcement found evidence that Gonzalez-Reyes sent copies of the CSAM to Castillo.
Castillo and Gonzalez-Reyes discussed helping the victim run away from home and possibly trying to find her work on “Fig,” a common reference for the Figueroa Corridor, according to court documents.
Both defendants are charged with one count of production of child pornography. Castillo is further charged with one count of the use of a facility of interstate commerce to attempt to induce a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity and one count of possession of child pornography. Gonzalez-Reyes also is charged with two counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
Castillo and Gonzalez-Reyes have pleaded not guilty to charges and are scheduled to go to trial in March 2025. They have been in federal custody since June 2024.
Assistant United States Attorneys Claire E. Kelly and Chelsea Norell of the Violent and Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.
United States v. Bradford
Donavin Dwayne Bradford, 33, of South Los Angeles, is serving sentence of life in federal prison after being convicted of recruiting and enticing teenage girls for whom he acted as a “pimp” and providing them for commercial sex work.
From the summer of 2021 to February 2022, Bradford caused one of the minor victims – a then-15-year-old girl – to be used for commercial sex acts. Bradford recruited the victim to work for him as a commercial sex worker. As the victim’s “pimp,” Bradford expected the girl to earn him $1,000 per night.
Bradford advertised the girl for commercial sex work on various websites, and customers who responded to the ads were directed to various hotels and motels where they engaged in commercial sex acts with the victim. Sometimes the minor victim would be required to perform sex acts. Customers paid Bradford for “dates” with the victim or she would be required to give Bradford her earnings.
Bradford assaulted the minor victim when she tried to stop working for him on two separate occasions. Bradford also filmed himself engaging in sex acts on two separate occasions with her. From March 2021 to November 2021, Bradford recruited and enticed two other girls – ages 16 and 17 – to engage in commercial sex activity.
At the conclusion of a five-day trial in April 2023, a jury found Bradford guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking with a minor, three counts of sex trafficking of a minor, three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor for the purpose of producing a sexually explicit visual depiction, one count of possession of child pornography, and one count of sex trafficking through threats of force, fraud, or coercion.
Assistant United States Attorneys Chelsea Norell of the Violent and Organized Crime Section and Kathy Yu, Chief of Ethics and Post-Conviction Review, prosecuted this case.
“Our women, youth and communities deserve better, and this is just the beginning of our focused multi agency effort to stop human trafficking along the Figueroa Corridor,” said Los Angeles Police Chief Dominic Choi. “I am grateful to our federal, state and local partners who have come together with the same vision and tenacity on this topic.”
“The FBI and its partners will continue to aggressively investigate crimes which affect our quality of life” said Akil Davis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. “Collaboration with our law enforcement partners is key to accomplishing anything we set out to do. And when we leverage the resources and strengths of our partners, we can do more to protect the American people than we could ever accomplish on our own.”
“HSI’s efforts to combat human trafficking in Los Angeles is most effective with our partnerships with our federal, state and local partnerships,” said HSI Los Angeles Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang. “The success of our investigations is also highly reliant on our victim-centered approach, where we place equal value on the identification and well-being of victims and on the investigation and prosecution of traffickers.”
Indictments and criminal complaints contain allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
Any member of the public who has information related to child sex crimes is encouraged to call the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office at (310) 477-6565 or report tips online at https://tips.fbi.gov.
Federal Jury Finds Manatee County Man Guilty of Using A Hidden Camera to Produce Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Joshua Scott Landers (48, Bradenton) guilty of three counts of producing child sexual abuse material and one count of possession of child sexual abuse material. Landers faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, up to 30 years in federal prison for each production offense and a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment for the possession offense. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Landers installed a video camera inside a smoke detector on the ceiling of the teenage victim’s bedroom. Landers used the footage he captured of the victim to save videos specifically of her engaged in sexually explicit conduct. He then saved that footage on multiple devices and maintained those videos and screenshots for multiple years.
This case was investigated by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Abigail K. King and Courtney Derry.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Federal Employee Charged with Defrauding U.S. Government of More Than $1 MillionRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that James Montoya, 54, of Lakewood, was indicted by a federal grand jury on eight counts of wire fraud.
According to the indictment, Montoya worked as a federal employee at the United States Geological Survey (USGS) office in Lakewood, Colorado. USGS is part of the United States Department of the Interior (DOI). During a routine initiative to identify misuse, DOI identified numerous questionable transactions on Montoya’s government charge card. The indictment alleges that Montoya concealed these improper purchases by altering documents to indicate these purchases were for work-related items. The alleged actions defrauded the government of approximately $1,223,009.42 over approximately fifteen years beginning around December of 2008 and continuing through at least November 2023.
The defendant made his initial appearance in Denver on Wednesday, September 4, 2024, in front of Magistrate Judge Susan Prose.
