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16 October 2024
KC Man Pleads Guilty to Three Fentanyl Overdose DeathsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to distributing fentanyl, which resulted in three overdose deaths in Belton and Raymore, Mo., as part of a drug-trafficking conspiracy.
Tiger Dean Draggoo, 24, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and three counts of distributing fentanyl resulting in death.
By pleading guilty today, Draggoo admitted that he distributed fentanyl on Sept. 3, 2022, the use of which caused the death of another person. Draggoo admitted that he distributed fentanyl between Aug. 22 and Sept. 13, 2022, the use of which caused the death of another person. Draggoo admitted that he distributed fentanyl between Dec. 7 and 20, 2022, the use of which caused the death of another person.
Draggoo also admitted that the government’s evidence of the total amount of drugs he is responsible for distributing or possessing is at least 22,364 pills that contained a total of 2,460 grams of fentanyl.
Victim #1 Fatality
On Sept. 4, 2022, Cass County, Mo., sheriff’s deputies found a juvenile, identified in court documents as “Victim #1,” deceased in her bedroom. An autopsy report identified “Fentanyl Intoxication” as the cause of death. Investigators determined that Draggoo was selling fentanyl pills to the victim and had supplied her with fentanyl pills on the evening of Sept. 3, 2022.
Victim #2 Fatality
On Sept. 13, 2022, a deceased person, identified in court documents as “Victim #2,” was found in the Belton residence where she lived with her mother. A blue pill was found in her bedroom, which was tested and determined to contain fentanyl. An autopsy report identified the cause of death as “Acute Fentanyl Toxicity.” Investigators learned that Draggoo was selling fentanyl pills to Victim #2. Draggoo typically would drop off pills near midnight at Victim #2’s bedroom window, and cell phone GPS information indicated Draggoo was in the area of Victim #2’s residence at approximately 12:20 a.m on Sept. 13, 2022.
Attempted Arrest of Draggoo
On Sept. 22, 2022, law enforcement officers conducted surveillance of Draggoo’s apartment and attempted to arrest him. Draggoo got into a Jeep Renegade driven by his brother, co-defendant Colt Justin Draggoo, 21, of Kansas City, Mo. Officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop of the vehicle, but the vehicle fled. Tiger and Colt Draggoo later returned to the apartment complex, but when an officer drove into the parking lot, Tiger Draggoo ran into the apartment building and was able to escape.
Colt Draggoo was arrested. Officers found a loaded Springfield Armory 9mm handgun sitting on the driver’s seat of the Jeep. A laundry bag in the back seat contained two fire safes that had a total of $184,500 in cash. Colt Draggoo has pleaded guilty to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy.
Officers searched Tiger Draggoo’s apartment and found 17 firearms, including two machine guns, ammunition of various calibers, $246,769 in cash, a ballistic vest with plates, a money counter, numerous pills that contained fentanyl, eight suspected LSD tabs, and marijuana. The 17 firearms included a Del-Ton 5.56-caliber rifle (converted into a machine gun), a Glock switch (used to convert a Glock pistol into a machine gun), three Marlin .22-caliber rifles, a Norinco 7.62-caliber rifle, a Mosin-Nagant rifle, an Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 .223-caliber rifle, a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun, an Armscorp USA .308-caliber rifle, a Century Arms 7.62-caliber rifle, a Herbert Schmidt .22-caliber revolver, a New England Firearms .22-caliber revolver, a Kimber 9mm pistol, a Glock 9mm pistol, a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol, and a Metro Arms .45-caliber pistol.
Victim #3 Fatality
On Dec. 20, 2022, Raymore police officers were dispatched to a residence in Raymore regarding a non-breathing female, identified in court documents as Victim #3. Victim #3 was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced deceased. A small jewelry box in Victim #3’s bedroom contained three broken segments of a blue pill that were tested and determined to contain fentanyl. An autopsy report identified the cause of death as “Acute Fentanyl Toxicity.” Investigators learned that Tiger Draggoo had been selling fentanyl to Victim #3 since as early as May 31, 2022. The last Facebook Messengers conversation between Tiger Draggoo and Victim #3 occurred on Dec. 7, 2022, when they agreed to meet and an amount of $50 was agreed upon.
Arrest of Draggoo
Tiger Draggoo was arrested at his residence on Jan. 20, 2023. Tiger Draggoo was in possession of almost $2,000 in cash in his billfold and pockets. Officers searched Tiger Draggoo’s apartment and recovered pills from the toilet. Officers also found suspected psilocybin mushrooms, 144 grams of yellow THC wax, and more than $62,000 in additional cash. Officers searched Tiger Draggoo’s Honda Accord and found three handguns, a Palmetto State Armory multi-caliber rifle, an unregistered short-barreled 12-gauge shotgun, and $1,250 in cash. Officers searched his girlfriend’s Jeep Renegade, which was located at the apartment complex, and found a backpack that contained more than $82,000 in cash.
Under federal statutes, Tiger Draggoo is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brad K. Kavanaugh and Robert Smith. It was investigated by the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Belton, Mo., Police Department, the Raymore, Mo., Police Department, the Cass County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the FBI.
Justice Department and City of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Seek Partial Termination of Consent Decree Covering Albuquerque Police DepartmentRead the Press Release
The Justice Department and City of Albuquerque (City), New Mexico, filed a joint motion today seeking court approval to terminate certain portions of the consent decree covering the Albuquerque Police Department (APD). The joint motion follows the independent monitor’s 20th report, also filed today, which concluded that the City and APD have reached full compliance with 99% of the consent decree’s terms, the highest level of compliance achieved by APD.
The monitor’s report indicates that APD’s compliance level reflects significant achievement in critical areas such as completing timely and high-quality use-of-force and misconduct investigations. These accomplishments take place against a backdrop of a 37% reduction in APD’s use of serious force in the last four years.
“Our joint motion to terminate additional provisions of this consent decree demonstrates that the Justice Department has come even closer to its ultimate goal of ensuring constitutional and effective policing in Albuquerque,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Real reform is not only possible, but evident in Albuquerque. Since this consent decree went into effect, the Albuquerque Police Department has made significant and sustained progress in implementing policing practices that respect civil rights and promote public safety. We have seen a 37% decline in use of serious force over the last four years, and continue to move reform efforts forward. The Justice Department will continue to work with the City and its police department toward our shared goal of constitutional and effective policing—the community deserves nothing less.”
“This partial termination proves that the hard work of the men and women of the Albuquerque Police Department and the persistent advocacy from the community are achieving real results,” said U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez for the District of New Mexico. “Where the existence of a consent agreement is a symptom of dysfunction, every paragraph terminated is evidence of progress. Effective policy, operational observance of those rules, and persistent compliance with reform have set up APD for success. The sustainment period which follows termination will ensure that APD delivers the police department the people of Albuquerque deserve.”
The joint motion asks the court to terminate 31 consent decree provisions with which APD has fully complied for at least two years. The provisions cover a range of topics, including use of electronic control weapons (commonly known as Tasers); crisis intervention; crisis prevention; and supervision. It is the third joint motion the parties have filed in the last year seeking to terminate a total of 183 paragraphs of the consent decree, or 67% of the enforceable provisions of the agreement.
APD has made substantial change in reaching compliance with provisions of the consent decree the parties seek to terminate, including:
- APD has properly trained all officers on using Tasers to ensure that officers only use these weapons when lawful and necessary.
- APD has trained specialized officers to respond to behavioral health crises and deployed those officers across the department. Albuquerque has also created a new agency called Albuquerque Community Safety to send trained mental health professionals to 911 calls involving behavioral health issues. Through these two initiatives, Albuquerque is working to ensure that people get the help they need.
- APD has improved supervision across the police department, ensuring that officers receive the guidance, direction and support they need to be effective and comply with the law.
The District Court for the District of New Mexico entered the consent decree in June 2015. The decree, as well as information about the Civil Rights Division, are available on the Special Litigation Section Cases and Matters website. Additional information about implementation of the consent decree is also available on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website. If you believe your civil rights have been violated, please submit a complaint through our online portal.
Iranian National Charged with Naturalization FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Alireza Baradaran Rafii (57, Tampa) with attempting to procure naturalization unlawfully and making false statements relating to his naturalization under oath. If convicted on all counts, Rafii faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, Rafii falsely stated on his naturalization application and under oath during his naturalization interview with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that he had never served in, helped, or otherwise participated in a military unit, paramilitary unit, police unit, or militia, and that he had never received any type of military, paramilitary, or weapons training, when he knew that he had served in the Iranian military from November 1992 until February 1994 and had received military and weapons training.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Risha Asokan.
Indictment Charges 19-Year-Old with Shooting Another Teen in the HeadRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Christ Tchakounte, 19, of Hyattsville, MD, has been charged in a seven-count indictment for shooting a 15-year-old victim three times, including once in the head, on the afternoon of January 19, 2024, in the Kingman Park neighborhood of Southeast D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
The indictment was returned today by a Superior Court grand jury, and charges Tchakounte with one count each of assault with intent to kill while armed, aggravated assault while armed, attempt to commit robbery while armed, three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and carrying a pistol without a license. According to the Government’s evidence, the teenage victim was out shoveling snow in the neighborhood with friends and relatives during a snow day in January 2024 when Tchakounte and an accomplice pulled up in a car, parked in a nearby alley, flanked the victim at the intersection of 16th Street and A Street Southeast, shot the victim three times, and then fled after the victim collapsed in the street. After several months of intensive care, the victim survived.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Cocuzza and Daniel Bromwich.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
Indictment Adds Six More Defendants to Bank Fraud Conspiracy CaseRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – A superseding indictment charges a total of 14 defendants in connection with a nationwide conspiracy to use stolen identities to fraudulently obtain money, checks, and credit from banks and credit unions located in the Northern District of New York and all over the country. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
According to the indictment, court filings, and statements made by prosecutors in court, between at least November 2021 and December 2023, the defendants conspired to steal the identities of people who resided all over the country and impersonated those people at banks and credit unions to fraudulently obtain cash, checks, loans, and credit. The conspirators allegedly opened bank accounts in the names of identity-theft victims, which were then used to deposit and access the funds from checks they had fraudulently obtained from banks and credit unions by impersonating other individuals. The conspirators’ conduct allegedly involved nearly $3 million in intended losses and more than $1.5 million in actual losses. The charges in the superseding indictment are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Oluwaseun Adkeoya, age 39, of New Jersey, and David Daniyan, age 60, of Brooklyn, New York, were previously charged in an indictment returned last December, along with codefendants Victor Barriera, age 64, of the Bronx, New York, Gaysha Kennedy, age 46, of Brooklyn, Jerjuan Joyner, age 50, of Brooklyn, Akeem Balogun, age 56, of Brooklyn, Danielle Cappetti, age 46, of the Bronx, and Lesley Lucchese, age 53, of Brooklyn, with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft.
The superseding indictment is the result of an ongoing investigation that began after the May 2022 arrest of Daniyan, Kennedy, and Barriera by the Cohoes Police Department after the trio had allegedly traveled to the Capital Region to commit bank fraud. The original indictment charged Adekoya, Daniyan, Barriera, Kennedy, Joyner, Balogun, Cappetti, and Lucchese with fraudulently obtaining over $900,000 in cash and checks between December 2021 and April 2023.
The charges in the superseding indictment, which was returned on October 8, 2024, are as follows:
- Adekoya is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of money laundering conspiracy, and nine counts of aggravated identity theft;
- Daniyan is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of money laundering conspiracy, and four counts aggravated identity theft;
- Kani Bassie, age 36, of Brooklyn, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft;
- Davon Hunter, age 27, of Richmond, Virginia, is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft;
- Jermon Brooks, age 20, of Richmond, is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft;
- Christian Quivers, age 20, of Richmond, is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft;
- Sherry Ozmore, age 56, of Richmond, is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft; and
- Crystal Kurschner, age 44, of Brooklyn, is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
The bank fraud conspiracy charges carry a maximum term of 30 years in prison, the money laundering conspiracy charges carry a maximum term of 20 years in prison, and each aggravated identity theft charge carries a mandatory term of 2 years in prison, to be imposed consecutive to any other term of imprisonment. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Balogun, Barriera, Cappetti, Joyner, and Lucchese each previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and will be sentenced by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino.
