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Tuesday 3 September 2024
Former Arkansas Judge Convicted of Making False Statements to Law EnforcementRead the Press Release
A former Arkansas local district court judge was convicted of making false statements to the FBI on Friday.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Thomas David Carruth, 64, of Clarendon, Arkansas, served as an elected Monroe County district court judge. In that role, Carruth presided over criminal and civil matters. In April 2022, Carruth solicited sex from the girlfriend of a defendant in a criminal case pending before him. The jury found that, when questioned by the FBI, Carruth lied to agents about the incident, including by falsely stating that he did not “request,” “ask,” “offer”, make “overture[s] about”, “insinuate,” or “even [think] about,” sex with the girlfriend.
The jury convicted Carruth of one count of making false statements. Carruth was acquitted of charges of bribery, honest services fraud, and violations of the Travel Act. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. Carruth faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting Assistant Director James Barnacle Jr. of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Special Agent in Charge Alicia D. Corder of the FBI Little Rock Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Nicholas Cannon and Madison Mumma of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the case.
El Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Dane, Wisconsin sobre el acceso lingüísticoRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha conseguido un memorando de entendimiento con la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Dane, Wisconsin, (DCSO, por sus siglas en inglés) como parte de su Iniciativa de Agencias del Orden Público para el Acceso Lingüístico. El memorando de entendimiento resuelve una indagación sobre si la DCSO cumplió con sus obligaciones antidiscriminatorias en virtud del Título VI de la ley de Derechos Civiles de 1964 (Título VI).
En virtud del memorando de entendimiento, la DCSO ha acordado tomar nuevas medidas para mejorar el acceso lingüístico para las personas con un dominio limitado del inglés (LEP, por sus siglas en inglés) en el Condado de Dane. El Título VI prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de raza, color de piel y origen nacional por parte de entidades que reciben apoyo financiero federal. La denegación de servicios lingüísticos adecuados puede considerarse como discriminación por motivos de origen nacional, la cual está prohibida por el Título VI.
«Para servir y proteger a todas las comunidades de los Estados Unidos, nuestras agencias estatales y locales del orden público deben ser capaces de comunicarse de manera eficaz con víctimas de delitos, testigos y otros miembros del público que no dominan el inglés», afirmó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «En virtud de este acuerdo, la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Dane está implementando reformas importantes que ayudarán a garantizar que sus servicios sean accesibles para todos los residentes, independientemente del idioma que hablen».
La indagación sobre la DCSO comenzó después de que el Departamento recibiera información que planteaba inquietudes de que una persona LEP no había recibido servicios lingüísticos adecuados durante la investigación de la muerte accidental de un niño, lo que provocó un malentendido sobre las identidades de las personas involucradas en el accidente. El departamento ha ofrecido asistencia técnica a la DCSO, que acordó trabajar en colaboración con el Departamento para lograr una resolución. En virtud del memorando de entendimiento, la DCSO establecerá una política formal de acceso lingüístico que incluya capacitaciones del personal, controles de calidad e iniciativas de proyección comunitaria. Por otra parte, se someterá a un período de supervisión departamental.
Este acuerdo forma parte de la Iniciativa de Agencias del Orden Público para el Acceso Lingüístico, un esfuerzo nacional para ayudar a las agencias del orden público a superar las barreras lingüísticas para servir y proteger mejor a las comunidades y mantener a los oficiales seguros. La iniciativa, dirigida por la División de Derechos Civiles en asociación con las Fiscalías Federales, proporciona herramientas y recursos de asistencia técnica que pueden ayudar a las fuerzas del orden público estatales y locales a proporcionar un acceso lingüístico significativo a las personas LEP, trabaja afirmativamente con las agencias del orden público que desean revisar, actualizar o fortalecer sus políticas, planes y capacitación de acceso lingüístico y fortalece la conexión entre las agencias del orden público y las partes interesadas de la comunidad LEP y las poblaciones LEP.
Puede encontrar información adicional sobre la División de Derechos Civiles en su sitio web en www.justice.gov/crt e información sobre el dominio limitado del inglés y el Título VI está disponible en www.lep.gov. Encontrará más información sobre LELAI en www.lep.gov/law-enforcement. Los miembros del público pueden denunciar posibles infracciones de los derechos civiles en civilrights.justice.gov/report/.
Dual citizen arrested for unlawfully exporting U.S. technology to IranRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - A 76-year-old man has been taken into custody on charges of smuggling parts and components used in the production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), as well as other manned aircraft, from the United States to Iran.
Gholam Reza Goodarzi aka Ron Goodarzi is a dual U.S. and Iranian citizen who resides in Porter. Authorities arrested him Aug. 30 at George Bush Intercontinental Airport upon the filing of a federal criminal complaint. He has now made his initial appearance, at which time the complaint was unsealed, and he was ordered into custody pending a detention hearing set for Sept. 5 at 10 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Yvonne Ho.
“Smuggling aircraft parts into Iran endangers U.S. national security by potentially enhancing Iran's military capabilities, enabling them to advance their aerial combat potential, increase regional power and threaten U.S. allies and interests in the Middle East,” said U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. “This prosecution represents my office’s core commitment - in partnership with the DOJ’s National Security Division, FBI and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) - to disrupt and hold accountable Goodarzi’s alleged efforts to evade sanctions against Iran, a hostile nation.”
“For years, the defendant allegedly used proxy destinations to try to smuggle UAV components and other controlled technology to Iran, even concealing controlled items in his own luggage,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department and our law enforcement partners are committed to vigorously enforcing export controls to protect U.S. national security.”
“Illegally smuggling sensitive U.S. technology to a foreign nation jeopardizes our national security and undermines the integrity of our trade laws,” said Robert Wells, FBI Executive Assistant Director of the National Security Branch. “The U.S. does not tolerate illegal smuggling of our advanced tech to our adversaries, and the FBI will work with our partners to vigorously pursue and hold accountable those who violate our laws and put our country at risk.”
According to court documents, from Dec. 1, 2020, through July 5, 2024, Goodarzi illegally exported aircraft-related parts, in addition to oil and drilling components, to Iran. Goodarzi allegedly purchased U.S.-origin aircraft components from U.S.-based suppliers and then exported them to Iran – typically through Dubai, UAE. He also traveled to and from Iran multiple times per year and concealed aircraft parts and other items in his checked luggage, according to the charges.
Goodarzi also allegedly exchanged multiple emails with suppliers and customers, acknowledging that parts could not be shipped to Iran because of sanctions.
The complaint alleges that on several occasions, authorities searched Goodarzi’s luggage and found numerous aircraft parts and components hidden within articles of clothing. Some of the items allegedly had characteristics consistent with parts for the production of UAVs as well as parts with electrical motor and/or generator applications.
Goodarzi does not have the required licenses to export such items to sanctioned countries, including Iran, according to the complaint.
If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
The FBI conducted the investigation with assistance from CBP as part of the Disruptive Technology Strike Force.
The task force is an interagency law enforcement strike force the departments of Justice and Commerce co-lead, designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains and prevent authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states to acquire critical technology. Under the leadership of the Assistant Attorney General for National Security and the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement, the strike force leverages tools and authorities across the U.S. government to enhance the criminal and administrative enforcement of export control laws.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Winter is prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorney Christopher Cook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
A complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Dual U.S. and Iranian Citizen Arrested for Unlawfully Exporting U.S. Technology to IranRead the Press Release
Gholam Reza Goodarzi, also known as Ron Goodarzi, 76, a dual U.S. and Iranian citizen who resides in Porter, Texas, made his initial appearance today in the Southern District of Texas following his arrest at the George Bush International Airport on Aug. 30. Goodarzi is charged by criminal complaint with smuggling parts and components used in the production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), as well as other manned aircraft, from the United States to Iran.
“For years, the defendant allegedly used proxy destinations to try to smuggle UAV components and other controlled technology to Iran, even concealing controlled items in his own luggage,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department and our law enforcement partners are committed to vigorously enforcing export controls to protect U.S. national security.”
“Smuggling aircraft parts into Iran endangers U.S. national security by potentially enhancing Iran's military capabilities, enabling them to advance their aerial combat potential, increase regional power and threaten U.S. allies and interests in the Middle East,” said U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas. “This prosecution represents my office’s core commitment – in partnership with the Justice Department’s National Security Division, FBI and Customs and Border Protection – to disrupt and hold accountable Goodarzi’s alleged efforts to evade sanctions against Iran, a hostile nation.”
“Illegally smuggling sensitive U.S. technology to a foreign nation jeopardizes our national security and undermines the integrity of our trade laws,” said Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI's National Security Branch. “The U.S. does not tolerate illegal smuggling of our advanced tech to our adversaries, and the FBI will work with our partners to vigorously pursue and hold accountable those who violate our laws and put our country at risk."
According to court documents, from December 1, 2020, through July 5, Goodarzi illegally exported aircraft-related parts, in addition to oil and drilling components, to Iran. As alleged, Goodarzi purchased U.S.-origin aircraft components from U.S.-based suppliers and then exported them to Iran – typically through Dubai, UAE.
He also traveled to and from Iran multiple times per year and concealed aircraft parts and other items in his checked luggage.
Goodarzi exchanged multiple emails with suppliers and customers, acknowledging that parts could not be shipped to Iran because of sanctions.
The complaint alleges that on several occasions, authorities searched Goodarzi’s luggage and found numerous aircraft parts and components hidden within articles of clothing. Some of the items had characteristics consistent with parts for the production of UAVs, as well as parts with electrical motor and generator applications.
Goodarzi does not have the required licenses to export such items to sanctioned countries, including Iran, according to the complaint.
If convicted, he faces a penalty of up to 10 years in prison for the charge of smuggling goods and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI, with assistance from and Customs and Border Protection, is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Winter for the Southern District of Texas and Trial Attorney Christopher Cook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is being coordinated through the Disruptive Technology Strike Force, an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states. Under the leadership of the Assistant Attorney General for National Security and the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement, the Strike Force leverages tools and authorities across the U.S. Government to enhance the criminal and administrative enforcement of export control laws.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Convicted felon going to prison on new child pornography chargeRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Preston Herbst, 28, of Canandaigua, NY, who was convicted of transferring obscene matter, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci. The sentence will be served following completion of a 36-month sentence previously imposed by Judge Geraci.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who handled the case, stated that in July 2023, Herbst was sentenced to serve 36 months in prison after being convicted on a federal charge of possession of child pornography. Herbst was allowed to self-surrender to the Bureau of Prisons and was scheduled to begin his sentence on October 12, 2023. Prior to self-surrendering, on September 3, 2023, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received information from Snap Inc., that a user had uploaded child pornography to the Snapchat platform. Subsequent investigation traced the user back to Herbst’s residence. In October and November 2023, search warrants were executed on Herbst’s Snapchat account and at his residence. The search of the Snapchat account determined that Herbst used the account to trade child pornography in September 2023, after he had been sentenced, but before self-surrendering to the Bureau of Prisons. Herbst was under the supervision of United States Probation when the uploads took place and had been using a prohibited device in violation of his release conditions.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.