The charges contained in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent of the charges unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of the Interior Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Sonia Dave.
Case Number: 24-cr-248-PAB
Fayette County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jeff Allen Adkins, 66, of Fayetteville, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 8, 2022, Adkins was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over by law enforcement officers in Oak Hill. Officers searched the vehicle and found approximately 116 grams of fentanyl and 112 grams of methamphetamine. Adkins told officers he possessed the controlled substances and intended to distribute them.
Adkins is scheduled to be sentenced on January 13, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Oak Hill Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander A. Redmon and Ryan Blackwell have prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-57.
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Dothan Woman Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Federal Prison for Her Role in a COVID-19 Era Unemployment SchemeRead the Press Release
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA – On September 4, 2024, a federal judge ordered that 47-year-old Sommer Le Morris, a resident of Dothan, Alabama, receive a sentence of 65 months in prison for her role in filing fraudulent unemployment claims through an expanded Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act program, announced Acting United States Attorney Kevin P. Davidson. Following her prison sentence, Morris will be on supervised release for three years. Federal inmates are not eligible for parole.
Beginning in March 2020, the CARES Act and the Families First Coronavirus Response Act provided for additional funding and expanded access to unemployment insurance programs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In Alabama, a person entitled to unemployment benefits could receive additional funding from the Alabama Department of Labor. Alabama law also allowed an employer to file what is called a “partial” claim on behalf of an employee who had been temporarily laid off due to a lack of available work during the pandemic.
According to the plea agreement and other court records, from March 2020 through February 2021, Morris filed partial claims for 15 individuals falsely stating that they were entitled to the expanded unemployment benefits. Based on Morris’s false representations, ADOL made significant payments, some through wire transfers, to Morris and others that they were not eligible to receive. In her plea agreement, Morris admitted to using the name, date of birth, and Social Security number of others to carry out her scheme.
On May 30, 2024, Morris pleaded guilty to mail fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. During her plea hearing in May, Morris also acknowledged that her scheme caused ADOL to issue $186,478 in fraudulent unemployment claims. The judge ordered Morris to pay restitution to ADOL in that amount.
The United States Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and the Alabama Department of Labor investigated this case, which Assistant United States Attorney Russell T. Duraski prosecuted.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Diesel Repair Shop and Owner Sentenced to Probation and Criminal Fines for Violating the Clean Air ActRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—A Lane County, Oregon, diesel repair shop and its owner were sentenced in federal court today for knowingly and intentionally tampering with pollution monitoring devices on at least 184 vehicles in violation of the Clean Air Act.
Diesel & Offroad Authority, LLC, located in Veneta, Oregon, and its owner and operator, Christopher Paul Kaufman, 39, were each sentenced to three years’ probation and ordered to pay $150,000 in criminal fines. In addition, the sentencing court ordered Kaufman to include a disclaimer on his company’s website declaring that Diesel and Offroad Authority no longer provides “delete and tune” tampering services because they are illegal.
“The defendants in this case illegally tampered with the onboard diagnostics systems and removed the emissions control components from hundreds of diesel trucks,” said Special Agent in Charge Lance Ehrig of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division in Oregon. “Their actions directly contributed to the release of significant amounts of dangerous air pollutants, which leads to serious health conditions such as respiratory diseases like asthma. Today’s sentencing demonstrates that individuals and their companies will be held criminally responsible if they deliberately threaten human health and the environment by violating our nation’s environmental laws.”
According to court documents, beginning in at least 2018 and continuing through 2022, Diesel & Offroad authority tampered with and disabled emissions control systems of at least 184 diesel vehicles in violation of the Clean Air Act. Diesel & Offroad Authority charged its customers approximately $2,300 each for the emissions modifications and collected more than $378,000 for the unlawful services over an approximately four-year period.
As owner of Diesel & Offroad Authority, Kaufman oversaw and participated in the illegal modification of vehicles, including by procuring various automotive parts used in the process and engaging in and directing employees in the removal of emissions control equipment.
On March 12, 2024, Diesel & Offroad Authority and Kaufman were charged by federal criminal information with violating the Clean Air Act by tampering with pollution monitoring devices.
On April 10, 2024, Diesel & Offroad Authority and Kaufman pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division. It was prosecuted by William M. McLaren, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, and Gwendolyn Russell, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Environmental Protection Agency.
If you witness an environmental event that may lead to an immediate threat to human health or the environment, please call 9-1-1. After alerting local emergency authorities, please also report incidents to the EPA’s Report a Violation website (https://echo.epa.gov/report-environmental-violations) or by calling the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802.
Concord Businessman Pleads Guilty to Tax OffenseRead the Press Release
Greensboro, N.C. – A Concord, North Carolina, man has pleaded guilty to willfully failing to collect or pay over taxes, announced Sandra J. Hairston, United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina (USAO-MDNC).