FBI Albany is investigating the case, with assistance from the FBI Field Offices in New York, Newark, Richmond and Resident Agencies in Westchester, New York; Brooklyn/Queens, New York; Garrett Mountain, New Jersey; and Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Additional assistance was provided by other law enforcement agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement & Removal Operations (New York Field Office & Albany sub-office); U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service (Buffalo Field Office & St. Albans Resident Office); U.S. Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General; New York law enforcement agencies including the New York State Police; Cohoes PD; Colonie PD; Elmira PD; Corning PD; Plattsburgh PD; Florida law enforcement agencies including the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office and Escambia County Sheriff’s Office; the Pennsylvania State Police; Alabama law enforcement agencies including the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, Gasden PD, and Rainbow City PD; Georgia law enforcement agencies including the Georgia State Patrol, Bartow County Sheriff’s Office, and Morrow PD; Kansas law enforcement agencies including Lawrence PD and Overland Park PD; New Hampshire law enforcement agencies including Rochester PD, Manchester PD, and Amherst PD; the Delaware State Police; Maryland law enforcement agencies including the Maryland State Police, Harford County Sheriff’s Office and Baltimore County Sheriff’s Office; Wisconsin law enforcement agencies including Onalaska PD and Eau Claire PD; and Indiana law enforcement agencies including the Allen County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin S. Clark and Joshua R. Rosenthal are prosecuting this case.
Indiana Man Admits $500,000 Wire Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – An Indiana man admitted defrauding dozens of victims by fraudulently negotiating the sales of valuable and rare items that he did not own or possess, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Brian Combs, 49, Fishers, Indiana, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Georgette Castner in Trenton federal court on Oct. 15, 2024, to an information charging him with three counts of wire fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From April 2018 through December 2023, Combs fraudulently obtained $581,605 from dozens of victims by fraudulently negotiating sales of valuable and rare items – which he did not own or possess – with unsuspecting victims, who believed Combs would deliver these items once they paid Combs. The items included rare bottles of whiskey, precious metals, silver coins, and a rare, collectable Mickey Mantle baseball trading card. Combs frequently requested that the victims wire payment for these valuable and rare goods to him directly, rather than through the e‑commerce website where he advertised the sale of these goods, to make it more difficult for the victims to recover payment for the items Combs fraudulently failed to deliver to them.
The wire fraud charges each carry a maximum of 20 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 20, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI Newark Division, Trenton Resident Agency, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Super Pitts of the Criminal Division in Trenton.
combs.information.pdfHusband of Daycare Operator Sentenced to 45 Years in Prison in Connection with Fentanyl Poisoning of Four Children at A Bronx DaycareRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that FELIX HERRERA GARCIA was sentenced to 45 years in prison for trafficking fentanyl out of a daycare in the Bronx, which resulted in the death of one child and the poisoning of three others. Herrera Garcia pled guilty on June 10, 2024, before United States District Judge Jed S. Rakoff, who imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Felix Herrera Garcia operated a deadly fentanyl trafficking enterprise out of a Bronx daycare, recklessly putting babies at risk of fentanyl exposure. Tragically, on September 15, 2023, one child was killed and four others were poisoned at the daycare by the defendant’s deadly drugs. This case demonstrates the deadly reach and scope of the fentanyl epidemic, and the profound damage it inflicts on American lives, including the lives of the most vulnerable among us. This Office and our law enforcement partners will work tirelessly to ensure that anyone who harms or risks the lives of children in connection with their deadly narcotics activities will be brought to justice.”
According to the Complaint, the Indictment, and other documents in the public record:
From at least in or about October 2022 through September 2023, HERRERA GARCIA and others conspired to distribute narcotics out of Divino Niño Daycare (the “Daycare”) in the Bronx. There, HERRERA GARCIA and his co-conspirators maintained more than eleven kilograms of fentanyl and heroin in secret compartments, or traps, located underneath the floor tiles in the playroom of the Daycare, where the children played, ate, and slept on a daily basis.
As a consequence of the drug conspiracy perpetrated by HERRERA GARCIA and his co-conspirators, on or about September 15, 2023, four children at the Daycare, all of whom were under three years of age, experienced the effects of poisoning from exposure to fentanyl. Three of the children were hospitalized. The fourth child, 22-month-old boy, died.
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In addition to the prison term, HERRERA GARCIA, 35, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced to 5 years of supervised release.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), the Southern District of New York Digital Forensic Unit, the Complex Analytical and Social Media Enhancement Team at the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) New York Strike Force, and the United States Marshals Service (“USMS”). Mr. Williams also thanks the NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force of the USMS, the USMS Office of International Operations, the USMS for the Southern District of New York, the USMS for the Southern District of Texas, the USMS for the Southern District of California, the USMS Mexico Field Office, the USMS Investigative Operations Division, the DEA New York Strike Force, the DEA Regional Office in Allentown, Pennsylvania, the DEA Regional Office in McAllen, Texas, the DEA Regional Office in Mexico City, Mexico, the DEA Regional Office in Hermosillo, Mexico, the DEA Regional Office in Monterrey, Mexico, the DEA Special Operations Division, the NYPD 52nd Precinct’s Detective Squad, the NYPD Bronx Homicide Squad, the NYPD Laboratory, the Office of International Affairs of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Mexican Federal and State authorities.
The OCDETF New York Strike Force provides for the establishment of permanent, multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the New York Strike Force is to target, disrupt, and dismantle drug trafficking and money laundering organizations, reduce the illegal drug supply in the United States, and bring criminals to justice.
This case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon C. Thompson, Maggie Lynaugh, and Justin Rodriguez, as well as Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Karl P. Miller of the Office of the Bronx County District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, are in charge of the prosecution.
Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Alonzo Dewayne Harden, 30, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 17, 2024, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in Huntington in which Harden was a passenger. Harden exited the vehicle and fled on foot before he was apprehended by officers. While fleeing, Harden tossed a loaded Glock Model 22 .40-caliber pistol with an extended magazine to the ground. Officers recovered the firearm.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Harden knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for malicious assault and use or presentment of a firearm during the commission of a felony in Cabell County Circuit Court on August 26, 2021.
Harden is scheduled to be sentenced on January 27, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Police Department, the Huntington Violent Crime Drug Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-116.
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Hartford Woman Sentenced to More Than 5 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Gunpoint RobberyRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that VALERIE MENESES, 24, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 63 months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for her role in a gunpoint robbery of a victim who was selling an iPhone on Facebook Marketplace.
According to court documents and statements made in court, ATF, the Hartford Police Department, and the Middletown Police Departments investigated a series of gunpoint robberies of individuals who advertised items for sale on internet marketplaces, such as Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp. At an arranged meeting place to sell their items, which included cell phones and luxury sneakers and accessories, the purported purchaser would brandish a firearm, force the victim to hand over the luxury goods, and flee. The investigation revealed that in August and September 2022, Meneses’ brother, John Villegas, also known as “Kirby,” committed five armed robberies in Hartford with Jalen Lasalle, and one armed robbery with Meneses in Middletown.
Meneses used a Facebook account to arrange the purported purchase of an iPhone from a victim who advertised its sale on Facebook Marketplace. On August 20, 2022, Meneses traveled with Villegas to meet the victim at a restaurant parking lot in Middletown. When the victim arrived at the meeting location, Villegas entered the victim’s car, inspected the iPhone, pulled out a firearm, and told the victim he was “out of luck.” Villegas also attempted to grab the victim’s personal cellphone and threatened to shoot him, before running to his waiting vehicle and fleeing with Meneses.
Judge Nagala ordered Meneses to pay $1,000 in restitution to the victim.
Meneses was arrested on October 5, 2023. On May 15, 2024, she pleaded guilty to interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery), and carrying and using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
Meneses, who is released on a $25,000 bond, is required to report to prison on December 15.
Villegas and Lasalle, both of Hartford, have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Hartford Police Department, and the Middletown Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie T. Levick and A. Reed Durham.
U.S. Attorney Avery encouraged those who sell and purchase items online, and need to meet an individual in person to complete the sale, to use a visible, monitored location. Contact your local police department to see if it offers a monitored meeting location, or search online for a nearby monitored location.
Harrisburg Woman Pleads Guilty to Health Care Fraud and Bank Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Ester N. Mbaya, age 43, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty yesterday before United States District Court Judge Julia K. Munley, to charges of health care fraud and bank fraud.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Mbaya was president of Cool Waters, LLC, a home health care agency. Mbaya submitted fraudulent Medicaid claims seeking compensation for services that were not provided or inflated claims. Mbaya submitted these fraudulent claims from January 2018 to June 2020, and obtained in excess of $1 million as a result of the fraud.
Mbaya also submitted falsified records to four financial institutions to obtain loans and lines of credit. The falsified records included altered bank statements which made it appear she had more money on deposit than she did. She also submitted falsified pay checks to obtain loans.
“The diligent work of law enforcement collaborators uncovered a criminal scheme that diverted money from in-need Pennsylvanians who could have benefitted from the Medicaid program,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry said. “Our office is proud to work with partners who share the mission of making sure Medicaid dollars pay for care and services that enhance quality of life, rather than line the pockets of bad actors.”
“Medical providers must strictly follow the law when billing Medicaid for services,” said Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Alongside our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG will continue to investigate inaccurate billings submitted to federally funded health care programs.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Sherwood and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Consiglio are prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is 40 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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Grand Jury Returns IndictmentsRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. - A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned the following indictments today. You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and a person named as defendant in an indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Beloit Man Charged With Possessing Child Pornography
Jody Behlke, 49, Beloit, Wisconsin, is charged with possessing child pornography. The indictment alleges that on May 24, 2023, Behlke possessed a Samsung Galaxy 8 Tab tablet containing visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The indictment further alleges that at least one of the depictions Behlke possessed involved a prepubescent minor or a minor who had not attained 12 years of age.
The penalties for possessing child pornography vary depending upon an individual’s prior criminal history. If convicted, Behlke faces a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
The charge against Behlke is the result of an investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor L. Kraus is handling the case.
This investigation was a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
La Crosse Man and Woman Charged with Possessing Methamphetamine and Fentanyl for Distribution
Stephan J. Johnston, 27 and Ashley L. Russell, 31, both of La Crosse, Wisconsin, are charged with possessing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl, both drugs intended for distribution. The two are also charged with maintaining a drug involved premises. The indictment alleges that Johnston and Russell possessed the methamphetamine and fentanyl on February 14, 2024. The indictment further alleges that from January 28, 2024 to February 14, 2024, they maintained a drug involved premises for the purpose of distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl.
If convicted of possessing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine intended for distribution, Johnston and Russell each face a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. If convicted of possessing 40 grams or more of fentanyl intended for distribution, they each face a mandatory minimum of 5 years and a maximum of 40 years in prison. The charge of maintaining a drug involved premises carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
The charges against Johnston and Russell are the result of an investigation by the La Crosse County Sheriff’s Office, La Crosse Police Department, Crawford County Sherriff’s Office, and the Central Wisconsin Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katheryn Ginsberg is handling the case.
Eau Claire Man Charged with Methamphetamine Trafficking
Xa Xiong, 31, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, is charged with distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and attempting to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. The indictment alleges that Xiong distributed methamphetamine on July 26, 2024, and attempted to distribute methamphetamine on August 1, 2024.
If convicted of distributing 50 grams or more, Xiong faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison. If convicted of attempting to distribute 500 grams or more, he faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison.
The charges against Xiong were the result of an investigation conducted by the West Central Drug Task Force, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Clark County Sheriff’s Department. The case was also investigated by the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consisting of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers (TFOs) from local agencies including the Dane County and Clark County Sheriff’s Offices and the Fitchburg, Madison, Sun Prairie, and La Crosse Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Levins is handling the case.
Gastonia Man Is Indicted for Laundering over $380,000 in Wire Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal grand jury returned a criminal indictment this week, charging Matias Alexander Vinces Aguayo, 24, formerly of Gastonia, N.C., with conspiring with others to launder over $380,000 in illegal proceeds from a wire fraud scheme, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to allegations in the indictment, during the scheme, Aguayo owned and operated Keys ‘N Go, a North Carolina company located in Gastonia, which maintained online payment processing accounts with Stripe and Square. In addition, the indictment further alleges that Aguayo owned and controlled personal and business bank accounts with a financial institution, including in the name of Keys ‘N Go, and a cryptocurrency exchange account at Binance.US.