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Convicted Child Molester Pleads Guilty to Naturalization FraudRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On Aug. 29, Dorian Velasquez, 43, a convicted child molester, pled guilty to naturalization fraud for having unlawfully obtained United States citizenship.
According to court documents, Velasquez was born in Guatemala. On April 11, 2014, he submitted an Application for Naturalization to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). On his application, and under penalty of perjury, Velasquez responded “No” to the question “Have you EVER committed, assisted in committing, or attempted to commit, a crime or offense for which you were NOT arrested?” On July 24, 2014, Velasquez was interviewed by a U.S.CIS officer and provided the same response to the question while under oath and penalty of perjury. In a ceremony, on July 25, 2015, Velasquez took the Oath of Allegiance and was naturalized as a United States citizen.
In October 2019, Velasquez pled guilty to four counts of lewd and lascivious molestation on a child and was ordered to register as a sex offender. Velasquez committed the crimes over a period of four years, between July 19, 2011 and July 19, 2015. Velasquez was not arrested for these offenses until after he was naturalized.
Velasquez is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 19 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, as well as the automatic revocation of his United States citizenship. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Field Office Director Garrett Ripa of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), and District Director Brett R. Rinehart of USCIS Miami and Caribbean made the announcement.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Shaw for the Southern District of Florida is prosecuting the case. The case was presented by ICE’s ERO division in Miami as part of Operation False Haven, an ongoing national initiative designed to identify and prosecute child molesters and other egregious felons who fraudulently obtained United States citizenship.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
Rated court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-cr-20202.
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Clear Lake Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited PersonRead the Press Release
A man who possessed a firearm as a felon and person convicted of domestic violence was sentenced today to more than 4 years in federal prison.
Michael Ryan Mikkelson, age 37, from Clear Lake, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 26, 2024, guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon and a person convicted of domestic violence.
In a plea agreement, Mikkelson admitted that on the night of September 15, 2023, he was riding his bicycle in Clear Lake, when an officer from the Clear Lake Police Department spotted him. The officer was aware Mikkelson had an arrest warrant out of Cerro Gordo County and made contact with him. After being advised he was to be taken into custody on the warrant, Mikkelson ran. After a short foot pursuit, the officer lost Mikkelson in the dark between houses at the end of an alley. Mikkelson later turned himself in. On October 3, 2023, a resident found a handgun next to a garage where the officer lost sight of Mikkelson during the foot pursuit. Mikkelson later admitted the gun was his.
Mikkelson was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Mikkelson was sentenced to 51 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Mikkelson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Fletcher and was investigated by the Clear Lake Police Department, Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office, Mason City Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Cerro Gordo County Attorney’s Office, and United States Marshal’s Service.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-03009.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Carrollton Man Sentenced to over 15 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Commit Bank FraudRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Carrollton, Mississippi man was sentenced to 189 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
According to court documents and facts stated in open court, Robert Earl Givens, Jr., 50, participated in a scheme to defraud multiple banks by obtaining fraudulent heavy equipment loans. Givens, who organized the scheme that spanned the State of Mississippi, has numerous convictions for embezzlement, fraud, felony bad check, uttering a forgery, and possession of stolen property. The bank fraud scheme involved the use of forged signatures, falsified documents, and fraudulent representations to bank employees. Givens frequently used the proceeds from fraudulent loans to pay off previous fraudulent loans, but also spent large sums gambling in various casinos.
Givens pled guilty on August 22, 2023 to conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Kirkham prosecuted the case.
California drug dealer sentenced to 30 years in prison for meth, fentanyl trafficking in Butte, Helena communitiesRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A California man convicted by a federal jury of trafficking pounds of methamphetamine and thousands of fentanyl pills in the Butte and Helena communities as part of a large conspiracy was sentenced today to 30 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
After a four-day trial in April, a jury found the defendant, Juan Felipe Vidrio Fuentes, 36, of Anaheim, California, guilty of conspiracy to possess and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
“Fuentes thought he could use his California connections to set up a drug trafficking ring to profit at the expense and misery of Montanans to whom he peddled meth and fentanyl pills. He was wrong. Fuentes, and all of those charged in this conspiracy, stand convicted of drug trafficking crimes, and can no longer poison our communities. These convictions would not have happened without the extraordinary collaboration and diligence of our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, for which I am grateful,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.
In court documents, the government alleged that from June 2022 until about January 2023 in the Butte and Helena areas, Fuentes, along with seven other co-defendants, conspired to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. In June 2022, the Utah Highway Patrol stopped an individual traveling in a vehicle carrying 3.5 pounds of meth and 6,000 pills containing fentanyl and learned that the individual was transporting the drugs to Butte for distribution by “Esco,” who was Fuentes. Law enforcement further learned that Fuentes was staying at a house in Whitehall along with at least one co-defendant, James Andrew Stringari, of Whitehall, and that Fuentes was supplying both fentanyl and meth throughout the Butte area from the Whitehall residence. In addition, law enforcement inspected a source’s cell phone and corroborated information about meth and fentanyl trafficking that implicated Fuentes, Stringari, co-defendant Janet Dean White, of Butte, and another co-defendant. Stringari and White were convicted at trial with Fuentes and are pending sentencing.
Law enforcement conducted coordinated stops and raids of addresses in Helena and Butte. In the Butte residence, law enforcement located approximately six pounds of meth, 208 grams of fentanyl, $15,000 cash and seven firearms. In the Helena residence, law enforcement located approximately seven pounds of meth and 68 grams of fentanyl.
The government further alleged that Fuentes was one of the main organizers and suppliers of the criminal conspiracy, which trafficked pounds of meth and tens of thousands of fentanyl pills over approximately six months.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Southwest Montana Drug Task Force, Montana Highway Patrol, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Missouri River Drug Task Force, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, Utah Highway Patrol and Utah State Bureau of Investigations conducted the investigation.
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.
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Bryan resident heads to prison for attempted robbery and assault of postal workerRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 26-year-old Bryan resident has been sentenced after a conviction for assaulting and attempting to rob a postal worker, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
The jury deliberated for two hours before convicting Adon Bryce Clary March 22 of attempted robbery of a post office with a dangerous weapon, assault of a public official with a dangerous weapon and assault of public officials with intent to commit a felony following a four-day trial.
U.S. District Judge George Hanks has now ordered Clary to serve 84 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court considered statements from postal employees and customers, including one victim that explained the harrowing experience they underwent and the effect it continues to have on their lives. In handing down the sentence, Judge Hanks noted Clary could not be trusted to not put others in harm’s way if released.
On April 29, 2019, Clary entered the post office located at 2121 Wm. Bryan Parkway in Bryan. Clary proceeded to bang a Game of Thrones beer bottle while pointing an apparent firearm at the clerks. Clary demanded all of the mail while stating Clary had a gun. The “firearm” was actually an empty pack of green Paul Maul menthol cigarettes.
Five postal workers, three post office customers, three Bryan police officers and two postal inspectors testified during the trial. The postal workers and civilians all explained in emotional detail the fear they had for their lives.
In addition, the jury saw body camera video from the officers and a cell phone video of the incident which one of the postal workers took.
Clary will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Anthony Porto and Adam Laurence Goldman prosecuted the case.
Browning man admits fentanyl traffickingRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Browning man admitted today to trafficking fentanyl pills on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation after officers attempting to arrest him found blue pills scattered around the bedroom floor, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Rayne Forrest Rivers Charette, 41, appeared for arraignment on and pleaded guilty to a superseding information charging him with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Charette faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and at least three years of supervised release.
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. 8, 2025. Charette was detained pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that in March 2023, the Blackfeet Tribe issued an arrest warrant for Charette because he was wanted in Yellowstone County on a state drug charge. The Tribe adopted the state warrant and issued a tribal warrant. During the execution of the warrant at a residence where Charette was known to be living, officers observed Charette attempting to leap out of a bedroom window. During the arrest, officer observed blue pills, believed to be fentanyl, scattered around the floor of the bedroom. After getting a search warrant, officers collected more than 500 fentanyl pills, more than $1,000 cash and drug paraphernalia in the room where Charette was arrested. Law enforcement also interviewed several informants who stated they had obtained fentanyl from Charette.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The Blackfeet Law Enforcement Service and the FBI conducted the investigation.
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13 Months in Prison for Threatening Call to Congressional Staffer and 12,000 Harassing Telephone Calls to Members of CongressRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Ade Salim Lilly, 35, of Queens, NY, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 13 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release for threatening to kill a Congressional staffer and for conducting a campaign of pervasive harassing communications against members of Congress, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief J. Thomas Manger of the U.S. Capitol Police.
Lilly pled guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Timothy J. Kelly on May 30, 2024, to two federal charges: interstate communications with a threat to kidnap or injure, and repeated telephone calls. In addition to the prison term, Judge Kelly ordered Lilly to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, beginning about February 1, 2022, and continuing until his arrest in this case in Puerto Rico on November 8, 2023, Lilly made over 12,000 telephone calls to approximately 54 offices of Members of Congress across the country, both in district offices located in various U.S. States and to offices located in Washington, D.C.
Of the calls to congressional offices, more than 6,526 were made by Lilly to offices within the District of Columbia. Lilly placed the calls while he was in Maryland or Puerto Rico.
Most of these phone calls were answered by congressional staff members or interns. In some of these telephone calls, Lilly would become angry and use vulgar and harassing language towards the individual who answered the phone. Congressional staff repeatedly asked Lilly to refrain from calling. U.S. Capitol Police informed Lilly on multiple occasions that his phone calls were unwanted, and due to a harassing nature, were prohibited by law.
To avoid detection and to trick congressional staff to answer his phone calls, Lilly masked his phone number. Lilly made at least one phone call during which he threatened to kill or injure the person who answered. On October 21, 2022, Lilly called into a congressional office in Washington D.C., threatening a staff member. “I will kill you, I am going to run you over, I will kill you with a bomb or grenade,” Lilly told the employee. In addition to the threatening phone calls, Lilly would repeatedly call Congressional offices. For example, during two-days in February 2023, Lilly called one congressional representative more than 500 times.
In response, Lilly was indicted, and the U.S. Capitol Police deployed agents to arrest Lilly on November 14, 2023, in Puerto Rico.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Capitol Police with valuable assistance from the United States Marshall’s Service. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander R. Schneider with valuable assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Nielsen.