According to court documents, from on or about the first quarter of 2016 up to and including the third quarter of 2022, RONALD JAMES MCMURPHY of Concord was the president of McMurphy Hydraulics, Inc., which was in the business of repairing and manufacturing hydraulics equipment. From on or about the fourth quarter of 2019 up to and including the third quarter of 2022, MCMURPHY also served as president of Powertek Equipment, Inc., a manufacturer of heavy equipment for construction and forestry businesses. MCMURPHY exercised control over the financial affairs of both companies by, among other acts, serving and executing duties as the president of each corporation; exercising authority to hire and fire employees; and having and exercising signatory authority on checks drawn on the corporate bank accounts. He was thus a person responsible for accounting for and paying to the IRS the employment taxes for the employees of both companies, but for various tax periods, MCMURPHY willfully failed to truthfully account for and pay over the trust fund taxes and employer matching taxes due and owing to the IRS on behalf of the companies’ employees. The total employment tax liability from the first quarter of 2016 through the third quarter of 2022 for which MCMURPHY is accountable is $712,017.00.
MCMURPHY pleaded guilty today before Chief United States District Court Judge Catherine C. Eagles. Sentencing is scheduled for December 12, 2024, in Greensboro. MCMURPHY faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, as well as a period of supervised release of not more than three years, and monetary penalties.
The case is being investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Laura J. Dildine of the Middle District of North Carolina is prosecuting the case.
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Clark County Woman Sentenced for Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Winchester, Ky., woman, Irene Fike, 56, was sentenced to 36 months on Wednesday, by U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove, following her convictions for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
From 2016 to 2021, Fike was employed by an accounting firm in Winchester, where she had access to financial information belonging to the victim and performed bookkeeping tasks for the victim. According to her plea agreement, in the fall of 2021, Fike left her employment at the accounting firm and the victim hired her as an independent contractor to assist with paying bills, creating and updating financial records, general bookkeeping, and other matters. She also had access to the victim’s bank accounts.
As part of Fike’s scheme, from April 2018 until September 2022, she defrauded the victim through the unauthorized use of the victim’s credit cards and bank accounts to benefit herself. In total, Fike used $224,349.93 in the victim’s funds to pay her personal credit card. Additionally, she used the victim’s credit cards to make various online purchases totaling $139,307.74. To conceal her fraud, Fike misrepresented the expenditures and debits on financial reports to avoid raising the suspicions of the victim and family.
As part of her sentence, Fike was ordered to pay $405,867.08 in restitution to the victim.
Under federal law, Fike must serve 85 percent of her prison sentence. Upon her release from prison, she will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Michael Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office, jointly announced the sentence.
The case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Huang and Andy Boone prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
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Charlotte Man Is Sentenced to Prison for Possession of A MachinegunRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Durell Smith, 22, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to 54 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for possession of a machinegun, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents and court proceedings, on February 10, 2023, CMPD officers observed Smith park a vehicle that displayed a fictitious tag in front of a residence in Charlotte. An officer approached the vehicle and saw a Glock, model 17, 9mm caliber handgun with distinctive white skulls painted on it with a machinegun conversion device, also known as a Glock switch, installed. The firearm with the skulls had been stolen and had a 30-round magazine inserted into the weapon. A further search of the car revealed a second machinegun, a Glock model 33 .357 caliber handgun with a Glock switch installed. Court records show that Smith had previously posted photos online posing with the firearm with the painted skulls. According to court documents, several months after CMPD seized the two machineguns, Smith was arrested at the same residence. CMPD executed a search warrant on the property and recovered several stolen firearms from the residence.
On April 24, 2024, Smith pleaded guilty to possession of a machinegun. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
U.S. Attorney King thanked the ATF and CMPD for their investigation of the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte 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.
Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Terrence Jay Mason, 31, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 6, 2023, Mason sold approximately 26 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Charleston.
Mason is scheduled to be sentenced on December 19, 2024, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release, and a $5 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Charleston Police Department-Street Crimes Unit.
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Francesca C. Rollo and Samuel D. Marsh are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-34.
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Charleston Developer Sentenced to Prison for Bankruptcy FraudRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – John H. Wellford III, 73, of Charleston, was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $730,326.43 in restitution for falsification of bankruptcy records.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 29, 2019, Wellford filed for bankruptcy on behalf of Corotoman Inc., a real estate development company he owned and operated. As part of the bankruptcy, Corotoman’s Statement of Financial Affairs required Wellford to disclose all monetary transfers from Corotoman outside the ordinary course of business that had occurred in the two years prior to filing for bankruptcy. Wellford admitted that, despite this requirement, he did not disclose that he had transferred $925,326.43 from Corotoman on or around May 2, 2018 to another of Wellford’s businesses, Marsh Fork Development.