According to allegations in the indictment, Aguayo’s co-conspirators used fraudulently obtained personally identifying information (PII) to open bank accounts online in order to receive promotional money and other fraudulently obtained funds, which was then deposited into the bank accounts. A co-conspirator of Aguayo then allegedly sent the bank account information to Aguayo, who used it to withdraw the money from the accounts via the Keys ‘N Go accounts at Stripe and Square. It is further alleged that, after receiving the Stripe and Square deposits into the Keys ‘N Go bank account at the financial institution, a co-conspirator provided Aguayo with directions to transfer the proceeds from the accounts Aguayo controlled to overseas bank accounts in Pakistan and to cryptocurrency addresses. In total, Aguayo allegedly transferred at least $240,000 to cryptocurrency addresses and via wire transfers. Aguayo earned compensation for his role in the scheme, including keeping a percentage of the money initially deposited into the accounts he controlled.
The money laundering conspiracy charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction.
The charges against Aguayo are allegations and the defendant is innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
Former Prince George’s County Elementary School Teacher Indicted for Coercion and Enticement of A Child and for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury returned an indictment on September 26, 2024, charging Mark Edward Cobb, age 44, of Bowie, Maryland, for coercion and enticement of a child and for possession of child pornography.
The indictment was announced by Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) Baltimore; and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
According to the indictment, from approximately June 19, 2024, to approximately June 25, 2024, Cobb enticed and coerced a minor victim to engage in sexual activity and possessed sexually explicit images involving a prepubescent minor and a minor victim who had not yet attained 12 years of age. The case arose when Cobb, a former Prince George’s County elementary school teacher, was accused of engaging in a texting relationship with a nine-year-old student, during which he allegedly requested and received explicit photos from the student. During a search of Cobb’s home, sexually explicit images and videos of other children and a bag with several pairs of children’s underwear were found.
If convicted, Cobb faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and up to life in federal prison for coercion and enticement of a child and a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for possession of child pornography. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The defendant’s initial appearance on this indictment was held in the U.S. District Court in Greenbelt on October 16, 2024.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. A defendant charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. = For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
U.S. Attorney Barron commended HSI and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan S. McKoy and Ranganath Manthripragada, who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Former Louisiana Sheriff’s Deputy Sentenced for Civil Rights Violation for Using Excessive Force Against DetaineeRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – A former Louisiana sheriff’s office deputy was sentenced yesterday to 37 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for assaulting a pretrial detainee.
Javarrea Pouncy, 31, a former sergeant with the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office (DPSO), previously pleaded guilty to one count of using excessive force against the detainee. During his plea, Pouncy admitted that in September 2019, he and another DPSO deputy conducted a strip search of a detainee in the DeSoto Parish jail, as part of the detainee’s booking. Pouncy admitted further that during the search, the deputies repeatedly punched the detainee in his head, face and body, even though the detainee did not pose a threat to either officer. As a result of the assault, the detainee was hospitalized and sustained a broken eye socket and broken nose, among other injuries.
“The defendant pledged to protect and serve his community, but instead, he repeatedly punched a detainee without justification, leaving him bloodied and broken,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “People in detention have the right to be treated humanely and not to be brutalized by excessive force. This sentence sends a clear message that we will not tolerate such abuses behind bars. The Justice Department will hold accountable officials who violate detainees’ civil rights.”
“Pouncy took advantage of his position, the power that it yields and the prestige of the badge in committing this criminal act,” said U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown for the Western District of Louisiana. “Decency and order can co-exist with the preservation of an offender’s civil rights. Prosecutions such as these are critical to ensure that the good work of law enforcement officers is not hampered by the heinous acts of bad law enforcement officers.”
“Yesterday, Pouncy faced the consequences of his unnecessary and violent actions toward someone he was supposed to protect,” said Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “It’s a sad day when we have to investigate someone who took an oath to uphold the law. His actions undermine the integrity of the criminal justice system, and I want the public to know we will not tolerate it. The FBI is committed to investigating criminal misconduct, no matter who the subject is or what position they hold in their community.”
The other deputy involved in the assault, DeMarkes Grant, previously pleaded guilty to one count of obstructing justice in connection with the assault. He was sentenced to 10 months in prison.
The FBI New Orleans Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Reeg for the Western District of Louisiana and Trial Attorney Erin Monju of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
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Former Louisiana Sheriff’s Deputy Sentenced for Civil Rights Violation for Using Excessive Force Against DetaineeRead the Press Release
A former Louisiana sheriff’s office deputy was sentenced yesterday to 37 months in prison for assaulting a pretrial detainee.
Javarrea Pouncy, 31, a former sergeant with the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office (DPSO), previously pleaded guilty to one count of using excessive force against the detainee. During his plea, Pouncy admitted that, in September 2019, he and another DPSO deputy conducted a strip search of a detainee in the DeSoto Parish jail, as part of the detainee’s booking. Pouncy admitted further that, during the search, the deputies repeatedly punched the detainee in his head, face and body, even though the detainee did not pose a threat to either officer. As a result of the assault, the detainee was hospitalized and sustained a broken eye socket and broken nose, among other injuries.
“The defendant pledged to protect and serve his community, but instead, he repeatedly punched a detainee without justification, leaving him bloodied and broken,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “People in detention have the right to be treated humanely and not to be brutalized by excessive force. This sentence sends a clear message that we will not tolerate such abuses behind bars. The Justice Department will hold accountable officials who violate detainees’ civil rights.”
“Pouncy took advantage of his position, the power that it yields and the prestige of the badge in committing this criminal act,” said U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown for the Western District of Louisiana. “Decency and order can co-exist with the preservation of an offender’s civil rights. Prosecutions such as these are critical to ensure that the good work of law enforcement officers is not hampered by the heinous acts of bad law enforcement officers.”
“Yesterday, Pouncy faced the consequences of his unnecessary and violent actions toward someone he was supposed to protect,” said Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “It’s a sad day when we have to investigate someone who took an oath to uphold the law. His actions undermine the integrity of the criminal justice system, and I want the public to know we will not tolerate it. The FBI is committed to investigating criminal misconduct, no matter who the subject is or what position they hold in their community.”
The other deputy involved in the assault, DeMarkes Grant, previously pleaded guilty to one count of obstructing justice in connection with the assault. He was sentenced to 10 months in prison.
The FBI New Orleans Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Reeg for the Western District of Louisiana and Trial Attorney Erin Monju of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
Former Fort Moore Contractor Pleads Guilty in Project Safe Childhood CaseRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ga. – A former contractor of Fort Moore admitted he possessed images of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on his phone.
Terric Taylor, 27, of Fortson, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of possessing child pornography before U.S. District Judge Clay Land on Oct. 15. Taylor faces a maximum of 20 years in prison to be followed by at least five years up to a lifetime of supervised release and a $250,000 fine plus potential restitution to be determined by the Court. In addition, Taylor will have to register as a sex offender upon release from prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 28, 2025. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Every sexually explicit video of a child is a permanent record of that child’s abuse which lives on and can cause great suffering for the victim,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “This case illustrates how people from many parts of the community are helping us hold offenders accountable for possessing child sexual abuse material.”
“With every file Taylor downloaded or shared with others, he compounded the unspeakable harm endured by these vulnerable victims,” said Supervisory Senior Resident Agent Richard Bilson of FBI Atlanta’s Columbus office. “Thanks to the outstanding efforts of our dedicated law enforcement partners and federal prosecutors, Taylor will now be held accountable for his crimes.”
"The GBI and our partners are dedicated to ensuring every child receives the freedom and protection they deserve,” said GBI Director Chris Hosey. “Every image or video of child sexual abuse material has the potential to victimize a child repeatedly. This case is a testament to the combined efforts of the GBI, our criminal justice partners and our community members to hold criminals accountable and fight for the safety of our children."
According to court documents and statements referenced in court in the Taylor case, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a Cybertip on July 17, 2022, from the social media platform X concerning user “strayBreeders04” who had uploaded a file of child pornography on the platform. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) discovered Taylor was the user and was employed as a contractor at Fort Moore. Working with Fort Moore’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID), Taylor was located, and he admitted to agents that he uploaded images of child pornography to X. Agents found several files of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on his phone. Taylor estimated he had approximately 50 videos of children engaging in sexual acts on his device.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the FBI, GBI and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Crawford Seals is prosecuting the case for the Government.
Florida Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Prepare Fraudulent Loan Applications Totaling More Than $400,000Read the Press Release
MIAMI – On Oct. 15, Lakeisha Black a/k/a/ “Lakeisha Pierce,” pled guilty in federal court in Fort Lauderdale to conspiracy to make false statements to the Small Business Administration in connection with myriad fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans.
From July 2020 through June 2021, Black charged between $2,000 and $6,000 to prepare fraudulent PPP loans for at least 14 other individuals, including three former Broward County Sheriff’s Office deputies, who all previously pleaded guilty to the conspiracy in separate cases and have been sentenced. In total, Black is responsible for over $400,000 in fraudulent PPP loans.
The sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 7, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith. Black faces up to 5 years in prison for the conspiracy. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe; Special Agent in Charge Brian Tucker, Eastern Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; Special Agent in Charge Darrin K. Jones of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office; Sheriff Gregory Tony of Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO), and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
FRB-OIG, DCIS, BSO, and FBI Miami investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Latoya C. Brown and Trevor C. Jones are prosecuting it.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. The Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors, as well as those who committed multiple instances of pandemic relief fraud. The Strike Force uses prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. Additional information regarding the Strike Force may be found at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-covid-19-fraud-strike-force-teams.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-60137.
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Fishers Woman Facing Federal Charges for Fraud and Forging Signature of a Federal JudgeRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS— A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Christi Lee Dodd, 51, of Fishers, Indiana, with wire fraud and forging the signature of a federal judge.
According to the court documents, Dodd first filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in the Southern District of Indiana in January 2015. In April 2015, a federal bankruptcy judge issued a signed discharge order releasing Dodd from liability for any remaining debts not resolved in the bankruptcy proceedings.
In December 2019, Dodd again filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy in the Southern District of Indiana, but later decided not to proceed and moved to have the 2019 case dismissed. In June 2022, the bankruptcy court dismissed Dodd’s 2019 bankruptcy petition. The court did not issue a discharge order in the 2019 case, and none of Dodd’s unpaid debts were resolved.
In 2023, Dodd allegedly created and forged a discharge order purporting to absolve her of debts related to her 2019 Chapter 13 bankruptcy petition. Dodd emailed the fraudulent document to a financial institution purportedly proving that she had received a discharge in her 2019 bankruptcy case so that she could obtain a line of credit to pay outstanding debts owed by the trucking business she owned.
The emailed document was purportedly filed in Dodd’s second bankruptcy case with the heading, “DISCHARGE OF DEBTOR IN A CHAPTER 13 CASE.” As alleged in the indictment, the forged document was in fact created by Dodd using the discharge order from her first bankruptcy under Chapter 7 and contained the forged signature of the judge who issued the 2015 discharge order.
“Protecting the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system is an important priority of the Department of Justice. Our office is committed to working closely with our partners at the U.S. Trustee Program to uphold the law and protect the interests of debtors and creditors,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana.
“The filing of a fraudulent court order containing the forged signature of a bankruptcy judge strikes at the very core of the integrity of the bankruptcy system and will not be tolerated,” said Nancy J. Gargula, United States Trustee for Indiana and the Central and Southern Districts of Illinois (Region 10). “We are grateful for U.S. Attorney Myers and our law enforcement partners for their commitment to protect the integrity of the bankruptcy process in the Southern District of Indiana., as demonstrated by this indictment.”
The FBI and U.S. Trustee’s Office is investigating this case in collaboration with the Southern District of Indiana Bankruptcy Fraud Working Group. The United States Trustee Program is the component of the Department of Justice responsible for overseeing the administration of bankruptcy cases and litigating to enforce the bankruptcy laws. If convicted, Dodd faces up to twenty-five years in federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Eakman, who is prosecuting this case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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First Circuit Affirms Lower Court: Prosecution of Lucas and Alisa Sirois to ContinueRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit on Tuesday affirmed the district court’s decision to deny a motion filed by Lucas and Alisa Sirois to end the federal prosecution against them. The defendants failed to show that their marijuana operation complied with Maine’s medical marijuana laws. As a result, the prosecution will continue in federal court.