23cr384
Monday 2 September 2024
United States Seizes Aircraft Used by Nicolás Maduro Moros in Violation of U.S. Export Control and Sanctions LawsRead the Press Release
The Dassault Falcon 900EX Aircraft Was Illegally Exported from the United States and Used for the Benefit of Maduro and His Representatives
MIAMI - The Justice Department today announced the seizure of a Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft owned and operated for the benefit of Nicolás Maduro Moros and persons affiliated with him in Venezuela. The aircraft was seized in the Dominican Republic and transferred to the Southern District of Florida at the request of the United States based on violations of U.S. export control and sanctions laws.
“This morning, the Justice Department seized an aircraft we allege was illegally purchased for $13 million through a shell company and smuggled out of the United States for use by Nicolás Maduro and his cronies,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Department will continue to pursue those who violate our sanctions and export controls to prevent them from using American resources to undermine the national security of the United States.”
“The United States’ seizure of the Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft illustrates our unrelenting commitment to enforcing U.S. export control laws and imposing U.S. sanctions for any violations,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “This successful seizure was the result of planning, coordination, and execution by the United States government, with invaluable assistance by the authorities in the Dominican Republic. Our office, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to work to forfeit this plane and all other assets that circumvent the law.”
“Let this seizure send a clear message: aircraft illegally acquired from the United States for the benefit of sanctioned Venezuelan officials cannot just fly off into the sunset,” said Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod of the Department of Commerce. “It doesn’t matter how fancy the private jet or how powerful the officials – we will work relentlessly with our partners here and across the globe to identify and return any aircraft illegally smuggled outside of the United States.”
“The seizure of this aircraft is another significant action by Homeland Security Investigations working with our domestic and international partners against the illegal activities of the Maduro regime,” said Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami. “The efforts here highlight HSI’s global reach and our continued commitment to enforce US sanctions and stemming the flow of illicit proceeds being generated from high level foreign public corruption.”
In August 2019, the President issued Executive Order 13884, which prohibits U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with persons who have acted or purported to act directly or indirectly for or on behalf of, the Government of Venezuela, including as a member of the Maduro regime. To protect U.S. national security and foreign policy interests, the Department of Commerce has also imposed export controls for items intended, entirely or in part, for a Venezuelan military or military-intelligence end user.
According to the U.S. investigation, in late 2022 and early 2023, persons affiliated with Maduro allegedly used a Caribbean-based shell company to conceal their involvement in the illegal purchase of the Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft (which at the time was valued at approximately $13 million) from a company based in the Southern District of Florida. The aircraft was then illegally exported from the United States to Venezuela through the Caribbean in April 2023. Since May 2023, the Dassault Falcon, bearing tail number T7-ESPRT, has flown almost exclusively to and from a military base in Venezuela and has been used for the benefit of Maduro and his representatives, including to transport Maduro on visits to other countries.
The Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security Miami Field Office is investigating the case, along with the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Dorado Task Force Miami.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Paster and Jorge Delgado for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Ahmed Almudallal of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are handling the matter. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan D. Stratton and Ajay J. Alexander for the Southern District of Florida also provided assistance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and HSI in Santo Domingo provided significant assistance in working with authorities in the Dominican Republic. The United States thanks the Dominican Republic for its assistance in this matter.
The burden to prove forfeitability in a forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.
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United States Seizes Aircraft Used by Nicolás Maduro Moros in Violation of U.S. Export Control and Sanctions LawsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced the seizure of a Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft owned and operated for the benefit of Nicolás Maduro Moros and persons affiliated with him in Venezuela. The aircraft was seized in the Dominican Republic and transferred to the Southern District of Florida at the request of the United States based on violations of U.S. export control and sanctions laws.
“This morning, the Justice Department seized an aircraft we allege was illegally purchased for $13 million through a shell company and smuggled out of the United States for use by Nicolás Maduro and his cronies,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Department will continue to pursue those who violate our sanctions and export controls to prevent them from using American resources to undermine the national security of the United States.”
“Let this seizure send a clear message: aircraft illegally acquired from the United States for the benefit of sanctioned Venezuelan officials cannot just fly off into the sunset,” said Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod of the Department of Commerce. “It doesn’t matter how fancy the private jet or how powerful the officials – we will work relentlessly with our partners here and across the globe to identify and return any aircraft illegally smuggled outside of the United States.”
“The United States’ seizure of the Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft illustrates our unrelenting commitment to enforcing U.S. export control laws and imposing U.S. sanctions for any violations,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “This successful seizure was the result of planning, coordination, and execution by the United States government, with invaluable assistance by the authorities in the Dominican Republic. Our office, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to work to forfeit this plane and all other assets that circumvent the law.”
“The seizure of this aircraft is another significant action by Homeland Security Investigations working with our domestic and international partners against the illegal activities of the Maduro regime,” said Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami. “The efforts here highlight HSI’s global reach and our continued commitment to enforce US sanctions and stemming the flow of illicit proceeds being generated from high level foreign public corruption.”
In August 2019, the President issued Executive Order 13884, which prohibits U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with persons who have acted or purported to act directly or indirectly for or on behalf of, the Government of Venezuela, including as a member of the Maduro regime. To protect U.S. national security and foreign policy interests, the Department of Commerce has also imposed export controls for items intended, entirely or in part, for a Venezuelan military or military-intelligence end user.
According to the U.S. investigation, in late 2022 and early 2023, persons affiliated with Maduro allegedly used a Caribbean-based shell company to conceal their involvement in the illegal purchase of the Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft (which at the time was valued at approximately $13 million) from a company based in the Southern District of Florida. The aircraft was then illegally exported from the United States to Venezuela through the Caribbean in April 2023. Since May 2023, the Dassault Falcon, bearing tail number T7-ESPRT, has flown almost exclusively to and from a military base in Venezuela and has been used for the benefit of Maduro and his representatives, including to transport Maduro on visits to other countries.
The Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security Miami Field Office is investigating the case, along with the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Dorado Task Force Miami.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Paster and Jorge Delgado for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Ahmed Almudallal of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are handling the matter. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan D. Stratton and Ajay J. Alexander for the Southern District of Florida also provided assistance.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and HSI in Santo Domingo provided significant assistance in working with authorities in the Dominican Republic. The United States thanks the Dominican Republic for its assistance in this matter.
The burden to prove forfeitability in a forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.
Sunday 1 September 2024
Rapid City Man Sentenced to over 33 Years for Distribution of FentanylRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on August 29, 2024.
Cory Croyle, 37, was sentenced to 33 years and four months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Croyle was indicted for two counts of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in September of 2023. He pleaded guilty on March 20, 2024.
The conviction stems from Croyle and others distributing large quantities of fentanyl and heroin in the Rapid City area between 2021 and 2023. In sentencing Croyle, Judge Schreier noted the conspiracy involved one of the larger quantities of drugs she has seen in her decades on the bench. The conspiracy led to the death of a community member. Croyle knew the deadly risks of distributing fentanyl, and yet he continued to sell the substance, even though he was on state parole at the time of the offense. The judge further found Croyle’s significant role in the conspiracy and his attempts to obstruct the investigation justified a sentence of over 33 years.
This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team, which is a local drug task force comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.
Croyle was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Sentenced on Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on August 29, 2024.
Dustin Ray Richards, 31, was sentenced to three years and one month in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, and forfeited a Smith & Wesson firearm and 9mm ammunition.
Richards was indicted for Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in March of 2024. He pleaded guilty on June 24, 2024.
On January 30, 2024, law enforcement responded to an apartment complex in Rapid City after receiving a call for service. When officers arrived, they located Richards who had a knife in his hand. Officers ordered Richards to drop the knife, however, Richards was not compliant with officers, became combative, and attempted to flee before officers were able to get Richards into custody. In a bag Richards had with him, officers located a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol, which Richards was prohibited from having due to a number of prior felony conviction. Richards was also on State parole for a drug offense at the time of his arrest.
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.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.
Richards was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Saturday 31 August 2024
Three Men Sentenced for December 2018 Shooting of a Father and His Minor SonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jamal Matthews, 34, Darnell Savoy, 25, and Stefon Freshley, 28, of Washington, D.C., were sentenced yesterday for their role in the December 2018 shooting of a father and his minor son in the Clay Terrace neighborhood of Northeast, Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department, and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division.
On August 30, 2024, Matthews was sentenced to a period of 21 years in prison; Savoy received a sentence of nine years in prison; and Freshley was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison. Matthews was also sentenced to an additional five years in prison for his efforts to obstruct justice in the shooting case, for a total prison sentence of 26 years. Savoy’s nine-year sentence will be served consecutively to the five-year sentence he received in his federal possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense case.
All three defendants pleaded guilty on March 29, 2024, before Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe. Savoy was sentenced, on August 2, 2024, in U.S. District Court to five years in prison for federal charges for drug possession and firearms offenses related to an October 2022 stabbing investigation.
According to the government’s evidence, on December 28, 2018, the victims were in their SUV standing along the curb in the 200 block of 54th Street, Northeast, waiting for a friend to arrive so they could leave to attend a WWE wrestling event. As the victims waited, Matthews saw the SUV and mistook it for the same vehicle that shot at him and his cousin three days earlier. Matthews emerged from the Christmas Day shooting physically unharmed, but his cousin was killed. Matthews called another individual, who then called Freshley. Moments later, Freshley and Savoy, who were a few blocks away, entered Savoy’s Nissan Altima and drove to Matthews, who entered the Nissan with an assault rifle. All three defendants, while riding in Savoy’s vehicle, approached the 200 block of 54th Street Northeast. As they drove towards and past the victims’ vehicle, Matthews fired approximately 30 shots at the SUV. The minor victim was shot nine times, including in the head, abdomen, chest, and back. The adult victim sustained gunshot wounds to his leg and hand.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Chief Smith, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Scott commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant United States Attorneys Kimberley Nielsen and Sharon Donovan, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Friday 30 August 2024
“Drug Kingpin” gets 28 years for trafficking drugs from Mexico to AlaskaRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The leader of an extensive transnational drug trafficking organization was sentenced to 28 years in prison on Wednesday for running a conspiracy that trafficked vast amounts of dangerous drugs to Alaska.
According to court documents, Miguel Baez Guevara, a.k.a. “Javi,” 41, a U.S. citizen who was living in Mexico, was the leader of a transnational criminal drug trafficking organization. In October 2014 Guevara was indicted by the State of Arizona for drug trafficking, money laundering and weapons offenses. Guevara fled to Mexico where he headed an enterprise that trafficked large quantities of heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine into the U.S., specifically targeting Alaska, from Mexico. Guevara claimed membership in, and association with, the Sinaloa Cartel.
