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Wednesday 4 September 2024
Buffalo man sentenced for his role in three armed credit union robberiesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Adrian D. Applewhite a/k/a Boons, 37, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of aggravated bank robbery, brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and violating supervised release, was sentenced to serve 229 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who handled the case, stated that Applewhite participated in the robbery of three credit unions:
- On the morning of October 26, 2017, Applewhite and two other associates robbed the Lakeshore Federal Credit Union on Erie Road in Evans, NY. Applewhite planned the robbery and provided instructions and a firearm to a co-defendant to assist in the robbery.
- On July 25, 2019, two co-defendants entered the South Towns Community Federal Credit Union on South Park Avenue in Lackawanna, NY, while Applewhite, the getaway driver, sat in a car nearby. The two co-defendants sprayed the bank tellers with pepper spray, and went to an unlocked safe, stealing $290,500 in United States currency. Applewhite took a share of the proceeds for his role.
- On November 7, 2019, two co-defendants, armed with a pistol and donning masks and gloves, entered the Clarence Community and School Federal Credit Union on Sheridan Drive in Clarence, NY, and conducted a bank robbery while Applewhite, the getaway driver, sat in a car nearby. A total of $148,793.90 in United States currency was taken. Applewhite took a share of the proceeds for his role.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Stanley Edwards; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia; the Lackawanna Police Department, under the direction of Chief Mark Packard; the Evans Police Department, under the direction of Chief Gregory J Szarowicz; and the Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief James P. Stauffiger. Additional assistance was provided by the Erie County District Attorney’s Office.
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Browning man admits abusive sexual contact with girl, sending nude images of self to minor girlsRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS —A Browning man accused of having sexual contact with a girl on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation and to sending nude images of himself to minor girls using social media admitted to charges yesterday, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
The defendant, Treston Lane Kickingwoman, 28, pleaded guilty to abusive sexual contact and to two counts of transfer of obscene material to a minor. Kickingwoman faces a maximum of life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release on the abusive sexual contact charge and a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the transfer of obscene materials charge.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Jan. 15, 2025. Kickingwoman was detained pending further proceedings.
In a plea agreement filed in the case, the parties agreed that a sentence of between 10 years and 15 years in prison is appropriate.
In court documents, the government alleged that in 2022, a victim, identified as Jane Doe 1, disclosed to law enforcement that when she was about six years old, Kickingwoman sexually abused her one time while she was staying at a house in Browning. Kickingwoman lay down on the bed by Doe 1 and began touching her legs and back. Doe 1 cried and told Kickingwoman that she was going to tell. Kickingwoman responded to the effect that if she did, he would hurt her. Doe 1 further described Kickingwoman touching her inside her underwear and vagina. He stopped when another person started moving in the room.
The government also alleged that in March 2023, an FBI undercover employee with a fictitious persona as a juvenile girl began communicating with Kickingwoman on Facebook. Kickingwoman sent the undercover explicit pictures of his penis and solicited sexually explicit pictures from the undercover. During a search of Kickingwoman’s Facebook account, law enforcement discovered Kickingwoman had sent picture of his nude genitalia to dozens of separate Facebook accounts. Two of the Facebook accounts were for juvenile girls, Jane Doe 2 and Jane Doe 3, who were living on the Blackfeet Reservation. Both Doe 2 and 3 confirmed that they had messaged with Kickingwoman on Facebook Messenger in the summer of 2023 when they were 12 years old and that they told Kickingwoman they were 13. Kickingwoman sent both girls pictures of his nude genitalia and solicited sexually explicit pictures from them. Doe 2 provided the requested photographs to Kickingwoman through his Facebook account.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
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Brothers who led a massive methamphetamine distribution ring sentenced to significant prison timeRead the Press Release
Tacoma – The leader of a methamphetamine trafficking ring was sentenced Friday August 30, 2024, in U.S. District Court for federal felonies related to his drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Jesus Venegas-Gatica, 37, of Lakewood, Washington was sentenced to 97 months. At the sentencing hearing Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo found that Mr. Venegas-Gatica served in a leadership role in a drug trafficking organization that was responsible for transporting as much as 50 pounds of methamphetamine from California to Washington each month. In announcing the sentence, Chief Judge Estudillo said, “Drugs like methamphetamine are dangerous…it affects individuals who are addicted as well as their families. Many have children that are neglected or develop habits based on what they are exposed to, and some lose their parents who overdose. Everyone around that person is left to pick up the mess that person’s addiction created”.
“Methamphetamine goes hand in hand with fentanyl in taking a toll on our community,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “Overdose deaths often indicate both illegal drugs in the user’s system. This defendant and his co-conspirators brought huge loads of methamphetamine to our south sound and Olympic Peninsula communities. This sentence will disrupt their damaging conduct.”
According to records filed in the case, brothers Jesus and Jose Venegas-Gatica pleaded guilty to drug distribution charges in April 2024. As part of his plea, Jesus Venegas-Gatica admitted to serving in a commanding and controlling role of the drug trafficking organization and utilizing a series of drug redistributors that he controlled and directed.
The Venegas-Gatica family has been involved in drug trafficking since at least 2012. The criminal complaint details Jose Venegas-Gatica’s arrest in 2019 in Kitsap County with 20 pounds of meth. Jose Venegas-Gatica fled and used aliases to return to drug trafficking. The Kitsap County case is resolved by the plea and sentencing in his federal case. Jose Venegas-Gatica was sentenced to 85 months in prison on July 11, 2024.
The men admit various large-scale methamphetamine deals in Cowlitz, Lewis, Grays Harbor, Pierce, and Thurston Counties. The Venegas family transported 20 to 25 kilograms of methamphetamine to Washington each month. Law enforcement tied these defendants to trafficking more than 105 pounds of meth at locations ranging from casino parking lots to outlet mall stores. In one instance, law enforcement caught a co-conspirator getting off an Amtrak train in Kelso, Washington with 55 pounds of methamphetamine in his luggage that he had transported from Sacramento, California.
In May 2022, authorities recovered another 16 kilos of methamphetamine when they executed search warrants at Jesus Venegas-Gatica’s home and an additional 3 kilograms from various co-conspirators.
This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Tacoma Resident Office, the Lewis County Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team (JNET), and the Grays Harbor Drug Task Force (GHDTF).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Dillon in consultation with the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office.
U.S. v. Venegas-Gatica et al 22-5142
Brooklyn Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brooklyn, N.Y. man pleaded guilty today in connection with a scheme to steal over $3 million in COVID relief tax credits using the stolen identity of a corporate executive in New Jersey.
Isaac Aaron Tenryk, 28, pleaded guilty to bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Dec. 12, 2024. Tenryk was arrested and charged in May 2024.
Tenryk used a fraudulent driver’s license as well as the name and Social Security number of a corporate executive in New Jersey to open an account at a bank in Boston. He then deposited an approximately $3 million Employee Retention Tax Credit check, payable to the corporate executive’s company, into the fraudulent account.
The charge of bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory two years in prison in addition to any sentence imposed on the bank fraud charge, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division, Boston Field Office; and Ketty Larco Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
Boston Woman Pleads Guilty to Fraudulently Obtaining COVID-Relief FundsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston woman pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain pandemic-related relief funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) made available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.
Jameela Gross, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for Dec. 5, 2024. Gross, a Heath Street Gang member/associate, was arrested in February 2024 along with over 40 Heath Street Gang members/associates, who were charged with racketeering conspiracy, drug trafficking, firearms charges and financial frauds, including COVID-related fraud.
In April 2021, Gross submitted a fraudulent PPP loan application on behalf of her purported business. The application contained multiple false statements, including false representations regarding the purported business’s total gross income in 2020 and the purpose of the loan. Gross also submitted false tax records in support of her loan applications. Based on the fraudulent application, Gross received approximately $18,750, which she then spent on non-business-related expenses.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act created a temporary loan program directed at small businesses called the Paycheck Protection Program. PPP loans were processed by private financial institutions and fully guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration. If the small business used the loan funds for approved purposes, such as payroll, the loan could be forgiven by the financial institution and paid for by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New England; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and Harry T. Chavis Jr, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Hoefle and Lucy Sun of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit are prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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.
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.
Bakersfield Felon Charged in Connection with Destructive DeviceRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — On Aug. 29, 2024, a federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment charging Robert Lawrence Hunt, 40, of Bakersfield, with being a felon in possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm, and manufacturing a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, in July 2022, Hunt possessed a destructive device that consisted of parts designed for conversion into an explosive and incendiary device containing screws, which meet the federal definition of a firearm. Hunt was previously convicted in Kern County Superior Court of two robberies and a burglary and is prohibited from possessing firearms.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.
If convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm, Hunt faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 if convicted of possessing an unregistered firearm and manufacturing a firearm. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Aliquippa Convicted Felon Charged with Possession of Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Tyland Witherspoon, 27, as the sole defendant. Witherspoon was arrested on August 30, 2024, related to this federal charge.
According to the Indictment, on or about June 19, 2024, Witherspoon, who was previously convicted of a felony, was found to be in possession of a Glock 23 40 caliber pistol along with Smith & Wesson 40 caliber ammunition. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
The law provides for a total sentence of up to 15 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 of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Nicole A. Stockey is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
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.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
$2.95M Penalty and Permanent Injunction Resolves Lawsuit Against Verkada Inc. for Alleged Unlawful Commercial Emails, Data Security Failures and Deceptive PracticesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced today that Verkada Inc. (Verkada), a cloud-based security company headquartered in San Mateo, California, has agreed to a settlement requiring it to pay a $2.95 million civil penalty and implement extensive data security measures. This settlement resolves allegations that Verkada violated the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing (CAN-SPAM) Act and engaged in unfair and deceptive practices in violation of the Federal Trade Commission Act.
In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, the United States alleges that Verkada failed to implement reasonable security measures such as appropriate access management and data protection controls and adequate encryption of customer data. These failures allegedly exposed sensitive information — including security-camera footage of consumers visiting locations like hospitals and schools — to unauthorized access. The complaint additionally alleges that Verkada misrepresented the extent to which it used appropriate data security safeguards and complied with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). The complaint also alleges that Verkada sent numerous promotional emails that failed to clearly and conspicuously notify recipients of their opportunity to opt out of such messages and failed to include a valid physical postal address, and that Verkada did not honor requests to opt out from its promotional emails within ten business days of receiving those requests, all in violation of the CAN-SPAM Act.
To resolve the lawsuit, the parties agreed to a settlement reflected by the stipulated order issued today by the Court. The stipulated order requires Verkada to pay a $2.95 million civil penalty and to comply with the CAN-SPAM Act, including by honoring requests to opt out of its commercial emails. The stipulated order also prohibits Verkada from misrepresenting its data security practices and requires it to establish a comprehensive information security program and undergo regular third-party assessments of its data security practices.
“This settlement underscores the importance of robust data security measures, especially for companies that are themselves in the security industry. Failure to protect sensitive information puts consumers at risk,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to work with the FTC to hold companies accountable for such violations.”
“When customers invite companies into private spaces to monitor consumers by using their security cameras and other products, they expect those companies to provide basic levels of security, which Verkada failed to do,” said Director Samuel Levin of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Companies that fail to secure and protect consumer data can expect to be held responsible.”
Trial Attorneys Cameron A. Brown and Amanda K. Kelly, Senior Trial Attorney James T. Nelson and Assistant Director Zachary A. Dietert of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Vivian Wang for the Northern District of California are handling the case, in coordination with staff from the FTC’s Division of Privacy and Identity Protection.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the FTC, visit www.FTC.gov.
Tuesday 3 September 2024
West Mifflin Felon Pleads Guilty to Multiple Firearms and Drug Trafficking ViolationsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A former resident of West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court on August 28, 2024, to charges of violating federal drug trafficking and firearms laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Giante Hilliard, 30, pleaded guilty to four counts before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan. During his plea hearing, Hilliard admitted facts related to three separate incidents in late March and late May of 2023 that led to the charges in this case.
The first incident took place on March 28, 2023, when Hilliard was involved in an exchange of gunfire outside of a McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, bar. Video of the incident shows that, moments after Hilliard and another individual left the bar and started to drive off, a third person shot at the car they occupied. Hilliard returned fire from the vehicle’s passenger seat, with several muzzle flashes visible in the video.