Lucas and Alisa Sirois sought to enjoin their prosecution by invoking the Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment, which prohibits the Department of Justice from prosecuting cases that would interfere with states’ ability to implement their own medical marijuana laws. But because the defendants could not demonstrate that their operations complied with Maine law, the appellate court held that the U.S. Attorney’s prosecution did not run afoul of the Amendment. Indeed, as reflected in the Court’s opinion, Maine’s Office of Cannabis Policy requested the federal government to investigate the defendants because it believed that they operated as a collective, which was illegal under Maine law. The Court further concluded that Lucas Sirois failed to rebut evidence presented by the government that he knowingly engaged in more than a million dollars’ worth of black-market sales of marijuana.
Lucas Sirois and his coconspirators are alleged to have realized more than $13 million in proceeds over a six-year period through the illicit sale of marijuana, including from black market sales outside of Maine. The alleged conspiracy involved recruiting coconspirators to cultivate marijuana on his behalf, creating an illegal collective, and then laundering the proceeds of the conspiracy through a complex network of corporations he controlled. Sirois currently faces 11 charges, including conspiracy to commit money laundering, bank fraud, and tax evasion. Alisa Sirois faces three charges, including conspiracy to commit money laundering and bank fraud. Five conspirators have pleaded guilty to charges and await sentencing, with charges pending against others.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Felon Convicted of Possessing Firearms and Transporting Stolen VehicleRead the Press Release
A man with fifteen prior felony convictions who used a stolen motorcycle to drive from Minnesota to Iowa and broke into a Winneshiek County home to steal firearms and other items pled guilty on October 15, 2024, in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Steven Michael Current, age 58, from Canton, Minnesota, was convicted of one count of possession of firearms as a felon and one count of interstate transportation of a stolen motor vehicle.
In a plea agreement, Current admitted that he had fifteen prior felony convictions, and on September 26, 2022, he broke into a rural Winneshiek County home and stole eight firearms. Current also admitted that he drove a stolen 2004 Harley Davidson Motorcycle from Canton, Minnesota, to the burglary scene in Iowa on September 26, 2022. This motorcycle was stolen from a home in Rochester, Minnesota, on June 9, 2022. Current admitted that, during the burglary, he dropped two unscratched Minnesota lottery tickets from his pocket. Current was identified by images captured on a home camera system, and by images from the Minnesota store where Current purchased the lottery tickets.
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.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Current remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Current faces a possible maximum sentence of 25 years’ imprisonment, a $500,000 fine, and3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Reinert and was investigated by Winneshiek County, Iowa, Sheriff’s Office, Fillmore County, Minnesota, Sheriff’s Office, and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-02050.
Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Federal Jury Convicts McIntosh County Resident of MurderRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced today that David Deval Martin, age 39, of McIntosh County, Oklahoma, was found guilty by a federal jury for the 2013 murder of a Checotah resident.
The jury trial began with testimony on October 8, 2024, and concluded on October 11, 2024, with the verdict of guilty on one count of Murder in Indian Country.
During the trial, the United States presented evidence that on November 7, 2013, Martin killed a Checotah resident with malice aforethought. At trial, the government presented evidence that Martin viciously beat and stabbed the victim, who sustained over 109 separate injuries during the attack, including dozens of injuries to the head and neck. At the scene of the crime, investigators recovered Martin’s DNA mixed with the victim’s own blood from the front door of the home, and Martin’s fingerprint on the handle of a metal rod used to beat the victim. Martin’s DNA was also recovered from the steering wheel of the victim’s abandoned car. The crime occurred in McIntosh County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation of Oklahoma, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The guilty verdicts were the result of investigations by the McIntosh County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Honorable Timothy D. DeGiusti, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, sitting by assignment, presided over the trial in Oklahoma City and ordered the completion of a presentence report. The sentencing will be scheduled following completion of the report. Martin will remain in the custody of the United States Marshal until sentencing.
Trial Attorneys Jared Hernandez and Bryan Lynch from the Department of Justice Violent Crime and Racketeering Section represented the United States.
Federal Jury Convicts Man of Exploiting Multiple Minor VictimsRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On Oct. 15, a federal jury found Rafael Antonio Saldana, 39, of Miami-Dade County, guilty of three counts of attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, attempted production of visual depictions involving sexual exploitation of minors, receipt of visual depictions involving sexual exploitation of minors, and possession of visual depictions involving sexual exploitation of minors.
In the summer of 2023, Saldana solicited sexually explicit images from three minor victims and attempted to meet in person for the purposes of engaging in sexual conduct. The three minor victims were aged 14-years-old, 16-years-old, and 17-years-old at the time of the communications. Ultimately, Saldana coordinated a time and location to meet with the 14-year-old victim at a local McDonald’s to then return to Saldana’s home to engage in sexual activity. On July 13, Saldana arrived across the street from the McDonald’s and directed the 14-year-old victim to meet him, as planned. He was arrested that day. The investigation revealed Saldana possessed over sixty images depicting the sexual exploitation of minors.
U.S. District Judge Melissa Damian is scheduled to sentence Saldana on Jan. 7, 2025, after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office; and Director Stephanie V. Daniels of the Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD), made the announcement.
HSI Miami and MDPD investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Audrey Pence Tomanelli and Arielle Klepach are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about the Project Safe Childhood initiative and for information regarding Internet safety, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-mj-03384.
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Falfurrias felon sentenced for possessing a firearmRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 57-year-old Falfurrias resident is headed back to prison for illegally possessing a rifle, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Gerardo Vargas pleaded guilty July 25.
U.S District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has ordered Vargas to serve 84 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard about Vargas’ extensive criminal history involving burglary, narcotics trafficking and firearms charges and the fact that he was on supervised release for conspiracy to harbor/transport undocumented aliens at the time of the offense. The court also heard that Vargas has been a member of the Texas Syndicate Prison Gang since 1990. In imposing the sentence, the court noted his extensive criminal history, that this was his fifth federal case and his previous revocations.
In December 2022, authorities encountered Vargas hunting with a rifle on private property and took him into custody on related charges. At the time of his arrest, Vargas admitted to having hunted just days prior on another property.
At the time of his arrest, law enforcement knew he was a convicted felon. As such, he is prohibited from possessing firearms per federal law.
Vargas will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Ex-Mexican Secretary of Public Security Genaro Garcia Luna Sentenced to over 38 Years' ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
Genaro Garcia Luna, the former Secretary of Public Security in Mexico from 2006 to 2012, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Brian M. Cogan to 460 months’ imprisonment and a $2 million fine for his decade-long assistance to the Sinaloa Cartel in exchange for millions of dollars in bribes. Following a four-week trial in February 2023, Garcia Luna was convicted by a jury of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, international cocaine distribution conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, conspiracy to import cocaine and making false statements.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Anne Milgram, Administrator, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Katrina W. Berger, Executive Associate Director, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), announced the verdict.
“Today’s sentencing of Genaro Garcia Luna is a critical step in upholding justice and the rule of law. His betrayal of the public trust and the people he was sworn to protect resulted in more than one million kilograms of lethal narcotics imported into our communities and unleashed untold violence here and in Mexico. This sentence sends a strong message that no one, regardless of their position or influence, is above the law.” stated United States Attorney Peace. “After years of destructive narcotrafficking and deceit, Garcia Luna will spend nearly 40 years where he belongs: federal prison.”
“Today’s sentencing of Mexico’s former Secretary of Public Security, Genaro Garcia Luna, sends a clear message to corrupt leaders around the world who use their positions of power to help the cartels: no amount of power will shield you from justice,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “Garcia Luna accepted millions of dollars in bribes from the Sinaloa Cartel to allow millions of kilograms of cocaine to flood the streets of the United States. Instead of protecting the citizens of Mexico, Garcia Luna was protecting drug cartels. The DEA will continue to relentlessly pursue drug trafficking organizations and those who protect them.”
“Today’s sentencing sends a powerful message that no one is above the law,” said HSI Executive Associate Director Katrina W. Berger. “HSI continues its partnered commitment to disrupting and dismantling the criminal networks responsible for bringing deadly narcotics into the U.S.”
As proven at trial, from 2006 to 2012, Garcia Luna was Mexico’s top law enforcement official, serving as Secretary of Public Security and, in that capacity, controlled Mexico’s Federal Police Force. Previously, from 2001 to 2005, the defendant was the head of Mexico’s Federal Investigative Agency (AFI). The defendant used his official positions to assist the violent Sinaloa Cartel (the Cartel) in exchange for millions of dollars in bribes. Garcia Luna’s conduct included facilitating safe passage of the Cartel’s drug shipments, providing sensitive law enforcement information about investigations into the Cartel and helping the Cartel attack rival drug cartels, thereby facilitating the importation of multi‑ton quantities of cocaine and other drugs into the United States.
In exchange for bribes, the defendant’s Federal Police Force acted as bodyguards and escorts for the Cartel, allowing Cartel members to wear police uniforms and badges and helping to unload shipments of cocaine from planes at Mexico City’s airport, then delivering the cocaine to the Cartel. The defendant was paid in U.S. currency, stuffed variously in suitcases, briefcases and duffel bags. The bribe amounts increased over the years as the Sinaloa Cartel grew in size and power through the assistance of the defendant. Former members of the Cartel testified that bribe money was handed off to the defendant in a variety of locations, including at a “safe house” located in Mexico City where large amounts of cash were hidden in a false wall, at a car wash in Guadalajara and at a French restaurant in Mexico City across the street from the U.S. Embassy. Further, in exchange for the millions of dollars in bribes, the defendant’s Federal Police Force leaked sensitive information that enabled the Cartel to evade detection by law enforcement or use the information in attacks on rival traffickers. Finally, after moving to the United States in 2012, Garcia Luna submitted an application for naturalization in 2018, in which he lied about his past criminal conduct on behalf of the Cartel in an attempt to become a U.S. citizen.
In connection with post-trial proceedings, the Court also found that, while he was awaiting sentencing, Garcia Luna obstructed justice when he sought to bribe fellow inmates to provide false testimony in an attempt to overturn the jury’s verdict.
The investigation was led by the New York Strike Force, a crime-fighting unit comprising federal, state and local law enforcement agencies supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force and the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. The Strike Force is based at the DEA’s New York Division and includes agents and officers of the DEA, New York City Police Department, New York State Police, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Secret Service, United States Marshals Service, New York National Guard, Clarkstown Police Department, U.S. Coast Guard, Port Washington Police Department and New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.
HSI New York’s El Dorado Task Force (EDTF) played an important role in this investigation. The EDTF is comprised of more than 200 law enforcement personnel representing approximately thirty-five (35) federal, state, and local law enforcement and regulatory agencies, including the DEA.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Saritha Komatireddy, Erin Reid, Ryan C. Harris, Philip Pilmar and Adam Amir are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialists Huda Abouchaer and Melissa Bennett.
The Defendant:
GENARO GARCIA LUNA
Age: 56
Miami, FloridaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 19-CR-576 (S-1) (BMC)
Erie Man Charged with Theft of Supplemental Security IncomeRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on a charge of theft of government property, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Gregg Edward Siddons, 64, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, from in and around January 2021 to in and around March 2024, Siddons stole approximately $33,417 in Supplemental Security Income to which he was not entitled because of unreported income Siddons obtained through operating an unauthorized taxi service.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Social Security Administration - Office of the Inspector General conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Ex Secretario De Seguridad Pública Mexicana Genaro Garcia Luna Condenado a Mas De 38 Años De PrisiónRead the Press Release
Genaro García Luna, ex secretario de Seguridad Pública de México de 2006 a 2012, ha sido condenado hoy por el juez de distrito de Estados Unidos Brian M. Cogan a 460 meses de prisión y una multa de 2 millones de dólares por su ayuda durante una década al cártel de Sinaloa a cambio de millones de dólares en sobornos. Tras un juicio de cuatro semanas en febrero de 2023, García Luna fue declarado por un jurado culpable de participar en una organización criminal continue, conspiración para la distribución internacional de cocaína, conspiración para distribuir y posesión con intención de distribuir cocaína, conspiración para importar cocaína, y hacer declaraciones falsas.