Guevara’s organization recruited drug couriers who lived in Alaska by using fake personas on social media and encrypted messaging applications. The couriers were promised money or drugs in exchange for traveling to Mexico to collect narcotics for transport back to Alaska. Couriers would travel in small groups led by a team leader and would typically smuggle around 250 grams of drugs on each trip. Guevara gave them instructions on how to smuggle the drugs back to Alaska, where they were met by a member of Guevara’s organization who paid them and collected the drugs for local distribution.
Guevara used violence, threats of violence, and his affiliation with the Sinaloa Cartel to intimidate and maintain total control of his organization. He required drug couriers to submit photos of their driver’s license and maintained records of each worker in his organization. He threatened to have houses burned down in Alaska and on one occasion had a U.S. citizen from Alaska shot in the knee over a drug dispute when they traveled to Mexico. He later bragged he was responsible for the shooting, showed photos and ultimately warned others what could happen if they stole drugs or money from him.
Guevara conducted all these operations from Mexico. The defendant was expelled from Mexico to the U.S. in September 2021 after a federal grand jury in Alaska charged him on a 17 count indictment and he was subsequently arrested by Mexican authorities. Between 2016 and 2022, at least 30 other couriers and dealers working for the defendant were federally prosecuted for participating in Guevara’s drug trafficking organization.
In total, law enforcement seized 7.1 kilograms of meth, nearly 10 kilograms of heroin and 900 grams of cocaine destined for Alaska linked to Guevara’s enterprise. His enterprise grossed millions of dollars in drug sales during the course of the conspiracy. Those proceeds were smuggled to Mexico.
The defendant pleaded guilty to one count of continuing criminal enterprise and one count of drug conspiracy on Jan. 17, 2024, in front of U.S. District Court Chief Magistrate Judge Matthew M. Scoble.
The Continuing Criminal Enterprise statute 21 U.S.C. § 848 is often referred to as the “Kingpin Statute.” The statute is designed to reach the top brass in drug trafficking organizations, and not the lieutenants and foot soldiers. The statute was enacted to target large-scale profit-making enterprises engaged in the illegal importation, manufacture and distribution of controlled substances.
Three other defendants in this case have already been sentenced:
- Joel Rascone, 30, pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute heroin and was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment.
- Serena Joseph, 41, pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy and money laundering and was sentenced to 63 months’ imprisonment.
- Washahiotha Zaragoza, 46, pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy and was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment.
Four additional co-defendants are believed to be at large in Mexico.
“I want to thank the FBI, DEA, the Coast Guard Investigative Service and all other supporting law enforcement agencies who helped bring justice in this case,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “Keeping our communities safe from violent drug traffickers is a priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office. To those looking to greedily profit by trafficking dangerous drugs to Alaska—our office, alongside our law enforcement partners, will use the full force of our resources to investigate and prosecute you to the furthest extent of the law.”
“Mr. Guevara is responsible for trafficking substantial amounts of dangerous drugs into Alaska from Mexico, while preying and profiting on the addictions of others,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “The FBI, together with our law enforcement partners, will continue to identify, disrupt, and dismantle transnational criminal organizations that threaten the safety and security of our communities in Alaska.”
“DEA is committed to protecting Alaskans from violent drug traffickers who prey on our communities,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “Mr. Guevara ran a drug trafficking organization that used violence to spread the misery of drugs throughout Alaska for his own enrichment. I am proud of DEA’s role, alongside our partners in the FBI, the Coast Guard Investigative Service, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, in stopping him.”
“The Coast Guard Investigative Service is committed to safeguarding the lives of those who live and work in maritime communities. We thank our law enforcement partners for their steadfast efforts in removing this threat to the lives of our Alaskan neighbors,” said Special Agent in Charge Paul Shultz of the Coast Guard Investigative Service Northwest Field Office.
The FBI Anchorage Field Office, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) and the Drug Enforcement Administration Seattle Field Office led the investigation, with support from the Anchorage Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations offices in Anchorage, Alaska, and Sells and Nogales, Arizona, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, Alaska State Troopers, Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport Police and Alaska National Guard.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ainsley McNerney, Chris Schroeder and William Taylor are prosecuting the case, with assistance from former Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison O’Leary. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, and law enforcement agencies in the state of Arizona provided additional support on the case.
This investigation and prosecution are part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”), which identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
UPDATE: This release has been updated to include Homeland Security Investigations offices in the list of investigating agencies.
Will County, Ill. Man Charged with Trafficking Cocaine and Attempting to Traffic Fentanyl in Chicago AreaRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Will County, Ill. man has been indicted on federal drug trafficking charges for allegedly distributing cocaine and attempting to distribute fentanyl in the Chicago area.
WILLIAM R. BUSSE III distributed cocaine and methamphetamine in Chicago in 2021, according to an indictment returned Thursday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Busse also attempted to distribute cocaine and fentanyl in the Chicago suburbs that same year, the indictment states.
The indictment charges Busse, 41, of Homer Glen, Ill., with distribution and attempted distribution of controlled substances. Each of the six counts in the indictment is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison.
The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Sheila G. Lyons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and Ruth M. Mendonça, Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Beth E. Palmer.
The investigation was conducted with the support of the Chicago High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force (HIDTA). The task force is comprised of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies who work together to identify, disrupt, and dismantle drug trafficking operations.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Busse indictmentViolent Minneapolis Felon Sentenced to 19 Years in Prison for Firearms Violations Following a String of ShootingsRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to 235 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for illegal possession of ammunition after engaging in multiple shootings, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on September 23, 2021, law enforcement received a report of a shooting near 16th Avenue and Lake Street East in Minneapolis. When officers arrived, they identified a victim who was shot in the leg by Saladean Walker Salean, 52. Officers recovered several discharged cartridge casings that came from the gun Salean used to shoot the victim. Between September 4, 2021, and September 29, 2021, Salean engaged in six other assaults and shootings, one resulting in death.
Because Salean has multiple prior felony convictions, including assault and illegal possession of firearms, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
On February 2, 2024, Salean pleaded guilty to possession of ammunition as an armed career criminal. He was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge Nancy E. Brasel.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Minneapolis Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas M. Hollenhorst prosecuted the case.
U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Sentence in Drunk Driving Case Involving Serious InjuriesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man was sentenced to three years supervised probation for a drunk driving crash on Santa Ana Pueblo in 2021. At sentencing, Lionel Medina, 29, an enrolled member of the Zia Pueblo, faced up to 10 years in prison.
According to court documents, on December 1, 2021, Santa Ana Police officers received a report of hit and run involving a white pickup truck on US 550. According to reports, the truck rear-ended an SUV in the eastbound lane before fleeing the scene. Minutes later, officers received a report of a head-on collision involving the same white pickup truck in the westbound lane near mile post 11.
At the scene of the head-on crash, law enforcement found a gray sedan and the white pickup truck, both with severe front-end damage. Medina was found barely conscious in the driver's seat of the truck, smelling of alcohol. Officers discovered multiple alcohol containers in the vehicle. A blood test taken several hours after the crash revealed Medina's blood alcohol content was 0.22, almost three times the legal limit.
Jane Doe suffered extensive injuries, including multiple fractures to her spine, sternum, shoulder blade, upper arm, thigh bone, and heel.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case with assistance from the Santa Ana Police Department and Sandoval County Sheriff’s department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meg Tomlinson is prosecuting the case.
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U.S. Attorney's Office Indicts Laguna Man in Domestic Violence CaseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Laguna man was indicted by federal prosecutors for allegedly beating and strangling his intimate partner.
The indictment alleges that on August 18, 2024, Kenzie Alonzo, 25, an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Laguna, assaulted Jane Doe, his intimate partner, by beating and strangling her. As a result of the assault, Jane Doe was hospitalized with severe bruising and bite marks on her body as well as a concussion.
Alonzo will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled.
If convicted, Alonzo faces up to 10 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case with assistance from the Zia Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jesse Pecoraro is prosecuting the case.
View the IndictmentAn indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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U.S. Attorney Secures Sentence for Man Who Assaulted Tribal OfficerRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Newcomb man was sentenced to three years of supervised probation for assaulting a Navajo Nation Police Department officer following a community meeting during which he threatened tribal officials and later engaged in a confrontation with law enforcement. The Navajo Nation Police Department officer is considered a “federal officer” by virtue of her holding a special law-enforcement cross-commission certification.
According to court documents, on the morning on June 4, 2023, the Newcomb Community Chapter held a fiscal-planning meeting. About 12 people attended, including tribal officials and community members. During the meeting, Kenneth Lee Begay, 60, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, spoke publicly, expressing frustration over homesite leases and grazing rights.
As he spoke, Begay grew increasingly agitated, berating officials and making threats, prompting an official to call the police, at which time Begay left. According to officials, this was the first meeting Begay had attended.
Still image from the Zoom recording of Begay, right.
Still image from the Zoom recording, first depicting Begay yelling at officials.
Officers from the Navajo Police Department arrived at Begay’s residence shortly thereafter to investigate Begay’s threats. Begay accused the officers of trespassing and ordered them off his property. The officers complied and spoke to Begay from beyond his fence line. Begay admitted attending the meeting and threatening officials, so the officers attempted to arrest him. Begay resisted, leading to a confrontation during which officers used pepper spray.
One officer suffered a shoulder separation, multiple abrasions, and was on medical leave for a month. The other officer sustained a shoulder sprain and was on leave for five days. Both received treatment at Northern Navajo Medical Center and have since returned to duty.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary C. Jones is prosecuting the case.
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U.S. Attorney Recognizes Overdose Awareness DayRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, Timothy M. O’Shea, joins the U.S. Department of Justice, in recognizing Overdose Awareness Day, August 31, 2024.
While 2023 statistics are not yet available, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services reports that 1,828 persons died of a drug overdose in Wisconsin during 2022.[1] That is more than double the number in 2015. In addition, during 2022, there were 15,162 opioid related hospital encounters in Wisconsin.[2] In Wisconsin, synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl, were identified in 91% of all opioid overdose deaths and in 73% of all overdose deaths.[3]
The attached table summarizes recent finished fentanyl prosecutions in U.S. District Court in the Western District of Wisconsin. These cases illustrate the crucial, difficult work done by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners.
“The fentanyl epidemic is devastating Wisconsin families and communities,” U.S. Attorney O’Shea said. “My office is committed to holding accountable those who traffic in this dangerous drug. We cannot, however, solve this epidemic through prosecutions alone. It is also critical that we continue our educational and outreach efforts with our law enforcement partners and with the community.”