In the second incident, on May 8, 2023, Hilliard was the passenger in a vehicle that law enforcement attempted to stop. Rather than complying, the driver rammed three law enforcement vehicles—allowing one of the officers to observe Hilliard with a black firearm—and sped off. Shortly after, law enforcement located the disabled vehicle abandoned near a convenience store. Nearby surveillance video showed the driver and Hilliard leaving the disabled vehicle together, and then splitting up, with Hilliard holding a black bag that he attempted to conceal under a dumpster. The black bag was recovered by law enforcement and found to contain a loaded Smith & Wesson handgun and approximately 300 doses of what laboratory results later confirmed was a heroin and fentanyl mixture. Ballistic testing of the handgun against nearly a dozen 40 caliber casings from the earlier March 28 shooting determined the firearm to be a match with the one used by Hilliard in that earlier incident. The gun previously had been reported stolen. Based on evidence recovered in connection with the May 8 incident, including analysis of cell phones seized from within the disabled vehicle, the government obtained an arrest warrant for Hilliard.
Finally, in the third incident, on May 31, 2023, Hilliard posted on social media a video of himself with another firearm. Based on information from that video and other evidence gathered during the investigation, the government obtained a search warrant for a residence where Hilliard was hiding out and the vehicle that he had been driving. Law enforcement surrounded the house, but Hilliard refused to come out until several hours after officers fired multiple rounds of tear gas into the home. A subsequent search of the residence resulted in the seizure of a box of ammunition from a kitchen drawer and 100 stamp bags in a kitchen cabinet. The bags were marked with the same logo in the same colors of ink as those found in the black bag on May 8, and contained a heroin and fentanyl mixture similar to the May 8 drugs. In the vehicle, investigators also discovered yet another loaded firearm—a “ghost gun” without a serial number.
Prior to these incidents, Hilliard had previously been convicted of a number of other felony offenses, including aggravated assault, possession of unlicensed firearms, and terroristic threats. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
Hilliard pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition in connection with the March 28 incident; possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl as well as possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime in relation to the May 8 incident; and being a felon in possession of ammunition on May 31. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than five years and up life in prison, a fine of up to $1,750,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorneys Brendan T. Conway and Douglas C. Maloney are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Hilliard, along with officers from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Police Department, Homestead Police Department, West Homestead Police Department, and McKees Rocks Police Department.
Washington, D.C., Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Assault CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – MacArthur Walker Jr., 58, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees involving physical contact.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 4, 2024, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Walker on Interstate 64 near Sandstone, West Virginia. The officer smelled the odor of marijuana and a passenger in Walker’s vehicle said there was approximately 3.5 grams of marijuana in the vehicle. The officer directed Walker to exit his vehicle and stand by the officer’s vehicle while the officer searched Walker’s vehicle. On multiple occasions Walker failed to obey the officer’s commands. Walker admitted that he eventually approached the officer and punched him on the right side of his body after the officer removed something from Walker’s vehicle during the search.
Walker is scheduled to be sentenced on January 3, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of eight years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Walker is also forfeiting a Rossi .38 Special revolver that was seized from a bag found in his vehicle.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the National Park Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander A. Redmon is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-88.
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United States Attorney Ritz Announces Ten Federal Indictments for Firearm and Violent CrimesRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced today the indictments of ten individuals who were charged with federal gun and violent crime offenses in West Tennessee. United States Attorney Ritz also reinforced his office’s commitment to federal prosecution of individuals who commit violent crimes, illegally possess machine-gun conversion devices (also known as “switches”), or commit other federal firearm offenses.
“As alleged, these individuals have committed serious federal crimes involving firearms or violent activity,” said United States Attorney Ritz. “Our office will continue to work with the Project Safe Neighborhoods Task Force and other law enforcement partners to reduce violent crime in our community. The citizens of Memphis and Shelby County deserve to feel safe.”
The following defendants were charged with federal crimes involving switches:
- Wayne Sanders, 31. Sanders was charged in June 2024 with being a felon in possession of firearms and possessing a machine gun on February 24, 2024. A superseding indictment returned on August 29, 2024, charged Sanders with four additional counts related to his arrest by officers in April 2024:
- Possession of a machine gun;
- Being a felon in possession of a firearm;
- Assault of a Task Force Officer with the U.S. Marshals Service; and
- Brandishing a firearm during and in relation to the assault on a federal officer.
- Myles Bowens, 22. Bowens was indicted on August 29, 2024, for being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing a gun with an attached machine-gun conversion device.
- Taveon Earnest, 20. Earnest was indicted on August 29, 2024, for possessing a gun with an attached machine-gun conversion device.
- Actavious Ellis, 30. Ellis was indicted on August 29, 2024, for possessing a gun with an attached machine-gun conversion device.
The following defendants were charged with other firearm or violent crime offenses:
- Nathenael Tekle, 23. Tekle was indicted on August 29, 2024, for four separate armed business robberies in Memphis, committed over a 10-day span in October and November 2023. He is charged with four counts of robbery of a business affecting interstate commerce and four counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to the robberies.
- Caran Stokes, 26. Stokes was indicted on August 29, 2024, on one count of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to the carjacking.
- Tony Thomas, 27. Thomas was indicted on August 29, 2024, on one count of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to the carjacking.
- Pierre Jones, 34. Jones was indicted on August 29, 2024, for possession of a firearm after having at least three prior convictions for serious drug offenses or violent felonies.
- Marcus Oher, 26. Oher was indicted on August 29, 2024, for being a felon in possession of a firearm on two different occasions.
- Jermaine Cooper, 35. Cooper was indicted on August 29, 2024, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
These cases are being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force; the Project Safe Neighborhoods Gun Task Force; the Memphis Police Department; and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. Anyone with information about switches or other federal gun crimes can call 1-800-ATF-GUNS (1-800-283-4867).
The charges and allegations contained in the indictments are merely accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law. If convicted, each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of the factors unique to the case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records (if any), the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation.
These indictments are 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, using data-driven methods to set focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked the Assistant United States Attorneys prosecuting these cases, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated the cases.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
- Wayne Sanders, 31. Sanders was charged in June 2024 with being a felon in possession of firearms and possessing a machine gun on February 24, 2024. A superseding indictment returned on August 29, 2024, charged Sanders with four additional counts related to his arrest by officers in April 2024:
United States Attorney Announces New Conviction Integrity CommitteeRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – United States Attorney Ismail Ramsey today announced that the United States Attorney’s Office is establishing a new committee to review innocence claims brought by defendants convicted in the Northern District of California. The Conviction Integrity Committee (Committee) will review and consider claims of factual innocence brought by defendants who were convicted in the Northern District of California.
The purpose of the Committee is to promote fairness and integrity at every stage of a criminal prosecution. It is designed to ensure that credible claims of factual innocence are investigated and addressed. Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey Bornstein, who also is a Senior Litigation Counsel for the Northern District of California, will Chair the Committee whose members will include the United States Attorney, the First Assistant United States Attorney, and the Executive Assistant United States Attorney. Additional members of the United States Attorney’s Office may participate in review of certain claims filed under the new program depending upon circumstances described in the policy.
In announcing this new program, United States Attorney Ramsey said that he and his office “are committed to ensure that any person who is actually innocent is not the subject of a wrongful conviction.”
The new process is partly modeled on committees that have been formed in other United States Attorney’s Offices including for the Southern District of New York, the Central District of California, and the District of Columbia. In the Northern District of California policy, decisions—including decisions on the merits and whether to reinvestigate a claim of actual innocence—are based only on an independent assessment of the facts and the law; factors such as a defendant’s choice of counsel, media coverage, or political influence play no role in the consideration of cases presented to the Committee.
An application to submit actual innocence claims to the Committee has been placed on the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California’s website. The process is afforded to all convicted persons regardless of the nature of the offense, whether there was a trial or plea bargain, and whether they are represented by an attorney. Priority may be given to convicted persons who are currently incarcerated or on parole or supervised release.
US Attorney’s Offices Present Information Session on the Americans with Disabilities Act’s Protections for Individuals with Opioid Use DisorderRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO – On August 28, 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Western, Eastern, and Middle Districts of North Carolina, in partnership with the Mountain Area Health Education Center (“MAHEC”), presented an information session on the Americans with Disabilities Act’s protections for individuals with opioid use disorder (“OUD”) and combatting discrimination against people in treatment and recovery. This presentation was hosted by the Assistant United States Attorneys and Civil Rights Coordinators from the Civil Division in each district who work to enforce the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). Participants learned about the ADA’s coverage, the Act’s applicability to individuals with OUD, and the Department of Justice’s work to investigate alleged violations of the ADA and enforce compliance. The presentation was part of an ongoing webinar series hosted by MAHEC; later modules will include additional information about medicinal and operational for treating for OUD in geriatric care, including skilled nursing facilities.
Ensuring that medical and social service providers do not discriminate on the basis of disability, including OUD, is an issue of general public importance. “Individuals who are in recovery and who have stopped illegally using drugs should not face discrimination when accessing evidence-based treatment,” said Sandra J. Hairston, United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina (USAO-MDNC). “The ADA protects individuals who are prescribed medication for OUD under the supervision of a licensed health care provider, and we will continue to work to remove discriminatory barriers to recovery.”
The Department of Justice’s 2022 guidance on how the ADA protects individuals in treatment or recovery, including individuals who take medications to treat OUD, is available at: https://archive.ada.gov/opioid_guidance.pdf. This is the USAO-MDNC’s second presentation on the ADA’s protections for individuals in recovery; in 2022, the office presented to county personnel who operate jails regarding the ADA’s protections, particularly access to medications for OUD.
Individuals who believe they have been victims of discrimination may file an ADA complaint online at https://www.ada.gov/file-a-complaint/. Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov, or by calling the Department of Justice’s toll-free information line at 800-514-0301 (voice) or 1-833-610-1264 (TTY).
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U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Sentencing of Albuquerque Man for Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man was sentenced to 248 months in prison for drug trafficking and firearms offenses after being found in possession of over 500 grams of methamphetamine and two firearms in a stolen vehicle.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on February 22, 2022, Octavio Jimenez-Marquez, 38, was driving a stolen black Dodge Ram pickup truck when he was approached by Albuquerque Police Department officers in the parking lot of an apartment complex. When Jimenez attempted to evade detection by moving from the driver's seat to the truck bed, he was detained.
A search of the vehicle revealed:
- Two large bundles of methamphetamine, weighing a total of 529 net grams
- An unloaded revolver stored with the larger methamphetamine bundle
- A loaded assault rifle in the front passenger seat
Photo of rifle
Photo of bullets
During a subsequent interview, Jimenez admitted to using methamphetamine on the day of his arrest and to handling the firearms found in the vehicle. Photographic evidence from Jimenez’s cell phone further implicated him in the possession of the firearms.
Jimenez selfie with revolver
On April 17, 2024, following a three-day trial, a jury returned a verdict convicting Jimenez of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; possession of a firearm by an illegal alien; possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and escape.
Upon his release from prison, Jimenez will be subject to five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Towanda R. Thorne-James, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration El Paso Division, made the announcement today.
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case with assistance from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department, Albuquerque Police Department, Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Louis Mattei and Elaine Y. Ramirez prosecuted the case.
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U.S. Attorney Announces Terrorism Charges Against Senior Leaders of HamasRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Merrick B. Garland, the Attorney General of the United States, Lisa O. Monaco, the Deputy Attorney General of the United States, Christopher A. Wray, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Matthew G. Olsen, the Assistant Attorney General for National Security, and Sanjay Virmani, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, announced today the unsealing of terrorism, murder conspiracy, and sanctions-evasion charges against six senior leaders of Hamas, a designated foreign terrorist organization. The charges relate to the defendants’ central roles in planning, supporting, and perpetrating the terrorist atrocities that Hamas committed in Israel on October 7, 2023 (the “October 7 Hamas Massacres”), involving the murders and kidnappings of countless innocent civilians, including American citizens, which was the culmination of Hamas’s decades-long campaign of terrorism and violence against Israel and its allies, including American citizens. The defendants are either deceased or remain at large.[1]
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “For decades, Hamas and its leadership have dedicated themselves to the eradication of the State of Israel, and to murdering, maiming, and brutalizing anyone—including dozens of Americans—who stood in their way. The October 7 Hamas Massacres, a depraved act of savagery carried out by Hamas, has, to date, resulted in over 40 American citizens being murdered. This Office has long been dedicated to serving as a bulwark against terrorism and striking blows against its leaders. Our commitment is clear: if you hurt one member of our community, you hurt all of us—and we stand with all victims of Hamas’s reign of terror.”
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said: “The Justice Department has charged Yahya Sinwar and other senior leaders of Hamas for financing, directing, and overseeing a decades-long campaign to murder American citizens and endanger the national security of the United States. On October 7th, Hamas terrorists, led by these defendants, murdered nearly 1200 people, including over 40 Americans, and kidnapped hundreds of civilians. This weekend, we learned that Hamas murdered an additional six people they had kidnapped and held captive for nearly a year, including Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a 23 year old Israeli American. We are investigating Hersh’s murder, and each and every one of Hamas’ brutal murders of Americans, as an act of terrorism. The charges unsealed today are just one part of our effort to target every aspect of Hamas’ operations. These actions will not be our last.”
Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco said: “Yahya Sinwar and the other senior leaders of Hamas are charged today with orchestrating this terrorist organization’s decades-long campaign of mass violence and terror—including on October 7th. On that horrible day, Hamas terrorists viciously massacred nearly 1,200 innocent men, women, and children, including over 40 Americans, kidnapped hundreds more, and used sexual violence as a weapon of brutality. Since that horrific day, we have worked to investigate and hold accountable those responsible, and we will not rest until all those who kidnapped or murdered Americans are brought to justice. Our thoughts continue to be with the families of all the victims of this barbaric terrorist attack.”
FBI Director Christopher A. Wray said: “From the moment Hamas launched its horrific attack on October 7, the FBI has been dedicated to identifying and charging those responsible for these heinous crimes. The FBI has and will continue to relentlessly investigate these attacks on civilians, including Americans. Hamas is a Foreign Terrorist Organization with a long history of violence, and the group’s actions have resulted in increased terrorism threats in the U.S. and against American interests throughout the world. Countering terrorism remains our number one priority, and our work continues.”
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen said: “The core mission of the National Security Division is to protect Americans from violent terrorists and extremist organizations like Hamas. The atrocities committed by Hamas in Israel on October 7 are intolerable, and the Justice Department will not rest in our pursuit to hold Hamas accountable for perpetrating its campaign of terror, death, and destruction.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani said: “Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel was a violent massacre in the long history of Hamas’s brutal terrorist reign. The FBI Washington Field Office is determined to continue its work to dismantle Hamas and hold its senior leaders responsible for their conspiracy to plan and perpetrate these heinous acts of terror, including the murder and kidnapping of American citizens.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint:[2]
Harakat al-Muqawamah al-Islamiyya, commonly known as Hamas, is a terrorist organization that was founded in 1987, and has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization (“FTO”) by the United States since 1997. From its inception, Hamas’s stated purpose has been to create an Islamic Palestinian state throughout Israel by eliminating the State of Israel through violent holy war, or jihad. Hamas also promotes attacks against the United States and its citizens, and over more than two decades, Hamas has murdered and injured dozens of Americans as part of its campaign of violence and terror.
The defendants charged in the Complaint are all senior leaders of Hamas who have orchestrated, overseen, and supported Hamas’s decades-long campaign of terrorism, including the October 7 Hamas Massacres. They control all aspects of the terrorist organization, including its political and military branches, known as the Politburo and the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades (“al-Qassam Brigades”).
ISMAIL HANIYEH, was the chairman of Hamas’s Politburo from 2017 until his reported death on or about July 31, 2024. Prior to 2017, HANIYEH was the deputy chairman of the Politburo and the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip. HANIYEH was based principally in Turkey and Qatar.
YAHYA SINWAR, a/k/a “Abu Ibrahim,” 61, is the leader of Hamas. Previously, beginning in approximately 2017, he was the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and is one of the founders of the al-Qassam Brigades. SINWAR is based principally in the Gaza Strip.
MOHAMMAD AL-MASRI, a/k/a “Mohammed Deif,” a/k/a “al Khalid al-Deif,” was the commander in chief of the al-Qassam Brigades, a position he held from in or about 2002 until his reported death on or about July 13, 2024. AL-MASRI was based principally in the Gaza Strip.
MARWAN ISSA, a/k/a “Abu Baraa,” was the deputy commander of the al-Qassam Brigades from approximately 2007 until his reported death on or about March 10, 2024. ISSA was based principally in the Gaza Strip.
KHALED MESHAAL, a/k/a “Abu al-Waleed,” 68, was the chairman of Hamas’s Politburo from approximately 2004 to 2017, and is now the head of Hamas’s diaspora office—effectively responsible for Hamas’s official presence outside of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. MESHAAL is based principally in Qatar.
ALI BARAKA, 57, has been Hamas’s head of National Relations Abroad since approximately 2019, and was previously Hamas’s representative in Lebanon. BARAKA is based principally in Lebanon.
Hamas has pursued its objectives through innumerable acts of brutal terrorist violence, including launching thousands of rockets specifically targeting civilian populations; suicide bombings of restaurants, markets, public transportation systems, and other public spaces; and military-style attacks on towns and residential communities. Hamas’s campaign of terrorism has killed and wounded citizens of Israel, the United States, and many other countries.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas committed its most violent, large-scale terrorist attack to date—the October 7 Hamas Massacres. Hamas targeted civilian populations with a barrage of rockets, before waves of Hamas terrorists breached the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, infiltrated Israel, and launched attacks on civilians, by land, sea, and air. Hamas sent thousands of armed fighters into southern Israel, where they carried out the massacres of over a thousand people and the kidnappings of more than 200 others. Hamas terrorists attacked civilians, firing handguns, assault rifles, and handheld rocket launchers, in small residential communities in Kfar Aza, Be’eri, Nir Oz, Nahal Oz, Re’im, Holit, Zikim, Kerem Shalom, Sufa, and others; the Israeli town of Sderot; and a music festival held near Re’im; among other places. Armed Hamas operatives attacked and shot civilians, including children, sometimes with machineguns and sometimes at point blank range, and weaponized sexual violence against Israeli women, including through rape and genital mutilation. Hundreds of civilians, including Americans, and Israeli soldiers, were killed and wounded; other victims, including Americans, were kidnapped, taken hostage, and brought into Gaza by Hamas. As of the date of the Complaint, over 40 American citizens were among those murdered, and at least eight American citizens were taken hostage or remain unaccounted for.[3] Most recently, Hamas executed a U.S. citizen who was taken hostage by Hamas during the October 7 Hamas Massacres and remained in captivity until he was murdered.
Hamas raises money to fund its terrorist activities through a variety of methods, including by soliciting and receiving cryptocurrency payments, advertising the ostensible anonymity of such transactions. Since 2019, Hamas’s military wing has used social media and other platforms to call for cryptocurrency contributions from supporters abroad, including in the United States, to Hamas-controlled virtual wallets, explicitly acknowledging that those payments would be used to fund Hamas’s campaign of violence. Through these mechanisms, Hamas has received tens of millions of dollars in cryptocurrency payments to fund its activities.
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The Complaint unsealed today charges each of the defendants with: (1) conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization resulting in death, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison; (2) conspiring to provide material support for acts of terrorism resulting in death, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison; (3) conspiring to murder U.S. nationals outside the United States, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison; (4) conspiring to bomb a place of public use resulting in death, which carries a maximum penalty of death or life in prison; (5) conspiring to use weapons of mass destruction resulting in death, which carries a maximum penalty of death or life in prison; (6) conspiring to finance terrorism, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; and (7) conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants would be imposed by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI Washington Field Office, Counterterrorism Division, and the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force. Mr. Williams also thanked the FBI Legal Attaché Office in Tel Aviv, Israel, the FBI Victim Services Division, and the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, Counterterrorism Section for their assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit and Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sam Adelsberg, Jacob H. Gutwillig, Sarah L. Kushner, Michael D. Lockard, Ben Arad, and Samuel L. Raymond are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorneys Alicia Cook and C. Alexandria Bogle of the Counterterrorism Section.
The charges in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] Since the filing of this Complaint, three of the defendants—Ismail Haniyeh, Mohammad Al-Masri, a/k/a “Mohammed Deif,” a/k/a “al Khalid al-Deif,” and Marwan Issa, a/k/a “Abu Baraa”—are reported to have been killed.
[2] As the introductory phrase signifies, the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
[3] Since the filing of this Complaint, two of the original ten individuals believed to have been taken hostage or who otherwise were unaccounted for have been confirmed to have been murdered.
Two foreign nationals sentenced for victimizing U.S. companies through business email compromise schemeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Nigerian national was sentenced today to five years and three months in prison and ordered to pay nearly $5 million in restitution for participating in a computer hacking and business email compromise (BEC) scheme that caused over $5 million in losses to multiple victims in the United States and elsewhere. Franklin Ifeanyichukwu Okwonna, 34, pled guilty on May 20 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for his role in the scheme.
Okwonna’s co-defendant, Nigerian national Ebuka Raphael Umeti, 35, was sentenced on Aug. 27 to 10 years in prison and ordered to pay nearly $5 million in restitution. Umeti was convicted by a federal jury on June 13 of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, conspiracy to cause intentional damage to a protected computer, and intentional damage to a protected computer.
According to court documents and evidence presented at Umeti’s trial, between February 2016 and July 2021, Umeti, Okwonna, and their co-conspirators caused millions of dollars in unauthorized wire transfers by sending victim businesses phishing emails. These emails falsely appeared as though they originated from trusted sources, such as a bank or a vendor. After the victim opened an attachment, their computers would be infected with malicious software or “malware” that allowed the defendants and their co-conspirators to gain unauthorized access to the victim’s computer systems and email accounts. The defendants and their co-conspirators then exploited that access to obtain sensitive information, which they used to deceive individuals at the victim companies into executing wire transfers to accounts specified by the co-conspirators. As a result of this scheme, the defendants and their co-conspirators caused or attempted to cause over $5 million in losses to the victim companies.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and David Sundberg, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura D. Withers for the Eastern District of Virginia and Senior Counsel Thomas S. Dougherty of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) prosecuted the case. CCIPS Senior Counsel Aarash Haghighat assisted in the investigation and indictment of the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with the FBI’s Legal Attaché Office in Nairobi, the U.S. Marshals Service, and Kenya’s Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and Directorate of Criminal Investigation to secure the extradition of Umeti and Okwonna.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-123.
Two South Dakota Men Indicted for Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell, South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley, and authorities in Clay and Yankton Counties announced that a federal grand jury has indicted a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man and a Yankton, South Dakota, man for Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death.
Evan Wylde Nelson, age 18, and Udda Ambi Kobaba, age 19, were indicted in August of 2024. Nelson appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on August 29, 2024, and Kobaba appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on August 30, 2024. Nelson and Kobaba pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is a mandatory minimum of 20 years in custody, up to life and/or a $1,000,000 fine, a mandatory minimum of three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
On or about between December 20, 2023, and December 22, 2023, in the District of South Dakota, the defendants, Evan Wylde Nelson and Udda Ambi Kobaba, a/k/a “Tayski,” intentionally distributed fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, and the distribution of said fentanyl resulted in the death of a victim.
In May of 2024, Nelson was indicted by a Yankton County Grand Jury on three felony counts: one count of Distribution of a Controlled Substance to a Minor Resulting in Death; one count of Distribution of a Controlled Substance to a Minor; and one count of Unauthorized Possession of a Controlled Substance, which is a Class 5 Felony. The state charges will now be dismissed due to the federal indictment.
“We appreciate the working relationship with all of the agencies involved,” said Attorney General Jackley. “Fentanyl cases, especially ones leading to death, need to be strongly prosecuted by all law enforcement agencies and prosecutors.”
U.S. Attorney Alison Ramsdell agreed, “We are fortunate to have good working relationships with our state counterparts, which allows law enforcement agencies to seek federal prosecution when appropriate. Here, where it is alleged that the distribution of fentanyl resulted in the death of a minor victim, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will aggressively pursue a just result in federal court.”
The charge is merely an accusation and Nelson and Kobaba are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Agencies involved in the investigation include the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, Vermillion Police Department, Yankton Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce is prosecuting the case.
Nelson and Kobaba were remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Two Quad Cities Men Found Guilty of Conspiracy to Commit Armed Robbery and Multiple Armed Robbery and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A federal jury on August 23, 2024, found two Quad Cities, Illinois, men – Emmanuel Lance Howard, 24, of Davenport, Iowa, and Evander Allen Jordan, 39, of Rock Island, Illinois – guilty of conspiracy to commit armed robbery and multiple robbery and firearms charges following a two-week trial in Peoria, Illinois, before Chief U.S. District Judge Sara Darrow.
During the trial, the government presented evidence to establish that in the summer and fall of 2020, Howard and Jordan committed ten separate armed robberies in the Quad Cities area, including five armed robberies of retail stores in Rock Island and Moline, one armed robbery and shooting of a man, and a carjacking of a woman in Rock Island, along with three armed robberies of retail stores in Davenport. During their violent crime spree, in which they stole firearms, money, jewelry, and other property, Howard and Jordan shot two men, pistol-whipped and assaulted others, and repeatedly threatened the lives of all of the more than 20 victims. One such victim repeatedly begged for her life and another was so terrified that she feared her young son at home, across the street from the robbery, would hear his mother being shot.