Breon Peace, Fiscal de los Estados Unidos para el Distrito Este de Nueva York, Anne Milgram, Administradora de la Agencia Antidroga de los Estados Unidos (DEA), y Katrina W. Berger, Directora Ejecutiva Asociada de Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional (HSI), anunciaron el veredicto.
"La sentencia dictada hoy contra Genaro García Luna es un paso fundamental en la defensa de la justicia y el Estado de Derecho. Su traición a la confianza pública y a las personas a las que había jurado proteger dio lugar a la importación de más de un millón de kilogramos de estupefacientes letales en nuestras comunidades y desató una violencia incalculable aquí y en México. Esta sentencia envía un mensaje contundente de que nadie, independientemente de su posición o influencia, está por encima de la ley," declaró el Fiscal de los Estados Unidos Peace. "Tras años de engaño y narcotráfico destructivo, García Luna pasará casi 40 años donde debe de estar: en una prisión federal".
"La sentencia dictada hoy contra el ex Secretario de Seguridad Pública de México, Genaro García Luna, envía un mensaje claro a los líderes corruptos de todo el mundo que utilizan sus posiciones de poder para ayudar a los cárteles: ningún poder les protegerá de la justicia", declaró la administradora de la DEA, Anne Milgram. "García Luna aceptó millones de dólares en sobornos del Cártel de Sinaloa para permitir que millones de kilogramos de cocaína inundaran las calles de Estados Unidos. En lugar de proteger a los ciudadanos de México, García Luna protegía a los cárteles de la droga. La DEA seguirá persiguiendo implacablemente a las organizaciones de narcotraficantes y a quienes las protegan."
"La sentencia dictada hoy envía un poderoso mensaje de que nadie está por encima de la ley", declaró Katrina W. Berger, Directora Ejecutiva Asociada de HSI. "HSI continúa con su compromiso conjunto de desarticular y desmantelar las redes delictivas responsables de introducir narcóticos mortales en Estados Unidos."
Como se demostró en el juicio, de 2006 a 2012, García Luna fue el máximo responsable de la aplicación de la ley en México, ocupando el cargo de Secretario de Seguridad Pública y, como tal, controlaba la Policía Federal de México. Anteriormente, de 2001 a 2005, el acusado fue jefe de la Agencia Federal de Investigación (AFI) de México. El acusado utilizó sus cargos oficiales para ayudar al violento Cártel de Sinaloa (el Cártel) a cambio de millones de dólares en sobornos. Las actividades de García Luna incluían facilitar el paso seguro de los cargamentos de droga del Cártel, proporcionar información confidencial acerca de las fuerzas de seguridad y sus investigaciones del Cártel, y ayudar al Cártel a atacar a otros cárteles de droga rivales, facilitando así la importación de cantidades de varias toneladas de cocaína y otras drogas a Estados Unidos.
A cambio de sobornos, la Policía Federal del acusado actuaba como guardaespaldas y escolta del cártel, permitiendo a los miembros del cártel llevar uniformes e insignias policiales y ayudando a descargar los cargamentos de cocaína de los aviones en el aeropuerto de Ciudad de México, para después entregar la cocaína al Cártel. Al acusado se le pagó en moneda estadounidense, metida en varias maletas, portafolios, y bolsas de lona. Las cantidades de los sobornos aumentaron a lo largo de los años a medida que el cártel de Sinaloa crecía en tamaño y poder gracias a la ayuda del acusado. Antiguos miembros del cártel testificaron que el dinero de los sobornos se le entregaba al acusado en diversos lugares, como en una "casa segura" situada en Ciudad de México, donde se ocultaban grandes cantidades de dinero en efectivo en una pared falsa, en un lavadero de coches de Guadalajara, y en un restaurante francés de Ciudad de México situado frente a la embajada de Estados Unidos. Además, a cambio de los millones de dólares en sobornos, la Policía Federal que el demandado lideraba filtró información confidencial que permitió al Cártel eludir la detección por parte de las fuerzas de seguridad, o utilizar dicha información en ataques contra traficantes rivales. Finalmente, después de mudarse a Estados Unidos en 2012, García Luna presentó una solicitud de naturalización en 2018, en la que mintió sobre su conducta criminal pasada en nombre del Cártel en un intento por convertirse en ciudadano estadounidense.
En relación con los procedimientos posteriores al juicio, el Tribunal también determinó que, mientras esperaba la sentencia, García Luna obstruyó la justicia cuando intentó sobornar a otros reclusos para que prestaran falso testimonio en un intento de anular el veredicto del jurado.
La investigación fue dirigida por la New York Strike Force, una unidad de lucha contra la delincuencia compuesta por organismos policiales federales, estatales y locales que cuenta con el apoyo de la Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force y la New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. La Strike Force tiene su base en la División de Nueva York de la DEA y cuenta con agentes y funcionarios de la DEA, el Departamento de Policía de la Ciudad de Nueva York, la Policía del Estado de Nueva York, Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional, la División de Investigación Criminal del Departamento de Hacienda, la Oficina de Alcohol, Tabaco, Armas de Fuego y Explosivos, Aduanas y Protección de Fronteras de EE.UU., el Servicio Secreto de EE.UU., el Servicio de Alguaciles de Estados Unidos, la Guardia Nacional de Nueva York, el Departamento de Policía de Clarkstown, la Guardia Costera de EE.UU., el Departamento de Policía de Port Washington, y el Departamento de Correccionales y Supervisión Comunitaria del Estado de Nueva York.
La El Dorado Task Force (EDTF) de HSI en Nueva York desempeñó un papel importante en esta investigación. La EDTF está compuesta por más de 200 miembros de las fuerzas del orden que representan a unos treinta y cinco (35) organismos policiales y reguladores federales, estatales y locales, incluida la DEA.
El caso del gobierno está siendo tramitado por la Sección Internacional de Estupefacientes y Lavado de Dinero de la Oficina. Los fiscales adjuntos Saritha Komatireddy, Erin Reid, Ryan C. Harris, Philip Pilmar y Adam Amir están a cargo de la acusación, con la asistencia de las paralegales especialistas Huda Abouchaer y Melissa Bennett.
El Acusado:
GENARO GARCIA LUNA
Edad: 56
Miami, FloridaE.D.N.Y. Expediente No.: 19-CR-576 (S-1) (BMC)
Dell Rapids Man Sentenced for Attempted Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Lawrence L. Piersol has sentenced a Dell Rapids, South Dakota, man convicted of Attempted Receipt of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on October 15, 2024.
Dylan Ryan, age 25, was sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Upon his release from federal prison, Ryan must register as a sex offender.
Ryan was indicted by a federal grand jury in April of 24. He pleaded guilty on July 29, 2024.
The conviction stemmed from an incident on March 9, 2024, when Ryan, while using his cellular phone and the social media application Reddit, attempted to receive images of child pornography from an undercover agent posing as a 13-year-old female. Ryan drove to a park in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to meet with the undercover agent and was subsequently arrested.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case.
Ryan was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Delaware Man Sentenced to More Than 23 Years in Prison for Two Violent Delco CarjackingsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Keenan Righter, 21, of New Castle, Delaware, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Court Chief Judge Mitchell S. Goldberg to 280 months in prison, five years of supervised release, restitution of $1,919, and a $500 assessment, in connection with two armed carjackings in Delaware County in January of 2023.
Righter was convicted by a jury in May of conspiracy, two counts of carjacking, and two counts of using or carrying a firearm during a crime of violence arising from his role in the two carjacking incidents. Codefendant Jamar Miller pleaded guilty to these offenses in March of 2023 and is awaiting sentencing.
On January 14, 2023, at approximately 9 p.m., Righter and others drove in Miller’s car to a Wawa on Route 322 in Upper Chichester Township, Delaware County. Righter and another male then ambushed a 23-year-old college student who was walking to his car after leaving the store. The men, each brandishing firearms and wearing masks to disguise their identities, demanded the victim’s vehicle at gunpoint. They pistol-whipped the victim in the back of the head and fled the scene in the victim’s car.
On January 24, 2023, at approximately 1:30 a.m., Righter and another male drove in Miller’s car to a Wawa on Edgmont Avenue in Brookhaven, Delaware County. Again, they wore masks and carried firearms as they carjacked a 33-year-old victim at gunpoint in the parking lot of the Wawa. The men pistol-whipped the victim multiple times in the head with a firearm as they stole his belongings and fled the scene in his car.
The defendant was apprehended after an intensive investigation by FBI Philadelphia’s Newtown Square Resident Agency, in conjunction with the Brookhaven and Upper Chichester Police Departments. Digital forensic evidence and more linked the defendant to both carjackings.
“Imagine the shock of being violently ambushed on a Wawa run, of all things,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Keenan Righter targeted and terrorized total strangers, just to steal their cars. Armed criminals who think they can victimize innocent people with impunity should take a good hard look at 21-year-old Mr. Righter’s 23-year prison sentence. Keep doing what you’re doing, and you’ll earn your own long stay in one of our federal facilities.”
“Such brazen and senseless acts, like the ones in this case, not only devastate the victims but our community at large,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “This sentencing exemplifies the value of partnerships in combatting violent crime. Our office will continue to work alongside our local law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to keep violent offenders off the streets and ensure our neighborhoods are a safer place to live.”
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Brookhaven Police Department, and Upper Chichester Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorneys Brian Doherty and Branwen McNabb O’Donnell.
Data Center Company CEO Indicted for Major Fraud and Making False Statements to the U.S. Securities and Exchange CommissionRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia returned an indictment yesterday charging a Maryland man with major fraud against the United States and making false statements to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for his alleged participation in a scheme to deceive the SEC into thinking his company’s data center was certified at the highest rating level for reliability, availability, and security, when it was not.
According to the indictment, Deepak Jain, 49, of Potomac, was the CEO of an information technology services company (referred to in the indictment as Company A) that provided data center services to customers, including the SEC. From 2012 through 2018, the SEC paid Company A approximately $10.7 million for the use of Company A’s data center in Beltsville, Maryland.
As alleged in the indictment, Jain created an entity called Uptime Council, which purported to inspect and audit data centers. In order to obtain the SEC data center contract and conceal that Company A did not meet the SEC contract’s requirements, Jain allegedly drafted Uptime Council certification letters, which falsely claimed Uptime Council had certified Company A’s data center as a Tier IV data center, the highest possible rating for reliability, availability, and security. Throughout the pendency of the contract between Company A and the SEC, the SEC experienced several issues with Company A’s data center, including issues with security, cooling, and power — all of which were subjects of the standard referenced in the fraudulent Uptime Council certification letters.
“As alleged in the indictment, Jain orchestrated a years-long scheme to defraud the SEC by falsely certifying that his company’s data center met the highest rating level, when the actual rating did not satisfy the SEC contract,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Jain allegedly sought to enrich himself and his company at the expense of the reliability, availability, and security of the SEC’s electronic data. Yesterday’s charges make clear that the Criminal Division will not tolerate fraud schemes that threaten the security of the government’s electronic data.”
“This indictment demonstrates our shared commitment with the Justice Department to hold bad actors accountable for engaging in schemes to defraud the SEC that undermine the integrity and fairness of the government procurement process,” said Inspector General Deborah Jeffrey of the SEC.
Jain is charged with six counts of major fraud against the United States and one count of making false statements. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count of major fraud and a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the making false statements count.
The SEC Office of Inspector General is investigating the case.
Senior Litigation Counsel Vasanth Sridharan and Trial Attorney Spencer Ryan of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
If you believe you are a victim in this case, please contact the Fraud Section’s Victim Witness Unit toll-free at (888) 549-3945 or by email at [email protected].
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Dandridge Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of A Child, Production of Child Pornography, and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On October 16, 2024, Glenn Fred Glatz, 68, currently of Dandridge, Tennessee, was sentenced to life in prison by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville.
On July 28, 2023, a federal jury found Glatz guilty of four counts of production of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a) and (e); one count of receiving child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(2)(A); three counts of transferring obscene matter to a minor under 16 years of age in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1470; and one count of possession of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(5)(B).