“Drug trafficking is anything but a victimless crime. If a fentanyl poisoning hasn’t personally affected your family or community, it soon will.” O’Shea continued, “That means we all share responsibility to fight the opioid crisis – a responsibility in awareness and prevention.”
Key Points From the Wisconsin Department of Health Services[4]
- Fentanyl and similar synthetic opioids are more potent than other opioids and are driving the increase in overdose deaths.
- People who use multiple substances are at an increased risk for overdose.
- Fentanyl is found in all types of drugs including stimulants (cocaine and methamphetamine) and opioids. It is pressed into pills and mixed into other drugs. A person may think they are using one substance, but they are instead using a substance mixed with fentanyl. It is estimated that as many as 40 percent of counterfeit pills contain enough fentanyl to be lethal.
- Fentanyl is hard to detect. You can’t see it, taste it, or smell it. A tiny amount—as little as two grains of salt—is enough to kill someone.
- Fentanyl test strips are legal in Wisconsin and available for purchase. Fentanyl test strips are also distributed free at some pharmacies, service providers, and treatment centers.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services’ Dose of Reality initiative contains resources and information for drug users, parents, loved ones, educators, health care providers, and community members. People across Wisconsin are encouraged to learn more about the risks of fentanyl and how it is contributing to overdose deaths.
[1] https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/aoda/drug-overdose-deaths.htm
[2] https://wish.wisconsin.gov/results/
[3] https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/opioids/ph-advisory.htm
[4] https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/opioids/ph-advisory.htm
Two Men Convicted of Firearms Offenses Following Shooting at the Palm Beach Gardens MallRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Two West Palm Beach residents pled guilty to being felons in possession of firearms following a shooting at the Palm Beach Gardens Mall (The Gardens Mall) on Valentine’s Day.
Yesterday, Kamarcio Mitchell, 29, pled guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
On Aug. 1, Devon Jamal Graham, 29, pled guilty to possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance containing fentanyl and cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
On Feb. 14, both Mitchell and Graham were at The Gardens Mall in possession of a firearm. Mitchell was on the second level of The Gardens Mall near a retail store. Mitchell followed Graham onto the escalator and was manipulating an object under his shirt. Mitchell was then fired upon by Graham and shot. Mitchell fled the mall to the parking lot, leaving a trail of blood. A loaded firearm that had been disassembled was found in the parking lot by police, near the blood trail. Mitchell was later treated for his injury at a local hospital. Upon his later arrest on a federal warrant, authorities discovered Mitchell in possession of a distribution quantity of fentanyl after he unsuccessfully tried to toss the drugs.
Two firearms were recovered from the vehicle Graham traveled in to the mall, along with a bag containing 35 capsules with a mixture containing fentanyl and a pill bottle with approximately 16 grams of cocaine.
The recovered firearms had previously travelled in interstate commerce.
Mitchell’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Nov. 21, at 9:30 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon in Fort Pierce. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years to a maximum sentence of life in prison. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Graham on Oct. 29, at 9:30 a.m., before Judge Cannon. Graham faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years to a maximum sentence of life in prison.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of FBI, Miami Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, U.S. Marshal Gadyaces S. Serralta of the U.S. Marshals Service, Chief Dominick Pape of the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department, and Sheriff Ric Bradshaw of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office announced the guilty pleas.
The Office of State Attorney Dave Aronberg for the 15th Judicial Circuit – Palm Beach County provided invaluable assistance. Assistant United States Attorneys John McMillan and Shannon O’Shea Darsch are 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.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-cr-80022.
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Trenton Police Sergeant Honored for Community ServiceRead the Press Release
Trenton Police Department Sgt. Jeb Walker (center) receives the Enoch B. Morelock Award from Law Enforcement Coordinator Les Kerr (at left) and LECC Executive Committee members Sheriff Randy Strong, Sheriff Bill Puett, and Chief Mike Stolte.KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Teresa Moore, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that Sergeant Jeb Walker of the Trenton, Mo., Police Department has received the 2024 Enoch B. Morelock Award.
“Sgt. Walker is an invaluable asset not only to his department, but to his community,” said U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore. “His long tenure in law enforcement, the breadth of his extensive community involvement, and his exemplary military service truly exemplify the ideals honored by the Enoch B. Morelock Award.”
The Enoch B. Morelock Award is an annual recognition of outstanding moral character, service to law enforcement and service to the community. Walker was honored on Aug. 22, 2024, during the 22nd Annual LECC Training Seminar in Springfield, Mo. The prestigious law enforcement award, presented annually by the U.S. Attorney’s Office Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee, is named in honor of Sullivan County Sheriff Enoch B. Morelock, who was the first recorded line of duty death in the Western District of Missouri on Dec. 19, 1847.
Walker has served the Trenton Police Department for 26 years. He continues to serve in patrol and oversees all traffic-related incidents. He is also the designated firearms instructor, OC Instructor and field training officer.
Walker is also actively involved in a number of volunteer activities in his community. Walker serves on his school district’s Bright Futures Committee, which hosts back to school activities, a food drive, Lunch Buddy Program and teacher appreciation day among other events. He’s the lead ambassador for the Chamber of Commerce, assisting and leading numerous events throughout the year. He serves as vice president of the local Kiwanis Club and is an integral part of the Christmas Wish Program, securing donations from the Marines Toys for Tots drive for young people who might not otherwise receive Christmas gifts. This officer also participates in the Main Street and downtown promotions committee, where he has co-chaired the Community Clean-up week and Tin Can Day program.
Walker is also a trained volunteer firefighter and president of the underwater rescue team that serves the area.
In addition to his law enforcement and volunteer community service, Walker served in the United States Marine Corp Reserves for 21 years as a Gunnery Sergeant and in 2016 transitioned to the Missouri Army National Guard, where he serves as a Staff Sergeant. While in the Marines, he deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom and to South America. He earned the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Iraq Campaign Medal and graduated as an instructor of water survival. As a member of the Missouri Army National Guard, he deployed to Kuwait for Operation Enduring Freedom and has earned two Army Commendation Medals, the Army Achievement Medal and the Master Resiliency Instructor Award. He has served as Past Commander and is currently the Judge Advocate for his local VFW Post, and is currently on the board of directors for the Grundy County Veterans Association.
Enoch B. Morelock Award
Sullivan County Sheriff Enoch B. Morelock was the first recorded line of duty death in the Western District of Missouri on Dec. 19, 1847. He was appointed the first sheriff of Sullivan County, Mo., in 1845. He was in office a little over two years, but he was known to be an honorable, hardworking man intent on protecting the residents of his community. Sheriff Morelock was shot and killed during a court-ordered sale of the accused’s property. The accused killer, Patrick McIntry, was charged with first degree murder but was later acquitted. Within a year Mr. McIntry was found shot to death on the banks of a local river.
The annual Enoch B. Morelock Award recognizes individuals with outstanding moral character, service to law enforcement and to the community outside of law enforcement. Recipients may include officers from local police departments, sheriffs’ offices, state agencies, or federal agencies as well as investigators from prosecutors’ offices.
Tahlequah Resident Sentenced to 30 Years for Child Sex Abuse and ExploitationRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Leiloni Blake Smith, age 32, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Smith was sentenced to 360 months on eight counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse in Indian Country, 360 months on two counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Child, and 360 months on two counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Child by a Parent. Smith was also sentenced to 240 months for one count of Possession of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. The sentences are to be served concurrently.
On March 21, 2024, Smith was found guilty by a federal jury at trial on thirteen counts of a fourteen count Indictment.
On January 18, 2023, Gregory Neil Bias, Smith’s co-defendant, pleaded guilty to nine separate counts of child sex abuse crimes, eight separate counts of child sexual exploitation crimes, and one federal firearm crime. On July 31, 2024, Bias was sentenced to 30 years in prison for nine separate counts of child sex abuse crimes, eight separate counts of child sexual exploitation crimes, and one federal firearm crime.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to investigators, in 2020 the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) alerted law enforcement to a Tahlequah-area internet user exchanging electronic files containing images of child sexual abuse. Agents identified, located, and arrested Bias in January of 2022 for distributing child sexual abuse materials. At the time of arrest, Bias resided with Smith. During the investigation, searches of electronic devices belonging to Smith and Bias uncovered multiple depictions of sexual abuse perpetrated by both Smith and Bias on two children. Smith was subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2022 of aggravated sexual abuse, sexual exploitation of a child, and possession of child sexual exploitation materials.
The crimes occurred in Cherokee County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Smith will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney Edith A. Singer represented the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources”.
We encourage anyone who suspects or has information regarding child sexual exploitation, trafficking of minors, sextortion, child pornography, or any other means of child exploitation to immediately contact law enforcement. You can file a report on the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)'s website at www.cybertipline.com, call 1-800-843-5678, contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or call 877-4-HSI TIP.
Supplier Sentenced for Selling Counterfeit M30 PillsRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Dairon Jissan Rodriguez-Escalante, 27, a legal permanent resident from Cuba living in Maricopa, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Angela M. Martinez to 33 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Rodriguez-Escalante pleaded guilty to Possession with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl on March 27, 2024.
In 2021, Rodriguez-Escalante was identified through social media as a source of supply of counterfeit M30 pills containing fentanyl for other individuals who sent narcotics through the mail. In October and November 2021, Rodriguez-Escalante sold over 650 grams of blue M30 pills containing fentanyl to U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Drug Enforcement Administration agents on two separate occasions.
The United States Postal Inspection Service, Drug Enforcement Administration-St. Louis Office, Peoria Police Department, and the Mesa Police Department Forensic Laboratory conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-23-1086-PHX-JJT
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-119_Rodriguez-Escalante# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Springfield Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Crimes Against ChildrenRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Springfield, Illinois, man, Evan Taylor, 28, was sentenced on August 29, 2024, to 480 months’ imprisonment for the offenses of sexual exploitation of a minor, distribution of child pornography, receipt of child pornography, travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual activity, enticement of a minor, and the use of interstate facilities to attempt to transmit information about a minor.
At the sentencing hearing in front of U.S. District Judge Colleen R. Lawless, the government established that between 2018 and 2020, Taylor victimized multiple children between the ages of seven and fifteen both by creating child pornography and then distributing images he created using multiple online chatting platforms. Taylor also sexually abused a child under his care, drove across state lines to have sex with a minor, and attempted to entice another minor victim. Taylor bragged about his sexual abuse online and demanded to have sex with one of the minors, even after the minor had become physically sick. The government noted that the creation and dissemination of the images of abuse further traumatized the victims, given that they have no way of knowing with certainty whether the images remain online or in the possession of others.