Following an extensive investigation involving the Rock Island, Davenport, and Moline police departments, as well as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Howard and Jordan were charged in 2021 in a fifteen-count indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit armed robbery, five counts of Hobbs Act robbery, one count of carjacking, six counts of brandishing or discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. These charges were the result of Howard and Jordan committing the following armed robberies in Rock Island, Moline, and Davenport:
• July 31, 2020: Little Caesar’s on 18th Avenue Rock Island, Illinois
• August 14, 2020: Little Caesar’s on West Locust Street, Davenport, Iowa
• September 5, 2020: MidWest Title Loans on 11th Street, Rock Island, Illinois
• September 12, 2020: Pizza Hut on Locust Street, Davenport, Iowa
• September 12, 2020: Papa John’s on 19th Avenue, Moline, Illinois
• September 18, 2020, Carjacking, Rock Island, Illinois
• October 4, 2020: Domino’s Pizza on 14th Avenue, Rock Island, Illinois
• October 9, 2020: Kwik Shop on Telegraph Road, Davenport, Iowa
• October 16, 2020: Pawn King on 11th Street, Rock Island, Illinois
Both Howard and Jordan have been detained in federal custody since their federal arrests in 2021.
The statutory penalty for the conspiracy to commit robbery and robbery offenses is up to 20 years in prison; the statutory penalty for the carjacking offense is up to 15 years in prison; the statutory penalty for the brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence offenses is a minimum consecutive sentence for each offense of seven years to life in prison; the statutory penalty for the discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence offense is a minimum consecutive sentence of 10 years to life in prison; and the statutory penalty for the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon offense is up to 10 years in prison. As a result, Howard faces a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of 45 years and up to life in prison for just the firearm offenses; because Jordan has a prior federal conviction for possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, he faces a minimum of 63 years to life in prison just for the firearms offenses.
U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris stated following the trial: “These two defendants terrorized the Quad Cities community in 2020 by committing ten separate armed robberies without any regard for human life or the law, needlessly leaving more than 20 victims in the wake of their violence and intimidation. The jury’s verdict appropriately holds the defendants accountable under the law for their criminal conduct. I especially want to thank the Rock Island, Davenport, and Moline police departments and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms for their outstanding, tireless, and professional work in this matter. This Office and our federal and state partners will continue to hold those persons accountable for their criminal acts of violence.”
“On behalf of the Moline Police Department and the City of Moline, I’d like to express my sincere gratitude to all involved in bringing this case to justice,” said Darren Gault, Chief of Police for the Moline Police Department. “Over several weeks in 2020 these dangerous individuals went on a crime spree we usually don’t see in the Quad Cities. I’d like to highlight the extraordinary cooperation and coordination across multiple agencies in both Illinois and Iowa as well as the state and federal law enforcement agencies. Without this coordinated effort, these individuals may have evaded being held accountable for their actions. The Quad Cities should be proud of the remarkable work being done by these men and women in law enforcement and at the United States Attorney’s Office. Our partnerships are strong and the message is clear: if you commit these crimes in our communities, you will be held accountable.”
“This verdict of guilt will hold these two men accountable for the mayhem they created throughout the community,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon of the Chicago Field Division. “I commend the partnership among our local and federal law enforcement agencies for their diligence in investigating these crimes and the United States Attorney’s Office for prosecuting this case.”
The case investigation was conducted by the Rock Island, Davenport, and Moline Police Departments, as well as the ATF and FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Mathew, Timothy Bass, and Jeffrey Kienstra represented the government in the prosecution.
Two Foreign Nationals Sentenced for Victimizing U.S. Companies Through Business Email Compromise SchemeRead the Press Release
A Nigerian national was sentenced today in the Eastern District of Virginia to five years and three months in prison and ordered to pay nearly $5 million in restitution for participating in a computer hacking and business email compromise scheme that caused over $5 million in losses to multiple victims in the United States and elsewhere. Franklin Ifeanyichukwu Okwonna, 34, pleaded guilty on May 20 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for his role in the scheme.
Okwonna’s co-defendant, Nigerian national Ebuka Raphael Umeti, 35, was sentenced on Aug. 27 to 10 years in prison and ordered to pay nearly $5 million in restitution. Umeti was convicted by a federal jury on June 13 of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, conspiracy to cause intentional damage to a protected computer, and intentional damage to a protected computer.
According to court documents and evidence presented at Umeti’s trial, between February 2016 and July 2021, Umeti, Okwonna, and their co-conspirators caused millions of dollars in unauthorized wire transfers by sending victim businesses phishing emails. These emails falsely appeared as though they originated from trusted sources, such as a bank or a vendor. After the victim opened an attachment, their computers would be infected with malicious software, or “malware,” that allowed the defendants and their co-conspirators to gain unauthorized access to the victim’s computer systems and email accounts. The defendants and their co-conspirators then exploited that access to obtain sensitive information, which they used to deceive individuals at the victim companies into executing wire transfers to accounts specified by the co-conspirators. As a result of this scheme, the defendants and their co-conspirators caused or attempted to cause over $5 million in losses to the victim companies.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case.
Senior Counsel Thomas S. Dougherty of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura D. Withers for the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case. CCIPS Senior Counsel Aarash Haghighat assisted in the investigation and indictment of the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with the FBI’s Legal Attaché Office in Nairobi, the U.S. Marshals Service, and Kenya’s Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and Directorate of Criminal Investigation to secure the extradition of Umeti and Okwonna.
Three Individuals Indicted in Mortgage, COVID-19 Relief Program Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – Three New Jersey residents were indicted for their role in a multimillion-dollar mortgage fraud scheme and two of the three were indicted for fraudulently obtaining approximately $3 million of federal Economic Injury Disaster Loans, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Arthur Spitzer, 37, of Toms River, New Jersey, is charged with eight counts of wire fraud, one count of bank fraud, one count of bank and wire fraud conspiracy, two counts of aggravated identity theft, one count of making a false statement to a financial institution, and 12 counts of money laundering. Mendel Deutsch, 38, of Toms River, is charged with three counts of wire fraud, one count of bank fraud, one count of bank and wire fraud conspiracy, one count of aggravated identity theft, one count of making a false statement to a financial institution, and two counts of money laundering. Joshua Feldberger, 42, of Howell, New Jersey, is charged with one count of wire fraud, one count of bank fraud, one count of bank and wire fraud conspiracy, one count of aggravated identity theft, and one count of making a false statement to a financial institution. The defendants were arraigned today before U.S. District Judge Edward S. Kiel in Camden federal court.
According to the indictment:
In 2019 and 2020, Spitzer orchestrated a scheme to defraud property owners and mortgage lenders by obtaining mortgage loans for real estate properties that he did not own. Spitzer identified properties in New Jersey and Brooklyn, New York, that had either no mortgages or mortgages in amounts significantly lower than the property’s market value. On six occasions, Spitzer obtained mortgage loans by misrepresenting that he had the authority to obtain mortgage loans secured by properties he did not own. Spitzer used fraudulent documents purporting to transfer control to him, which contained forged signatures of the true property owners. The mortgage loan proceeds were disbursed to bank accounts controlled by Spitzer or were used to otherwise benefit Spitzer, such as to pay off his debts. Spitzer then caused the mortgage loans to default by not making the required payments, leaving the true property owners subject to foreclosure and eviction.
In June 2020, Spitzer conspired with Deutsch and Feldberger to make it appear as if Spitzer owned three properties in Brooklyn, and agreed to sell them to Deutsch, who obtained a $4 million mortgage loan in connection with the transaction. Feldberger facilitated the fraudulent transaction as the owner of the settlement company that handled the transaction. The defendants created and sent letters stating that Deutsch had deposited significant funds into escrow toward the transaction, when in reality he had not; they created fake documentation purportedly transferring control of the properties to Spitzer; they failed to disclose a short-term loan obtained shortly before the transaction’s closing; and they lied to the mortgage lender by stating that the settlement company had received more than $2 million from Deutsch at closing, which led the mortgage lender to fund the loan. The defendants then used the mortgage loan proceeds to fund Deutsch’s down payment, which he had supposedly already provided.
In 2020 and 2021, Spitzer and Deutsch each fraudulently obtained millions of dollars of government loans that were intended for small businesses distressed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted in March 2020 and was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) of up to $2 million to eligible small businesses that were experiencing substantial financial disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To obtain an EIDL loan, a qualifying small business was required to apply and provide information on its operations, including the number of employees and revenues or expenses.
Spitzer and Deutsch obtained EIDL loans for businesses that had little or no operations by submitting loan applications that included false statements about the applicant companies’ number of employees, revenues, cost of goods sold, or lost rents.
The counts of bank fraud conspiracy, bank fraud, and making a false statement to a financial institution, are each punishable by a maximum of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. The counts of wire fraud conspiracy and wire fraud are each punishable by a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. The counts of money laundering are each punishable by a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. The counts of aggravated identity theft carry a mandatory two-year prison sentence.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan in Newark; and special agents of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Patricia Tarasca, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Regional Office, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel A. Friedman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Camden.
The charges and allegations contained in the charging instrument are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
spitzeretal.indictment.pdfThompson Falls man admits illegal possession of firearms, shortened rifleRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Thompson Falls man with two prior federal felony convictions today admitted to illegally possessing a firearm and to possessing a shortened rifle after law enforcement found numerous guns at his residence, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, James Vernon Day, Jr., 55, pleaded guilty to prohibited person in possession of a firearm and to possession of an unregistered firearm. Day faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Jan. 3, 2025. Day was released pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that Day previously had been convicted in Montana of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and of illegal sale of outfitted mountain lion hunts and was prohibited from possessing firearms. The government further alleged that in December 2023, Sanders County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived at Day’s property to serve a search warrant for solen vehicle parts. Day was present on the property and confronted deputies, but retreated into his residence as the search began. Day told deputies they could not enter his residence. During the search, Day was generally uncooperative with law enforcement’s request to exit his residence and speak with them.
During the search, deputies located a .44-caliber rifle in a shop building, a building to which they determined Day had primary access. The shop also contained three gun safes that contained gun parts, including a barrel from an assault rifle and a barrel from a shotgun. Deputies also found a freshly killed deer head. Day eventually exited his residence and was arrested. In a search of Day’s residence, deputies located an additional 36 firearms, which were strewn around the house. One of those firearms, found on the kitchen floor, was a .222-caliber rifle that was determined to have a barrel of less than 16 inches. Possession of a firearm with a shortened barrel is against federal law. In Day’s vehicle, deputies found a .44-caliber revolver.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Sanders County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
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The “M30 King of Fresno” Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Horacio Torrecillas Urias Jr., 23, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to distribution of fentanyl and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, the investigation began after a series of fentanyl-pill overdoses in the Fresno area. These overdoses were caused by counterfeit oxycodone M30 tablets containing fentanyl, referred to on the street as M30s. Similar to authentic oxycodone M30 tablets, they are small, round, and light blue or green in color with “M” stamped on one side and “30” on the other. The investigation, dubbed “Operation Killer High,” aimed to search for the drug dealers believed to have supplied the toxic pills that caused the spike in fentanyl-related overdoses. The operation uncovered a large drug-trafficking ring led by Torrecillas Urias, the self-proclaimed “M30 king of Fresno.”
Torrecillas Urias was obtaining, directly from sources in Mexico, tens of thousands of counterfeit M30 fentanyl pills and large quantities of fentanyl powder, cocaine, and methamphetamine. He and his co-defendants were then distributing these illicit drugs to dealers inside and outside of California. During the investigation, federal, state, and local law enforcement agents conducted traffic stops, intercepted packages, and executed residential search warrants that resulted in the recovery of over 55,000 counterfeit M30 fentanyl pills, 6 pounds of fentanyl powder, 10 pounds of methamphetamine, a pound of cocaine, 25 firearms, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
Operation Killer High resulted in charges for 17 other defendants, and all but one have now pleaded guilty. The remaining co-defendant, Alma Garza, is set for trial on Sept. 24, 2024.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Fentanyl Overdose Resolution Team (a multi-agency team composed of Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Fresno Police Department), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Clovis Police Department, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, and the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, with assistance from the Bakersfield Police Department and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio is prosecuting the case.
Torrecillas Urias is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on Dec. 2, 2024. Torrecillas Urias faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.) a program designed to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas as well as identifying wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers. In July 2018, the Justice Department announced the creation of S.O.S., which is being implemented in the Eastern District of California and nine other federal districts.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
St. Louis Felon Sentenced to 97 Months in Prison After a Shooting and Being Caught with Stolen GunRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Tuesday sentenced a convicted felon who was caught by police with a stolen gun after fleeing from a carjacked vehicle to 97 months in prison.
The sentence for Cedric Cross Sr., 43, consisted of 85 months for being a felon in possession of a firearm and 12 more months for violating his supervised release from a prior felon in possession case in U.S. District Court in East St. Louis. In 2017, he was sentenced there to 63 months in prison after being caught with a stolen pistol.