According to court filed documents, this is the third conviction of Glatz for sexual crimes against children. The evidence presented at trial showed that Glatz used DeviantArt.com, a social media platform, to befriend young girls which he then groomed and sexually exploited. Witnesses testified that Glatz was on the sex offender registry for prior convictions involving the molestation of a young girl. The evidence further demonstrated that he enticed at least two girls, ages 13 and 14, to produce live sexually explicit videos and images of themselves for Glatz to view over social media. Additionally, Glatz sent the victims nude images to other young females in hopes of enticing other minors to send him sexual images of themselves.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton, III of the Eastern District of Tennessee; and Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This investigation was led by FBI Special Agent Bianca L. Pearson.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Kolman and Suzanne H. Sullivan represented the United States at trial.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources.”
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Connecticut Fisherman Sentenced for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
A Connecticut man was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison for evading taxes on income he earned from commercial fishing in Massachusetts.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Brian Kobus, of Durham, worked as a commercial fisherman and deckhand for various fishing companies in Massachusetts. After each fishing trip, the companies paid Kobus by check. Despite receiving over $1.2 million in fishing income between 2011 through 2013, and 2017 through 2021, Kobus never filed a federal income tax return or paid the taxes that he owed. To conceal the source and disposition of his income from the IRS, Kobus regularly cashed his paychecks from the fishing companies and used the cash to fund his personal lifestyle.
In total, Kobus caused a tax loss to the IRS of approximately $377,839.90.
In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton for the District of Massachusetts ordered Kobus to serve one year of supervised release and to pay $377,839.90 in restitution to the United States.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy for the District of Massachusetts made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Matthew L. Cofer of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Victor Wild for the District of Massachusetts prosecuted the case.
California Man Sentenced to 114 Months in Prison for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A California man was sentenced today to 114 months in prison for his role in a narcotics conspiracy involving approximately 1.9 kilograms of a substance containing methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Aaron Joseph, 41, of Los Angeles, California, previously pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb to an information charging conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Chief Judge Bumb imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From October 2020 through July 2022, Joseph participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Joseph shipped packages from California to conspirators located in Camden County, New Jersey, who then distributed the methamphetamine in southern New Jersey. Joseph received payment via Cash App from a conspirator for the shipments. On Feb. 14, 2022, Joseph shipped a package containing 5,100 pills from California to New Jersey. The pills contained methamphetamine and weighed approximately 1.9 kilograms.
In addition to the prison term, Chief Judge Bumb sentenced Joseph to six years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado in Newark; special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas; postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division, and the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation leading to the sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph McFarlane of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
Bronx, New York Man, Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison for Distributing Heroin and Fentanyl from Two Drug Mills in the Bronx, Causing Death of 15-Month-Old ChildRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Bronx, New York, man was sentenced today to 156 months in prison for distributing heroin and fentanyl into New Jersey from two drug mills in the Bronx, which resulted in the death of a 15-month-old child, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Jhan Carlos Capellan Maldonado, 35, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas to a superseding information charging him with one count of distributing heroin and fentanyl from a drug mill in the Bronx in December 2018. Capellan Maldonado admitted that his distribution of fentanyl caused the death of a 15-month-old child. Judge Salas imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
Capellan Maldonado also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl from a separate drug mill in the Bronx in February 2019. Six other individuals – Reimon Genao Rosario, 28; Dilson Vazquez Genao, 28; Eddie Urena Rodriguez, 39; Francisco Mercedes Gil, 36; Daury Contreras Ulerio, aka “Majimbou,” 39; and Jose Antonio Vazquez Pena, aka “Tono,” 51 – also of the Bronx, all have previously pleaded guilty to the same charge before Judge Salas and have been sentenced. Judge Salas imposed Capellan Maldonado’s sentence today in Newark federal court.
“In December 2018, a 15-month-old child ingested fentanyl and died. The toddler was in a Bronx apartment being used by Capellan Maldonado to run his drug distribution operation, preparing and packaging heroin and fentanyl. His drug mill led directly to the death of this child. The punishment he received today will not bring the child back, but the defendant is being brought to justice for the terrible effects of his role in trafficking this poison. The fentanyl epidemic has caused enormous pain and suffering to our communities, including the death of the child in this case.”
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Dec. 27, 2018, Capellan Maldonado was operating a drug mill at an apartment in the Bronx where he employed four individuals to store, mix, and package heroin and fentanyl in quantities for distribution into New Jersey. Capellan Maldonado admitted that while the group was preparing the heroin and fentanyl, a 15-month-old child present in the apartment ingested some of the fentanyl and died as a result. The four other individuals have been charged with homicide by the District Attorney’s Office in the Bronx.
In early February 2019, law enforcement officers learned that Capellan Maldonado was again using an apartment in Bronx to store, mix, and package heroin and fentanyl in distribution quantities. Pena stayed at the apartment in order to safeguard the narcotics and narcotics supplies. Maldonado employed five workers at a time – including Rodriguez, Ulerio, Rosario, Gil, and Genao – to assist in preparing the heroin and fentanyl for distribution, which Maldonado then distributed to customers in New Jersey.
On Feb. 27, 2019, law enforcement searched Maldonado’s apartment and found seven individuals inside, including Rodriguez, Ulerio, Rosario, Gil, Maldonado, Pena, and Genao. All seven defendants attempted to escape out a window, and all but one – Rosario – were apprehended and arrested by law enforcement officers waiting outside. Rosario was arrested at a later date. Law enforcement recovered nearly a kilogram of fentanyl from the apartment, along with materials to grind and package fentanyl for distribution.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Salas sentenced Maldonado to five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas, and special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino, with the investigation leading to the sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney DeNae Thomas of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.
Brighton Man Sentenced to 90 Months in Connection with Gun Incident That Injured Bystander at Gaylord HotelRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Sonny Perez, age 33, of Brighton, was sentenced to 90 months in prison, and four years of supervised release after pleading guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams and more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl and one count of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.
According to the plea agreement, on May 29, 2023, Perez was at the Gaylord Hotel in Aurora to sell methamphetamine. According to security footage, when Perez exited the hotel, he had his right hand in his pants pocket. Individuals outside the hotel reported hearing a loud sound and seeing a bystander with blood dripping down his leg. That person received medical treatment for a gunshot wound to the leg. Investigators traced Perez to his home, where they found narcotics, evidence of drug distribution, and ammunition. Perez has a prior felony conviction and is prohibited from possessing ammunition.
“Felons should be on notice—they will face long sentences if they continue to arm themselves,” said Acting United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Matt Kirsch. “I thank our partners for joining us in the fight to keep guns and ammunition out of the hands of felons and drugs off our streets.”
"Violent, illegally-armed, drug-trafficking felons present a persistent and serious danger to innocent citizens everywhere,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Brent Beavers. "ATF, in close partnership with the Aurora Police Department and the RAVEN Task Force, relentlessly pursue these violent criminals every day with the full force of local, state, and federal law enforcement resources.”
"I am grateful for the swift actions of our officers and detectives that led to the arrest of the suspect just two days after the initial shooting," said Aurora Police Investigations Divisions Chief Mark Hildebrand. “This outcome reflects our agency’s commitment to public safety and our determination to hold those who endanger our community accountable."
"This case exemplifies the commitment of the RAVEN Task Force, it's member agencies, and the U.S. Attorney's Office to hold those who commit gun violence accountable. RAVEN is at work every day to protect our communities,” said Lieutenant DJ Tisdale, RAVEN Task Force Commander.
Judge Regina M. Rodriguez presided over the sentencing. The ATF, the RAVEN Task Force, and the Aurora Police Department handled the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Celeste Rangel and Brian Dunn handled the prosecution.
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.
Case Number: 1:23-cr-00334-RMR-1
Brevard County Felon Sentenced to More Than 17 Years in Federal Prison for Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Shawndell Johnson (32, Melbourne) to 17 years and 7 months in federal prison for distribution of a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The court also ordered Johnson to forfeit the firearms and ammunition used in the offenses. Johnson entered a guilty plea on June 7, 2024.
According to court documents, Johnson twice distributed fentanyl to a confidential source in September 2022. Following his arrest on state fentanyl distribution charges in March 2023, a search of Johnson’s residence uncovered more than 600 grams of fentanyl, over 400 grams of pure methamphetamine, and over 500 grams of cocaine. Additionally, agents located two loaded firearms. At the time of the search, Johnson had previously been convicted of multiple felonies, including murder in the third-degree without design and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. As a previously convicted felon, Johnson is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Florida Highway Patrol, and the Rockledge Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman.
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.
Brazoria man heads to prison for exploiting 13-year-old child through nude photos and explicit textsRead the Press Release
GALVESTON, Texas – A 46-year-old man has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction for sending obscene photos and messages to a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown convicted George Jimenez April 23 following a one-day trial earlier that month. Prior to trial, Jimenez pleaded guilty to two counts of transfer of obscene material to a minor.
Judge Brown has now sentenced Jimenez to 24o and 120 months for the coercion and enticement of a minor and transfer of obscene material to a minor convictions, respectively. They will run concurrently for a total 240-month-term of imprisonment. At the hearing, the court also heard additional information including testimony from four victims detailing how Jimenez’s actions affected them. In handing down the prison terms, the court noted the reprehensibility of Jimenez’s conduct and the need for a severe sentence to deter and prevent future criminal conduct. Jimenez was further ordered to serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Jimenez will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
“Today’s sentence should be a deterrence to individuals who commit serious online crimes against minors, even when there has been no physical contact,” said Hamdani. “Jimenez preyed on vulnerable victims who were unaware they were communicating with an adult male.”
In April 2019, law enforcement discovered Jimenez had sent pictures of his genitals to a 13-year-old girl and other contacts in his phone. Five were the minors’ 12 and 13-year-old classmates.
Authorities executed a federal search warrant and discovered Jimenez was using the TextNow application to disguise himself as a teenage boy to engage in sexually explicit conversations with minors.
From March until April 2019, Jimenez engaged in those communications, including sending at least five pictures of his genitals to the 13-year-old child. In approximately 17 communications, Jimenez asked the minor victim for pictures of either her breasts, buttocks or genital area.
In a text exchange, the minor shared information with Jimenez that she shaved her genital region. Jimenez then sent messages asking to see images of it.
At the time of the trial, the defense attempted to convince the court the messages he sent to the minor did not arise to the level of attempting to persuade the minor to send him sexually explicit photos of herself. He did not believe those claims and found Jimenez guilty as charged. In his ruling, the court stated, “these requests were direct, specific and unambiguous. They were not shrouded in innuendo or bashfulness. Simply put, there is no question that Jimenez repeatedly asked [the minor] to take and send him pictures of her genitals and pubic area.”
He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
FBI conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen M. Lansden and Sherin S. Daniel prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Boone County Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Trenton Alan Cremeans, 23, of Seth, pleaded guilty today to possession of prepubescent child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 17, 2024, Cremeans possessed approximately 115 images and 22 videos of child pornography on his cell phone. Cremeans admitted that these images and videos include depictions of prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Cremeans further admitted that he downloaded these images and videos online, and had used his cell phone to search online for child pornography and related information by using specific search terms.
Cremeans is scheduled to be sentenced on January 16, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Cremeans must also register as a sex offender.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-41.
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Bienville Parish Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of Crack Cocaine and a Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Martino Antwion Hill, 42, of Ringgold, Louisiana, was sentenced today for illegal possession of narcotics and a firearm and ammunition. United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. sentenced Hill to 156 months (13 years) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
On February 25, 2022, deputies with the Bienville Parish Sheriff’s Office observed Hill and another individual standing outside of a vehicle which they believed had been driven by Hill. Deputies were aware that Hill had several active felony warrants and approached the vehicle. As law enforcement officers approached, Hill began to walk away from the vehicle and refused to follow the commands of officers to stop as they approached. Hill resisted arrest and the officers took him into custody. They searched his person and discovered over $5,000 in cash and approximately 11.32 grams of crack cocaine. A search of his vehicle was conducted, and officers discovered a Ruger model 5.7, caliber 5.728 firearm and ammunition on the rear seat of the vehicle.
Hill has previous felony convictions for possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance on two occasions and possession of a firearm by a felon. He admitted that he was a convicted felon at the time of this offense and knew he was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Bienville Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert F. Moody.
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Armed hotel robbery of $30 lands young man in prisonRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 22-year-old Corpus Christi resident has been sentenced following his conviction of robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Rudy Feregrino pleaded guilty May 23.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now ordered him to serve a total of 90 months in prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release.