During the hearing, Judge Lawless categorized Taylor’s actions as sickening, heinous, despicable, and predatory. She noted the egregiousness and continuing nature of Taylor’s conduct and explained that he had taken away the security and innocence of the children he had victimized. Judge Lawless also said that the sentence was necessary to ensure the safety of the public and to provide just punishment.
A federal grand jury returned the fifteen-count indictment in December 2020, and Taylor was arrested that same month. He has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals since his arrest. He pleaded guilty to all fifteen counts in December 2023.
The Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office, investigated the case. Assisting agencies included the Indiana State Police; the Jasonville, Indiana, Police Department; and the Marengo, Illinois, Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, the Sangamon County Child Advocacy Center, and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanner K. Jacobs represented the government in the prosecution.
The case against Taylor was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Siskiyou County Woman Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Shasta Lea Schnittker, 42, of Montague, was sentenced Aug. 26 by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller to eight years and one month in prison for possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on Feb. 22, 2022, Schnittker possessed 1,142 images and 110 videos of child sexual abuse material, or child pornography, on her computer. The child sexual abuse material included depictions of minors and toddlers involved in sexually explicit conduct and of sadistic and masochistic abuse. Law enforcement also found a video depicting Schnittker, which she had recorded, wherein she held up a flash drive and said, “This is where I keep all my CP.” In the self-recorded video, Schnittker then used the flash drive to play a video of child pornography.
This case was the product of an investigation by the FBI, with assistance from the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office, and the Siskiyou County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily G. Sauvageau and Denise Yasinow prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.
Project Safe Neighborhoods News for August 2024Read the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence. At the core of PSN is setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place. U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announces the following actions in federal PSN cases.
Sophondara Hun, 28, of Stockton, was sentenced on Aug. 8, 2024, to three years and four months in prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition. According to court documents, law enforcement officers responded to a report of a prowler at an apartment complex. The caller advised there was a man inside her apartment and that he possibly entered through a window. When officers arrived, they saw an open window and observed Hun sleeping on a bed in the apartment. Officers arrested Hun and upon searching Hun, noticed a .22 caliber bullet on the ground in front of Hun’s leg. Two .22 caliber bullets were found in Hun’s pocket and an additional .22 caliber bullet on the ground. Hun is prohibited from possessing ammunition because he has multiple state felony convictions, including assault on a person with a firearm, assault with a deadly weapon with force–possible great bodily injury, vandalism, and evading law enforcement in a vehicle. This case was the product of an investigation by the Stockton Police Department and ATF, with assistance from the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Haddy Abouzeid prosecuted the case.
Ramon Garcia Jr., 32, of Vacaville, was sentenced on Aug. 22, 2024, to seven years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, when law enforcement officers responded to a report of a domestic violence incident involving Garcia, he fled and eventually jumped over a barbed wire fence before being taken into custody. In Garcia’s vehicle, officers found a Glock 17, 9 mm handgun and an unloaded high-capacity, 31‑round Glock magazine hidden in the floorboard under the interior plastic molding on the passenger side. Garcia was on Post Release Community Supervision for a prior felony offense and is prohibited from possessing firearms because he has multiple state felony convictions, which include two prior domestic violence convictions. This case was the product of an investigation by the Vacaville Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Solano County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Haddy Abouzeid prosecuted the case.
Dexter Weeks, 35, of Galt, was sentenced on Aug. 27, 2024, to seven years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, law enforcement conducted a parole search of Weeks’ residence, a known felon on parole. They found a loaded Glock 20, 10 mm semi-automatic pistol on the floor next to the bed in the master bedroom where officers located Weeks. The gun had previously been reported stolen. Weeks is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he has multiple state felony convictions. This case is the product of an investigation by the Sacramento Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Haddy Abouzeid prosecuted the case.
These cases 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 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.
President of Florida-Based Investment Firm Pleads Guilty to Role in Unregistered Broker SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The president of a now-defunct investment firm targeting retail investors pleaded guilty yesterday to assisting an unregistered broker who sold securities in exchange for an undisclosed commission of approximately 40 percent.
Clinton Greyling, 49, of Tamarac, Fla., pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting an unregistered broker. Greyling was charged in an Information filed July 30, 2024. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for Dec. 11, 2024.
Greyling was the president of Trends Investments, Inc., a now-shuttered Florida-based company that sold securities of fledgling public companies that were engaged in mergers. Between February 2017 and June 2019, Trends sold shares of multiple companies to retail investors throughout the United States. Greyling touted the companies as promising because they were supposedly about to enter new and exciting business lines, including in therapeutic cannabinoids and blockchain technology. To sell the securities, Trends engaged a former registered broker, who solicited prospective customers to buy shares by falsely holding himself out as a broker and wealth manager and by telling customers that the securities were promising investments. At Greyling’s direction, Trends paid the individual—who was no longer registered as a broker with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission, as required—an undisclosed commission of approximately 40 percent, totaling over $800,000 on over $1.9 million in sales. Greyling further assisted the individual by providing positive information about the companies, including information about when the companies’ securities would purportedly begin active trading on the over-the-counter market. Trends, however, ultimately did not timely deliver shares to customers and the promised investment returns did not materialize. The shares sold to investors were ultimately worthless as a practical matter, as the customers were generally unable to deposit or trade them in a timely manner.
The charge of aiding and abetting an unregistered broker provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $5,000,000. 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 and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney James R. Drabick of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
Peruvian Citizen Pleads Guilty and is Sentenced for Possessing Fraudulent Visa and Social Security CardRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Andre Paolo Juarez-Oliva, age 27, and a citizen of Peru, pled guilty and was sentenced today to time served (over 5 months in jail) for possessing a fraudulent visa and a fraudulent social security card. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo, New York Field Office, made the announcement.
Juarez-Oliva admitted that he entered the United States illegally and that on June 4, 2023, police arrested him in Waterford, New York, after observing him driving a vehicle with fraudulent license plates. The police then found the fraudulent visa and social security card in Juarez-Oliva’s vehicle.
HSI agents in Albany and Newark, New Jersey, investigated this case with assistance from the Waterford Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mikayla Espinosa prosecuted this case.
Pair Faces Attempted Kidnapping, Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A couple has been indicted and accused of kidnapping a St. Louis woman at gunpoint earlier this month.
Jervonz L. Williams, 48, and Emma M. Cunningham, 32, were each indicted in U.S. District Court Wednesday on one count of attempted kidnapping. Williams also faces one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and Cunningham faces one count of making a false statement in connection with the purchase of a firearm and one count of transferring a firearm to a convicted felon.
They appeared in court Friday and pleaded not guilty.
The indictment accuses Williams and Cunningham of holding a woman against her will on August 5 for a financial reward. The indictment accuses Williams of possessing a firearm while a convicted felon and Cunningham of providing him a firearm, knowing that he is a felon, and falsifying paperwork while buying a gun.
A motion seeking to have both held in jail until trial says the victim was a property manager who was meeting Cunningham for a final walkthrough of her apartment. The motion alleges that Williams was armed and threatened the life of the victim in an effort to access her financial accounts via her cell phone. The victim was bound with duct tape but managed to free herself and flee.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Bluestone is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Oswego County Man Charged with Transportation and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – A grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging Rylin Turley, age 25, of Cleveland, New York, with transportation and possession of child pornography.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.
The indictment alleges that on August 3, 2024, Turley entered the United States from Canada, and knowingly possessed and transported an iPhone that contained child pornography. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
If convicted, Turley faces at least 5 years and up to 20 years in prison for the transportation count, and up to 20 years for his possession of child pornography. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. Turley would also have to register as a sex offender, forfeit the device used to commit the crimes and pay restitution to victims. 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.
HSI is investigating the case, with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the New York State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. McCrobie is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Ooltewah Man Sentenced to 32 Years Imprisonment for Exploitation of A Minor, Receipt of Child Pornography, and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Today, Dewayne Douglas Price, Jr., 42, of Ooltewah, Tennessee, was sentenced to 384 months by the Honorable Travis R. McDonough, Chief United States District Court Judge, in the United States District Court at Chattanooga, to a term of imprisonment of 32 years. Following his incarceration, Price will be on a term of supervised release for life, and he will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions.
Pursuant to the filed plea agreement, Price pled guilty to four counts, two counts of Exploitation of a Minor, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a), receipt of Child Pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(2), and Possession of Child Pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(4)(b), on February 23, 2024.
According to filed court documents, Price solicited women throughout the United States to molest their children and then send him images of the abuse. Price confessed to law enforcement, and some of the women throughout the U.S. have also been charged by federal or state authorities.
“As the court records show, Price’s conduct was depraved and outrageous,” said United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III. “Our office is committed to pursuing, uncovering, and prosecuting to the full extent of the law the criminals who sexually victimize children.”
“Children are among the most vulnerable members of our community, and we must protect them in any way we can. This case is a great example of the work that can be done when state, federal, and local law enforcement agencies collaborate across state lines. We will continue to work diligently with our partners to identify and investigate those who engage in this predatory behavior to ensure the safety of our children,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Law enforcement agencies participating in the joint investigation which led to the conviction of Price included the FBI and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorney James Brooks prosecuted the case in coordination with Special Assistant United States Attorney Charles D. Minor, who is assigned to the United States Department of Justice to combat child sex offenses in partnership with the Hamilton County District Attorney General’s Office.
This case was investigated as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, click on the link for “Publications & Resources.”
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Omaha Woman Sentenced for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Kasey O’Boyle, age 35, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced August 29, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, for her involvement in a methamphetamine conspiracy. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter Jr. sentenced O’Boyle to 90 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After her release from prison, she will begin a 4-year term of supervised release.
As part of a long-term Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation involving Mexican-based meth being distributed in the Omaha area, Kasey O’Boyle was identified as an individual that was receiving large multi-pound shipments of meth that she would later distribute to local conspirators.
On April 26, 2023, investigators with the DEA, Omaha Police Department, and Bellevue Police Department were aware that O’Boyle was meeting with someone in a parking lot in the area of Fort and 78th Streets. O’Boyle had given the individual she was meeting a suitcase and then left the area. Investigators contacted this individual and identified him as Columbian national, Hugo Ruiz-Rios. Ruiz-Rios was in possession of 18 pounds of meth. Ruiz-Rios was previously detained by Border Patrol agents on October 15, 2022, in El paso, Texas, after crossing illegally from Mexico. Ruiz-Rios was released on November 28, 2022, after making a claim seeking asylum.
After arresting Ruiz-Rios, investigators went to the residence of O’Boyle. The vehicle that O’Boyle drove to meet Ruiz-Rios was located in the driveway. Investigators searched the vehicle and located an additional 41 pounds of meth.
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.
This case was investigated by the DEA, Omaha Police Department, and Bellevue Police Department.