Approximately 10 months prior to the bankruptcy filing, Corotoman received a large influx of cash while it was struggling financially and while one of its creditors was actively trying to collect on an outstanding debt. Wellford deposited a $1,978,101.40 check from American Electric Power in Corotoman’s bank account on or around April 30, 2018. Wellford then transferred $925,326.43 of the funds to Marsh Fork Development on or around May 2, 2018. From that money, Wellford transferred $680,000 to his lawyer’s client trust account. Over the next five months, Wellford caused his lawyer to transfer the entire $680,000 back to various businesses that Wellford owned, primarily Marsh Fork Development.
Wellford admitted that all of these transactions were to ensure that he maintained possession and control over the money so that he could use the money for his businesses. Additionally, when Wellford attended a May 28, 2019 meeting of creditors, he testified that Corotoman had not made any payments to creditors outside the ordinary course of business in the year prior. When Wellford twice amended Corotoman’s bankruptcy filings to account for other undisclosed transactions that took place at the same time as the transfer, he failed to disclose the transfer.
“Today’s sentence is at the upper range of the advisory guideline range and reflects the nature and seriousness of Mr. Wellford’s offense. It is also appropriate given his background. Simply put, he should have known better and he should have done better,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “Mr. Wellford went to great lengths to carry out this crime of deception. Each transfer was a deliberate act of duplicity, and there are more than thirty of them. Each failure to disclose was an act of dishonesty.”
Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU) and the West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner-Special Investigations Division. The United States Trustee’s Charleston field office, which serves West Virginia, made the criminal referral of this case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The United States Trustee Program is a component of the Department of Justice whose mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders — debtors, creditors and the public.
“This sentencing sends a clear message: the FBI and our partners will continue to go to great lengths to root out those who think fraud and deception mean more money in their own pocket,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek. “Bankruptcy fraud not only impacts financial institutions and creditors, but it also impacts the everyday person with higher fees and higher taxes. We stand committed to ensuring financial fairness at all levels.”
“Debtors’ responsibility to provide truthful, accurate, and complete information is essential to the proper function of the bankruptcy system,” said Acting United States Trustee Gerard Vetter of Region 4, which includes West Virginia. “This case demonstrates the dedication of the United States Trustee Program and the Justice Department to enforce the statutes imposing that responsibility and to ensure a fair process for debtors, creditors and other stakeholders. We thank U.S. Attorney Thompson and our law enforcement partners for their commitment to protecting the integrity of the bankruptcy system.”
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Holly Wilson prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-63.
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Cary Man Sentenced to More than 8 Years in Prison for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Cary man was sentenced today to 97 months imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release for receipt of child pornography. Derrick Alexander Swick, age 29, pled guilty on August 8, 2023, after law enforcement was alerted in April 2021 by Dropbox that one of their users was uploading child pornography to its platform. Swick was also ordered to pay $20,000 in restitution.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Swick was investigated by the Cary Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security (HSI). The investigation was initiated after Dropbox notified the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about a user, later identified as Swick, uploading child pornography to its platform. Subsequent search warrants led law enforcement to uncover child pornography in both Swick’s Dropbox and Google accounts.
Based on the search warrant results, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Swick’s residence in Cary. Swick was present when the search warrant was executed and initially denied having ever accessed child pornography. When confronted with the search warrant results of his Dropbox and Google account, Swick acknowledged there would be child pornography on his digital devices. Two digital devices were seized and forensically analyzed and found to contain child pornography. In total, Swick possessed over 939 images and 76 videos that depicted child pornography. He additionally had approximately 4200 images that depicted child erotica or were difficult to ascertain the age of the individual. Swick’s collection of photos and videos included very young children, infants, and toddlers, as well as images depicting sadistic and masochistic conduct.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after the sentencing was concluded. U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan presided over the sentencing. The Cary Police Department and HSI investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charity Wilson prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-CR-103-FL.
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Buffalo man who left halfway house charged with escapeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Walter Stewart, 33, of Buffalo, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with escape from custody, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey E. Intravatola, who is handling the case, stated that on September 15, 2022, Stewart was sentenced to serve 58 months in prison after being convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. On May 20, 2024, the Bureau of Prisons furlough transferred Stewart from the Ray Brook Federal Correctional Institution, in Ray Brook, New York, to a community-based placement at CRJ Lighthouse Residential Reentry Center in Buffalo, where he was directed to serve the remainder of his sentence with a projected release date of August 10, 2024. On June 26, 2024, the U.S. Marshals Service was notified by the Bureau of Prisons that Stewart left the center without authorization. Stewart was taken into custody on August 30, 2024.
The complaint is the culmination of an investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service, under the direction of Marshal Charles Salina.
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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