Cross pleaded guilty to the new charge in May, admitting that he was caught with a gun by Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers on Jan. 30, 2022, after jumping out of a carjacked truck. Cross was a passenger and denied being involved in the carjacking.
Judge Fleissig found by a preponderance of the evidence that Cross was also responsible for the non-fatal shooting of his paramour in the Walnut Park West neighborhood of St. Louis the day before the carjacking. Ballistics evidence from the shooting matched the handgun found with Cross the next day.
The case was investigated by the Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Hoag prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Spencer Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
A man who was prohibited from possessing a firearm pled guilty August 29, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City.
Casey Tuttle, 26, from Spencer, Iowa, was convicted of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. Tuttle was previously convicted in the Iowa District Court of burglary, third degree; possession of methamphetamine, third or subsequent offense; and burglary, second degree. Each of these are felony convictions which prohibited Tuttle from possessing any firearm or ammunition.
At the plea hearing, evidence showed that on April 4, 2024, Spencer Police Department officers stopped Tuttle riding his bike in the dark without taillights or reflectors. It was then determined that Tuttle had outstanding arrest warrants, so he was placed under arrest. During a search of Tuttle at arrest, law enforcement located .22 ammunition, 1 gram of marijuana, multiple knives, 1 gram of methamphetamine, a German .22 caliber revolver, a methamphetamine pipe, scale, and pills. Tuttle admitted being a drug user and possessing the firearm which he obtained in exchange for methamphetamine.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Tuttle remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Tuttle faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Spencer, Iowa Police Department, 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 24-4032. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Southwest Virginia Drug Ring Arrested for Trafficking Fentanyl, MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – Ten individuals who conspired to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl throughout Southwest Virginia were arrested last week on federal charges.
Arrested last week are:
- Matthew Ryan “Red” Addington, of Pound, Va.
- Ashley Linden Beverly Jr., of Pound, Va.
- Brandon Gene Boggs, of Pound, Va.
- Eric Lee Coffey, of Norton, Va.
- James Eugene Gamble, of Wise, Va.
- Thomas Ray Houston Jr., of Blountville, Tenn.
- Keith Edward Payne Jr., of Wise, Va.
- Brittany Chantae Rose, of Pound, Va.
- Cody Allan Rose, of Pound, Va.
- Andora Lee Smith, of Pound, Va. and Mayking, Kentucky
According to court documents, between 2021 and 2024, law enforcement in Wise County, Virginia investigated the widespread distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl by the ten defendants and subsequently made various arrests after conducting interviews and executing controlled drug buys from multiple members of the conspiracy. The investigation revealed that members of the drug ring traveled to drug supply sources in both North Carolina and Kentucky to obtain multiple pounds of fentanyl pills, fentanyl powder, and methamphetamine and then brought the drugs back to southwest Virginia for further distribution.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and James VanVliet, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Wise County Sheriff’s Office, the Southwest Drug Task Force (consisting of the Wise County Sheriff’s Office, Scott County Sheriff’s Office, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Norton Police Department, Big Stone Gap Police Department, and Virginia State Police), the Clintwood Police Department, the Pennington Gap Police Department, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Dickenson County Sheriff’s Office, the Kentucky State Police, the Winchester (KY) Police Department, the Fleming-Neon (KY) Police Department, and the United States Marshals Service investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena Busscher is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
South Carolina Man Sentenced for 2022 Patrick County Gun Store BurglaryRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A South Carolina man, who burglarized a Patrick County, Virginia gun store in the pre-dawn hours of September 22, 2022, was sentenced recently to 100 months in federal prison.
Bradley Wayne McGraw, 43, of Gaffney, S.C., pled guilty earlier this year to one count of stealing firearms from a federal firearms licensee and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. A second defendant, Justin Whitaker, of Mooresville, North Carolina, was sentenced earlier this month.
According to court documents, in September 2022, McCraw and Whitaker stole a truck, attached a chain from it to the back door of the Rabbit Ridge Guns Shop and Range, and yanked it open. Surveillance video captured them wearing masks and entering the store where they proceeded to steal more than a dozen firearms, including shotguns, rifles, and pistols.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and James VanVliet, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with assistance from the Patrick County Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriffs’ Offices in Cherokee County, South Carolina, Spartanburg, South Carolina, and Cleveland County, North Carolina also assisted with the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin B. Johnson is prosecuting the case.
Sacramento Woman Indicted for Fraudulent Investment SchemeRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a 32-count indictment against Maria Dickerson, aka Dulce Pino, 47, of Sacramento, charging her with 24 counts of wire fraud, one count of securities fraud, and seven counts of money laundering, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. The indictment was unsealed following her arrest.
According to the indictment, from 2020 through 2024, Dickerson created an investment scheme, selling interest in her illusory shell company, Creative Legal Fundings of California, to investors. Dickerson promised investors that their investments were safe and secure and backed by substantial starting capital. Dickerson promised approximately 140 investors a fixed percent of return per month on their principal investment with additional compounding monthly interest if they left their money invested with her. In reality, Dickerson used new investor money to pay off prior investors, to fund a lavish lifestyle, and to purchase Mercedes-Benz vehicles and a home in Sacramento. Dickerson did not register the sale of her securities with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Dickerson took money from investors and collected millions of dollars in investment funds solicited with her false promises and representations.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and IRS Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the Alabama Securities Commission. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristin F. Scott and Rosanne L. Rust are prosecuting the case.
The Securities and Exchange Commission is filing a parallel action against Dickerson. The Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency of the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation previously filed a Desist and Refrain Order against Dickerson.
If convicted, Dickerson faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of wire fraud. Additionally, she faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for each count of money laundering. On the securities fraud charge, Dickerson faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $5 million. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Rochester man sentenced to 14 years in prison for home invasion targeting drug dealersRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Raekwon Green a/k/a Bundy a/k/a Bundles, 28, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of Hobbs Act Conspiracy and Attempted Hobbs Act Robbery, was sentenced to serve 14 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Marangola, who handled the case, stated that between February 2020 and April 1, 2020, Green conspired with Robert Forbes, Jr., and others, to commit four home invasion robberies in Rochester and Greece, NY. During some of the home invasions, individuals were restrained, pistol-whipped, and/or suffered injuries, while the defendants took controlled substances and U.S. currency from the homes.
Robert Forbes, Jr. was previously convicted and sentenced to serve 19 years in prison.
The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan Miller, New York Field Division, and the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith.
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Previously Removed Foreign National and Felon Indicted on Drug & Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
Salt Lake City, Utah – A foreign national living in Utah, who is also a felon, was ordered by the court to remain in custody after a federal grand jury in Salt Lake City indicted him for multiple federal crimes.
According to court documents, Armando Reyes-Ascension, 43, of Salt Lake City, a foreign national, who was previously deported from the United States in July 2003 and March 2020, illegally reentered the United States in May 2024.
As alleged in court documents, Salt Lake City police officers received multiple anonymous tips of a man selling large amounts of fentanyl pills from an apartment in Salt Lake City. During surveillance, officers observed a man, later identified as Reyes-Ascension, exit the apartment and make multiple “short stay” stops in known drug areas. Officers then stopped Reyes-Ascension and obtained a search warrant. During a search of Reyes-Ascension’s vehicle, officers found more than 7,000 pills that field-tested positive for fentanyl. Officers also found more than $32,000 cash. In June 2024, Reyes-Ascension was deported a third time from the United States.
In August 2024, Reyes-Ascension, was found back in the United States illegally. According to court documents, on August 7, 2024, Salt Lake City Police officers were patrolling the area of 1300 South Main Street when they observed a man wearing a backpack and riding a bicycle against traffic. Officers stopped the man, later identified as Reyes-Ascension, for a traffic violation. During an initial search, officers found drug paraphernalia and Reyes-Ascension was taken into custody. During a further search of his backpack, officers found a Smith and Wesson M&P Shield Firearm with a loaded magazine, more than 2,000 pills that field-tested positive for fentanyl, and more than $55,000 cash. Officers also located several dangerous weapons and coins. In total, over the span of three months, Reyes-Ascension, was found in possession of more than 9,000 fentanyl pills, a loaded firearm, several dangerous weapons, and $87,000 cash.
Photo Credit: Salt Lake City Police Dept. Photo Credit: Salt Lake City Police Dept.Reyes-Ascension is charged with reentry of a previously removed alien, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, and felon in possession of a firearm. His initial appearance on the indictment was August 29, 2024, at the United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
United States Attorney, Trina A. Higgins, of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated jointly by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Salt Lake City Police Department, and the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office.
Assistant United States Attorney, Bryan N. Reeves, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah 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 gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Non-Profit Americans for Peace Now, Inc. to Pay $261,890 to Resolve PPP Fraud AllegationsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Americans For Peace Now, Inc., a Washington, D.C., based nonprofit organization, has agreed to pay $261,890 to settle allegations that the organization violated the False Claims Act when it applied for and received a $130,945 second-draw loan under the Paycheck Protection Act Program of the CARES Disaster Relief Program, and when it further applied for and was granted forgiveness of the entire amount of the loan.
The agreement was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia and Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Eastern Region.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was created to provide emergency financial support to Americans suffering economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized billions of dollars in forgivable loans to small business and other entities, including non-profit organizations, struggling to pay employees and other business expenses. Under the applicable provision of the CARES Act, a business concern or other entity, including a nonprofit organization, is not eligible to receive a second draw loan if it is primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities, which shall include any entity that is organized for research or for engaging in advocacy in areas such as public policy or political strategy or otherwise describes itself as a think tank in any public document.
At the time it applied for the second draw PPP loan, Americans For Peace Now certified to the SBA in the loan application that it was “not a business concern or entity primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities, including any entity that is organized for research or for engaging in advocacy in areas such as public policy or political strategy or otherwise describes itself as a think tank in any public documents.” It further certified in the loan forgiveness application that it met the conditions for receiving the second draw PPP loan. Americans For Peace Now contends that any misstatements in this application were inadvertent.
Under the False Claims Act, a party found to violate the Act must pay three-times the amount of damage to the United States. Had Americans For Peace Now been found liable to the United States under the False Claims Act, it would have been ordered to pay three times the amount of the loan and lost interest, along with civil penalties for each certification made in the loan application and forgiveness application. In connection with this settlement, Americans For Peace Now agreed to pay an amount equal to two-times the loan amount, or $261,890.
The settlement announced today stems from a Federal investigation that was initiated when another public interest group, TZAC, filed a whistleblower complaint pursuant to the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. The claims resolved by the civil settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability in the civil case.
“Funds allocated for the Paycheck Protection Act Program had a specific purpose: get businesses eligible for the Program through the global pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “When ineligible businesses falsely claimed to be eligible, they harmed both the taxpayers who funded the program and the eligible businesses that needed it.”
“Misusing SBA program funds is a serious violation that affects the integrity of the assistance programs meant to support those in genuine need,” said Special Agent in Charge McCall-Braithwaite. “This settlement reflects our commitment to holding accountable those who seek to exploit government resources. We appreciate the diligent work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners in pursuing justice in this matter.”
“The favorable settlement in this case is the product of enhanced efforts by federal agencies such as the Small Business Administration working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, SBA’s Office of Inspector General and other Federal law enforcement agencies, as well as private individuals who uncover fraudulent conduct to recover the product of this fraud as well as penalties,” said SBA General Counsel Therese Meers.
The civil settlement was the result of an investigation by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen DeGenaro and Auditor Timothy Hurley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. U.S. Attorney Graves commended Attorneys Gary Fox and Kandace Zelaya of the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of the General Counsel for their assistance in the investigation and settlement negotiations. The case is captioned U.S. ex rel. TZAC v. Americans For Peace Now.
Tips and complaint regarding potential fraud affecting COVID-19 government relief programs can be reported by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or by submitting a NCDF Web Complaint form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
New Orleans Woman Sentenced for Cares Act Fraud, False Statements to the IRS, and Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that TAMIKA CHAPPELL (“CHAPPELL”), age 40, of New Orleans, was sentenced on August 29, 2024 to five (5) years of probation by U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Barbier after previously pleading guilty to making false statements related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), making false statements to the IRS, and theft of government funds.
The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, to provide emergency financial assistance in connection with economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the PPP. In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding.
The PPP allows qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of 1%. PPP loan proceeds must be used by businesses on payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. The PPP allows the interest and principal on the PPP loan to be forgiven if the business spends the loan proceeds on these expense items within a designated period of time after receiving the proceeds and uses at least a certain percentage of the PPP loan proceeds on payroll expenses.