Omaha Company and Company President Sentenced for Covid Related CrimesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced today that Quin Global, an entity incorporated in Nebraska, was sentenced on August 30, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for mail fraud and selling an unregistered pesticide. Matthew Petersen, age 39, of Omaha, the President of Quin Global, was sentenced for selling an unregistered pesticide. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Quin Global to a total term of 2 years’ probation and ordered Quinn Global to pay a $390,000 fine and $520 in special assessments. Matthew Petersen was sentenced to a 1-year term of probation and was ordered to pay a $2,500 fine and a $25 special assessment.
“The defendants in this case perpetuated one of the largest COVID-19 fraud cases related to the sale of unregistered pesticides in the country,” said Special Agent in Charge Lance Ehrig of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division in Nebraska. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates that individuals and corporations will be held criminally responsible for profiting from false claims that preyed upon public health concerns during a global pandemic and for failing to ensure the integrity and safety of their products.”
The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), 7 U.S.C. § 136 et seq., regulates the distribution, sale, and use of all pesticides in the United States, including antimicrobial pesticides. Antimicrobial pesticides are substances used to destroy or suppress the growth of harmful microorganisms – such as the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 – on inanimate objects and surfaces. All pesticides distributed or sold in the United States must be registered by the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”). Registrants of antimicrobial pesticide products that claim to control microbes that pose a threat to public health must additionally submit efficacy data to support these public health claims.
Quin Global is located in Omaha and is a manufacturer of adhesive and tool systems. Matthew Petersen is the President of Quin Global. In March 2020, Quin Global began efforts to expand its business by manufacturing and selling pesticides. Quin Global initially contacted a company formerly known as Lonza, Inc. seeking to become a supplemental distributor of Lonza Inc.’s product Formulation HWS-64. Lonza, Inc. informed Quin Global that it would take months to enter into a legally permissible agreement.
In response, Quin Global purchased the product from, Buckeye International, a supplemental distributor of Lonza, Inc. The product Quin Global purchased from Buckeye International was being marketed as Buckeye Sanicare Lemon Quat. Quin Global began diluting and repackaging this product into its own proprietary pressurized canister and application systems. Quin Global sold this diluted product as a Quin Global product named Ramsol-RS1 which it marketed as being “EPA-approved” and as being effective against the COVID virus. The product being sold by Quin Global was not “EPA-approved” nor was it registered with the EPA pursuant to FIFRA since Quin Global never sought registration for the product.
In April 2020, Quin Global consulted a regulatory consultant, Delta Analytical, regarding the feasibility of registering Ramsol-RS1 product, which Quin Global was already manufacturing and distributing. Quin Global was informed of the requirements and did not seek to comply with the required EPA FIFRA registration requirements.
From April 2020 through July 2020, Quin Global distributed Ramsol-RS1 to 73 of its distributors in the United States of America and Canada. These distributors then supplied the product to their own retail customers. Quin Global received numerous inquiries from customers about the product’s validity and efficacy. Quin Global repeatedly assured their customers that its product would be effective against viruses and cited to the EPA registration for the Lonza/Buckeye product.
Lonza’s Formulation HWS-64 was listed on the EPA’s List N in March of 2020 as being approved for use against SARS-CoV-2 with the instructions that the product be utilized in accordance with directions for use against Adenovirus Type 7. Similarly, Buckeye Sanicare Lemon Quat was also listed on the EPA’s List N for use against SARS-CoV-2 at a specified concentration. For most of its accepted disinfection uses it is to be diluted at a 1/64 concentration, or 2 ounces per gallon of water. For Adenovirus Type 7 it is to be used at a higher concentration dilution of 8 ounces per gallon of water.
On or about April 24, 2020, Quin Global shipped 72 22-liter containers and 20 7-L containers of Ramsol-RS1 from Omaha to a downstream distributor, Chemical Concepts Inc., in Huntington Valley, Pennsylvania, using R&L carriers a commercial interstate carrier.
In June 2020, investigators with the EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division conducted undercover purchases of 7-liter canisters of Ramsol-RS1 from Chemical Concepts and Panther East in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Chemical Concepts and Panther East are downstream distributors for Quin Global.
The two 7-Liter canisters of Ramsol-RS1 that were purchased from Chemical Concepts and Panther East were sent to the EPA National Enforcement Investigation Center (NEIC) for further testing. The NEIC found Quin Global’s product to be significantly diluted, with active ingredients being diluted more than 100 times than the product should be if diluted at 8 ounces per gallon. The Ramsol-RS1 product was also diluted well beyond what it should have been if diluted at 2 oz per gallon of water with active ingredients being diluted more than 25 times what they should have been. Ramsol-RS1 was diluted to a point well beyond efficacy against viruses and, specifically, the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Between April 2020 and July 2020, Quin Global, advertising this product as being EPA approved and as being effective against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, sold approximately $1.4 million worth of Ramsol-RS1 and $185,000 in related equipment. Specifically, Quin Global sold 1,148 7-liter containers and 3,363 22-liter containers. Quin Global stopped sales after being confronted by the EPA.
This case was investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency-Criminal Investigation Division.
Okmulgee Resident Sentenced for First Degree MurderRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Elijha Dewayne Taylor, age 34, of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to life in prison for first degree murder. Taylor was also sentenced to ten years imprisonment consecutive to his life term for a federal firearms violation.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Muskogee Police Department, the Muskogee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On April 23, 2024, Taylor was found guilty by a federal jury of first degree murder and a federal firearms violation. According to investigators, on March 4, 2023, Taylor approached a Muskogee apartment building, entered an apartment, then intentionally shot the victim in the back of the head with a .22 firearm before fleeing. The victim later died at an area hospital. The crimes occurred in Muskogee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Keith Starrett, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing in Muskogee. Taylor will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard J. Lorenz and Gregory Dean Burris represented the United States.
Ohio County Man Indicted in Romance ScamRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Eugene Robert LeClear, age 52, of Wheeling, West Virginia, has been indicted for allegedly defrauding a woman he met online, announced United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld.
Court documents indicate that LeClear began an online relationship with the victim in 2022. LeClear began requesting money from her under the guise that he needed money to pay for medical expenses and to post bond in a criminal action, among other false pretenses. LeClear promised to reimburse the victim and falsely represented he had access to millions of dollars from gambling winnings and prior criminal activity. The victim lost approximately $96,000 from the scheme.
“Romance scammers are expert manipulators who develop relationships that feel very real,” said U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld. “Victims are understandably reluctant to come forward because they are embarrassed, but we hope they still will so that action can be taken to prevent others from being harmed.”
LeClear was charged with five counts of wire fraud and faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each count. If convicted, a federal district court judge would determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod Douglas is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
If you have any information you wish to report regarding LeClear, please contact the FBI via email at [email protected].
An indictment is merely an allegation, and each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Ocala Man Charged with Seaman’s Manslaughter and Paycheck Protection Program FraudRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Dustin Sean McCabe, 49, of Ocala, Fla., had his initial appearance yesterday on an indictment charging him with one count of seaman’s manslaughter, one count of making false statements, and three counts of wire fraud.
As alleged in the indictment, McCabe purchased a 48-foot vessel named the Southern Comfort in March 2020 and falsely claimed to the U.S. Coast Guard that he had purchased it for recreational purposes when, in truth and in fact, he purchased it to conduct paid scuba charters. In furtherance of those charters, McCabe refitted the Southern Comfort in ways that included removing the vessel’s main deck engine controls. He then operated the vessel as a passenger vessel by conducting paid scuba divers on March 28 and March 29, 2020, without authorization. The indictment further alleges that on March 29, 2020, McCabe’s negligent operation of the Southern Comfort caused someone’s death, which led to his formal suspension from being able to provide paid services with the vessel.
The indictment further alleges that after McCabe lost the ability to operate his vessel for pay, he then used the business he operated under, Florida Scuba Charters, Inc., to engage in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud by applying for two loans that he fraudulently obtained and/or had forgiven.
McCabe was arrested by the Coast Guard’s Investigative Service (CGIS) Special Agents.
If convicted of seaman’s manslaughter, McCabe faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. If convicted of making false statements and wire fraud, McCabe faces a maximum penalty of five years and 20 years, respectively. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. Margelot of the CGIS Southeast Field Office made the announcement.
CGIS Southeast Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Lake Worth and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Office of Law Enforcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller and Coast Guard Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanner Stiehl are prosecuting this case.
An indictment contains mere allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-CR-80103.
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North Texas men sentenced to federal prison for sexually exploiting children onlineRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – Two north Texas men have been sentenced to federal prison for child exploitation violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs.
Justin Mark Jones, 35, of Dallas pleaded guilty to attempted coercion and enticement of a minor and was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant on August 27, 2024.
According to information presented in court, between October 2022 and May 2023, Jones was communicating online with an individual he believed to be a 13-year-old minor. Jones contacted the purported child on a social media application, asking for a photograph and whether they “could have a little naughty chat.” Over the ensuing months, Jones and the purported child communicated on multiple social media platforms, during which Jones repeatedly raised sexually explicit topics of conversation. For example, Jones initiated discussions about the use of sexual toys, the purported child’s sexual experience, and the types of sex acts the two could perform on and with one another. On May 17, 2023, Jones traveled to a location in Plano, to meet the child and to engage in illegal sex. Jones arrived with a backpack containing sexual objects and condoms.
This case was investigated by the Plano Police Department and the FBI-Dallas Crimes Against Children Human Trafficking Task Force. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa Miller.
Eric Victor Henry Blood, 44, of Carrollton, was convicted at trial of three counts of transportation of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. He was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant on August 27, 2024.
According to information presented in court, Blood came to the attention of law enforcement when an Internet-based communications, storage, and email platform reported his email address had been used to upload images and videos of child pornography onto the company’s platform on multiple occasions. Homeland Security Investigations special agents served a federal search warrant at Blood’s Carrollton residence in May 2022, during which Blood admitted to using that account. Agents located child pornography files on multiple electronic devices he owned and possessed, including depictions of prepubescent minors and the violent sexual abuse of minors.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marisa Miller and Lesley Brooks.
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North Carolina Residents Sentenced for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that two North Carolina residents, Teon Raynard Robbins, age 45, and Antwon Marquise Williams, age 33, were sentenced for federal drug charges. Robbins was sentenced to 292 months in prison and Williams was sentenced to 78 months in prison for federal drug possession and distribution charges.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
On November 29, 2023, Williams pleaded guilty to one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
On December 4, 2024, Robbins pleaded guilty to one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
According to investigators, on March 1, 2023, law enforcement stopped Robbins and Williams for speeding on Interstate 40 in Sequoyah County, Oklahoma. During a search of the car, officers found over 40 kilograms of methamphetamine, packaged in 100 Ziplock-type bags inside three duffle bags in the back seat.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing in Muskogee, Robbins and Williams will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve non-paroleable sentences of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney Erin Cornell represented the United States at sentencing.