On Jan. 20, at approximately 1:44 a.m., Feregrino entered the Holiday Inn Express on Brookhaven Dr. in Corpus Christi. He was wearing distinctive grey high-top Nike sneakers and a black windbreaker with white reflective stripes. He went directly to the front desk and pointed a black and tan firearm at the clerk and demanded money from the register. The frightened clerk complied, after which Feregrino left.
Several hours later, law enforcement saw an individual that matched Feregrino’s description entering a vehicle. They discovered the vehicle had been reported stolen and conducted a traffic stop.
Feregrino was still wearing the same distinctive clothes from the robbery. Authorities also found the black and tan firearm.
Feregrino has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with assistance from the Corpus Christi Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Dunn prosecuted the case.
Armed Robbery Crew Charged After Attempting to Rob Temecula Pharmacy and Following a Six-Week Armed Robbery SpreeRead the Press Release
RIVERSIDE, California – Four individuals were charged in a criminal complaint today alleging their involvement in a six-week armed robbery spree across Southern California.
The following defendants are charged with attempted interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act):
- Aaron Carter, 39, of Fontana;
- Diamond Lucious, 25, of Victorville;
- Isaac Penaldoza, 35, of San Bernardino; and
- Kamaria Kendrick, 25, of Menifee
According to the complaint affidavit, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Orange County Violent Crime Task Force (OCVCTF) has been investigating a series of armed robberies of pharmacies across Southern California – in Woodland Hills, Temecula, Newport Beach, and Fullerton. During each of the robberies, three male suspects would enter the pharmacies wearing hooded sweatshirts and face masks. Two of the suspects would be armed with guns, force employees to the ground, steal cash from the registers, and violently drag employees around the store. The third suspect would grab a trash can from inside the pharmacies and put stolen medications in the trash can.
The complaint affidavit alleges that on October 14, 2024, Kendrick scouted the Apollo Pharmacy in Temecula, California, by walking around the pharmacy building while on her phone and then driving around the building several times. Carter, Lucious, and Penaldoza then entered the pharmacy wearing hooded clothing, gloves, and masks while Kendrick waited in the car. Surveillance video at the Apollo Pharmacy shows that Carter, Lucious, and Penaldoza allegedly jumped over the counter and Lucious and Penaldoza brandished guns at employees, yelled at the employees, and then grabbed the employees and forced them to lie on the ground. Carter went directly to the safe in the back of the store and Penaldoza allegedly forced an employee at gunpoint to walk towards the safe. After an employee said that there was nothing in the safe, Carter, Lucious, and Penaldoza allegedly fled to the getaway car driven by Kendrick.
OCVCTF agents attempted to arrest the suspects when Kendrick allegedly tried to evade them and struck one of the unmarked law enforcement vehicles. While law enforcement immobilized the getaway car, a 9mm pistol fell out of the car. All four were arrested at the scene without further incident.
Carter, Lucious, and Penaldoza, are not legally permitted to possess firearms because they have all been previously convicted of multiple felonies and were on post-release community supervision or parole at the time of their arrest.
A complaint affidavit contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
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 ATF OCVCTF is investigating this matter. The OCVCTF was formed to investigate violent crime, with a focus on serial robberies throughout Southern California. The ATF-led task force is comprised of personnel from the Brea Police Department, the Fullerton Police Department, the Santa Ana Police Department and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin J. Butler and Jena A. MacCabe of the Violent and Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.
Ardmore Resident Sentenced for Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Ricky Gene McGee, Jr., age 38, of Ardmore, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 27 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Chickasaw Nation Lighthorse Police, and the Ardmore Police Department.
On February 26, 2024, McGee pleaded guilty to one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. According to investigators, on October 12, 2022, law enforcement officers conducting a routine traffic stop along Sam Noble Parkway in Ardmore, Oklahoma, saw McGee throw an object from the vehicle. During the stop, officers discovered McGee in possession of a pistol magazine loaded with eleven rounds of 9mm ammunition. Law enforcement also recovered a semiautomatic firearm lying in a nearby ditch along the route travelled by McGee’s vehicle prior to the stop. The loaded firearm contained twelve rounds of 9mm ammunition inside a magazine that matched the magazine found on McGee’s person. McGee knowingly possessed the firearm and ammunition after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. McGee will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.
Anson ISD Janitor Allegedly Used AI to Create Child Pornography with Students’ FacesRead the Press Release
An Anson ISD employee who allegedly used AI to superimpose the faces of students onto the faces of adult subjects in pornographic videos has been federally charged, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Daril Martin Gonzales, 55, was indicted last Wednesday on one count of possession and attempted possession of child pornography and one count of possession and attempted possession of obscene visual representation of a child. He was arraigned on Thursday before Magistrate Judge John R. Parker, who on Tuesday ordered him detained pending trial.
At Tuesday’s detention hearing, prosecutors noted that Mr. Gonzales, who works as a janitor for Anson ISD, moonlighted as a school sports and cheerleading photographer, taking pictures of middle and high school students for free. Without the children’s consent, he allegedly used artificial intelligence (AI) to superimpose the faces of pre-pubescent students onto the faces of adult subjects in sexually explicit videos or to attach AI-generated nude bodies to the faces of the girls.
According a police report admitted into evidence at the detention hearing, Mr. Gonzales allegedly described his crimes as a “power trip” and admitted to viewing child pornography for up to six hours per day for the past 20 to 25 years.
“Knowing he took those [photographs] and what he does with them, it really makes me sick to my stomach,” a victim said in late August, after being informed about the AI images. “I feel gross, I know it’s not me, but it makes me feel gross and violated and disrespected.”
“I felt disgusted, embarrassed, and scared. I was worried that photos of me could be posted or sold somewhere,” said another. “I was embarrassed cause I didn’t want people to think of me in this way when I hadn’t done anything.”
“I know I can’t do anything about what he did,” said a third. “I don’t think I did anything wrong. He’s in the wrong.”
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Like all defendants, Mr. Gonzales is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison followed by a possible lifetime of supervised release.
Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas Field Division – Abilene Resident Agency, Abilene Police Department, the Texas Rangers, and the Anson Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney Ohlhausen is prosecuting the case.
Alleged Members of Potomac Gardens Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Arrested and Charged with Distributing Fentanyl, Cocaine, and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – This morning, six people were arrested on charges connected to a wide-ranging conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, cocaine base, cocaine, and methamphetamine, in the Potomac Gardens Housing Project in Southeast Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office.
Arrested were Robert Hunt, 40, Garrett Isley, 42, Maurice Tutt, 50, Vera Jackson, 74, all of Washington, D.C., Michael Augment, 36, of Lorton, Virginia, and Lawrence Smith, 54, of Fairfax, Virginia. Each made their initial appearance this afternoon in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
“This is the latest federal indictment charging a D.C.-based crew with narcotics and firearms offenses” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “Drug trafficking operations, like the one alleged in the indictment, not only peddle poison, but they are also magnets for gun violence. We will continue to aggressively prosecute these crews that are undermining community safety.”
“Fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine have no place in our community,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Geist. “Today's arrests stem from a yearslong investigation by the FBI and our law enforcement partners and mark a step forward in our efforts to reduce drug trafficking in the nation’s capital.”
The multi-agency law enforcement operation included members of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD), District of Columbia Housing Authority Police, Virginia State Police, and Fairfax County and City police departments.
According to the indictment, between January and October of 2024, the defendants engaged in a conspiracy to distribute narcotics in and around the District of Columbia. It is further alleged that Hunt unlawfully distributed fentanyl and carried a gun in furtherance of drug trafficking. Isley is charged with unlawful possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, cocaine base, and methamphetamine.
The indictment arises from a long-term investigation by the FBI, MPD, and the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) into drug and firearms trafficking in Potomac Gardens. In December 2023, MCPD learned that defendant Hunt regularly was selling fentanyl from an apartment in the housing complex. An undercover officer (UC) purchased narcotics, in particular fentanyl, from Hunt. Hunt initially used “runners” to deliver the narcotics to the UC. However, after a few buys, Hunt began to deal directly with the undercover officer. From approximately January 2024 through September 2024, the UC purchased approximately 215.87 grams of fentanyl powder and approximately 2,950 fentanyl pills from Hunt. The UC also purchased a .357 “ghost gun” from Hunt.
Through a court-authorized wiretap on Hunt’s phone, agents learned of several of his co-conspirators and the roles they each played. Agents also placed a camera outside Hunt’s apartment and outside the apartment of one of his supplier’s, defendant Isley. Through a wiretap on Isley’s phone, agents learned of additional members of the conspiracy. MPD stopped Isley in a traffic stop on June 19, 2024, during which they recovered 468 blue, suspected fentanyl pills, about 37.4 grams of cocaine base, approximately 24.5 grams of cocaine, and about 60 grams of methamphetamine and other narcotics.
On October 16, 2024, law enforcement executed search warrants at various stash houses and residences of the co-conspirators. Agents recovered five firearms, approximately $31,000 in cash, approximately 500 grams of suspected fentanyl and smaller amounts of other narcotics, two money counters, and additional drug paraphernalia.
This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the DEA Washington Field Office, District of Columbia Housing Authority Police, Virginia State Police, and Fairfax County and City police departments.
It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nihar Mohanty and Solomon Eppel of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of Maryland and the Eastern District in Virginia in helping to coordinate search warrants and arrests.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
AM/NS Calvert is sentenced for violating the Clean Air ActRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – AM/NS Calvert, LLC was sentenced to a three years’ probation and a $750,000 fine on October 10, 2024, for failure to report violations under the Clean Air Act.
According to court documents, AM/NS Calvert, LLC owns and operates a steel production facility, which includes an acid regeneration plant, in Calvert, Alabama. In February 2015, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) issued a Clean Air Act Permit for the acid regeneration plant designed to run on water. In April 2015, the permit was amended to require a caustic solution, which was necessary to meet air emission standards.
In August 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and ADEM conducted a joint inspection of the AM/NS Calvert acid regeneration plant. During the inspection, the facility was not using caustic solution in violation of the permit. Further investigation revealed the AM/NS Calvert acid regeneration plant did not use caustic for approximately 700 days during a two-year period.
United States Attorney Sean P. Costello said, “Together with our partners, we will continue to coordinate and do all that we can to protect the environmental resources in the Southern District of Alabama that are so fundamental to our communities, our economy, and our lifestyles.”
The Environmental Protection Agency investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Anderson and attorneys from the Environmental Crime Section of the Department of Justice prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
16 Hells Angels & Red Devils Members Face Charges Related to Violent Racketeering EnterpriseRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A single federal indictment in the Eastern District of North Carolina charges 16 members of two outlaw motorcycle gangs – the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC) and the Red Devils Motorcycle Club (RDMC) – for their alleged roles as part of an enterprise engaging in violent criminal activity in and around Raleigh and Fayetteville. The RDMC is the main support club nationwide for the HAMC.
Five of the defendants are charged with Murder in Aid of Racketeering for the killing of a member of the Pagan’s Motorcycle Club (PMC), a rival gang, on January 1, 2023, in Raleigh. Two additional defendants are charged with accessory after the fact for their actions following that murder.
Eight defendants are charged with Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering for their alleged role in a July 22, 2023 violent assault of a PMC member in the parking lot of a Dairy Queen restaurant in Wade, North Carolina.
One defendant is charged with obstruction for attempting to dissuade a witness from assisting the criminal investigation of this case.
“Two years ago we launched a Violent Crime Action Plan to partner with local law enforcement to identify the individuals and groups driving violence in North Carolina, especially criminal enterprises that support and encourage violence by their members,” said U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. “We’ll keep pursuing cases like this one, charging violent crimes in aid of racketeering, to expose patterns of violence and hold gang members and those who enable them accountable.”
“According to the indictment, these defendants were leaders, organizers, and members of the Hell’s Angels Motorcycle Club and committed multiple crimes to advance their positions in this violent gang,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The gang’s alleged violent acts included the murder of a rival gang member on a public street, and the assault and attempted murder of other rival gang members in a restaurant parking lot. This indictment demonstrates that, along with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, the Criminal Division is committed to holding accountable those response for acts of violence that terrorize local communities.”
“Outlaw motorcycle gangs are notorious for lawless and violent behavior,” said Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims. “These criminal organizations are responsible for a long list of illegal activities, such as assault and homicide and operate with absolutely no regard for the safety of law enforcement or the community. ATF is proud to stand with our law enforcement partners and be part of an effort to disrupt and disband violent and dangerous networks.”