In addition to probation, CHAPPELL was ordered to pay $210,274 in restitution to the Small Business Administration, $155,359 to the Internal Revenue Service, $96,150 to the Social Security Administration, and $23,125 to a victim bank. She also has to pay a mandatory $300 special assessment fee.
For more information on the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. 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.
This case was investigated by an agent assigned to the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Fraud Task Force. The PRAC was established to serve the American public by promoting transparency and facilitating coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC’s 21 member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending. The PRAC Fraud Task Force brings together agents from 15 Inspectors General to investigate fraud involving a variety of programs, including the Paycheck Protection Program. Task force agents who are detailed to the PRAC receive expanded authority to investigate pandemic fraud as well as tools and training to support their investigations.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of PRAC member U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - Office of Inspector General, the Social Security Administration, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera of the Financial Crimes Unit was in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Distributing Fentanyl and Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –KENTRELL HUBBARD (“HUBBARD”), age 25, of New Orleans, was sentenced on August 22, 2024 by U.S. District Judge Wendy B. Vitter to 70 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a $200 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to distributing fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C) and, to being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).
According to court documents, on June 9, 2023, a confidential informant for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, purchased fentanyl from HUBBARD after meeting him near a supermarket that was a known hotspot for drug trafficking in the Iberville housing project. The next week, special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation saw HUBBARD with a handgun as they were executing an unrelated search warrant.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Indicted for Being Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - PHILLIP JENKINS (“JENKINS”), age 41, a resident of New Orleans, was indicted on August 29, 2024 for being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). According to court documents, JENKINS possessed a SCCY Model CPX-2, nine-millimeter caliber pistol, and ammunition.
If convicted, JENKINS faces up to 15 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Troy Bell of the Violent Crime Unit.
New Orleans Man Guilty of Methamphetamine Distribution and Being Felon in Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that DAYSHAWN BROWN (“BROWN”), age 40, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty on August 29, 2024 to Counts 3 and 4 of the indictment pending against him. Count 3 charged BROWN with distribution of 50 or more grams of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B). Count 4 charged BROWN with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).
At sentencing as to Count 3, BROWN faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five (5) years and up to forty (40) years, up to a $5,000,000 fine, and at least four (4) years of supervised release. As to Count 4, BROWN faces up to fifteen (15) years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and at least three (3) years of supervised release. Each offense also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
Judge Barbier scheduled sentencing for December 5, 2024.
Court documents reveal that on September 13, 2023, BROWN met with an undercover special agent at a gas station located in New Orleans, to sell narcotics and a firearm. During the transaction, BROWN sold the undercover special agent a Beretta Pietro S.P.A. Model 70S, .380 caliber pistol with an obliterated serial number, and approximately 54 grams of methamphetamine.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Troy Bell of the Violent Crime Unit.
Mexican Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United States After Being Deported Six TimesRead the Press Release
A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced today to more than two months in federal prison.
Roberto Medina-Soto, age 39, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Shullsburg, Wisconsin, received the prison term after a July 10, 2024, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported.
At the guilty plea, Medina-Soto admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Medina-Soto was previously deported in March 2020, April 2020, and four times in October 2020. On April 29, 2024, immigration officials learned Medina-Soto had illegally returned to the United States and found Medina-Soto at the Dubuque County Jail following his arrest on state charges for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated (OWI). On June 20, 2024, Medina-Soto was convicted in state court of OWI and sentenced to 50 days’ imprisonment.
Medina-Soto was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Medina-Soto was sentenced to 75 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Medina-Soto is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-1015.
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McKeesport Felon Indicted for Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of McKeesport, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating a federal firearms law, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Desmond Dontae Lee, also known as Desmond Donte Lee Belton, 46, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on or about March 1, 2023, Lee possessed ammunition after having been convicted of three prior felonies, including for drug trafficking and firearms charges. Federal law prohibits an individual who has been convicted of a felony from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Lee was found in possession of the ammunition as part of an investigation into a March 1, 2023, shooting at a McKeesport apartment complex during which two people were killed and another injured.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 15 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 of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney V. Joseph Sonson is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Allegheny County Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
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.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Marion County Woman Sentenced to Prison for $600,000 Payroll Theft from Alternative SchoolRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Danielle Jane Liles (41, Summerfield) to one year and one day in federal prison for wire fraud. Liles was also ordered to pay $766,553.54 in restitution to the victim alternative school and forfeit $616,793.43, which represents the proceeds of her crimes. Liles entered a guilty plea on December 12, 2023.
According to court records, between January 11, 2016, and April 10, 2023, Liles devised a scheme to defraud Silver River Mentoring and Instruction (SRMI), an alternative school for middle and high school students. During this time, Liles handled the school’s payroll and had 137 unauthorized paychecks issued in her name by logging false information into SRMI’s accounting software. Liles then received the fraudulent paychecks through wire transfers directly into her bank account. During a financial review with the school’s executive staff in April 2023, Liles admitted that she had been “paying [herself] extra money" and had become addicted to stealing the payroll funds. In total, Liles’s actions cost the school $766,553.54—a figure representing the fraudulent pay she received ($616,793.43) plus the associated benefits and taxes.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Education - Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.
Lexington Man Sentenced for Drug Trafficking, Money Laundering, and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Lexington man, Rollie Deshawn Lamar, 31, was sentenced to 220 months, by U.S. District Judge Greg Van Tatenhove, following his convictions at trial for conspiracy to distribute 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana, money laundering, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to evidence presented at trial, in late 2021, law enforcement began investigating Lamar and others. The investigation revealed that an individual working for Lamar would travel to Detroit, once or twice a week, bringing back approximately 50 pounds of high-quality marijuana each trip. Lamar then sold this marijuana, by the pound, in the Lexington area. In March 2022, the Kentucky State Police joined the investigation, making a vehicle stop that yielded a large quantity of high-quality marijuana.
Thereafter, on April 6, 2022, a search warrant was executed at Lamar’s residence, where law enforcement seized more than $1.86 million, four expensive vehicles and approximately $220,00 in jewelry, all of which were proceeds of drug trafficking. They also seized several firearms. That same day, law enforcement stopped another vehicle, leading to the seizure of approximately $27,000 in additional drug proceeds. Additionally, after Lamar had been indicted, there was another vehicle stop, which resulted in the seizure of additional drug proceeds, including approximately $11,000 and $10,000 in jewelry.
In all, law enforcement seized items totaling more than $2 million.
Under federal law, Lamar must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Erek Davodowich, Acting Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Detroit Field Division; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; Col. Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department; and Chief Dustin Bowman, Frankfort Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The case was investigated by the DEA, ATF, KSP, Lexington Police Department, and Frankfort Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger West prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
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Kissimmee Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Giovanny Rivera-Sanchez (38, Kissimmee) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Rivera-Sanchez faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 17, 2024.
According to court records, Rivera-Sanchez was convicted of felony offenses in 2004 and 2008. He began serving a term of federal supervised release on September 16, 2021, after being released from prison. On March 25, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Rivera-Sanchez’s residence and located a Glock pistol and ammunition in the closet of the master bedroom. Near the firearm was paperwork related to Rivera-Sanchez’s federal supervision and a copy of his judgement and sentence for a prior conviction for drug trafficking. As a previously convicted felon, Rivera-Sanchez is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. Officers interviewed Rivera-Sanchez, who stated he knew the firearm was inside his residence.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Nate.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Justice Department Secures Language Access Agreement with Dane County, Wisconsin, Sheriff’s OfficeRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has secured a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Dane County, Wisconsin, Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) as part of its Law Enforcement Language Access Initiative. The MOU resolves an inquiry into whether DCSO complied with its nondiscrimination obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI).
Under the MOU, DCSO has agreed to take new action to improve language access for individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP) in Dane County. Title VI prohibits entities that receive federal financial assistance from discriminating on the basis of race, color and national origin. Denial of appropriate language services can be national origin discrimination prohibited by Title VI.
“To serve and protect all communities in the United States, our state and local law enforcement agencies must be able to communicate effectively with crime victims, witnesses, and other members of the public who do not speak fluent English,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Under this agreement, the Dane County Sheriff’s Office is implementing important reforms that will help ensure their services are accessible to all residents, regardless of the language they speak.”
The inquiry into DCSO began after the department received information raising concerns that an individual with LEP had not received adequate language services during the investigation of a child’s accidental death, leading to a misunderstanding about the identities of those involved in the accident. The department has offered technical assistance to DCSO, which agreed to work cooperatively with the department toward a resolution. Under the memorandum of understanding, DCSO will establish a formal language access policy that includes staff trainings, quality controls and outreach initiatives, and will undergo a period of departmental monitoring.
This agreement is part of the department’s Law Enforcement Language Access Initiative, a nationwide effort to assist law enforcement agencies in overcoming language barriers to better serve and protect communities and keep officers safe. The initiative, which is led by the Civil Rights Division, provides technical assistance resources and tools that can help state and local law enforcement provide meaningful language access to individuals with LEP, affirmatively engages law enforcement agencies that want to review, update and/or strengthen their language access polices, plans and training and strengthens the connection between law enforcement agencies, community stakeholders and populations with LEP.
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt and information about limited English proficiency and Title VI is available at www.lep.gov. More information on LELAI is available at www.lep.gov/law-enforcement. Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at civilrights.justice.gov/report/.
Justice Department Awards $500,000 to East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office for Systems UpgradeRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance has awarded $500,000 to the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office to acquire a new digital High Definition (HD) Forward Looking InfraRed (FLIR)/camera system for the Air Support Unit's helicopter. The purpose of the proposed project is to improve the quality of aerial surveillance, search and rescue operations, criminal investigation and apprehension and other activities which require the use of this important tool. The service area for this project is the City of Baton Rouge/Parish of East Baton Rouge and the surrounding eight parishes that encompass the Baton Rouge Metropolitan area. Additionally, the new system will allow for improved safety for personnel, as the improved resolution will ensure that officers can more easily spot potential dangers and take appropriate action.
For more information about these awards, please contact the OJP Office of Communications at 202-307-0703 or [email protected].
Justice Department Announces Terrorism Charges Against Senior Leaders of HamasRead the Press Release
Remote video URL
Note: The complaint was unsealed on Sept. 3 and can be viewed here.The Justice Department announced today the unsealing of terrorism, murder conspiracy, and sanctions-evasion charges against six senior leaders of Hamas, a designated foreign terrorist organization. The charges relate to the defendants’ central roles in planning, supporting, and perpetrating the terrorist atrocities that Hamas committed in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 (the October 7 Hamas Massacres), involving the murders and kidnappings of countless innocent civilians, including American citizens, which was the culmination of Hamas’s decades-long campaign of terrorism and violence against Israel and its allies, including American citizens. The defendants are either deceased or remain at large.
“The Justice Department has charged Yahya Sinwar and other senior leaders of Hamas for financing, directing, and overseeing a decades-long campaign to murder American citizens and endanger the national security of the United States,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “On October 7th, Hamas terrorists, led by these defendants, murdered nearly 1200 people, including over 40 Americans, and kidnapped hundreds of civilians. This weekend, we learned that Hamas murdered an additional six people they had kidnapped and held captive for nearly a year, including Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a 23 year old Israeli American. We are investigating Hersh’s murder, and each and every one of Hamas’ brutal murders of Americans, as an act of terrorism. The charges unsealed today are just one part of our effort to target every aspect of Hamas’ operations. These actions will not be our last.”
“Yahya Sinwar and the other senior leaders of Hamas are charged today with orchestrating this terrorist organization’s decades-long campaign of mass violence and terror — including on October 7th. On that horrible day, Hamas terrorists viciously massacred nearly 1,200 innocent men, women, and children, including over 40 Americans, kidnapped hundreds more, and used sexual violence as a weapon of brutality,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Since that horrific day, we have worked to investigate and hold accountable those responsible, and we will not rest until all those who kidnapped or murdered Americans are brought to justice. Our thoughts continue to be with the families of all the victims of this barbaric terrorist attack.”
“From the moment Hamas launched its horrific attack on October 7, the FBI has been dedicated to identifying and charging those responsible for these heinous crimes,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI has and will continue to relentlessly investigate these attacks on civilians, including Americans. Hamas is a Foreign Terrorist Organization with a long history of violence, and the group’s actions have resulted in increased terrorism threats in the U.S. and against American interests throughout the world. Countering terrorism remains our number one priority, and our work continues.”
“The core mission of the National Security Division is to protect Americans from violent terrorists and extremist organizations like Hamas,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The atrocities committed by Hamas in Israel on October 7 are intolerable, and the Justice Department will not rest in our pursuit to hold Hamas accountable for perpetrating its campaign of terror, death, and destruction.”