Nigerian National Extradited from Ghana to Face Charges for an Alleged $7.5 Million Business Email Compromise Scheme Involving Two Charitable OrganizationsRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Olusegun Samson Adejorin, a Nigerian national, was extradited from Ghana and arrived in the United States on August 30, 2024 to face federal charges for wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and unauthorized access to a protected computer related to a $7.5 million scheme to defraud two charitable organizations. Adejorin had his initial appearance on August 30, 2024, and is currently detained pending trial.
The extradition was announced by Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, and Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Baltimore Field Office.
According to the eight-count indictment, between June and August 2020, Adejorin perpetrated a scheme to defraud Victim 1, a charitable organization located in Maryland providing investment services to other organizations, and Victim 2, a charitable organization located in New York, by gaining access to employee email accounts and impersonating employees to induce financial transactions. The indictment alleges that Adejorin posed as an employee of Victim 2 to request withdrawals of Victim 2’s funds from Victim 1. Withdrawals over $10,000 required approval from at least one of several individuals authorized by Victim 1. According to the indictment, Adejorin fraudulently obtained the credentials of employees at Victim 1 and Victim 2 and posed as those employees to send emails from their accounts, including emails making fraudulent requests for the withdrawal of investment funds. As part of the scheme, Adejorin also allegedly purchased a credential harvesting tool designed to steal email login credentials, registered spoofed domain names, and concealed the fraudulent emails from a legitimate employee by causing the fraudulent emails to be moved to an inconspicuous location within Employee 1’s mailbox.
As further detailed in the indictment, Adejorin caused more than $7.5 million of Victim 2’s funds to be sent, pursuant to fraudulent withdrawal requests, from Victim 1 to bank accounts that were not Victim 2’s bank accounts.
If convicted, Adejorin faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each of five counts of wire fraud; a maximum of five years in federal prison for unauthorized access to a protected computer; and a mandatory sentence of two years in federal prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, for each of the two counts of aggravated identity theft. The maximum penalty for two of the wire fraud counts could be increased by seven years for knowingly falsely registering and using a domain name. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceeding.
U.S. Attorney Barron commended the FBI, Baltimore Field Office, for its work in the investigation and thanked the FBI Legal Attaché in Accra, Ghana, the Office of Attorney General and Ministry of Justice, the Republic of Ghana’s Economic and Organized Crime Office, the Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana Police Services - INTERPOL, and National Intelligence Bureau for their valuable assistance in this case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with the International Cooperation Unit of the Office of the Attorney-General of Ghana to secure the extradition of Adejorin to the United States. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Coreen Mao, who is prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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New Orleans Man Indicted for Federal Drug and Weapons OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that DANIEL KELLY (“KELLY”), age 38, of New Orleans, was indicted for violations of the Federal Controlled Substances and Gun Control Acts.
KELLY is charged in Count 1 of the indictment with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C). He is charged in Count 2 with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i). In Count 3, he is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1).
As to Count 1, KELLY faces up to twenty years in prison, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release. As to Count 2, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years up to life in prison, to run consecutively to all other sentences, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. As to Count 3, he faces up to fifteen years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release. Each count also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
According to court documents, on or about March 14, 2024, KELLY possessed, with the intent to distribute, cocaine and fentanyl, and illegally possessed six firearms and ammunition in furtherance of his possession with intent to distribute. Additionally, as a previously convicted felon, KELLY was prohibited from possessing the firearm and ammunition.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant 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. Special Assistant United States Attorney James Ollinger of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Muskogee Resident Sentenced for RobberyRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Darrin Renay Kimble, age 58, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 77 months in prison for one count of Robbery in Indian Country.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Coweta Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On August 29, 2024, Kimble pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on February 21, 2021, Kimble entered a Coweta Walmart and attempted to leave the store without paying for a large television. When stopped by an employee, Kimble pulled a knife and threatened to stab the employee and surrounding customers.
The crime occurred in Wagoner County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Kimble will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney Michael E. Robinson represented the United States.
Missouri Man Found Guilty of Pandemic Fraud, Witness Tampering, Clean Air Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A jury on Friday found a business owner from Farmington, Missouri guilty of all the charges he faced in trial this week, including bank fraud, Clean Air Act violations and threatening witnesses.
The jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis convicted Christopher Lee Carroll, 54, of three counts of bank fraud, three counts of making false statements to a financial institution, one count of conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act, 13 violations of the Clean Air Act and two counts of threatening a witness.
A company part owned by Carroll, Whiskey Dix Big Truck Repair LLC, was also found guilty of 16 Clean Air Act violations.
"The jury found Christopher Carroll responsible for nearly $3,000,000 in pandemic relief loan fraud, poisoning the air through Clean Air Act violations and then threatening witnesses to try and cover up his crimes," said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming. “He lined his pockets with money that was supposed to save jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic. He used more of the loan money to buy land and a fleet of trucks so he could start a trucking company, and then had the emissions control equipment removed to save on fuel costs. We will seek a significant prison sentence for this defendant and his company and any sentence, by law, will include mandatory restitution.”
"Christopher Carroll's company was granted millions of dollars from the PPP program but laid off dozens and dozens of its employees," said Acting Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. "To add insult to injury, Carroll wouldn't have even qualified for the funds if it weren't for his employees. We thank the jury for holding Carroll accountable for fleecing the PPP program, which was designed to help people who were out of a job through no fault of their own during the pandemic."
According to evidence and testimony from the trial, Carroll and his partner, George Reed, submitted a false and fraudulent application for a $1.2 million Paycheck Protection Program loan in April of 2020 for the time share exit company they ran, Square One Group LLC. The loan application contained false statements, including that Reed and Carroll’s wives owned the company. Reed and Carroll submitted loan applications in their spouses’ names to conceal Carroll’s status as a paroled felon, which would have precluded his company from receiving PPP funds.
Carroll did not use the money to pay dozens of employees who were out of work, or keep their health insurance in effect, Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwendolyn Carroll said during closing arguments Friday. Roughly two weeks later, Carroll began buying trucks and land to start a trucking company. Carroll and Reed then applied for loan forgiveness, falsely claiming that they’d spent the money on payroll and other permitted expenses.
They then sought a second loan of more than $1.6 million. When that loan was approved, Carroll and Reed took a total of $660,000 in “owner draws” from the company, the evidence showed.
But Carroll didn’t stop with pandemic loan fraud, Gwendolyn Carroll told jurors. He had emissions control equipment designed to reduce pollutants removed from Whiskey Dix’s fleet of diesel trucks. During the resulting investigation, Carroll would later ask one employee to “take the fall,” and told another that he would stop paying for his lawyer if he talked to federal agents. He did follow through on that threat.
Reed, 69, pleaded guilty to bank fraud in September of 2022 and admitted fraudulently applying for, obtaining and using the two PPP loans. He admitted that the company failed to pay a “significant number” of employees, despite their receipt of the loans that would have allowed them to do so. His plea also says Carroll terminated the health insurance benefits of at least 17 employees.
The FBI and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gwendolyn Carroll and Kyle Bateman are prosecuting the case.
Minnesota Man Sentenced for Fentanyl PossessionRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that De’Shuan Whitfield, age 23, of St. Paul, Minnesota, was sentenced August 29, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for possessing five pounds of fentanyl. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Whitfield to 70 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
On April 23, 2022, DEA Criminal Interdiction Unit investigators were at the Trailways Bus Station in Omaha when they observed Whitfield exit a bus and leave with an untagged suitcase. Whitfield was contacted and during the course of the conversation, investigators became suspicious of Whitfield due to the way he was acting and the things he said. Whitfield admitted that he had a marijuana dispensary bag. Whitfield opened his suitcase and investigators observed the marijuana dispensary bag. Whitfield also had a backpack. After seizing the marijuana in the suitcase, the backpack was searched. The backpack contained 40 plastic bags containing 4,444 grams of counterfeit M-30 pills. The pills were later tested, and it was determined that they contained fentanyl.
This case was investigated by the DEA and the Nebraska State Patrol.
Meth trafficking sends Billings man to prison for 10 yearsRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Billings man who admitted to trafficking methamphetamine in the community after law enforcement found meth and more than $4,000 in his residence was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Loren Dean Raver, 59, pleaded guilty in May to possession with intent to distribute meth.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in February, the Billings Police Department Street Crimes Unit was attempting to locate Raver on an outstanding arrest warrant. Officers were aware that Raver was on state probation and began surveilling his residence. On Feb. 26, a detective made a traffic stop of a vehicle after seeing a woman and Raver leave the residence and drive away in the car. Officers arrested Raver on his outstanding warrant. Officers, along with state probation officers, searched Raver’s residence and located a large quantity of meth inside a box of Mountain Dew that was on a coffee table. Officers also found $4,396 in currency, plastic baggies and digital scales. The meth was determined to be approximately 283 grams, which is a little more than a half pound, of pure meth. At the time, Raver was on state probation for several previous felony convictions.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Billings Police Department and the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force 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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McIntosh County Resident Sentenced for Causing Death by Firearm During A Crime of ViolenceRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Fredrick Cody Burkhalter, age 27, of Rentiesville, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 222 months in prison for causing the death of a person by firearm during a crime of violence.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the McIntosh County Sheriff’s Office, and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Police Department.
The investigation was also aided by personnel from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the Checotah Police Department, the District 25 Violent Crime Task Force, Muscogee (Creek) Nation Attorney General’s Office, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Fire Department Hazmat Unit, the Tulsa Fire Department, the Oklahoma Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue K9 Team, Muscogee (Creek) Nation Emergency Management, and the Tulsa Humane Society HEART Team.
On March 28, 2024, Burkhalter pleaded guilty to one count of Causing the Death of a Person in the Course of a Violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c).
According to investigators, in April of 2022, Burkhalter intentionally shot and killed the victim, then disposed of the victim’s body and attempted to cover up the crime. The victim’s remains were recovered and identified during a coordinated search of Burkhalter’s home and property conducted by a multi-agency task force. The crime occurred in McIntosh County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office extends its deepest gratitude to each and every one of the state, county, tribal, and federal agencies who came to the aid of investigators and offered their invaluable partnership and combined efforts to bring resolution to this case,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “It is always heartbreaking when we are unable to bring good news to the family of a missing person, but we hope that this sentence brings a measure of closure to a family and a community during their time of grief.”
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Burkhalter will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick Flanigan and Richard Lorenz represented the United States.