“I am proud to stand with my federal, state, and local partners in investigating and disrupting violent organizations,” said Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson. “The Raleigh Police Department and our community will not tolerate destructive behavior and will work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to identify those responsible to ensure they are held accountable. I am grateful to United States Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr., and his team for their continued dedication and steadfast commitment to public safety. I also thank the ATF, the Fayetteville Police Department, and the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office for their strong partnership in these cases.”
“Operation Broken Halo has been an ongoing investigation with the Fayetteville Police Department and the ATF into an alleged criminal enterprise connected to an outlaw motorcycle gang,” said Fayetteville Police Chief Kemberle Braden. “Through collaboration and partnership with the ATF and other supporting agencies, we were able to successfully bring charges against numerous members of this outlaw motorcycle gang and their supporting clubs. The Fayetteville Police Department remains committed to our partnership with federal, state, and local agencies to remove violent criminals from our community.”
“I want to make it clear: violent activity is not tolerated in Cumberland County,” said Cumberland County Sheriff Ennis W. Wright. “The Sheriff's Office is 100% committed to maintaining a safe and peaceful community. We thoroughly investigate all tips, and it's vital for the community to continue to report what they see because we cannot do it alone. We are grateful for our partnerships with the community, the Department of Justice, and federal and local law enforcement agencies. Together, we do and will continue to make a difference.”
Most of the charges are being brought under the Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering Activity (VICAR) statute, which makes it illegal to commit violent crimes, including murder, kidnapping, maiming, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault resulting in serious bodily injury, or threatening to commit a crime of violence for the purpose of joining, remaining with, or moving up in rank within an enterprise.
The indictment alleges that all 16 defendants are members or associates of the HAMC, a violent outlaw motorcycle group alleged to use violence, threats, and intimidation to carry out its perceived mission and enforce its rules.
The indictment alleges that HAMC members are under a standing order to attack, injure, and potentially kill members of the PMC. The indictment also alleges that HAMC members commonly commit physical assaults, including murder, threats to injure, and intimidation to keep witnesses to their criminal conduct silent.
The indictment charges the following offenses:
Vidaul Rashaad Reed, aka “Hootie,” Anthony Edward Cheever, aka “Rowdy,” David William Stephens, aka “007,” Martinus Jermaine Starks, aka “Tee,” and Tyler Scott Grissom, aka “Snow,” are all members of the RDMC and are each charged with one count of Murder in Aid of Racketeering and one count of discharge of a firearm in connection with a crime of violence and, in doing so, causing death; all for allegedly murdering a member of the PMC on January 1, 2023. Murder in Aid of Racketeering carries a mandatory life sentence upon conviction and the other charged offenses carry a sentence of up to life in prison.
Christopher Dylan Manor and Robert Scott Brown are both charged with accessory after the fact to the January 1, 2023 murder. Manor was a member of RDMC at the time of the alleged offense and Brown is a member of the HAMC. Each face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
Jason Lee Hathaway, Fred Joseph Prosperi, aka “Freddy” and “Snow Boy,” William Scott Gardner, aka “Big Will,” Terry Lewis Akins, Jr., J.R. Nevarez Darr, Darrell Dewayne Strickland, Jr., William Franklin Beasley and David Lee Woodall are charged with Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering and Assault with a Deadly Weapon in Aid of Racketeering related to the attempted murder and assault with a dangerous weapon of members of the PMC on July 22, 2023 in the parking lot of a Dairy Queen restaurant in Wade, North Carolina. They are all were members of the HAMC at the time of the offense and each face up to thirty years in prison if convicted.
Jonathan Michael Robarge is charged with tampering with a witness, victim or informant by harassment, Robarge has ties to both HAMC and RDMC, and faces up to three years in prison if convicted.
The ATF, the Raleigh and Fayetteville Police Departments, and the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Alyssa Levey-Weinstein and Deputy Chief Kelly Pearson of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly L. Sandling and Robert Dodson of the Eastern District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case.
This investigation was an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
15 October 2024
Waukee Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Federal Prison for Wire Fraud and Money Laundering Investment SchemeRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – A Waukee man was sentenced on October 11, 2024, to nine years in federal prison for wire fraud and money laundering.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, William Jack Berg, 52, defrauded approximately 17 victims by purporting to be a financial advisor in central Iowa, St. Louis, Missouri, and elsewhere. Over an eight-year period, Berg deceived victims to invest in companies he created and controlled: W. Holdings of Iowa and Excel Performance Management. To further his fraud, Berg provided his victims with fictitious investment agreements, account statements, and created a website for one of the purported investment companies. Berg spent the victim’s money for his own personal expenses. Once alerted to his federal indictment, Berg attempted to destroy documents and left the state.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Berg will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Berg was also ordered to pay more than $1.6 million in restitution.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Adam Kerndt prosecuted the case.
This investigation was part of the Elder Justice Initiative, which supports the efforts of state and local prosecutors, law enforcement, and other elder justice professionals to combat elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation, with the development of training, resources, and information. Learn more about the Justice Department’s Elder Justice Initiative at http://www.justice.gov/elderjustice. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311).
This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at https://www.ovc.gov.
Virginia Contractor Settles False Claims Act Liability for Failing to Secure Medicare Beneficiary DataRead the Press Release
ASRC Federal Data Solutions LLC (AFDS), headquartered in Reston, Virginia, has agreed to resolve False Claims Act allegations in connection with a government contract related to its storage of unsecured personally identifiable information of Medicare beneficiaries. Under the resolution, AFDS will pay $306,722. It will also waive any rights to reimbursement for remediating a data breach involving the information, including at least $877,578 in costs it incurred notifying beneficiaries and providing credit monitoring. AFDS promptly notified the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) of the data breach, worked with CMS to address the impact of the breach, cooperated with the Justice Department’s investigation and took other remedial measures.
“Government contractors that handle personal information must take required steps to safeguard that information from cyberattacks,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will vigilantly pursue contractors that fail to comply with required cybersecurity protocols, while at the same time extending cooperation credit where warranted for self-disclosure, cooperation and remediation.”
AFDS provided certain Medicare support services under a contract with CMS. The settlement resolves allegations that from March 10, 2021, through Oct. 8, 2022, AFDS and a subcontractor stored screenshots from CMS systems containing personally identifiable information and potentially personal health information of Medicare beneficiaries on the subcontractor’s server without individually encrypting the files to protect them against exposure in the event of a breach. The subcontractor’s server employed disk-level encryption that protected files from unauthorized access but not from access using authorized credentials. The subcontractor’s server was breached by a third party in October 2022 and the unencrypted screenshots were allegedly compromised during that breach.
The United States alleged that the storing of screenshots on the subcontractor’s server violated AFDS’ contractual cybersecurity requirements, and that AFDS knowingly billed CMS in violation of these requirements.
“Safeguarding patients’ sensitive personal information is of paramount importance,” said Special Agent in Charge Stephen Niemczak of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “This settlement demonstrates the commitment by HHS-OIG and our law enforcement partners to use every available tool to protect the health care data of all Americans and to investigate allegations of fraud, waste and abuse against the public and taxpayer-funded health care programs.”
On Oct. 6, 2021, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco announced the department’s Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative, which aims to hold accountable entities or individuals that put U.S information or systems at risk by knowingly providing deficient cybersecurity products or services, knowingly misrepresenting their cybersecurity practices or protocols or knowingly violating obligations to monitor and report cybersecurity incidents and breaches. Information on how to report cyber fraud can be found here.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division's Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and HHS-OIG.
Senior Trial Counsel Jonathan H. Gold of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section handled the matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
Settlement
United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama Provides Stand Against Firearm Endangerment (SAFE) Student Pledge to SchoolsRead the Press Release
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced that this week the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama is working with schools across the district to encourage students to participate in the Stand Against Firearm Endangerment (SAFE) Student Pledge. With a focus on keeping schools and communities safe, students in middle school and high school are signing a voluntary pledge promising that they will assume that any gun they see might be loaded, they will never take a gun to school, they will never resolve a dispute with a gun, and they will use their influence to prevent friends from using guns to resolve disputes. Elementary school children are making a similar commitment—pledging that they will not play with a gun and that, if they see a gun, they will not touch it and they will tell a teacher or a trusted adult. Students are making the SAFE Student Pledge this week in conjunction with the National Day of Concern for Young People and Gun Violence, which will be observed on October 16, 2024.
The SAFE Student Pledge recognizes the role young people play in reducing gun endangerment and violence by making responsible decisions. The pledge also seeks to foster discussions among students and their families about the necessity of gun safety and non-violent ways to resolve disputes.
Nearly 30 schools are participating in the SAFE Student Pledge this week, with over 10,000 students expected to take the pledge. Participating schools are located in a variety of counties within the Middle District of Alabama, including Chambers, Chilton, Coffee, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Geneva, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Montgomery, Pike, and Russell.
Schools or youth organizations may also participate in the SAFE Student Pledge throughout the year by visiting www.justice.gov/usao-mdal/safe-student-pledge and submitting a request.
The SAFE Student Pledge initiative is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a national program that has been historically successful in bringing together law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Union County Tax Preparer Admits Assisting in Preparation of Fraudulent Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey, tax preparer admitted assisting in the preparation of fraudulent tax returns on behalf of his clients, resulting in improperly large refunds for the tax preparer’s clients, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Emmanuel Amenyo, 59, of Union, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court on Oct. 10, 2024, to an information charging him with aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false and fraudulent tax return.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From tax years 2018 through 2021, Amenyo ran a tax preparation business in which he prepared and submitted individual tax returns to the IRS on behalf of clients. Amenyo filed numerous false tax returns on behalf of his clients and subscribed to false tax returns with respect to his own taxes. These tax returns falsely claimed charitable contributions, itemized deductions, child and dependent care expenses, and other qualified expenses to which Amenyo and his clients were not entitled, resulting in improperly large tax refunds, as Amenyo knew and intended. Amenyo’s conduct caused a tax loss of $250,466.
The charge that Amenyo pleaded guilty to carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for April 1, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Stern of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit in Newark.
amenyo.information.pdfU.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee Observes Domestic Violence Awareness MonthRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – October marks the observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). Acting U.S. Attorney Reagan Fondren joins the U.S. Department of Justice in commemorating DVAM, paying tribute to victims and survivors, and saluting the dedication of advocates, service providers, justice professionals, law enforcement officers, and first responders who tirelessly work in support of survivors.
DVAM serves as an important reminder to raise awareness and engage the community in efforts to end intimate partner violence. According to the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women, domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship, used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner. Domestic violence can be physical, sexual, emotional, economic, psychological, or technological actions or threats of actions or other patterns of coercive behavior that influence another person within an intimate partner relationship. Domestic violence can happen to anyone regardless of race, age, sexual orientation, religion, sex, or gender identity. Domestic violence affects people of all socioeconomic backgrounds and educational levels and occurs in both opposite-sex and same-sex relationships. It can also happen to intimate partners who are married, living together, dating, or share a child.
“Domestic violence is more prevalent than most people realize,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Fondren. “We want the community to know that federal prosecutors for the Western District of Tennessee are using all the tools at our disposal — and leveraging our partnerships with local law enforcement and prosecutors — to ensure victims have a viable path to safety and justice. Our office will continue to prioritize the prosecution of domestic violence offenders who unlawfully possess firearms, or whose criminal conduct occurs online or crosses state lines.”
Domestic violence, dating violence, and intimate partner violence can have long-lasting impacts and consequences. Data from the National Domestic Violence Hotline suggests that approximately one in four women and one in seven men will experience severe domestic violence in their lifetimes. Rates are disproportionately higher for historically underserved populations, including LGBTQI+ individuals, persons with disabilities, and racial and ethnic minorities. DVAM provides an opportunity to spread awareness about domestic violence and encourage everyone to play a role in ending gender-based violence.
Purple Thursday, observed this Thursday, October 17, 2024, is a National Day of Action during DVAM. It is an opportunity to raise awareness about domestic violence and to show commitment to promoting safe communities. Please join us on October 17 by wearing purple and starting a conversation about domestic violence.
If you need help, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or the Strong Hearts Native Helpline at 1-844-762-8483. For more information on domestic violence, visit: https://www.justice.gov/ovw/domestic-violence#dv.
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