“For decades, Hamas and its leadership have dedicated themselves to the eradication of the State of Israel, and to murdering, maiming, and brutalizing anyone — including dozens of Americans — who stood in their way,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York. “The October 7 Hamas Massacres – in which over 40 American citizens were murdered – is only the latest act of savagery carried out by Hamas. This office has long been dedicated to serving as a bulwark against terrorism, and striking blows against its leaders. Our commitment is clear: if you hurt one member of our community, you hurt all of us — and we stand with all victims of Hamas’ reign of terror. We will bring justice to this terrorist organization from the top down for the atrocities they have committed.”
According to court documents, Harakat al-Muqawamah al-Islamiyya, commonly known as Hamas, is a terrorist organization that was founded in 1987, and has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) by the United States since 1997. From its inception, Hamas’ stated purpose has been to create an Islamic Palestinian state throughout Israel by eliminating the State of Israel through violent holy war, or jihad. Hamas also promotes attacks against the U.S. and its citizens and, over more than two decades, Hamas has murdered and injured dozens of Americans as part of its campaign of violence and terror.
The defendants charged in the complaint are all senior leaders of Hamas who have orchestrated, overseen, and supported Hamas’s decades-long campaign of terrorism, including the October 7 Hamas Massacres. They and their co-conspirators control all aspects of the terrorist organization, including its political and military branches, known as the Politburo and Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades (al-Qassam Brigades).
Ismail Haniyeh was the chairman of Hamas’s Politburo from 2017 until his reported death on or about July 31. Prior to 2017, Haniyeh was the deputy chairman of the Politburo and the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Haniyeh was based principally in Turkey and Qatar.
Yahya Sinwar, also known as Abu Ibrahim, 61, is the leader of Hamas. Previously, beginning in approximately 2017, he was the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and is one of the founders of the al-Qassam Brigades. Sinwar is based principally in the Gaza Strip.
Mohammad Al-Masri, also known as Mohammed Deif and al Khalid al-Deif, was the commander in chief of the al-Qassam Brigades, a position he held from in or about 2002 until his reported death on or about July 13. Al-Masri was based principally in the Gaza Strip.
Marwan Issa, also known as Abu Baraa, was the deputy commander of the al-Qassam Brigades from approximately 2007 until his reported death on or about March 10. Issa was based principally in the Gaza Strip.
Khaled Meshaal, also known as Abu al-Waleed, 68, was the chairman of Hamas’ Politburo from approximately 2004 to 2017 and is now the head of Hamas’ diaspora office — effectively responsible for Hamas’ official presence outside of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Meshaal is based principally in Qatar.
Ali Baraka, 57, has been Hamas’ head of National Relations Abroad since approximately 2019, and was previously Hamas’s representative in Lebanon. Baraka is based principally in Lebanon.
Hamas has pursued its objectives through innumerable acts of brutal terrorist violence, including launching thousands of rockets specifically targeting civilian populations; suicide bombings of restaurants, markets, public transportation systems, and other public spaces; and military-style attacks on towns and residential communities. Hamas’s campaign of terrorism has killed and wounded citizens of Israel, the U.S., and many other countries.
On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas committed its most violent, large-scale terrorist attack to date — the October 7 Hamas Massacres. Hamas targeted civilian populations with a barrage of rockets, before waves of Hamas terrorists breached the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, infiltrated Israel, and launched attacks on civilians, by land, sea, and air. Hamas sent thousands of armed fighters into southern Israel, where they carried out the massacres of over a thousand people and the kidnappings of more than 200 others. Hamas terrorists attacked civilians, firing handguns, assault rifles, and handheld rocket launchers, in small residential communities in Kfar Aza, Be’eri, Nir Oz, Nahal Oz, Re’im, Holit, Zikim, Kerem Shalom, Sufa, and others; the Israeli town of Sderot; and a music festival held near Re’im; among other places. Armed Hamas operatives attacked and shot civilians, including children, sometimes with machineguns and sometimes at point blank range, and weaponized sexual violence against Israeli women, including through rape and genital mutilation. Hundreds of civilians, including Americans, and Israeli soldiers, were killed and wounded; other victims, including Americans, were kidnapped, taken hostage, and brought into Gaza by Hamas. As of the date of the complaint, over 40 American citizens were among those murdered, and at least eight American citizens were taken hostage or remain unaccounted for. Most recently, Hamas executed a U.S. citizen who was taken hostage by Hamas during the October 7 Hamas Massacres and remained in captivity until he was murdered.
Throughout Hamas’ existence, the organization’s ability to carry out acts of terrorism, including the October 7 Hamas Massacres, has been fueled in part by the Government of Iran, particularly the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its Qods Force (IRGC-QF) — the element of the IRGC responsible for conducting external terrorism operations and providing support to terrorist groups — which has supported, supplied, and trained Hamas, and by the Lebanon-based Shia Islamic terrorist organization Hizballah. Hamas’ attacks have played a significant role in the Government of Iran’s regional and global campaign of supporting terrorism to weaken and ultimately destroy both the United States and Israel. Hamas’ leaders, including the defendants, have been instrumental in Hamas’ relationship with the Government of Iran, including through personal communications with leaders in the Iranian regime. Emblematic of this close relationship, Ismail Haniyeh, who had been the chairman of Hamas’s Politburo since 2017, was reported killed in Iran on or about July 31, while visiting Tehran to attend the swearing-in of Iran’s President. Hamas’ leaders, including the defendants, have acknowledged the importance of the support from the Government of Iran and Hizballah to Hamas’ ability to carry out the October 7 Hamas Massacres, including the IRGC-QF providing Hamas, among other things, rockets and technical assistance necessary to build rockets, and extensive funding for Hamas’ terror wing.
Hamas raises money to fund its terrorist activities through a variety of methods, including by soliciting and receiving cryptocurrency payments, advertising the ostensible anonymity of such transactions. Since 2019, Hamas’ military wing has used social media and other platforms to call for cryptocurrency contributions from supporters abroad, including in the United States, to Hamas-controlled virtual wallets, explicitly acknowledging that those payments would be used to fund Hamas’ campaign of violence. Through these mechanisms, Hamas has received tens of millions of dollars in cryptocurrency payments to fund its activities.
The complaint unsealed today charges each of the defendants with: conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization resulting in death, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison; conspiring to provide material support for acts of terrorism resulting in death, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison; conspiring to murder U.S. nationals outside the United States, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison; conspiring to bomb a place of public use resulting in death, which carries a maximum penalty of death or life in prison; conspiring to use weapons of mass destruction resulting in death, which carries a maximum penalty of death or life in prison; conspiring to finance terrorism, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; and conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sam Adelsberg, Jacob H. Gutwillig, Sarah L. Kushner, Michael D. Lockard, Ben Arad, and Samuel L. Raymond for the Southern District of New York and Trial Attorneys Alicia Cook and C. Alexandria Bogle of the Justice Department’s National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Jury Finds Final Two Gang Members Guilty in the Murder of 10-year-old Makiyah Wilson and Associate Guilty of Related Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Superior Court jury, today, returned guilty verdicts against two men charged in the murder of 10-year-old Makiyah Wilson and an associate who obstructed justice in the case. The verdicts were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The jury found Mark Price, 30 and Antonio Murchison, 31 guilty of first-degree murder while armed, conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, participation in a criminal street gang, obstruction of justice, and multiple counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and related firearms offenses. Both men are members of the “Wellington Park crew.” Additionally, the jury found Quanisha Ramsuer, 31, guilty of obstruction of justice in connection with the investigation into the murder of Makiyah Wilson.
Sentencing hearings are scheduled for December 13, 2024.
On July 16, 2018, defendants Mark Price, Antonio Murchison, and three other individuals, who have already been convicted, drove to the Clay Terrace neighborhood armed with guns. Price, who was driving, briefly stopped to allow the other defendants to exit the vehicle. They opened fire on the Clay Terrace courtyard, firing more than 50 shots, indiscriminately. Makiyah Wilson, who was sitting on the front stoop of her home, was killed. Several other people were wounded. Despite having witnessed the defendants preparing for the shooting, no witnesses were willing to provide information regarding the identity of the shooters. The government presented forensic evidence, statements the defendants made over social media, and motive evidence in presenting its case. Ramseur lived in or hung out in the Wellington Park neighborhood most of her life and knew most of the defendants, one of whom she identified as her cousin. She was observed on video surveillance interacting with the defendants as they loaded into the vehicles to drive to Clay Terrace to commit the shooting. Ramseur was also observed on video closely engaging with one of the defendants who orchestrated the attack, but who remained behind. Despite the obvious familiarity, Ramseur steadfastly refused to identify the individuals with whom she was interacting in the video, resulting in the charge of obstruction of justice.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It was prosecuted and tried by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura Bach and Natalie Hynum.
Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Quintez Robert Kilgore, also known as “Cortez Robert Jackson,” 29, of Huntington, was sentenced today to three years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 6, 2023, law enforcement officers encountered Kilgore on the 200 block of Olive Street in Huntington while searching for a fugitive. Kilgore admitted that he possessed a Glock Model 33 .357-caliber pistol that he placed underneath a nearby vehicle to conceal it as the officers approached him. The officers saw Kilgore’s attempt to hide the firearm and seized it. Kilgore admitted that he also possessed 12.64 grams of cocaine base, also known as “crack,” and 9.78 grams of fentanyl that the officers found and seized. Kilgore further admitted that he intended to distribute the seized controlled substances.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Kilgore knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance in Cabell County Circuit Court on October 12, 2017, and being a person prohibited from possessing firearms in Wayne County Circuit Court on January 8, 2020.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Marshals Service (USMS) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-6.
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Honduran Native Guilty of Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that VICTOR MANUEL OSORTO-LOPEZ (“OSORTO-LOPEZ”), age 40, a native of Honduras, pleaded guilty on August 29, 2024, to illegal reentry of a previously removed alien, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
According to court documents, OSORTO-LOPEZ was removed from the United States on December 4, 2009 and, again on September 3, 2012. He was later found in the Eastern District of Louisiana on March 14, 2024 and had not received permission from the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to reenter.
OSORTO-LOPEZ faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two (2) years, a fine of up to $250,000, up to one year of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. United States District Court Judge Barry W. Ashe set sentencing for November 21, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Customs and Border Protection agency in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jon Maestri of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Harrison County Man Sentenced for Selling FentanylRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – James Edward Breeden, age 30, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to 124 months in federal prison for selling fentanyl in Upshur County.
According to court documents and statements made in court, during a traffic stop, Upshur County sheriff’s deputies were on routine patrol and witnessed a vehicle speed into a motel parking lot. Deputies observed Breeden engage in activity indicative of drug trafficking. Eventually, the actions of the defendant led to a search Breeden’s motel room where officers seized 277 fentanyl stamps.
Breeden will be on three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Upshur County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Georgia Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Transfer of FirearmsRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Devon Newsome, age 31, of Forrest Park, Georgia, pled guilty today to unlawfully transferring firearms to a New York resident.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Field Division; and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement.
Newsome admitted that on May 21, 2023, he delivered 29 firearms to a New York resident in Georgia, including stolen firearms and a handgun equipped with a conversion device that allowed it to function as a machinegun. Those firearms were then transported from Georgia to a property on Western Avenue in Albany. Newsome knew the firearms were destined for New York and knew that neither he nor the person for whom the guns were destined were licensed importers, manufacturers, dealers or collectors of firearms. On May 23, 2023, law enforcement searched the Western Avenue property and found 34 firearms, including the firearms that Newsome had transferred.
Law enforcement also found significant quantities of drugs at the Western Avenue property, which has resulted in criminal charges against Anthony Luizzi and Brandon Bartley, and supervised release revocation proceedings against Jabree Jones.
Sentencing for Newsome is scheduled for January 6, 2025, before United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci. Newsome faces up to 5 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a supervised release term of up to 3 years, to begin after he finishes his prison term. 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.
The following defendants have been charged in connection with this investigation:
- Anthony Luizzi pled guilty on March 18, 2024, to drug and gun crimes in connection with his trafficking of large amounts of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine, and his possession of more than 30 firearms, including drugs and guns found at the Western Avenue property. Luizzi is scheduled to be sentenced on October 1, 2024.
- Brandon Bartley pled guilty on May 24, 2024, to drug and gun crimes in connection with his trafficking of large amounts of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine, and his possession of more than 30 firearms at the Western Avenue property. Bartley is scheduled to be sentenced on September 19, 2024.
- Jabree Jones was charged with a violation of the terms of his supervised release on May 23, 2023, based on violations of federal gun and drug trafficking laws, and has been detained pending the resolution of the supervised release violation petition. A final revocation hearing is currently scheduled for September 23, 2024. These supervised release violations are merely accusations. Jones is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The DEA and the ATF are investigating the case, with assistance from the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG), and the Henry County Police Department in Georgia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping is prosecuting the case.
Four defendants plead guilty to defrauding Virginia MedicaidRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – The final defendant pled guilty on Aug. 29 in a healthcare fraud scheme that resulted in nearly $1 million in loss.
The Virginia Medicaid Program provides medical assistance to indigent individuals who meet certain eligibility requirements. Under its consumer directed care program, Medicaid authorizes the provision of personal and respite care services to eligible Medicaid recipients by a personal care attendant (PCA). Personal care services include a range of support services to enable Medicaid recipients to remain at or return home rather than enter a nursing facility and include assistance with activities of daily living, access to the community, self-administration of medication, or other medical needs, supervision, and the monitoring of health status and physical condition.
According to court documents, from May 2015 through at least November 2023, Jamahl Rennelle Burch, aka Jarod or Jerrod Burch, 43, of Hampton, identified and selected Medicaid recipients to sign up for Medicaid reimbursed personal care or respite care services. Burch and his co-conspirators executed agreements that designated numerous different individuals as PCAs for those recipients. The conspirators used the personal identifying information (PII) of the Medicaid recipients and purported PCAs to create accounts for the submission of timesheets for purported personal care and respite care services.
For over eight years, the conspirators submitted fraudulent timesheets to Medicaid showing thousands of hours of personal care and respite care services. Burch and his coconspirators approved these timesheets attesting that services were provided, when the conspirators knew that none of the PCAs provided any personal or respite care services to the Medicaid recipients.
In total, Burch and his co-conspirators knowingly caused Medicaid to pay at least $936,950.70 in fraudulent reimbursements for personal care and respite care services that never occurred.
Burch pled guilty Aug. 29 to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, healthcare fraud, and aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 9, 2025, and faces up to 10 years in prison for the healthcare fraud counts and a minimum of two years in prison to be served consecutive to any other term of imprisonment for aggravated identity theft.
Tonisha Staton, 36, of Hampton, and William Carter Jr., 40, of Newport News, were Medicaid recipients and acquaintances of Burch.
In 2015, Carter signed up to receive personal care and respite care services, and purportedly hired seven PCAs. None of the seven PCAs provided any services to Carter. In total, the conspirators submitted $262,373.27 in fraudulent timesheets to Medicaid for services that had never been provided to Carter. Similarly, in 2016, Staton signed up to receive personal care and respite care services, and purportedly hired 10 different PCAs, none of whom ever provided any services to her. The conspirators submitted $228,972.44 in fraudulent timesheets to Medicaid for services that had never been provided to Staton.
In 2017, Jesse Jerome Hendren, 46, of Henrico, signed up his relative, a Medicaid recipient identified in court records as Recipient 1, to receive personal care and respite care services. Hendren and his co-conspirators purportedly hired two people as PCAs, neither of whom provided any services to Recipient 1. The conspirators submitted $150,425.99 in fraudulent timesheets to Medicaid for services that had never been provided to Recipient 1.
Staton, Carter, and Hendren pled guilty in February to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud. Each faces up to 10 years in prison when sentenced in 2025.
Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jason Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); and Troy W. Springer, Special Agent in Charge, National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr. accepted Burch’s plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carla Jordan-Detamore and Brian R. Hood are prosecuting the case.
The Virginia Department of Medical Assistive Services Fraud and Abuse Referral Hotline is available for concerned citizens to report allegations related to inappropriate use of Medicaid benefits. Follow this link for more information.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 3:23-cr-151 (Burch), 3:24-CR-6 (Carter), 3:24-CR-7 (Hendren) and 3:24-cr-8 (Staton).
Former High-Ranking New York State Government Employee Charged with Acting as an Undisclosed Agent of the People’s Republic of China and the Chinese Communist PartyRead the Press Release
Note: View the indictment here.
An indictment was unsealed today charging Linda Sun, 41, with violating and conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act, visa fraud, bringing in aliens, and money laundering conspiracy. Sun is alleged to have acted on behalf of the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Sun’s husband and co-defendant, Chris Hu, 40, was also charged with money laundering conspiracy, as well as conspiracy to commit bank fraud and misuse of means of identification. Sun and Hu were arrested earlier this morning and were arraigned in federal court in Brooklyn.
“As alleged, while appearing to serve the people of New York as Deputy Chief of Staff within the New York State Executive Chamber, the defendant and her husband actually worked to further the interests of the Chinese government and the CCP,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for Eastern District of New York. “The illicit scheme enriched the defendant’s family to the tune of millions of dollars. Our office will act decisively to prosecute those who serve as undisclosed agents of a foreign government.”
“These indictments demonstrate, yet again, the brazen attempts of the PRC to corrupt our political processes,” said Assistant Director Kevin Vorndran of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division. “As alleged in the indictment, Linda Sun and Chris Hu deceived the highest leadership of New York government to further the political agenda of the Government of China. The FBI, along with our partners, remain committed to protection our democratic institutions from the manipulation of the PRC.”
“Sun is alleged to be an undisclosed agent of the PRC and CCP, using Chinese money and her influence within the state of New York to benefit the Chinese government. Sun and her husband then laundered millions of dollars for the foreign country and used the monetary benefits of this scheme to buy luxury vehicles and million-dollar properties here in New York,” said Special Agent in Charge Thomas M. Fattorusso of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) New York. “It is with the unwavering determination of federal law enforcement to root out foreign agents and their schemes that Sun and Hu will now face justice for their criminal acts.”
According to court documents, while working for the New York State (NYS) government – including in high-ranking posts in the Executive Chamber of the New York State government and in multiple state agencies – Sun also acted as an undisclosed agent of the PRC and CCP. Acting at the request of PRC government officials and CCP representatives, Sun engaged in numerous political activities in the interests of the PRC and the CCP, including blocking representatives of the Taiwanese government from having access to high-level New York State officers; changing high-level New York State officers’ messaging regarding issues of importance to the PRC and the CCP; obtaining official New York State proclamations for PRC government representatives without proper authorization; attempting to facilitate a trip to the PRC by a high-level New York State politician and arranging meetings for visiting delegations from the PRC government with NYS government officials.
Additionally, Sun repeatedly violated internal rules and protocols within the New York State government to provide improper benefits to PRC and CCP representatives, including by providing unauthorized invitation letters from the office of high-level New York State officers that were used to facilitate travel by PRC government officials into the United States for meetings with New York State government officials. Sun’s unauthorized invitation letters for the PRC government delegation constituted false statements made in connection with immigration documents and induced the foreign citizens into unlawfully entering the United States.
Sun never registered as a foreign agent with the Attorney General, and in fact actively concealed that she took actions at the order, request or direction of PRC government and CCP representatives.
In return for these and other actions, Sun received substantial economic and other benefits from representatives of the PRC government and the CCP, including the facilitation of millions of dollars in transactions for the PRC-based business activities of Sun’s husband and co-defendant Chris Hu; travel benefits; tickets to events; promotion of a close family friend’s business; employment for Sun’s cousin in the PRC; and Nanjing-style salted ducks prepared by a PRC government official’s personal chef that were delivered to the residence of Sun’s parents. Sun and Hu laundered the monetary proceeds of this scheme to purchase, among other items, real estate property in Manhasset, New York, currently valued at $4.1 million, a condominium in Honolulu, currently valued at $2.1 million, and various luxury automobiles, including a 2024 Ferrari. Sun never disclosed any benefits she received from representatives of the PRC government and the CCP to the New York State government, as she was required to do as a New York State government employee.
As alleged, Hu also laundered unlawful proceeds through bank accounts opened in the name of a close relative but that were actually for Hu’s exclusive use. To open these accounts, Hu unlawfully used an image of the relative’s driver’s license.
The FBI is investigating the case with assistance from the IRS.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander A. Solomon, Robert Pollack and Laura Mantell for the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Trial Attorney Scott Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Litigation Analyst Mary Clare McMahon.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former High-Ranking New York State Government Employee Charged with Acting as an Undisclosed Agent of the People's Republic of China and the Chinese Communist PartyRead the Press Release
BROOKLYN, NY – Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, an indictment was unsealed charging Linda Sun with violating and conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act, visa fraud, alien smuggling, and money laundering conspiracy. Sun is alleged to have acted on behalf of the government of the People’s Republic of China (the “PRC”) and the Chinese Communist Party (the “CCP”). Sun’s husband and co-defendant Chris Hu was also charged with money laundering conspiracy, as well as conspiracy to commit bank fraud and misuse of means of identification.
Sun and Hu were arrested this morning and are scheduled to be arraigned later today before United States Magistrate Judge Peggy Kuo.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Christie M. Curtis, Acting Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Thomas M. Fattorusso, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), announced the prosecution.
“As alleged, while appearing to serve the people of New York as Deputy Chief of Staff within the New York State Executive Chamber, the defendant and her husband actually worked to further the interests of the Chinese government and the CCP,” stated United States Attorney Breon Peace. “The illicit scheme enriched the defendant’s family to the tune of millions of dollars. Our Office will act decisively to prosecute those who serve as undisclosed agents of a foreign government.”
Mr. Peace expressed his appreciation to the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, the New York State Office of the Inspector General, the New York State Police and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) for their work on the case. He also thanked the New York State Executive Chamber for its cooperation with the investigation.
“As alleged in the indictment, Linda Sun, a former New York State government employee, acted as an undisclosed agent of the Chinese government while her husband, Christopher Hu, facilitated the transfer of millions of dollars in kickbacks for personal gain. Sun wielded her position of influence among executives to covertly promote PRC and CCP agendas, directly threatening our country’s national security. The FBI is committed to protect the American people from any threat actors who seek to influence officials at the direction of foreign entities,” stated FBI Acting Assistant Director Curtis.
“Sun is alleged to be an undisclosed agent of the PRC and CCP, using Chinese money and her influence within the state of New York to benefit the Chinese government. Sun and her husband then laundered millions of dollars for the foreign country and used the monetary benefits of this scheme to buy luxury vehicles and million dollars properties here in New York,” Thomas M. Fattorusso, Special Agent in Charge of IRS CI New York. “It is with the unwavering determination of federal law enforcement to root-out foreign agents and their schemes that Sun and Hu will now face justice for their criminal acts.”
As alleged in the indictment, while working for the New York State government – including in high-ranking posts in the Executive Chamber of the New York State government and in multiple state agencies – Sun also acted as an undisclosed agent of the PRC and the CCP. Acting at the request of PRC government officials and the CCP representatives, Sun engaged in numerous political activities in the interests of the PRC and the CCP, including blocking representatives of the Taiwanese government from having access to high-level New York State officers; changing high-level New York State officers’ messaging regarding issues of importance to the PRC and the CCP; obtaining official New York State proclamations for PRC government representatives without proper authorization; attempting to facilitate a trip to the PRC by a high-level New York State politician; and arranging meetings for visiting delegations from the PRC government with New York State government officials.
Sun also repeatedly violated internal rules and protocols within the New York State government to provide improper benefits to PRC and the CCP representatives, including by providing unauthorized invitation letters from the office of high-level New York State officers that were used to facilitate travel by PRC government officials into the United States for meetings with New York State government officials. Sun’s unauthorized invitation letters for the PRC government delegation constituted false statements made in connection with immigration documents and induced the foreign citizens into unlawfully entering the United States.
Sun never registered as a foreign agent with the Attorney General, and in fact actively concealed that she took actions at the order, request, or direction of PRC government and the CCP representatives.
In return for these and other actions, Sun received substantial economic and other benefits from representatives of the PRC government and the CCP, including the facilitation of millions of dollars in transactions for the PRC-based business activities of Hu; travel benefits; tickets to events; promotion of a close family friend’s business; employment for Sun’s cousin in the PRC; and Nanjing-style salted ducks prepared by a PRC government official’s personal chef that were delivered to the residence of Sun’s parents. Sun and Hu laundered the monetary proceeds of this scheme to purchase, among other items, real estate property in Manhasset, New York currently valued at $4.1 million, a condominium in Honolulu, Hawaii currently valued at $2.1 million, and various luxury automobiles, including a 2024 Ferrari. Sun never disclosed any benefits she received from representatives of the PRC government and the CCP to the New York State government, as she was required to do as a New York State government employee.
Hu also laundered unlawful proceeds through bank accounts opened in the name of a close relative but that were actually for Hu’s exclusive use. To open these accounts, Hu unlawfully used an image of the relative’s driver’s license.
The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security & Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander A. Solomon and Robert Pollack are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Trial Attorney Scott Claffee from the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Litigation Analyst Mary Clare McMahon. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Mantell of the Office’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters.
The Defendants:
LINDA SUN
Age: 41
Manhasset, New YorkCHRIS HU
Age: 40
Manhasset, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-346 (BMC)